Et cetera : Reading, writing and learning together: 6th graders help 1st graders discuss techniques

6th graders listen as first graders read their essays about what would happen if their teacher turned into a witch on Friday. Elementary students heard about zombies on Friday, and imagined how a famous candy bar could have begun. The imaginative stories were part of the fun when first grade students of Mrs. Tina Vasquez traveled from Tilford to the VS Middle School on Friday, to meet with the 6th graders taught by Becky Beauchamp. The purpose of the gathering was to help them all learn more about writing. The 6th graders have been working on creative writing techniques, learning key components of fiction writing: Setting, characters, conflict and dialogue, as well as keeping in mind their audience. Their assignment: Write a short story to read to the first graders, and be able to answer questions from them about that story and how they wrote it. The first graders are also studying writing, and each of them wrote a few lines on the topic: "What would happen if my teacher turned into a witch?" The students spent about 45 minutes together, as the sixth-graders read their stories in groups of two or three, and then rotated to another pair of first-graders. The older students say they enjoyed the assignment, and learned many things along the way. Since each story had at least two authors, the students say they had to learn to compromise, to bring the ideas of two people into one story. They also had to keep in mind their audience -- students five years younger than them. The authors of one of the short stories chose a candy store as their setting, and discussed how the candies responded to the threat of closing the store. The result was an accident that led to the creation of a famous chocolate bar with caramel and peanuts. A pair of 6th grade boys wrote about zombies, but instead of scaring the younger listeners, it made them laugh, they say. The first-graders also made the older students laugh, as they wrote about how Mrs. Vasquez might smell and what she might say if she suddenly became a witch. Mrs. Vasquez and Mrs. Beauchamp have done this project in the past; the first graders who participated say they are looking forward to their chance as 6th graders to read to younger students. See more photos HERE.