Creative Writing, Cooperative Learning, and Your Syllabus

Getting Genki With a Pencil:

Monique SimpsonNamSeoul University, Seonghwan, South Koreams.monique.simpson@gmail.com

How do you feel about writing in English?

How do you feel about teaching writing in

English?

��気��Genki yo!!Robust, Energetic, Excited,

Fine, or Enthused

What is Creative Writing?

It’s nonfiction writing with a flair that is created by using various writing techniques that is often used in fiction or poetry.

Writing Techniques Metaphors

SimilesAlliteration

PersonificationImageryIdioms

Onomatopoeia

Fictitious Writing (Thinking creatively)

• Onion Newspaper

Idioms

• Class Story Book

Metaphors / Similes

• Open Mic: Poetry / Songs

Today’s Writing Activities

Cooperative Learning

Cooperative Language Learning

“To foster cooperation rather than competition, to develop critical thinking skills, and to develop communicative competence through socially structured interaction activities”

Syllabus #1: 1.Past Verb Tense

2. Future Verb Tense3. Describing Events4. Sequencing Events

5. Summarizing/ Paraphrasing

Newspapers report past events and upcoming events

OnionNewspaper

Onion NewspaperCheck out “The Onion” www.theonion.comCreate small groups, 3-4 studentsAssign groups a specific sections of the newspaper:

Sports, Entertainment, Food, Travel, Politics,

Each groups is responsible for a page that consists of 2 articles, pictures and advertisements

What’s Going On?What’s happening now?How can we make these events funny? How can we exaggerate the details?What extreme of absurdity can we reach?5 W’s: Who? What? When? Where? Why? 1H: How?

Topic

Middle

Beginning

End

Brainstorming

TeacherConference

Middle

Beginning

End

Title

About 100 teachers met

yesterday to begin talks about taking over the

world.

They agreed on a non-

violent movement that will start innocently as an

English lesson.

However, there was disagreement on who

would sponsor the movement.

Teacher Conference

Middle

Beginning

End

Title:Teachers Plot to take over the World

Let’s Write Creatively!Form groups of 3-4 peopleSports, Entertainment, Food, Travel, Politics, Education, Work, & EconomyTake turns sharing ideas; if necessary, take turns writing sentences.

Syllabus #2: 1.Idioms2. Slang

3. Phrasal Verbs

Class Story BookBy creating original stories, students can demonstrate their understanding of a phrase and how to use it appropriately.

Class Story BookPrevious Lesson: Telling a story in 3 parts. Students made an individual story book with an original story idea.After teaching 10 idioms, place students in pairs. The pairs select idioms they want to write stories about. They also pick an idiom to illustrate.Students then select a title for the book. All the stories are placed in the book.

Let’s Write a Story!1. It’s raining cats and dogs.2. I’m so hungry I can eat a horse.3. (Don’t)Spill the beans!4. Don’t have a cow!5. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bushes.

There was a small village in

the Andes mountains.

One drop, two drops. “It’s raining,”

yelled the children.It was raining

cats and dogs, so the river’s water came into

the small village.

Raining Cats &Dogs

Middle

Beginning

End

Title:One Drop, Two Drops: It’s Raining

Let’s Write Creatively!Find a partner (groups of 2 persons).Pick an idiom.Work together to create a story; if you are having trouble, take turns writing sentences.

Syllabus #3: 1.Discussion on Animals2. Discussion on Music

3. Describing People & Places 4. Metaphors/Similes

Open Mic: Poetry & Songs

Get your students out of their seats and performing their creative works!

LanternFish www.bogglesworldesl.com

http://bogglesworldesl.com/simile_worksheets.htm

Simile Material

Similes are as simple as speaking

Pattern 1: “ like ”

verb + like + noun

* She swims like a fish.* She plays like a pro. * She acts like a fool.

How could I say that somebody:runs fastis pretty

© 2005 www.bogglesworldesl.com

Similes compare two things using “like” or “as.”A = B

Similes are as simple as speaking

Pattern 2: “ as ”

as + adjective + as + noun

* He is as tall as a giant. * She is as fast as a rocket. * He is as quiet as a mouse.

How could I say that somebody:is heavy

sounds noisy© 2005 www.bogglesworldesl.com

Similes compare two things using “like” or “as.”A = B

Ode to TomatoesPablo Neruda The street

filled with tomatoesmidday,summer,light ishalved

likea

tomato,its juice

runsthrough the streets.

Maru Mori brought mea pair of socks

that she knit with hershepherd's hands.

Two socks as softas rabbit fur.

I thrust my feet inside themas if they weretwo

little boxes knitfrom threads

of sunset and sheepskin.

Ode to My Socks

The sun is as big as my mom.

The sun is a hot as 100 fires burning together. The sun is red like an

apple.

The Sun

Middle

Beginning

End

Title: An ode to the Sun

Like a ________Waiting to bloomLike a ________ In a dark room I'm just sitting here waiting for you To come on home and turn me on

Like the ________ waiting for the rain Like a __________ waiting for the spring Im just sitting here waiting for you To come on home and turn me on

Noah Jones: “Turn Me On”

Like a flower Waiting to bloomLike a lightbulb In a dark room I'm just sitting here waiting for you To come on home and turn me on

Like the desert waiting for the rain Like a school kid waiting for the spring Im just sitting here waiting for you To come on home and turn me on

Noah Jonexs: “Turn Me On”

Let’s Write Creatively!Form groups of 3-4 peopleDecide if you all will write a poem or a song.

Your group will sing the song or perform the poem with a genki spirit.

At least 3 similes/metaphors must be used.Listen to your classmates; respect their ideas.If necessary, take turns writing similes.

Alternative used at GNU Summer Camp 2011Each student writes an original poem.The student selects a topic and writes six sentences, using at least three (3) similes. Poetry Contest:

Students sit in a circle. Each student is given 2-3 minutes to read a poem. Then the poem is passed to the right. This continues until all the poems are read.Then each student votes for his/her favorite two (2) poems.The winner gets a sweet/sticker or can select the free time activity

How do you feel about writing in English?

How do you feel about teaching writing in

English?

��気��Genki yo!!Robust, Energetic, Excited,

Fine, or Enthused

Creative Writing, Cooperative Learning, and Your Syllabus

Getting Genki With a Pencil:

Monique SimpsonNamSeoul University, Seonghwan, South Korea

ms.monique.simpson@gmail.com