Summer Writing Challenge (McDonough Children’s and Young Adults/Teen Event)

Looking for a little writing challenge to get your creativity flowing this summer? McDonough Library has two writing programs, one for kids and one for teens/young adults. It is an entirely self-guided and self-paced program. Those that complete ten writing activities receive a certificate of completion and a prize!

The rules:
Complete the writing prompts and submit your work at https://forms.gle/PVrRyBZknMvjbimV7
Stop by the McDonough Library after July 24th for your prize and certificate!

Note: This program ends on July 29, 2022.

Ages 5-10 List of Prompts:

1) Narrative – Pretend someone gave you a submarine that could take you to the deepest depths of the ocean, the trenches. Think about what the journey down would be like. What would you see through the different ocean zones? What would it be like when you finally reached the bottom? Try to write at least 5 sentences.

2) Informational – You’ve discovered a new sea creature! What is it called? Describe it, its habitat, its relationship with other sea creatures, and more.

3) Narrative – You find yourself on a raft in the middle of the ocean. How did you get there? Try for at least 5 sentences.

4) Inferring/critical thinking – What do you think this quote means? “You can’t judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree.”

5) Opinion – If you had the opportunity to go underwater in a shark cage with great white sharks swimming all around you, would you do it? Why or why not? Make sure to give reasons for what you chose.

6) Narrative – While walking on the beach, a lobster greets you and asks you to teach it how to dance. Tell a story about this. Try to write at least 5 sentences.

7) Narrative – A fish finds himself out of water and able to breathe. He decides to explore the world above the sea. What are his thoughts about what he sees? Try to write at least 5 sentences.

8) Create a Game: Create your own board or card game. Include materials needed to play the game, rules, and directions. 

9) I’ll Have a Sand-wich: You are a restaurant owner who has been hired to cater a tea party. Create a beach or ocean themed summer menu for the party guests using only items you might find at the beach or in the ocean. Give each dish a descriptive name, such as “Mixed Seaweed Salad in Clam Shells.” Include each of the following on your menu: Appetizer, Soup, Salad, Main Course, Dessert, and Beverage. Details and illustrations of the food are encouraged!

10) Design a Travel Brochure: Think about where you would like to go for a vacation. Then, research the place you’d like to visit. You can use the internet to search for information, check out a book, or even ask for travel brochures from the locations you’d like to explore. Then, create your own travel brochure complete with places to stay, things to do, and fun restaurants to try. Even if you can’t actually travel to the place you have chosen, planning is still a whole lot of fun! 

Ages 11 & Up List of Prompts:

1) Poetry – Write a poem (5 stanzas) on what the ocean or beach means to you.

2) Game – Design a board game or card game. Be sure to include all the pieces to your game: game board, pieces, title, objective, ages, instructions/rules.

3) Creative – Write a story beginning with you (or a character) floating in the middle of the ocean. Who is with you/them? Why are you/they stranded? Be creative!

4) Story – Write a short story. You can present this as a comic strip, manga, or traditional style story. Be sure to include dialogue.

5) Epistolary – Write a letter (to a future someone) that you can put in a bottle in the ocean. Be sure to use traditional letter-writing etiquette. At least 2 paragraphs. (Bonus – write a response as if someone answered you).

6) Map – Create a treasure map for . Include images, compass, and clues how to get the treasure! The more creative the better!

7) Essay – Find an interesting fact about the ocean or creatures. Explain what it is & why it is interesting to you. Minimum 2 paragraphs for short essay. 5 paragraphs for traditional essay. Some examples include: why do we have tides? why do some fish glow? What is the most endangered ocean animal and why?

8) Brochure – Create a brochure (tri-folded) that advertises vacations to space. Be sure to include price & travel accommodations (how are we getting there?). What are the benefits? Attractions? Be creative & have fun! All pages must include information & images.

9) Etymology – Take any word related to the ocean or sea. Research the term using accredited resources (ex: Galileo). Draw and decorate your word to reflect the information you found. Write what it means in one paragraph: how old is it, where it originated from, any variations or changes to the word from it’s original format? Try to include citations if you can!

10) Infographic – Pick one of the five oceans and do some research about it. Pick 6 facts (ex: native animals, any endangered species, uniqueness about that ocean, temperatures, and any other interesting facts). Present your findings in an infographic. Look online for suggestions on what Infographics look like.