If you are interested in bringing out the creativity writing in your students, this is the perfect activity!
The goals of this lesson is three-fold:
– to have students learn creative writing skills
– to work as a team
– to use descriptive language
Materials:
– 14 or more images from the Chronicles of Harris Burdick (optional: laminate the photos)
– writing materials
Lesson Plan:
1. Explain to students the back story of Harris Burdick: the mysterious artist who submitted the images with captions to his publisher, but was never seen again! Students are now the only hope of unraveling the mystery behind these images…
2. Clarify that you will make groups and hand them a picture. At the top is a caption and title. They must incorporate these into their story. They will have 10 minutes to complete their stories. (I give a narrow timeline because it helps the students to focus, and it provides time for them to share, edit, etc.)
3. Hand out images (upside down; don’t look!). Set the timer and GO!
4. Students write for ten minutes. Circulate the room, encouraging students to write with detail.
5. At the end of the writing session, provide two or five minutes for edits and revisions, or time to practice readings.
6. Students share their work.
Here are some of the masterpieces my students have come up with:
Multiple Intelligences in the Everyday Classroom 