Ba Da Bing is a Writer’s Notebook activity created by Gretchen Bernabei. The directions are simple. First, ask students to draw feet, an eye, and a thought bubble on their papers. Then, ask them to recall an event to write about or give them pictures of settings to help stir memories. Finally, tell students to write a sentence, a narrative opening, or a snapshot that describes where their feet went, what they saw, and what they thought. I have found that kids love to draw the icons and use them as a check list while they create mini-masterpieces.
Here is an example of a seventh grader’s three-minute quick write using this formula:
Slowly, I trudged up Maple Street. I stuffed my hands deep into my pockets and starred at my new, black Nike Airs. “Mom’s gonna’ kill me,” I thought. A bright flash, stabbing the darkness, lifted my head. Little did I know that before this night was over, my mom’s anger would be the least of my worries.
Try this activity several times a week. The results are magical! -Janice Malone
What a great example of a quick write! With a three-word title, simple directions, and matching icons, students are inspired to write with creativity and openness. I agree with Janice – the results are magical and so is writer’s notebook!
We tried this last week and it went really well. We also encouraged the students not to state their exact location, which created a great “Where Am I” guessing game at the end. The students seemed to listen to each others’ pieces even more because of this. The description in each piece was amazing, which I hope will eventually translate to their other writing. I will try to post some student samples when I have a chance.
Thanks for the reminder and directions about this great quick write! I think it would be great to be able to come to this blog and find quick ideas when we need one.
I love the guessing game idea. I am going to try that in the middle school.
I was really impressed when watching this in action. Kids become stronger readers and enjoy the challenge. It is remarkable to see what they can produce.