Fun Writing Activity: Grand Finals Fever!

Try running this Grand Final inspired writing lesson in your classroom.

Based on the final eight system used by both the AFL and the NRL, this lesson involves splitting the class into eight teams who then compete against each other for a place in the Grand Final.

Each round focuses on one of the Seven Steps and extra credit is given for any examples of Dynamic Dialogue and Show, Don’t Tell. It’s a fun and simple writing activity, perfect for the end of term!

This template is taken from our popular resource Game Cards – Finals Fever which is available on Teacher Hub. Become a Seven Steps Member today!

Grand Finals Game – instructions

Round: Ranking

Step 1: Plan for Success

Instructions:

• Divide the class into eight teams and ask them to come up with a team name.
• Give them TWO minutes to brainstorm as many ideas as they can for the topic: Grand Final.
• Give the teams an additional FIVE minutes to pick their best idea and plan out a story using the ‘Narrative Story Graph’ template.

Who wins?

• Teams get a point for each idea that they came up with in the brainstorm and these points are used to rank the teams from 1st to 8th position.
• Display the ‘Seven Steps Finals System’ template on the whiteboard and enter the names of the teams in the appropriate boxes.

Round: Finals Week

Step 2: Sizzling Starts

Instructions:

• Give the eight teams TWO minutes to write a Sizzling Start for their story based on their plan.
• Remind students to start with action or at a moment of change, not at the start of the week/day/game when nothing of interest is happening.

Who wins?

• Ask each pair of competing teams to read out their Sizzling Starts and get the other teams to vote on which one was best in each instance.
• In the event of a draw, the teacher has the deciding vote.
• The results of the vote will determine which TWO teams go straight through to the Semi Finals, which FOUR teams progress to the Quarter Finals, and which TWO teams are eliminated.
• Enter the names of the teams in the appropriate boxes in your ‘Seven Steps Finals System’ template.

Round: Quarter-Finals

Step 6: Ban the Boring

Instructions:

• Give the four teams in the Quarter Finals TWO minutes to Ban the Boring and rewrite their Sizzling Start.
• Suggest adding dialogue or using Show, Don’t Tell to make their Sizzling Start more dynamic and engaging.

Who wins?

• Ask each pair of competing teams to read out their revised Sizzling Starts and get the other teams to vote on which one was best in each instance.
• In the event of a draw, the teacher has the deciding vote.
• The results of the vote will determine which TWO teams progress to the Semi Finals and which TWO teams are eliminated.
• Enter the names of the teams in the appropriate boxes in your ‘Seven Steps Finals System’ template.

Round: Semi Finals

Step 3: Tightening Tension

Instructions:

• Give the four teams in the Semi Finals FOUR minutes to write the tension scene for their story based on their plan.
• Prompt students to use the Five + 1 Senses to make the reader feel like they are really there.

Who wins?

• Ask each pair of competing teams to read out their tension scene and get the other teams to vote on which one was best in each instance.
• In the event of a draw, the teacher has the deciding vote.
• The results of the vote will determine which TWO teams progress to the Grand Final and which TWO teams are eliminated.
• Enter the names of the teams in the appropriate boxes in your ‘Seven Steps Finals System’ template.

Round: Grand Final

Step 7: Exciting Endings

Instructions:

• Give the two teams in the Grand Final TWO minutes to write an ending for their story that ties together their Sizzling Start and their tension scene.
• Remind students to include the character resolution as well as the action climax.

Who wins?

• Ask the two competing teams to read out their endings and get the other teams to vote on which one was best.
• In the event of a draw, the teacher has the deciding vote.
• The results of the vote will determine which team has won the Grand Final.

Extra credit: Remind students at each round to look for any examples of Dynamic Dialogue and Show, Don’t Tell and take this into consideration when voting.

At the end of the five rounds you will have a Grand Final winner. Display a final version of their winning story on the classroom wall along with the completed ‘Seven Steps Finals System’ template.

May the best team win!

Download the Finals Fever template

To access more detailed instructions for each round and the ‘Narrative Story Graph’ template, become a Seven Steps Member today!