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.
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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.