1. Write a Limerick
St. Patrick's Day is an ideal time to teach your upper elementary students about limericks. This fun poem is believed to be named after Limerick, a city in western Ireland. Limericks are supposed to be humorous, making them an engaging introduction to poetry.
Writing a limerick can feel intimidating, however. Students will benefit from a lot of examples and scaffolding. This No Prep Limerick Resource includes lots of silly limericks, step-by-step instructions, and scaffolded worksheets so your students can practice reading and writing limericks. Plus, it has a reading passage about the invention of limericks with some test prep questions!
2. St. Patrick's Day Words to Write a St. Patrick's Day Story
Provide your students with a list of St. Patty's Day - themed words and have them integrate all of the words into their own story! This is a good way to get a little vocabulary building in as well. You can give students words like:
- shamrock
- leprechaun
- green
- fortunate
- mischief
- tradition
- legend
3. St. Patrick's Day Opinion Writing
3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students can always benefit from more opinion writing practice. Take advantage of St. Patrick's Day and give students an opinion writing prompt that will engage them.
Possible St. Patty's Day Opinion Writing Prompts:
- Do you think pinching others for not wearing green on St. Patrick's Day is a good tradition? Why or why not?
- Would a leprechaun make a good friend? Why or why not?
- What is the best green food?
These tips for teaching opinion writing will help your students write a successful opinion writing essay.
4. Pot of Gold Writing Prompt
5. Compare and Contrast Luck and Hard Work
6. An Edible How-To St. Patty's Day Writing Activity
Food makes everything more fun! As a class, make one of these edible St. Patrick's Day treats:
- St. Patty's Day Oreo Pops
- St. Patty's Day Trail Mix
- St. Patty's Day Pudding Parfaits
- St. Patty's Day Pot of Gold Pretzels
Then, have your students write a how-to paper that provides instructions on how to make the edible treat.
7. St. Patrick's Day Squiggle Story
Squiggle stories are a fun, no prep writing idea that 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students love.
To write a squiggle story, give students a sheet of paper with a random squiggle on it. They create a St. Patrick's Day drawing that incorporates that squiggle. Then, they write a short story based on their drawing.
This no prep resource includes plenty of squiggles and "prompts" to help direct students' writing. And best of all, it can be used all year, not just for St. Patrick's Day.
8. Lucky or Unlucky
9. How to Catch a Leprechaun
Never Stress Over Sub Plans Again!
Make copies, find a fiction book, and you'll be ready for any emergency that comes your way!