My Statue… Statues are often made of people who have done important things. If you could put up a statue to honor anybody you wanted, who would it be? Why?

Watching dinner…                                                           This fine old lion is busy watching a herd of zebra. What do you suppose he is thinking about as he stares at them so intently?

Wide open spaces… Pretend you are walking across this field. Describe your trip. What do you see, hear, and feel? Include all the things your readers need to feel they are there with you.

Wild Places This waterfall is in a wilderness area. Write what you’d like to do in this wilderness or describe an experience you’ve had in another wilderness area.

Wind and Waves This rough, rocky coastline in Hawaii juts into the Pacific Ocean. Describe what you think it would be like to take a walk here. Try to use all five senses (sight, taste, smell, touch, and feel) in your description.

Winging It Dragonflies live in ponds, pools, troughs, tanks, barrels, and just about any place that has at least six inches of water and a few plants. Write about a place near your home where a dragonfly could live. Or describe a place you might create for dragonflies to make their home.

River life… Boats and rivers, the two go together. What are some of the many ways in which rivers are useful to us?

River View This house stands on the banks of the Amazon River in South America. How is it different from yours? Compare and contrast your house to this one.

The Night Shift Owls hunt at night. They fly through the forest and swoop down on mice, rats, and other small creatures. They have fantastic vision and hearing. Describe an owl’s journey through the forest at night, including all the sights, sounds, and smells.

Name Game If this hedgehog were your pet, what would you name it? Give three reasons for the name you chose. Or tell about a pet you named and give three reasons why you chose that name.

Orange beauty… Write a letter to some pretend friends describing this butterfly. Tell them everything they need to know to picture it in their minds.

Breakfast is served An ostrich laid this mighty egg. What would you have to do to scramble it? List the steps involved in order.

Garden life… Imagine you are this little ladybug living in a flower garden. Write about what you see and do there.

Head in the Clouds Giraffes are the tallest animals. What do you think are some of the good—and bad—things about being so tall? Describe two of each.

Mane Man Male lions are the only cats that have a mane. How do you think a mane helps protect a lion? What message does it send to other lions and animals? Give three reasons that manes might help male lions remain “kind” in the animal world.

A Pig Tale Just like every other day, this pig walked into the yard. Spring was in the air and everything was about to burst into bloom. Suddenly the pig stopped in its tracks and stood very still. It was looking at a… Add a middle and end to this beginning. Tell what happened.

America the Beautiful This picture shows a mountain landscape in Wyoming. Describe the landscape where you live. Tell how it compares or contrasts with this one.

Bare Bones This scientist is studying a dinosaur bone. Do you think it would be exciting or boring (or both) to be a scientist who studies dinosaurs? Explain why.