Story Jar

Give students the opportunity to learn more about their classmates with a story jar. Write personal topics, such as My favorite place is..., or After school, I…, on slips of paper and place in a jar. At writing time, let each student pick a slip from the jar and write a personal narrative on the chosen topic. Let students share their stories, then return the slips to the jar. Have students periodically pick new topics from the jar.