Prepare small pieces of paper with a variety of writing prompts. Find and draw from a standard list or generate your own ideas for suitable prompts by considering your students' particular interests and concerns. Jot down a different prompt on each piece of paper, fold the papers in half and place them in a paper bag, large aluminum can or over-sized envelope.
Describe the process of round robin writing to your students. Tell the kids you will be setting a timer, giving everybody two minutes to write to their group's prompt. Explain that when the time is up, each student must immediately pass his written work to the person seated to his left and that you will then reset the timer. Tell your students that they should quickly read what their neighbor wrote and continue writing where their fellow student left off. Point out that they will continue this process of writing and passing their work to the left until each group generates five complete unique stories.
Divide the class into groups of five. Instruct the students to rearrange their desks and bring a pencil and plenty of lined paper as they gather into their assigned groups.
Present a single writing prompt for all the groups to use or allow one student from each group to choose a prompt from the collection you prepared before class. Give students several minutes to think about their topics before proceeding.
Set your timer and instruct the children to begin writing. Be available to encourage and boost the confidence of stymied writers and to repeatedly reset the timer. Remind students to stop writing immediately when the timer buzzes and instruct them to pass their work to the left.