Poor Idea Development - Building Up Students' Writing Habits

For the past several years, the top reason students in all grades (in Texas) received a one for a score (out of 4) on the state TAKS test was weak development of ideas.
After reading so many papers over the years, I'm almost certain that the results are similar across the nation. Kids, and even adults, tend to list the ideas they wish to convey instead of adequately explaining and giving specific details as they write.

One way to demonstrate this weakness to your students in a very visual way is using basic colored building blocks like Legos (Reg. U.S. Pat. and Tm. Off.) or a generic version of blocks.

Assign a student in the classroom to be the one who stacks the blocks as the story is being read. For each sentence that develops an idea more completely, a block is stacked vertically, in direct correlation to the development of the idea. At the teacher’s discretion, a compound sentence might possibly deserve to be represented by two blocks. In contrast, when an idea is simply listed, or is underdeveloped, the blocks will again be placed accordingly, being placed side by side instead of vertical. When consecutive ideas flow well and relate to one another, allow the blocks to touch if the student remembered to use some type of transitional phrase between the ideas. If there is no connection between ideas, or there is not a smooth transition between them, leave gaps between the blocks as you place them on the table. This will show the gaps left in the writing of the story. As the writer goes from one idea to another, remember to switch the colors of the blocks to represent that change.
In the end, the blocks will become like a bar graph of how well the composition is developed, and it will show the student which areas need more work, and which ones flow well.

Student "How To" Essay Problem

Students tend to leave many gaps in writing How To essays. I think when this happens they're essentially writing with the teacher in the back of their mind. They think, “She already knows that, so I won’t include it in my paper.” I tell students to pretend they are writing for a child in kindergarten or first grade who is at an age that they still need everything explained to them in great detail, with no information excluded. I have a fun test to see how thorough they are being when they write a How To paper. We actually attempt to do or make something specific, following the directions laid out by the student, from the preparation clear through to the conclusion. This shows any gaps the paper may have, or any questions left unanswered for those who are trying to follow the paper. Sometimes we can’t even get past the introduction, due to some important materials or ingredients that are missing. Other students get lost somewhere along the way when giving the steps. I tell my kids to try to remember the when to, what to, why to, how to, where to, and some precautions for each step, when appropriate. When we are able to make it through an entire paper and completely follow all of the directions with no confusion, the student knows he has done well and will receive a good score as a reward. Once again, with the idea that most kids learn more with a visual to guide them, what is better than hands-on experience? As an additional bonus, you may even end up with a snack to share at the end of the lesson!

Lost opportunities in story writing

Getting there is half the fun!

Many students choose very interesting places to go in their stories, the result being an engaged, involved reader. Such papers are fun to read and to write!
Sometimes however, before the reader even realizes it, they are off and running in an adventure with no clue as to how they got there, or what the trip was even like. This is a lost opportunity! As the title states, it can be "the gettin’ there" that is half of the fun. For example, if the writer decides to take the reader to a strange place he's never been before, the reader would most definitely want to know how he ended up there. Maybe he would like to go himself some time! It would be impossible for me to include all the countless ideas I've read that people have used to get themselves (and their reader) to interesting story settings, but I want to include a short list which I think you'll enjoy: drying your hair and you get pulled inside the blow dryer, taking a shower or bath and being sucked down the drain, looking for something in the refrigerator or freezer and being pulled in by a new character, using the microwave or oven and ending up in some hot place, touching a special object that transports you to another place, eating or drinking something that takes you to another dimension, finding a normal object that turns out to be a type of time machine, going through a door or opening to find a new world on the other side, pushing a button, switch, or lever that sends you to your special place, meeting a strange character that asks you to follow him to his world. I think you get the point: instead of already just being there, one way to add interest is to include how you got there, especially if you go about in an unusual way.

Order the Story Student Activity

Who's On First?

In this zany activity, the students get to be the story as they attempt to put it in the correct order. Place the sentences of a story on different strips. You may want to group longer stories by events using entire sheets or posters that the students can hold. Those who are "being the story" are moved around by the other kids in the class, according to what makes the most sense. Sometimes quite a debate can develop as to the exact order, so you may want to get the sumo-wrestling suits ready to settle any disputes! This activity is useful when the students are learning to master sequencing, cause and effect, and drawing conclusions. Using clues in the various parts of the story, they will determine the best order. Encourage them to continue rearranging the students who hold the sentences and/or paragraphs until they make sense. Finally, ask someone in the class to read the story aloud so all can decide if it sounds logical and flows well as it is, and at that point make any adjustments that may be needed. Be sure they can justify any changes they want to make in the order of the sentences or paragraphs.

Training students to show where they are in their stories.

Where am I?

If students develop the skills necessary to write a focused story, there will be adequate space to include settings that involve the reader's imagination. In other words, instead of just telling the settings, they can show them, painting vivid pictures in the minds of their readers by using the senses, shape, size, color, etc. While a beginning writer will tell the setting at the beginning, your intermediate and more advanced writers have the maturity to allow their setting to evolve, if you will, throughout the entire event. Here are a few examples that show the setting of the story instead of just telling it. Read these to your students to see if they can draw conclusions from the details to figure out what might be the location of each from the clues given.

1. I raced across the burning hot sand to the waiting cold water ahead. My feet were singed and I was completely out of breath as I set my towel, umbrella, and lunch basket down. A seagull was diving at my head, apparently hoping for some scraps of food, but I had none to offer. I glanced to my right and noticed a lone fisherman casting his rod and reel in the distance. He must have been doing well because his ice chest was overflowing with fish! To my left I heard the soft laughter of a little girl and her mom as they playfully built a sand castle together. I couldn't wait much longer to splash into the water! Where am I?

2. As I stepped into the room, a mountain of books appeared around me on all sides. About thirty or forty children were milling around the room, but not one of them uttered a word. A soft spoken woman sat behind a desk near the door with the sound of a computer beeping as she scanned books under them one after another. Several teachers came in with their arms full of books, binders, and other materials. I walked to a corner of the room and pulled a book off the shelf. Where am I?

3. The room was cold, dark, and quiet. A single beam of light shone from the back of the room all the way to the front, where a humongous white screen came alive with people and places. The aroma of popcorn filled the air and the sweet, icy Dr. Pepper felt great as it slid down my parched, scratchy throat. The place was almost packed with other occupants of the soft, comfortable, cushioned seats. I took my wife’s hand and settled in for a nice relaxing time with her. She just looked at me and smiled. Where am I?

Development of Story Ideas: Less is More!

Road signs and billboards are blunt and to the point, mainly because the people reading them do not have time to read anything that takes more than a few seconds when they are driving. If students could grasp this concept when they are writing a paper, it would do wonders for the development. Some students spend as much time brushing their teeth in a story as they do on the main event, and really can’t understand why that's a problem! Knowing when it is appropriate to develop an idea, or when to say it in a word and move on is sometimes difficult. This activity uses normal street signs to model where many kids go wrong in their writing. Take a sign like the first one above, for example. It basically stands for: Watch Out! Train! The picture should be enough without having to go into great detail. Here’s what an untrained student might write on his train sign: That light coming toward you......that’s not God! But if you don’t stop pretty quickly, you’ll see Him soon enough! I’m bigger than you and stronger too. Even if you get to the intersection before me, you better not take a chance, because I’m not going to stop! I don’t care what you saw actors do in those movies! Try going through before me and there will be a sad ending!
The other sign simply means Don’t Park Here, but an untrained writer might say it something like this (remember, our goal here is the development of the right ideas). Don’t even think about parking here. We'll tow you, your car, and your gramma who’s still in there to the impound. Then we’ll charge you $200 per day and that’s just the fee for putting up with your gramma! We suggest you park at the parking lot next door. We don’t like the owner of that place anyway. So you’ll do us a favor by filling his parking lot. Just don’t do any business with him and that will make us very happy! Bye!
There are hundreds of clip art programs full of road signs like these where the students can practice this activity. I know what you’re thinking! Why would I want my students to practice doing things that would be considered wrong? Well, if the student does this activity and begins to be able to distinguish between ideas that can be explained in a word or sentence, and the ones that need to be fully developed, then he has learned something from the experience. I once
heard someone say, “Everyone has a purpose in life, even if it’s to be a bad example for others.” I think that quote applies here, and this activity does a good job of showing the students that less is more when they are writing about minor details!

L.A.U.G.H.S. - Sticking to the lesson

I am quite sure we've all had the experience of being in the middle of a lesson when a student blurts out, “Guess what happened to me yesterday!” If you’re like me, you would prefer to finish the lesson, but being a kindhearted, compassionate sort of individual, like most other teachers, you go ahead and let him tell his story. As you've probably found, this usually snowballs as story number one leads to story two, which leads to story number five and ten, and, well... you get the idea! Then, adding to the dilemma, this is about the time when your principal or administrator walks in, wondering what the conversation has to do with the "three R's"!
The simple truth is that we would hardly ever finish a lesson if we all took the time to listen every time a child has a story that needs sharing, so the acronym above represents an opportunity for children to share their stories at a more appropriate time during the day, rather than in the middle of your lesson!
So, the acronym stands for Life And Un-Gradable Humorous Stories.

Transitional Words: The Missing Link

Transitional words and phrases help a story to flow smoothly from one idea to the next. Sometimes students need a visual aid to check whether or not their ideas are flowing effectively.
Read the students' papers to them while using a game like Jenga as you read. The generic version is ideal because the blocks come in three colors, which can represent the introduction, body and conclusion of the papers.
Stack the blocks by color and each time a student has a weak or ineffective transition, remove one of the blocks. For example, if you have the red blocks on top, and there is a weak transition in the introduction, you would remove a block from that section. If a student moved from one idea to the next with no transitional words or phrases at all this would leave gaps or holes in the writing. In this situation, you would remove two blocks from the game instead of one.
The weakly organized papers will be recognizable by the way the tower of blocks looks after the entire composition is read. It will usually fall apart, much like the story written by a student whose writing is filled with weak or nonexistent transitions.
See all our products at www.thewriteprescription.com or
on www.teacherspayteachers.com  under The Write Prescription/Bill MacDonald

THINKING CAPS - The Reading Writing Connection

During class time, a good teacher will want to pause when he or she finds higher level vocabulary words in the story. This creates a teachable moment. After that, however, where does the word go?
Unfortunately, most of the time it becomes like a mere acquaintance: out of sight, out of mind.... never to be thought of or used again. After noticing this fact, I began using an idea that has proven very effective in my classroom.
Recognize your Reading time as an excellent opportunity to make a stronger connection to Writing and allow the students to bring their own caps or hats from home to wear. From Dr. Suess to Davy Crockett and Nemo to the simple but fun "beanie" hat; you name it; at some point over my teaching career I have probably seen it! Encourage the children to express themselves creatively - some may even want to make their own.
As oral reading takes place, they can take out their hats and wear them as a reminder to make the Writing connection. Each student will need a multi-subject notebook with a separate section for each of these items: difficult or new vocabulary, sentences written in very unique ways, similes, metaphor, idiom, onomatopoeia, personification, hyperbole, etc. For greater impact, a teacher in the lower grade levels may prefer to decide which examples are to be included, while in upper level classes, students can take ownership in ;this activity by making these decisions on their own. In this way, each notebook becomes a reflection of the individual's ability and his or her life perspective.
Later, during Writing assignments, the students will use their notebooks as a tool to improve the overall quality of their papers. Your more capable writers will often drive a greater sense of pride from working with examples they've produced themselves than those they can get from professionally designed posters or other materials made by someone other than themselves.

Better Vocabulary Exercise

Even though you have told your students time after time not to use certain worn-out words, bad habits are hard to break. This activity can be utilized when you are reading compositions orally to the students and giving feedback.
Before you begin reading, write each student's name on tag board paper with a permanent marker. Each time you come across an illegal, overused or "watered down" word as you read a student's composition, squirt the tag board with his or her name one time. This makes a very strong visual, displaying which students are still using too many baby words and which are improving. The winner is the student with the driest tag board after all compositions have been read.
To convince the losers of the importance of using higher vocabulary, have them go back and change all their ineffective word choices to better ones. This will take the thrill out of those who simply use baby words because they want to see their papers get wet. Just don't spray the students!

Varied sentence structure: Sometimes shorter is better.

Say it in a Word

A common mistake we make as teachers is telling students that every sentence has to be complex or compound... the longer the better. Varied sentence structure will guard against monotony and open the door for greater creativity in writing. Sometimes the most effective sentences are those which got the idea across with only one of two words.
If you were to write the word TROUBLE, what message might you be trying to portray to the reader? Perhaps that something is definitely wrong, and that the characters will be in jeopardy or danger if something doesn't change soon.
Other effective word choices might be Help! Run! or No! You class can brainstorm possibilities in teams, following up by drawing a colored picture of what the one-word sentences might represent. Run could be a person being chased by a villain or animal. Help might be a drawing of someone who is tuck and needs to be rescued.
Allow for some flexibility and creativity from your students, even if some of their one-word sentences seem a little 'out of the box'.
If there is a shriek that begins to rise up within you at the idea of actually accepting or approving a fragment or incomplete thought, you are not alone! A few strategically placed one or two-word sentences here and there, however, add spice and flavor to a composition.
See this poster and all our other products at www.thewriteprescription.com or
on www.teacherspayteachers.com  under The Write Prescription/Bill MacDonald

More Original and Interesting Stories

And they lived happily ever after.........Prove It!

Being in the classroom twelve years, I noticed that most children had a habit of ending their stories with their characters happy but tired. After hundreds of papers like that, I could see how unoriginal and predictable the papers were getting. If that's happening in one classroom, imagine what is happening in classrooms across the state and around the country!
To have some variety, think of some other more unique ways that characters can feel at the end of the story.
For example, the character could be angry at the end, and instead of only telling the emotion, students can show the emotion by explaining the complete facial expressions, body language, hand gestures, etc. of the character(s) when an event causes that particular reaction, in this case, anger.
This could also make a great classroom game. Your students will show different emotions using the physical aspects above, and the other students can guess what emotion is being expressed. Allow the opportunity to fine-tune the emotions expressed to make them more believable and something the reader can relate to as things happen.

Pairing off your students for MUTUAL improvement

When I first started teaching, I would group a high level student with a lower one when it was time to revise and edit their stories. This made it easier for me because I could just walk around the room, monitor the students' progress, and address specific concerns or problems.
After a while I recognized a problem with that approach. The only one who was really benefiting from this, besides the teacher, was the low student. He would get quite a few suggestions from his "higher" more knowledgeable partner and, working together, they could usually move the lower student's paper to at least the next score point. When it was time to look at the higher student's paper, however, the weak writer would think it was perfect and offer very few suggestions, if any at all. The strong student would think his paper was fine after comparing himself to the weaker writer, and would turn it in the way it was.

When I realized this was happening, I began pairing my students together , two "highs", two middles, etc. on down to the lower ones. While the strong students polish each other's papers by revising and editing, I would work with the lower ones doing what I call surgery.
If the group is still too large, I would group the students who could pass the writing at minimum success level to work together while I worked with the lowest students. When I felt they had enough to work on, I switched back to the other group, offering them suggestions and critiques.
I have seen incredible improvement in the stronger students as they push and challenge each other to higher and higher levels of achievement in Writing. One partner is able to find things that the other didn't catch or might have overlooked when revising and editing on his own.
This way of grouping is more challenging for the teacher, but allows all the students to improve at a steady rate, not just the weaker ones.

Slow Motion/Emotion - Developing "Voice" in Story Writing

One of the main reasons our students are not writing with as much voice as we may like is the amount of television they watch. In the olden days (as my kids like to say) we would read much more than kids do now. We were required to use our imagination. Today, T.V. nearly does away with the need for imagination; but wait - don't throw it out yet!
May I introduce an activity I call "Slow Motion/Emotion" that brings voice back into writing. Look for a DVD movie that includes events which cause at least one character to have an emotional reaction. Watch it the first time at normal speed, and then stop the movie to analyze with your students what just took place. After you feel they have the gist of what happened, watch it again, but this time slow it down to still step mode which allows you to see the movements frame by frame. Your students will take turns expressing what the character is doing with every movement of his body.
How did his face change? (eyes, mouth, eye brows...) What did the character do with his arms, legs, hips, fingers, etc.? Guess what he might have been thinking... what was going on in his mind and heart? What did he say and why did he say it that way? After seeing it again in slow motion, each will try to write out the scene, being as accurate in detail as possible using the same descriptive words as the class did. So much takes place over a few seconds in a movie that there is no way the viewer can catch it all at full speed.
What child won't jump at the opportunity to watch a movie? Now you can use this as an ally and a tool for improving voice when it comes to the emotions.

Developing Student's Story Ideas

"Stuck On You"

This activity is a very strong hands-on visual that allows the students to see and hear whether their ideas are developed or not. You will need to purchase a set of paddle sticks with the suction cups on one side and the rubber ball that comes with it.
Select a story or essay to read and give the paddles to two students to hold, standing about ten feet apart. Have another student read the essay, and as long as the author is talking about the same idea, keep the ball stuck to one paddle.
As soon as he switches to a new idea, have the student holding the ball pass it to the person with the other paddle. The ball will again stay there until the author switches to another idea.
When a student writer needs more practice with development, you will notice that the balls will be moving back and forth very quickly. As they are taught to develop more fully, they will only have a few passes back and forth for the entire paper.
Yes, the students will have a blast, but they will really learn how to develop each idea more completely before jumping to the next one.

Story Writing & the Top Ten Word List

During oral reading throughout the year, you and your students will come across hundres, if not thousands, of excellent words that stand out in your minds. I encourage students to have a Top Ten word list, in which they constantly search for interesting words as they read, updating the list throughout the year as better works come along. I ask them to find or create situations where they can use them in the writing of stories or any compositions.
In every high-scoring, quality student paper, you will notice an average of between five and ten highly effective word choices. A Top Ten word list forces the students to constantly be looking for new words and better ways to express themselves as they plan and write their compositions each week.

Student Language Arts Activity: Mastering the story sequence

Who's On First?

In this zany activity, the students get to be the story as they attempt to put it in the correct order.
Place the sentences of a story on different strips. You may want to group longer stories by events using entire sheets or posters that the students can hold.
Those who are "being the story" are moved around by the other students, according to what makes the most sense. Sometimes quite a debate can develop as to the exact order, so you may want to get the sumo-wrestling suits ready to settle any disputes!
This activity is useful when the students are learning to master sequencing, cause and effect, and drawing conclusions.
Using clues in the various parts of the story, they will determine the best order. Encourage them to continue rearranging the students who hold the sentences and/or paragraphs until they make sense.
Finally, ask someone in the class to read the story aloud so all can decide if it sounds logical and flows well as it is, and at that point make any adjustments that may be needed. Be sure hey can justify and changes they want to make in the order of the sentences or paragraphs.

Story Writing: FOCUS EXERCISE

And They're Off!

This activity can be done orally or in writing. Give your students a topic or prompt to talk or write about, and, after giving them about 30 seconds to 1 minute to think and plan, have them write for five minutes. The goal is to have the most writing that responds to the prompt without losing focus or purpose. After the five minutes have passed, ask all of your students to take turns reading their responses to the class; then decide which student kept the best focus.

Assessing your students' writing, Part 8: FINAL PRODUCT

• The form and presentation of the letters and words increase the reader's ability to understand and connect with the message. It is eye-pleasing.
• The slant is consistent, letters are clearly formed, spacing is uniform between all the words, and the words are easy to read.
• The use of a title and opening paragraph make it easy for the reader to understand the desired purpose and intention.
• There is effective use of text and illustrations, maps, charts, graphs, and tables. There is a clear and understandable connection between the text and the visuals. (mainly for reports & presentations)
• The penmanship and letter size allow the audience to focus on your message without distractions.
  

Assessing your students' writing, Part 7: SENTENCE FLUENCY

• The sentences are well built, with strong and varied structure that invites expressive reading.
• The sentences vary in length as well as structure. Fragments, if used, add style. Dialogue, when present, sounds natural and flows with the story.
• Purposeful and varied sentence beginnings add originality and energy to the story.
• The use of creative and appropriate transitions between sentences and thoughts shows how each idea relates to, and builds upon the one before it.
• The writer has put much thought into the sound of the words as well as the meaning. The first time the paper is read silently or aloud is easy for the reader.
• The sentence construction is such that it enhances the meaning and understanding.
  

Assessing your students' writing, Part 6: WORD CHOICE

• The words chosen are specific and accurate. It is easy to understand just what the writer means.
• Striking words and phrases catch the reader's eye and linger in the reader's mind.
• The words and phrases are natural, effective, and appropriate for your audience.
• Lively verbs add energy while specific nouns and modifiers add depth to the story.
• The choices made in language enhance the meaning and clarify understanding.
• The writer has taken care to put just the right word or phrase in just the right spot.
• The words chosen are powerful and engaging. The writer's message is conveyed in an interesting but natural way.
  

Assessing your students' writing, Part 5: CONVENTIONS

• Writer attempts to communicate complex ideas and express himself in interesting ways.
• Writer makes minor errors due to compositional risks, but these errors do not take away from the overall fluency of your paper.
• Spelling is generally correct, even on more difficult words.
• Punctuation is accurate, even creative, and guides the reader through the writing.
• A complete understanding of the rules of capitalization is shown.
• Grammar and usage are correct and contribute to the clarity and style of your paper.
• The paragraphing tends to be appropriate and reinforces the organizational structure.
• The writing is very close to being ready to publish.
  

Assessing your students' writing, Part 4: VOICE

• The writer is able to engage the reader and sustain connection throughout the composition.
• The writing sounds authentic and original. The writer is able to express individuality and unique perspective. In other words, the ideas are fresh and creative. The writer seems to be writing from experiences and knowledge.
• The flow of writing adds interest and is appropriate for the audience.
• The reader feels that he knows the writer; he senses the person behind the words.
• The reader can see who you are throughout the paper.
• The writing is honest and personal, causing the reader to think about and react to your ideas and point of view.
• The story makes the reader want to care about the things the writer cares about.
  

Assessing your students' writing, Part 3: DEVELOPMENT OF IDEAS

• Thorough and specific development of each idea creates depth which enables the reader to truly appreciate and understand your ideas.
• The presentation of ideas is thoughtful and insightful. An unusual perspective and unique experiences of the world are used as a basis for writing and there are interesting connections between ideas. There is a willingness to take risks that enhances the quality of the content.
• Relevant, quality details give the reader important information that goes beyond the obvious or predictable to enrich the central theme or plot.
• Writer demonstrates an understanding of what is important and can easily pick out those things that are most significant while writing.
• There are no questions left that confuse the reader.
• Specific and accurate details are presented to explain and develop your main ideas.
  

Assessing your students' writing, Part 2: STORY ORGANIZATION

• Movement from sentence to sentence and paragraph to paragraph is very smooth and controlled. Writer remembers to use meaningful transition words and phrases as he/she moves in a logical way from idea to idea.
• The organizational strategy used improves the ability to present the ideas clearly and effectively.
• An inviting introduction draws the reader in, and a satisfying conclusion leaves the reader with a sense of closure and completeness.
• Thoughtful transitions clearly show how the ideas connect. The details make sense and fit where they are placed.
• The organization flows so smoothly the reader hardly thinks about it; the choice of structure matches the purpose and audience.
  

Assessing your students' writing, Part 1: FOCUS and COHERENCE

Here are the things you should be looking for when grading your students' composition papers.

• All paragraphs, as well as the composition as a whole, are focused and sustained. The reader can see how each idea is related to the next.
• Introduction and conclusion are meaningful to the composition because they add depth. The paper has a sense of completeness.
• The topic is narrow and manageable. The points are made clear and are easily understood.
• Most, if not all, of the writing contributes to the total quality and development of the composition.
• Pacing is well-controlled. The writer knows when to slow down and explain more fully, and when to pick up the pace and move on to the next idea.
• The title (if one is used) is original and captures the plot and theme of the composition.
• The tone and mood of the composition is appropriate for the purpose and for the intended audience.
  

Story Writing : Planning activity for students

This activity is a tremendous visual for students who can't seem to get the concept of organization and planning for and writing of their papers.


Gentlemen, Start Your Monkeys!
The idea is to be able to read an entire composition with continuous flow, free of unnatural breaks, gaps or holes in the writing.
Purchase three or four of the "Barrel of Monkeys" games and assign them to one of your students to manage as the papers are being read.
As long as the ideas are flowing well, with effective movement from sentence to sentence, and from idea to idea, a monkey gets added to the chain. (one per sentence)
If however, there is a break in the flow, or smoothness of the paper; if there are weak, ineffective transitions, a break in the story line occurs. Thus, the chain of monkeys stops there, and a new chain begins. This chain can continue until the story is complete or there is another break in the action.
Of course, at the beginning of the year there will be many breaks in the flow, but as your students gradually begin to notice where these breaks are and recognize them on their own, the number of chains will get lower and the length of each chain will get longer. By the end of the school year, most students will be able to write an entire paper with one continuous flow and very few breaks in the chain.
So, tell your students to "Start Your Monkeys!" and watch them have fun improving their story planning and organization.