Tech Review #3

http://www.eduplace.com/tales/

            This is a web site that I love to use in my classroom.  This site is called Wacky Web Tales.  When I was a kid I loved to use Mad Libs to write silly poems and stories.  It is just like the Mad Libs I used growing up, only better (maybe this is why I enjoy this site so much)!  It is good language arts practice as well as creative writing practice.  The kids can pick which topic (theme) they want to write about and fill in the blanks!  There are dozens to choose from.  The activity gives them a part of speech that is missing from the story.  Such as, they may have to add a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, plural nouns, etc. to the story.  The children simply fill in words of their choice and hit the button when completed.  The site puts their parts of speech into a story and the students get to read the story they created.  It could be a story, skit, or a poem.  There are several options on this site.  What the kids like the most is reading their ‘Tales’ aloud to the class.  They are always silly and entertaining to read. They even have the option to print them off and keep them in a writing notebook or other writing journal.

            This activity is great for students to use in the classroom, in a computer lab setting, or in an extra class like I do with my Leaps Grant Afterschool Students.  It is geared toward grade 3 and up, so it may be difficult for younger children.  This site is basically free of advertisements so it is free from those annoying distractions.  No username or password is required, so they just load it up and let the fun and silliness begin!  I urge you to check it out and see how many silly tales you can create!