The possibilities for learning a foreign language through movement are inexhaustible. Consider acting out the meaning of individual words from stories and poems. Through movement, children can begin to comprehend the meaning of action words such as pull, push, jump, leap, hop or descriptive words such as kind, lovely, polite, bitter, sugary.
However, movement activities that require children merely to imitate the teacher do not foster creativity. But movement activities with emphasis on problem-solving, discovery, and self-expression can make a substantial contribution. Creative movement activities also foster imagination. One of these activities is the 'poetry walk'. And here is how to do it:
These are some examples: The colours of the garden reflect the rainbow that crosses the sky. Ants, bees and butterflies Are so small and so different, but they are all happy at sunrise. What a delicious smell! What are you baking? 'Chocolate cake', we yelled! So many books, so many words If we read them all Will we become nerds?
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An acrostic poem is a type of poetry where the first, last or other letters in a line spell out a particular word or phrase. The most common and simple form of an acrostic poem is where the first letters of each line spell out the word or phrase. 1. Show the child how to write an acrostic poem, in which the first letter of each line spells out his or her name, when read top to bottom. 2. Once the child writes a poem based on his or her own name, the child can write about family members, friends, or pets. 3. If the child is too young, you can ask them to draw rather than write, and read it aloud. 4. These are some examples of a group with six-year-old children: And this is what they said about their poems: Kangaroos live in Australia Alligators like dirty rivers Insects are everywhere and Octopuses live in the sea. Horses are strong and Elephants too. My Nose moves like Rabbits noses when Insects bite it. Quack, a duck said when it saw an Umbrella protecting an Egg from the rain! Remember that creativity flourishes when things are done for enjoyment. What matters is the pleasure, not the perfection. Give the children opportunity to share, to make mistakes, to take risks, and to feel the freedom to express all their wonderful ideas. Working with poetry offers a wealth of benefits for children. Some linguistic benefits were mentioned in my post: malusciamarelliblog.weebly.com/creative-writing/writing-poems-with-children
It also:
From today on, I will share some activities I use when teaching children English. Mr Spider by Alan Maley
The primary focus of this activity is work with rhyme and writing. The secondary is reading and listening.
Video: Poem: Mr Spider 'Please, Mr Spider, climbing up the wall, Please don’t, please don’t, please, don’t fall!' 'Why are you so frightened? Why are you afraid?' 'Because I think you’ll poison The soup I’ve just made.' 'Oh Mr Spider, walking on the ceiling, You give my tummy such a funny feeling.' 'What makes you so frightened? What makes you afraid?' 'Because I think you’ll drop on me And bite me till I’m dead!' 'Please, little children, sitting down below, Please don’t run away. Please don’t go. You really mustn’t think that I Am poisonous or mean. Remember that I eat the flies And keep your houses clean.' (Alan Maley) 2. Talk about where each line of the poem ends and how it creates rhyme, affects the meaning of the poem, and might even make the poem look a particular way. 3. Read it again as a group. 4. Select some words that rhyme. In this case, I selected: wall / fall; afraid / made; mean / clean; below / go. 5. Help them write another poem individually, in pairs, or as a group using the words selected and about the same topic. Example: Seeing the spider climbing up the wall, My first thought was, 'it will fall!' I was also so afraid When I saw the web it's just made! Then I shouted, 'spiders are so mean!' But then I saw how the room was clean. I sat with all the children down below And said, 'little spider, please, don't go!' As a follow-up activity, you can ask them to read it aloud, and draw a picture of a spider. One way of enhancing children's creativity is help them write a poem. Children may recognise the power of poetry - its ability to inspire emotions and the pleasure and fun they can get from memorising a poem, or reading it again and again - but they may not know where and how to start writing their own poems.
There are other things you can explore rather than only enhancing their creativity in the foreign language class. You can help them recognise the elements of a poem and explore different ways of writing one and by doing so, you will enable children to:
Also, in writing poetry, children will discover a new world of expression that is just as fun to share with others as it is to write. In my next posts, I will share some creative ways of starting to write poems and introduce the world of poetry to children. Creating a Found Poem 2 Your Favourite Song Found poetry is a type of poetry created by taking words, phrases, and sentences from other sources and reframing them in a creative and original way, thus imparting new meaning.
Language Aims:
Educational Aims:
Procedure: 1. If you have a group of up to 10 or 12 students, ask each one individually to name their favourite song / songs. If it is a bigger class, put students together to have up to 10 or 12 groups. 2. Listen to the song before the next class to make sure they are appropriate, and select one for each student / group. 3. In the next class, give students strips of paper with the fifth line of each song written on them. As they listen to the songs, they have to identify the lines. You can play each song up to the fifth line twice. 4. Make students compare their answers. Each student or group must have the sentences for each song. For instance, if you have a group of 10 students, and you played 10 songs, each student must have 10 slips of paper with the sentences from the songs written on them. 5. When all the sentences are identified, ask them to arrange them in any order they wish to make a poem. Help them to add linkers, if necessary, so that the poem makes sense. 6. Ask them to read each of the poems out loud, and discuss their meaning in their own view. 7. Take a picture of all poems, post them on an online blog or a poster in the classroom. Example: Open your eyes, Life's what happens to you when you're busy making other plans Whenever I'm alone with you I go to the other side of Paradise It will be just a perfect day And if thou should ask my love I'll love you more with every breath And build a ladder to the stars Do you dream to touch me and smile down deep inside? Oh, God help the beast in me! I knew, I knew, I'd lose you You've got to learn although it's very hard Songs: Take me to the other side, Arisha Beautiful Boy, John Lennon Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen Lovesong, The Cure Just a perfect day, Lou Reed Truly, Madly Deeply, Savage Garden Thorn in my pride, Black Crowes The Beast in me, Johnny Cash No need to argue, The Cranberries You’ve got to learn, Charles Aznavour Forever young, Bob Dylan Jamie come to me, Robert Burns (poem) Participants: Vassiliki Mandalou Teresa Gomes de Carvalho Monica Freire Aleksandra Popovski Jeffrey Doonan Julia Aliverti Mariana Manolova Eva Buyuksimkesyan Priscila Mateini JoAnn Salvisberg-Smith Malu Sciamarelli Creating a Found Poem Found poetry is a type of poetry created by taking words, phrases, and sentences from other sources and reframing them in a creative and original way, thus imparting new meaning.
Language Aims:
Educational Aims:
Procedure: Text used: "The Five Orange Pips" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, retold by Clare West. It can be done with any short story or novel. 1. Each student has to take three strips of paper. 2. They must collect three words, short phrases or sentences from the text that has something to do with 'symbol' or could be applied to the idea of 'symbol'. Allow them 20/30 minutes to do this. 3. All the students stand up, make a circle and stay close to each other. They must bring their own three sentences to the group circle. 4. Start by putting your three sentences on the floor. 5. The students must make only one move in turn, by adding, rearranging, or taking away the words, phrases or sentences. 6. The purpose of the poem is to think about the idea of the theme, 'symbol'. 7. At the second time, the students must pass, rearrange or take away the words, phrases, sentences (they cannot add anything anymore). 8. Read it with pauses, punctuation (oral interpretation). 9. Take a picture, send a copy to each student, and ask them to write their own poem. Acknowledgement: I borrowed and developed this idea from a lesson by Sarah Brown Wessling - Johnson Senior High School, Johnson, IA / USA. Writing Groups in Language Teaching A creative person is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others. In order to learn and improve, it is vital to have someone else comment on your work. However, students do not always like feedback from teachers in the first place, and very often teachers do not give feedback in a motivational way when it comes to writing skills. Writing groups offer a great way for students to get feedback from their peers. Who better to understand what works and does not work with your story than other students, before submitting it to teachers? So, with this in mind, I started two writing groups with my students, and I have been trying to show them how it can help their development and motivation when learning writing. First, I showed them this very casual and informal video, and we discussed what was said. After that, we engaged in a discussion about whether they agreed or not with the video. Then, we tried a “collaborative story” using the groups (it will be shared in my next post) and got their feedback on how it works without my feedback as a teacher. My participation in the groups is just like theirs: another peer submitting their work to feedback, and giving feedback to their work. After this first experience, they all realized that the benefits of a writing group when learning a language goes beyond getting to hear criticism on your work. They reported the following benefits: - critiquing other students teaches you to assess your own work better; - you do not feel so alone in your struggle in trying a writing assignment: other students share the thrills and frustrations too; - you get to read what other have written, thus practicing reading and getting more ideas for your own writing; - you complete lessons and exercises together designed to improve and develop your writing skills; - getting and receiving feedback, and scores/grades can be an emotionally draining process. With the groups, you realise that this process is never personal. After all, you are with other students who are trying all they can to help you become better at writing, the same way they want to improve their skills. As I said before, my role in the writing group is to participate as a writer, and also to organize it to make sure the assignments are being done. After the work is done, and peer critique finished, I try to give each student meaningful feedback. Some good tips can be found here: www.edutopia.org/blog/tips-providing-students-meaningful-feedback-marianne-stenger?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=blog-tips-providing-students-meaningful-feedback-shared-image How about you? Have you ever tried a Writing Group with your students? Would you add some more benefits to my list?
Can you haiku?
Level: upper intermediate to advance It can be done with small or large groups, in a creative writing class, book club, or Literature course. Time: 120 minutes Language aims: show students how to write a haiku, the length of the poem, the structures to use and the topics that are usually involved. Educational aims: by studying poetry, we can promote literacy, build community, and foster emotional resilience. Procedure: I start this class with a 'haiku hangman', as the image shows (10 minutes):
Even if the students do not know what a haiku is, I do not explain it at this point. I simply read a definition of poetry from poetry.org:
Poetry (ancient Greek: ποιεω (poieo) = I create) is an art form in which human language is used for its aesthetic qualities in addition to, or instead of, its notional and semantic content. It consists largely of oral or literary works in which language is used in a manner that is felt by its user and audience to differ from ordinary prose. And I ask them the following questions to be discussed as a group (15 minutes): - Do you like poetry? If you, which poets do you read, and why? - Have you ever written poetry? If so, do you show it to other people? Why? / Why not? - Have you ever read or written a haiku? - When and where did the haiku originate? - Are there any rules for writing haikus? I do not give them the answer for the last two questions at this point of the class and just tell them that a haiku is a kind of poem. After this first discussion, I present some haikus and we read them together. All the haikus were written by myself. I hate my alarm It always wakes me early When dreams are still there. Today beauty fades Leaving only dead flowers Withering away. Clouds dance in the sky, Pure white cotton on blue heights, Unveiling sunrise. I love my kitten She's always in the kitchen Purring all around. After reading them as simple poems, I ask them to focus on the middle line of each haiku, and count the syllables. I repeat the same procedure for the first and third lines, and ask then to complete this chart - Tips for writing haikus (20 minutes): - The haiku has a total of ______ lines. - Line one and three should have _______ syllables. - Line two should have _______ syllables. - The haiku should be written in the _______ tense. - Use _______ images that show harmony or contrast. - Write about experiencing life through your five ________. Answers: three / five / seven / present / two / senses Then I get them to read a brief history of haiku (5 minutes): Haiku is distinguished by its compression and suggestiveness. It consists of three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables. Traditionally and ideally, a haiku presents a pair of contrasting images, one suggestive of time and place, the other a vivid but fleeting observation. Working together, they evoke mood and emotion. The poet does not comment on the connection but leaves the synthesis of the two images for the reader to perceive. The haiku below by the poet Basho, considered to have written the most perfect examples of the form, illustrates this duality: Now the swinging bridge Is quieted with creepers … Like our tendrilled life Basho, like Sen-no-Rikyu, perfecter of the tea ceremony, aimed to achieve the aesthetic qualities of wabi and sabi in his haiku, a sense of quiet sadness in the mujo (transience) of life, an achieved oneness with nature expressed in suggestive, seasoned and refined simplicity, a rejection of gaudiness and a freedom from worldly human concerns. Although a traditional haiku concentrates on nature and the seasons, modern, western haiku can be on any subject. In order to practice the rules of writing haikus, we first watch this video together (8 minutes): Then we analyse and identify the problems with these haikus (15 minutes): The smell of burnt toast Wakes me up in the morning For breakfast (Problem: line 3 does not have enough syllables) I make the dinner Every evening after I come back home from work For my family (Problem: line 2 has too many syllables) I went to the fridge But it was empty and cold So I ate pizza (Problem: haikus are not written in the Past Simple) This delicious soup The work of many long hours Steaming in the bowl Ready for our tea (Problem: there are too many lines). The next step is to have them write their first haiku. To do so, I show them this painting and the word 'love': I ask them to discuss with a partner and write down any images that they see or which they feel when looking at it. Then they write their haiku alone (if any help is needed, there is no problem in giving them a word, or even a line), and before sharing I play another video on revising a haiku (from 20 to 30 minutes + video: 8 minutes): If necessary, they revise their first haiku, and share it with the group (10 minutes): After writing this first haiku (and a week of writing a haiku a day), my students reported the following benefits: - Vocabulary improvement - Better intonation, pronunciation of words in general - Thinking directly in English, without any kind of translation - Close observation - Clear thinking - Limiting themselves to the essential. First Project: A haiku a day, based on their observations of that day, using the five senses Participants: Malu Sciamarelli, Ana Paffaro, Aline Ramos (Writing Group - 'Creative Writers Society') Day 1 (in class) Malu: sweet, soft fragrances brought by the breeze at dawn - you breathing by my side... Ana: When I see flowers and I feel their smell too - I can remember you. Aline: Different flowers grow in the same garden. Love may be there - no differences. Day 2: Malu: Supermoon tonight, Come and realize my dream - Take me far from here... Ana: On a sunny day Looking through nature and sky Waiting for moonlight Aline: Smell of grilling meat Announces: barbecue day. Family, sun, fun. Day 3: Malu: Traffic and chaos Around - everywhere I look... Will I move away? Ana: Through the windows come Sunlight, wind, breeze, smell and dust. Sound's untouchable Aline: Moonlight seems to be smiling at me. Five o'clock, day to work, stay strong. Day 4: Malu: Sunshine, happiness, fun, laughter and much learning - Let the classes start! Ana: Acting like no one. Comedy, action, thriller. Drama becomes true. Aline: Horns, lights, smoke on me... Remembering: it's your choice Don't give up - relax. Day 5: Malu: My alarm clock rings - Am I dreaming or awake? It's one of those days... Ana: Sky could be opened Suddenly, it changes much - Darkness and sadness Aline: Nor a sudden death Can destroy sweet memories And father's true love Day 6: Malu: Cold, windy and dark. This is my day and my night - Lonely as can be... Ana: There is no color, Seems like rain is coming down. Only illusion. Aline: The wind freezes me Remembering it's better When I'm in your arms Day 7: Malu: The sun is shining, Birds are singing happily - They know it's Friday! Ana: Maybe one light's on. But it could also be off. The room is so dark. Aline: It's after seven I can see the building's lights. One reason: money. Second project: Collaborative haiku and picture postcard - to be done. Source: http://collaborativepostcardinghongkong.blogspot.com.br/2014/02/betweencollaborative-haiku-and-picture.html?m=1p Some other examples – first haiku written by a group of teenagers: Writing Group – 'Creative Fiction Writers' Julia Abend: The flowers are so Beautiful! So much peace and Love - togetherness. Gabriel Giro: The flowers are so Graceful, they make me feel so Relaxed and in peace. Matheus Durante: Peace and calmness, so Beautiful and colourful, Just like a rainbow. Pedro Giraldi: White flowers are so Graceful and with those green leaves - Peace all around us. Nicole Navarro: Spring is so peaceful In Japan or anywhere... Nature - always there.
The Secret Passageways of Writing
Writing activity based on the novel The Shadow of the Wind
I believe in three main principles when planning a writing course and/or activity:
This activity illustrates my point of view. It is based on the novel The Shadow of the Wind written by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. He was born in Barcelona in 1964 and moved to Los Angeles in 1994. This novel was his first adult novel, written in 2001. In the book, the boy Daniel tries to find more books by Julián Carax but cannot. He discovers that the devil is destroying them all and tries to get Daniel's copy. Level: Upper intermediate It can be done with small or large groups, in a creative writing class, book club, or Literature course. Time: 120 minutes + a follow-up class Language aims: Write based on intuition, close observation, imagination and personal memories, combining cognitive with affective modes of thinking. Educational aims: - Write clear and detailed texts - Summarise information from different sources - Discuss a topic in a composition, giving reasons for or against a specific point of view. - Develop an argument systematically in a composition or report, emphasising decisive points and including supporting details. - Write about real and fictional experiences in a detailed and easily readable way - Write a short review of a film or a book Procedure: 1. In pairs, I ask students to discuss how they usually choose a book, and give them some options (10 minutes): - Recommended by a friend - Familiar with the author's work - Buy second-hand - Borrow from a library - Read a review - Like the cover - Others I may also ask other questions including which authors they like, where they read reviews, and what covers they can remember which made an impression on them. 2. Then, I ask students to look at these two pictures (slide 4), give them these words: - A beehive - Platforms and steps - Immersed - Pierced by light - Palatial - A high glass dome - A labyrinth of passageways and ask them to discuss with their partner what place it is and what seems to be happening there. After that, I ask them to write a description of this place using their ideas, and these words (10 minutes). 3. The next step is to ask them to focus on the pictures and answer the following questions (10 minutes). It is important to say that I use these questions to motivate students to want to read and not to check understanding of the reading passage. - Where do you think the place is? Name the city or country. - What is it? - This boy is Daniel. What is he doing? - Why is he there? - How does he feel? - How would you feel? 4. Then I have the students read the first reading passage (slide 6) and once again to discuss this with their partner, and compare the idead they discussed and the main points to the real text (10 minutes). After reading the first part, I repeat the procedure with the second part (20 minutes). Questions before reading: - What does Daniel's father do for a living? - Why is this place called the Cemetery of Forgotten Books? - What happens to a person who visits this place for the first time? Second part: slides 8 and 9 5. Some follow-up questions may be used with the intention of motivating them to read the whole novel, or simply to share their ideas (10 minutes): - What is going to happen next? - Will it be positive or negative? 6. After the discussion, I show them these ideas, and ask them to discuss each one (15 minutes): - Books have ‘souls’ and should be preserved. - It is not worth keeping books once you have read them. - Nowadays we can download books from the Internet, so we do not need to buy real books anymore. - There is nothing like a ‘real’ book. - Reading books is a waste of time. All the knowledge you need is online. 7. Once they finish, each pair has to choose one point and summarise their ideas to the class. They may either write and read the main points, or present them (10 minutes for small groups, 20 minutes for large groups). 8. The next step is to watch this award winning short film, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, and ask them to take notes as they watch it (15 minutes): 9. Finally, you can choose one of the options for writing, or write them all if the schedule allows it. The choice may be done by the teacher, or students together. - Write a story based on their own ideas. - Write the film in words and ideas from the reading passage, focussing on similarities or differences. - Write a mini-saga (story in 50 words) using the ideas discussed. - Write an acrostic poem: 'Books have souls.' - After reading the book: write a review. 10. Once they decide which idea to use, I give them a deadline, and the following class we go on to peer edit our pieces of writing. It is important to say that I submit my writing with them, and that this peer editing is not a correction, but another discussion of ideas and suggestions for improvement. The final edit and feedback is done by the teachers. Slides: Reference: The Shadow of the Wind. Carlos Ruiz Zafón It is the end of another year and now I see people analysing the year, data and numbers comparing 2013 to years gone by with New Year resolutions forming in minds. That's fine. I've also done it all my life, with the feeling that as the New Year begins, I can begin changing my life too, and make all my dreams come true. Until today, December 27th...
I got up earlier than usual, about 5.15 am and as it was so hot, I went to my garden to see the new day dawning. It was so peaceful. Quieter than usual. There was just a bird I do not know singing an incredibly different song. I immediately looked in front of me and saw an indescribable blue sky with touches of gold, still not certain if it was night or day. The moon and the stars were there too. Was it night or day? Day or night? As I looked east and saw the first rays of light, and at the same time looked up and saw the moon and the stars, I thought: There is neither night nor day, no end nor beginning, not even time… We are made of moments we share, here and now, and each one is special because they belong to a journey that never begins and will never end: the stories of our lives. So, from now on, for me, years are just numbers. Months are just parts of the years. Nights and days are the same: little moments of immeasurable beauty that I share with everyone and everything around me. Be it a beautiful singing bird or friends and family. On December 31st, I won't say Happy New Year anymore. Instead, I will say: Welcome to your journey. Make it a happy one. |
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