Picture Perfect Paragraphs –
Creative Writing and Paragraph Structure Bootcamp
For Grades 2nd – 5th
Boost Writing Skills
Dive into the art of crafting perfect paragraphs with the Picture Perfect Paragraphs bootcamp at Clairmont Advanced Education Center! Immerse yourself in a week filled with creative writing exercises and engaging challenges designed to enhance your paragraph structure and storytelling abilities.
Creative and Engaging
Our innovative program employs a multisensory approach, ensuring students not only learn but truly comprehend each element of a well-constructed paragraph. These essential writing skills, crucial for academic success, also prepare learners for the sophisticated writing tasks they will face in future grades and beyond! By participating in this vibrant bootcamp, students develop a solid foundation in writing, poised to tackle any literary challenge with creativity and confidence. Experience the dynamic world of creative writing at Clairmont Advanced!
Our budding writers not only boost their confidence in writing, but also cultivate a deep appreciation for the craft of storytelling in this fantastic creative writing bootcamp!
2nd and 3rd grade students will develop and strengthen creative paragraph writing skills:
- Topic Sentences
Learn how to craft engaging topic sentences that introduce the main idea clearly and succinctly, setting the stage for the paragraphs they write. - Using Descriptive Language
Explore how to use adjectives and sensory details to paint vivid pictures with words, enhancing the reader’s experience and understanding. - Organizing Thoughts
Practice organizing their ideas logically, using a simple framework to structure their paragraphs effectively, which helps in maintaining flow and clarity. - Creative Thinking with Photos
Use photography to inspire writing by creating stories or descriptions based on images they capture during the scavenger hunt, linking visual creativity with written expression. - Concluding Sentences
Develop skills in writing concise and impactful concluding sentences that wrap up their thoughts neatly and reinforce the main idea of the paragraph.
Meanwhile, our 4th and 5th graders will delve into understanding more advanced topics:
- Advanced Paragraph Structure
Dive deeper into paragraph structure, focusing on how to develop a coherent narrative or argument within a paragraph by linking multiple related ideas smoothly. - Enhanced Descriptive Techniques
Learn to employ advanced descriptive techniques, such as metaphors and similes, to enhance their writing’s vividness and emotional impact. - Critical Thinking and Analysis
Engage in exercises that encourage critical thinking about how best to convey a message or tell a story, analyzing examples and revising their own work for greater effect. - Storyboard Creation
Create simple storyboards based on their photographs, which helps in planning and visualizing their stories or descriptive paragraphs before writing. - Peer Review and Feedback
Participate in peer review sessions where they give and receive constructive feedback, learning to critique respectfully and use feedback to improve their writing skills.
Picture Perfect Paragraphs Bootcamp Daily Activities
Monday
Topic Sentences and Photo Scavenger Hunt
The bootcamp kicks off with the “Topic Sentence Hot Potato” game, where students pass a water balloon or a toy while learning about topic sentences, earning points for each fact they recite correctly. This is followed by a “Creative Thinking Photo Scavenger Hunt,” where students explore the campus with cameras, capturing images of items like a quiet deer or a colorful leaf. They craft topic sentences for each photo, enhancing both their understanding of effective writing and their observational skills. In case of rain, the scavenger hunt moves indoors, focusing on intriguing indoor features.
Tuesday
Descriptive Writing and Creative Art Integration
Students delve deeper into their creative journey by selecting pictures from Monday’s scavenger hunt to describe using the “Descriptive Sentences Worksheet.” They craft one sentence per picture, completing this exercise for two different photos with an active and fun brain break in between (with a lot more tickets to win!). In “Imaginative Art,” students envision and bring to life a character from their photos, painting or drawing directly onto their printed images. This activity encourages creativity and helps students think beyond the literal aspects of their photographs.
Wednesday
Building Paragraphs and Creative Writing
On Wednesday, creativity meets structure as students utilize their imaginative art from Tuesday to construct stories. They are tasked with creating a full paragraph by writing on five index cards—each dedicated to one part of the paragraph structure: a topic sentence, three supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence. After aligning their thoughts coherently, the cards are stapled in order along with their artwork. The day continues with “Sentence Darts,” an engaging activity where students test their understanding of sentence types. To win more tickets, they throw darts or water balloons at hoops labeled for topic, supporting, and concluding sentences, depending on the type of sentence the teacher reads, which reinforces their learning in a rewarding and interactive way.
Thursday
Telling a Story
Thursday’s session at the Picture Perfect Paragraphs bootcamp combines storytelling with action figures and imaginative backdrops. Initially, students select a figure—like an action hero, Barbie, or Hot Wheels—and brainstorm story ideas together. They then create elaborate scenes for their characters, crafting settings on poster boards or within various indoor and outdoor environments, capturing these moments through photography. This activity lays the groundwork for their next writing project. Additionally, they engage in a “Scratch Art” exercise, where they jot down as many descriptive nouns, adjectives, and adverbs as possible related to their pictures, enhancing their vocabulary and descriptive skills in a playful manner while earning tickets for prizes.
Friday
Writing the Perfect Paragraph
On the final day of Picture Perfect Paragraphs bootcamp, students harness their creativity to craft the perfect paragraph. Utilizing the descriptive words gathered from Thursday’s scratch art, they construct a story about their previously designed action figure scenes. Each student writes a structured paragraph—starting with a topic sentence, followed by three supporting sentences, and capped with a concluding sentence. They then attach this written work to their action figure scenes on a poster board, giving their story a title and decorating the board to enhance their narrative visually. The session concludes with an opportunity for students to present and read their crafted paragraphs aloud, showcasing their week’s learning and creativity.
Picture Perfect Paragraphs Bootcamp Price: $225
Register here or call (914) 771-0531 for more info.
Picture Perfect Paragraphs Bootcamp Registration
July 29 – August 2 or August 26 – August 30; Monday – Friday (4:30pm-6:00pm)
We Appreciate All Of Your Reviews!
Additional Information
Pricing
Bootcamp: $225
Student Pick-Up and Drop-Off
The student drop-off/pick-up location is at the valet booth entrance in the back of the building.
Class Size
Maximum class size per schedule is 10 students.
Location
Clairmont Advanced Education Center is located at 90 N Broadway, Irvington NY 10533
Contact Us
Call/text 914-771-0531 or email [email protected] with any questions
