Concepts Schools’ Writing Contest Information

The following information will help you plan for the Concept Schools Writing Contest in your schools. During our Webinar last week we discussed writing prompts and other program ideas and here is the result. The theme for this year’s Writing Contest is:

I Think, Therefore I Write

  1. Basic Information:
  2. Submissions are due to Chicago by March 22, 2013.
  3. There are different prompts foreach grade rangelisted below:

Early Elementary Prompts

  • You are going on a trip to outer space. Write an essay that explains what you would take with you and why these items will be important.
  • You have an idea for a new toy. Write an essay that describes and explains how it works.
  • You are pretending to be a bug. Write a story from the point of view of this bug.
  • You have chosen a significant event or experience from your life. Write a song/poem that communicates your feelings about it. Include a minimum of 1 verse (or 10 lines) and a refrain.

Middle School Prompts

  • You have observed a fly on the wall at your house. Write an essay that describes what he/she would see and why.
  • You save mementos or souvenirs. Write an essay that describes these items and explain why they are meaningful to you.
  • You think the place you live needs some changes. Write a letter outlining this change and how will it work.
  • You have chosen a significant event or experience from your life. Write a song/poem that communicates your feelings about it. Include a minimum of 2 versus (or 20 lines) and a refrain.

High School Prompts

  • You have noticed the discrepancy between the money made by most celebrities and the average citizen. Write a persuasive argument that justifies why celebrities should make less money than average citizens.
  • You have observed that there is a country in crisis. Write an essay that discusses this country and argues your solution to their crisis.
  • You have noticed a scar recently. Write an essay that explains your scar and what impact it has had on your life.
  • You are thinking ahead and planning for your retirement. Write a speech that explains your accomplishments, and missteps, as well as how you hope to be remembered.
  • You have chosen a significant event or experience from your life. Write a song/poem that communicates your feelings about it. Include a minimum of 3 versus (or 30 lines) and a refrain.

Twitter Prompt - TBD

  1. Student selects one prompt and writes:
  2. High school entries must be between 500-900 words. Music and poetry submissions have a minimum of 3 versus (or 25 lines) and a refrain.
  3. Middle school entries must be between 300-600 words.
  4. Elementary entries must be between 200-400 words.
  5. Twitter responses details TBD.

NOTE: Your work must be publishable and may not include obscenity, gratuitous violence, or other questionable material.

  1. Additional rules and guidelines:
  2. The contest is open to any student (grade 3 or higher) who is a part of Concept Schools.
  3. Classroom teachers select the top 5 entriesusing the rubrics attached. It is suggested that you group your entries into high, middle, and low piles for the first round and then ask students to re-write for improvement before making your final decisions.
  4. Once the students have been selected work with them to submit their entries, as a Microsoft attachment to , by 4:00pm (CST) March 22, 2013 and include:
  5. A copy of their work without their name or any other identifying information. (Make sure students save a copy of their work; entries will not be returned.)
  6. A separate cover page with their name, grade level, teacher’s name, and school’s name.
  7. All decisions about winners are subject to the judgment of the Concept judging panel, using the scoring rubrics attached, and will be final.
  8. Winners will be announced at the Concept Schools Speech and Spoken Word competition on April 26th.
  9. This year, all winning work will be published on-line under the Concept Schools “Writing Wall” and published in a book which schools and students can purchase.
  1. Ways to prepare in school:
  2. Set up 1 day each week in class, or after school, and establish a Writer’s Workshop(see attachments) environment:
  3. Use levels of writing to explain process.
  4. Establish guidelines – rituals and routines.
  5. Write, re-write, and publish.
  6. Model exemplars in the competition writing genres: expository, argumentative, and non-fiction.
  7. Introduce prompts and rubrics after you have been meeting regularly. 70% of writing should be pre-writing.
  8. Work with administration to design an incentive program for teachers who participate. Set guidelines for teachers: i.e. a teacher who receives and reviews 15 pieces of student writing receives a $25 gift card to the store of her/his choice. If a teacher goes above and beyond the minimum requirement, there name is sent to Chicago and we do a random drawing from all submissions for a grand prize: “Writing Mentor Teacher” of the year.
  9. Remind all students that their work will be published in book and on-line and this is a valuable thing to have on their resume.

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