San Diego Area Writing Project
Young Writers Camp
Newsletter
July 21, 2017
Kerry Ojeda, Krista Sopfe
Katie Ward, and Kira Nolan
Our YWC group had a fabulous week
of camp. We kicked off the first day by
using our detective skills to ask ques-
tions, which allowed us to get to know
one another.
The campers have been busy learning
about different writing styles through
mentor texts. One of their favorites
was What if You Had Animal Teeth?
After listening to the story, the students
used what they learned about different
animal teeth to develop opinion pieces
about the types of teeth they would like
to have, and after reading Maxs Words,
campers were inspired to create col-
lages to reflect their personalities using
letters and words cut from magazines.
Another highlight was our trip to the
beach where students listened to the
mentor text Atlantic before composing
I Am poems using the ocean as inspira-
tion. When we returned to the class-
room, campers had the opportunity to
examine sea animal specimens, such as
starfish and sea horses, before creating
shape poems about them.
We also delved into narratives with TAs,
Katie and Kira. Katie led our camp-
ers through the process of developing
superhero characters, and Kira honed
in on the development of settings for
narrative writing.
We wrapped up the week with a field
trip to VG Donut & Bakery where camp-
ers wrote food reviews based on their
culinary experiences.
We are looking forward to another
great week filled with more mentor
texts (If You Give A Mouse a Cookie, The
Snails Spell, Hailstones and Halibut
Bones, and Rosie Revere Engineer) and
field trips (Cardiff Library, Seaside
Market, and the Cardiff School garden).
We are also looking forward to a mak-
ing and engineering activity that will
inspire our writing.
Margaret Epperson, Miriam Sikking,
Katie Burgstaller, and Elise Chenevey
We loved getting to know our campers
on the first day as we introduced our-
selves with alliterative adjectives such
as Respectful Rishi, Magical Maggie,
and many more. We read the mentor
text Who Is Melvin Bubble? by Nick Bru-
el to focus on perspectives. This was a
great lead-in to a discussion on how we
can all be perceived differently depend-
ing on who you ask. This inspired our
campers to write about themselves
from anothers point of view, such as
their grandmother, teacher, or sibling.
We unpacked the mentor poem,
Where Im From by George Ella Lyon
to inspire poetry writing. We thought
about what makes us individuals, and
we created our own versions. Jace
wrote, I am from the know-it-alls, the
teachers, the engineers, and gamers,
From the wealthy and the poor, the
trips of enlightenment every other
year....
Sprinkled throughout the writing
activities, we learned that, Rewriting
is like scrubbing the basement floor
with a toothbrush. Its never done! We
look forward to sharing and getting
help with revision during our writing
response groups. Mary Ellen revised a
line in her narrative after a camper in
her writing response group suggested
that she might want to add more feel-
ing in her writing: My heart pounding,
I scrolled down. Little Red Riding Hood.
I wanted it. I saw my name....
Our guest speaker, Judy Leff, offered
a unique writing lesson by showing
us how to use our senses to silently
observe the world around us. This was
an inspiring moment for everyone as
we paid attention and opened our eyes
in the beautiful sunflower garden.
Our writing experiences will find the
campers writing in many different ven-
uesin the classroom, at the sunflower
garden, and at the public library. We
look forward to our other walking field
trips where we will be inspired by the
beach and VG Donut & Bakery.
This is a creative group of diligent writ-
ers who wow us every day with their
thoughtful words. We cant wait to see
what next week brings!
Reflections
from our Campers
YWC is a good place to sharpen your
writing skills over the summer. It brings
kids together, not just through writing,
but through interactions. Were becom-
ing good friends and are helping each
other with revising and improving our
writing.
Jack
This camp makes you motivated to
write about the different topics the
teachers give you. They give you ideas
and time to practice, which motivates
the campers to become authors.
Harrison
I really enjoy camp because they
describe figurative language, and they
give you time to write what you want.
My favorite thing has been getting
into groups to share and do Praise,
Question, Wish. It helps to know other
peoples opinion about my writing and
how I can improve it.
Callia
I like Young Writers Camp because we
get to write stories and have fun with
writing.
Lane
Upcoming YWC Activities
July 25- Anthology cover contest
submissions due by 10:00am
July 26 - Anthology pieces due
by 8:30am
July 27 - Writing About Writing
contest entries due by 12:00pm
July 27 - Sharing celebration (open
microphone) and fundraiser event at
Barnes and Noble in Encinitas
at 6:00pm
July 28 - Families are invited to
classroom celebrations from 8:30 to
10:30am. Camp ends at 10:30am on
the final day.
About Writing
Response Groups Inspired by
Special Guest Speaker
At Young Writers Camp (YWC), we
strive to build a community of writers Judy Leff
who are able to share their writing with
peers in a judgment-free environment.
In small-groups, our teachers and Tale of a Passionflower
teaching assistants are able to provide (An Excerpt)
opportunities for positive interactions By Annika
through writing response groups,
which are an essential part of the YWC
Silent as a glimmering snowfall
You wait and wait for it to come
experience. For it to spread its vibrant wings
and soar through the sky
While working in writing response Gazing at the clouds
groups, campers take turns reading It has to come
their pieces aloud while others listen. You know it does
To facilitate the ensuing discussions, It needs to slurp you up to survive
You are sweeter than butterscotch
we use a process called Praise, Ques-
tion, Wish (PQW). As each camper with extra sugar
shares, others take notes that include Disappointed desire overflows
something the writer did effectively While still you wait
(Praise), a question they have about the
When you give in
They are here
writing (Question), and something they Butterflies
wish the writer would add or do to im-
prove the writing (Wish). Each camper
shares their PQW comments with the A Garden (An excerpt)
writer and provides the written notes to By Brenna
the writer on sticky notes.
Green leaves
Effective writing instruction includes covering the poetry path
Bright orange
reflection. By implementing writing
Yellow splash
response groups, campers are encour- Dipping, diving into a dark thicket
aged to think about the writing of Pink flowers moving gently
others, and they are asked to reflect in the breeze
upon the feedback they receive. We Tree stumps, brown and dull
encourage our young writers to take Children sitting, writing
the feedback into consideration when A world of poetry
they revise. However, young writers
must decide for themselves how they
want to use the feedback as they work
Natures Path (An excerpt)
By Mateo
to improve their writing through the
revision process. Ants scuttling around the plants
looking for a green sprouted
source of food
Bees buzzing
as they make their
bumbling way
across the plant tops
Cracked logs...now the seats and
leg rests for humanity
Countless signs welcoming us
Umbrella Mushroom
By Sean
Tiny umbrella mushroom
Lonely in the middle of a field
Waiting for another
to sprout next to it
Like a child
wanting a baby brother
Still lonely, waiting for another