One Minute Writing is a simple yet effective writing activity that can be used to engage students in writing at any point in a lesson. It is a low-stakes activity that allows students to write freely and without fear of judgment.

Materials:

• Writing papers or journals
• Pens or pencils
• Timer

Procedure:

1. Pose a Prompt (5 minutes):
   • Provide students with a clear and concise prompt that is related to the lesson or topic at hand. 
   • The prompt can be open-ended or focused on a specific concept.
2. Set the Timer (1 minute):
   • Set a timer for one minute and instruct students to write continuously for the entire minute. 
   • Remind them to keep writing, even if they run out of ideas.
3. Write  (1 minute):
   • Once the timer starts, students should begin writing. Encourage them to write freely and express their thoughts without worrying about grammar or spelling.
4. Summarize (Optional) (15-20 minutes):
   • If desired, have students take a few minutes to summarize their writing in a short paragraph or sentence.

Differentiation:

• Choice Prompts: Offer three writing prompts with varying levels of complexity or focus (e.g., “Describe the main character,” “Analyze the author’s purpose,” “Create a new ending”).
• Sentence Starters: Provide sentence starters that cater to different learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) to inspire writing (e.g., “The scene reminded me of…,” “If I could ask the character one question, it would be…,” “This situation made me feel…”).
• Multiple Intelligences: Cater to various intelligences through prompts like drawing a scene (spatial), composing a song (musical), or writing a dialogue (linguistic).
• Time Variations: Adjust the writing time based on individual needs or difficulty (30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes).

Technology Integration: 

• Online Text Tools: Use word processing software with features like text-to-speech, dictation, or vocabulary support for struggling learners.
• Interactive Polls or Quizziz: Conduct quick polls or quizzes during the One Minute Writing to gauge understanding and adjust instruction as needed.
• Collaborative Documents: Encourage real-time collaboration on shared documents for group writing activities.