STORYTELLING: VOLLEYBALL STYLE! In this silly writing activity, students change places in a volleyball-like rotation. Write several silly topics on the chalkboard (a flying goldfish, a magic pencil, a clock that only says "tock," for example). Tell students they are going to use a word processing program, such as AppleWorks or Microsoft Word, to type a story. Explain that they should incorporate into their stories as many of the silly topics as possible. Have students begin their stories. After students have been writing for two minutes, call out “Rotate.” Have each student move counterclockwise to his or her neighbor’s computer, and continue writing. Repeat rotations every two minutes, allowing about 15 minutes for the whole exercise. Have each student return to his or her original seat and read the story written there. Invite some students to read aloud their stories to their classmates. This activity improves speed and is highly motivating; students want to type as fast as possible to get in their thoughts. Be careful not to let chaos develop, however, and keep an eye out for inappropriate story entries. Next: Type that Tune