| 
"Headlines Poems"
(Pizzaz)
INFORMATION
ESL Student Level: High Beginner+
HARD-COPY INSTRUCTIONS for STUDENTS
- You may work individually or in pairs or groups.
- Using the newspapers provided by your instructor, skim for headlines.
Do you see a theme or topic on which there are a number of headlines?
e.g. politics, crime, romance, natural disaster, the environment, etc.
You could also combine topics to make a statement about what is going on
in the world today.
- Choose a topic or theme.
- Collect ten to fifteen headlines.
- Arrange the headlines in any order that makes sense or states a
message. You may use all of the headlines you have selected, or get rid
of some. You may also search for others to add.
- Either write them on a sheet of paper, or cut and glue them. Add
punctuation to the end of the line as you think appropriate, e.g.
periods, commas, semi-colons.
- If more than one students wants to cut a certain headline, the
instructor can make copies. The copies can enlarge or shrink the
original.
- If you are cutting and pasting, you can also include photos,
drawings, or any other illustrations from the newspapers or of your own
creation.
- Title your creation.
ELECTRONIC INSTRUCTIONS for STUDENTS
Same as above, except copy and paste headlines from the following links
(optional: copy and paste in a collage of images as well):
SOURCES
"Persona-Poems"
INFORMATION
ESL Student Level: High Beginner+
Description: A structured 8-line poem, biographical in nature.
Adapted from the materials of June B. White, currently at the Fundacion
Grace Polit in Quito, Ecuador.
Sample Persona-Poem
Kate.....
tall, energetic, happy, intelligent
mother (daughter, friend, etc.) of Danny
who loves music, books and fresh air
who is afraid of President Bush, spiders and heights
who wants to see Latin America, the end of poverty and summer
resident of this moment
.....Thompson.
More Persona-Poems
WARM-UP ACTIVITIES
Persona-poems make a good in-class writing assignment at the beginning
of the term when students are just getting acquainted with each other.
Students bring in photos or small momentos, collect pictures from
magazines, and/or draw their own pictures of things which are self-representative.
This becomes the basis for their poem and follow-up collage.
INSTRUCTIONS
- In small groups or together as a class, look at the example poem
about "Kate" and discuss the structure of the eight lines. What parts of
speech or groupings of words typify each line?
- Using the template (below), students can work alone and write about
themselves, or work in pairs and write about their partners.
Sample Analysis of a Persona-Poem
Line 1: Kate = first name/nickname of the person in the poem
Line 2: tall, energetic, happy, intelligent = 4 adjectives which
describe the person
Line 3: mother of Danny = X of Y formula, describing an important
relationship to the person
Line 4: who loves music, books and fresh air = 3 things s/he loves
Line 5: who is afraid of President Bush, spiders and heights = 3 things
that scare her/him
Line 6: who wants to see Latin America, the end of poverty and summer =
3 things s/he wants to see
Line 7: resident of this moment = resident of...+ place/time/concept
Line 8: Thompson. = last name of the person in the poem
TEMPLATE
(justify right, center or left for different effects)
Title of Poem
Author's Name
_________________ .....(first name/s)
____________, ____________, _____________, ____________
____________ of ____________
who loves ____________, ____________ and ____________
who is afraid of ____________, ____________ and ____________
who wants to see ____________, ____________ and ____________
resident of ____________
..... ________________. (last name)
FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES
Students finish their collages, including the poem. Persona-poems make
good wall posters and/or a class anthology! This is a great way for
students to find out more about their peers and can be used as the
starting point for more interesting conversations.
"Class Mailbox"
INFORMATION
Purpose:
 | To get students meaningfully communicating with each other through
writing. |
| To develop trust between class members so they can more easily share
some of their other creative work. |
| If done from scratch, to provide a creative activity that is linked
to the writing they will do with it. Using creativity outside of the
content of their writing helps get them "in the mood". |
Student Level: Beginner+
MATERIALS NEEDED
| A simply made, portable mailbox (a covered cardboard box will do).
The instructor can either bring it ready-made, or can bring materials
for students to make a class mailbox together (maybe a small group who
finishes some other activity first). |
| Lots of ready-made envelopes in varying sizes/colors, if possible.
Or, large pieces of paper, wrapping paper, magazine pictures, etc. that
can be made into envelopes with tape and glue. |
| Pens, markers, stickers, scissors, etc. for writing / addressing.
|
INSTRUCTIONS -- HARD COPY
- Provide a short activity or choice of activities that students can
do / write and then mail to a classmate on the very first day. This
works well at the end of a partnered activity. Students should also be
invited/requested to write to the instructor. The written communication
need not be long or involved. Every one then starts off right away both
sending and, at the next class meeting, receiving at least one piece of
mail.
- Allow students to generate the "rules" of the mailbox / delivery
system. They can be posted on the mailbox itself or in class, etc. (For
example, how is it to be collected / delivered, privacy / sharing issues,
whether anonymous letters can be sent, if articles other than sealed
"mail" can be routed through the box, etc.).
- Place the mailbox in a convenient place outside of class hours or
set up a method that allows students to contribute items outside of
class time.
- Respond promptly and in "good form" to correspondence that is
directed to you, the instructor.
INSTRUCTIONS -- ONLINE
Exchange messages online through ...
| Email (private/individual and group messages possible). |
| Class bulletin board through a service such as
Nicenet. |
| Shared email lists through services such as
Student Lists
(participants around the world can read them). |
"Cybertoons"
INSTRUCTIONS
Students write captions or stories to fit wordless cartoons (originally
wordless, or with the words whited out by a peer or instructor). Remember
that you can copy and paste non-copyrighted images from the Web into a
word processing document if you want to make the selections yourself! See
Writing
Roulette for word "prompts", too.
Sources:
"Diamante Poems"
INFORMATION
ESL Student Level: High Beginner+
Description: Diamond-shaped poems with 7 lines. Incorporates oral,
analytical thinking, reading and writing skills.
Sample Diamante:
Seasons
Written Collectively as a Class
(AEI-Creative Writing I)
Winter
Rainy, cold
Skiing, skating, sledding
Mountains, wind, breeze, ocean
Swimming, surfing, scuba diving
Sunny, hot
Summer
WARM-UP ACTIVITIES
Link the diamante poems to events or experiences such as a nature walk
just off campus, closure for a certain class activity/unit,an end-of-term
remembrance, etc.
Briefly examine structured forms of poetry from students' native
languages as an introduction, e.g.
Haiku
poetry from Japanese.
Make up your own examples, using simpler or more complex vocabulary/topics,
to tailor this activity to your particular students' level.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Students work in small groups of 3-5. Each group has one example
poem, and the tasks:
a) Identify the structure / form of the poem (what are the parts of
speech in each line); and,
b) Report orally and informally to the rest of the class on the feeling
/ tone of the poem.
c) Answer the questions: What is the relationship between the first and
last lines? What is the "middle" of the poem, and how can you tell?
Students can use dictionaries, as necessary, to figure out unfamiliar
words.
- Students report on their assigned poems. (Optional: students
practice with the instructor orally beforehand and then read their
assigned poem to the class.)
The structural form is then written on the board or screen and/or
presented on a handout. Example:
Line 1: Winter = 1 NOUN-A
Line 2: Rainy, cold = 2 ADJECTIVES-A
Line 3: Skiing, skating, sledding = 3 GERUNDS-A (verb + -ing)
Line 4: Mountains, wind, breeze, ocean = 2 NOUNS-A + 2 NOUNS-B
Line 5: Swimming, surfing, scuba diving = 3 GERUNDS-B (verb + -ing)
Line 6: Sunny, hot = 2 ADJECTIVES-B
Line 7: Summer = 1 NOUN-B
- Students' observations regarding synonyms, parts of speech on each
line, emotional tone, etc. are also discussed / outlined clearly.
- Individual groups then "brainstorm" as many possible pairs of
synonyms as they can create. The teacher puts the pairs up on the board
/ overhead screen as suggestions (e.g. school days-holidays, woman-man,
student-teacher, love-hatred, peace-war, divorce-marriage ......).
Students can use a dictionary and/or thesaurus.
- Students and the instructor choose one of the brainstormed topics
and write a cinquaine poem together on the board / overhead screen.
Optional: copy it down and add it to the class collection if a class
anthology is in the works.
- Working individually with a template (see sample below), students
write one or more cinquaines on the subject(s) of their choice. (Poems
can also be written or transferred onto a computer VIA a teacher-prepared
template.)
SAMPLE POEMS
A pair of poems submitted by Edit Gonczy in Hungary:
Man-Woman #1
by Lukacs (male)
Man
Brilliant, perfect
Working, learning, earning
Beer, car, mirror, make-up
Speaking, speaking, speaking
Furious, exhausted
Woman
Man-Woman #2
by Bogi and Eszter (female)
Stupid, rude
Sleeping, eating
Trousers, underpants, knickers, skirts
Working, sporting
Clever, beautiful
Woman
Take your Time...
by Rosana Tellini
Vacation
Happy, fun
Sleeping, dancing, traveling
Liberty, car, beach, night
Exciting, interesting, moving
Unhappy, boring
Work
Studies
by Soo Young
Studies
Unhappy, difficult
Boring, succeeding, sleeping
Library, pencil, card, outside
Interesting, exciting, failing
Happy, easy
Play
Emotions
by Mooil
Love
Wonderful, beautiful
Caring, liking, thinking
Innocence, smile, tear, guilt
Fighting, violating, disgusting
Terrible, worst
Hatred
The Earth
by Ivan
Mountain
High, rocky
Flying, looking, killing
Eagle, power, fear, rabbit
Living, moving, making noise
Deep, beautiful
Valley
Ages
by Masato
Teenager
Powerful, noisy
Dancing, dating, consuming
Explosion, energetic, maturity, senility
Working, earning, saving
Quiet, peaceful
Ty-ager*
(* As in seventy, eighty)
Make up your own examples, using simpler or more complex vocabulary/topics,
to tailor this activity to your particular students' level.
TEMPLATE
Title of Poem
Author's Name
_________________
_____________, ___________
_______________, ______________, _______________
_______________, ______________, _______________, _______________
_______________, ______________, _______________
_______________, _____________
__________________
FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES
- Students' work can be compiled into a class anthology for reading,
autographing, souvenirs, and so on.
- Illustrate poems with handrawn or computer-generated images.
"Magazine Marvels"
INFORMATION
Description: Surprisingly simple instructions yield complexly
creative results!
ESL Student Level: Beginner +
Examples
from low-level adult ESL students
MATERIALS NEEDED
| Old magazines with a variety of pictures/topics |
| Tape or glue |
| Paper (poster size or booklet size) |
| Scissors |
INSTRUCTIONS--A
- Students can work alone, in pairs, or in small groups.
- Each author/author group receives a folder containing a set of
magazine pictures. A story must be created using at least 5 of those
pictures (characters can be "melded" -- e.g. all young boys in the set
are John even though they have different faces).
- If more than one author, the storytelling must be equally shared.
INSTRUCTIONS--B
- Students can work alone, in pairs, or in small groups.
- Each author/author group receives a stack of magazines and selects a
minimum of 4-5 interesting pictures which are then used to tell a story.
"Basket Stories"
INFORMATION
ESOL Student Level: High Beginner+
Description: More structured than the
"Story Box"
activity, this style of storytelling allows the teller/author more
control over the person, place or action s/he will incorporate into the
story. Don't let creative writing activities make a "basket case" out of
you -- try this one for fun!
MATERIALS
| REAL
 | One basket for every group of 3-4 students. |
| Three kinds of objects from nature (flat leaves, sticks, stones...),
or 3 colors of paper, cut up into small squares. |
| Permanent marking pens. |
|
| VIRTUAL Use one or more of the sites listed below as prompts
for finding people, places, things, etc.
|
WARM UP ACTIVITY
Discuss connectors and sequencing words (first, then, next, finally...).
Also discuss common story endings and beginnings (once upon a time, once
long ago, in a land far from here ... lived happily ever after, was never
seen again, still lives there today...)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Students work in small groups of 3 or 4. Each group gets a basket.
The teacher gives each student in every group a set of objects from
nature (or 3 kinds of small pieces of colored paper) to write on with
some permanent markers.
- Students all write the name of an interesting place on object #1,
and then place them in their group's basket. It is important that
everyone use the same object for places (e.g. all sticks = places, in
all baskets).
Object #1 (e.g. stick or piece of blue paper) = a place
Examples:
| on the top of the school |
| Seoul, Korea |
| Moon Valley, a deep secret city under the sea |
Finally, students each write three past-time actions or events, and
add them to their group's basket. The baskets should now contain a
collection of characters (object #1's), places (object #2's) and lots of
actions (object #3's).
Objects #3 (e.g. flat leaves or white paper): = events or actions (verbs)
-- past time
Examples:
| flew high in the air |
| died and was reborn a cow |
| sang a scary song |
The teacher should model the process for the class. Now, one by one,
students tell stories! To create a story, s/he first reaches into the
basket and pull out a "person". This is the main character in the story.
Add lots of details and embellish! Next, pull out a "place". This, too,
becomes part of the story. Whenever the storyteller gets stuck, a new
action is pulled out. Continue pulling and creating until at least 4
different objects/papers have been taken out from the basket. A
storyteller can take more or fewer objects/papers, but all items taken
from the basket must somehow be used in the story.
When the first storyteller is done, all the prompts (pieces of paper or
things from nature) go back into the basket, and the next storyteller
begins.
After everyone has told stories in each group, students write their
own story on a piece of paper. It can be the story they just told, or a
brand new one!
VARIATIONS
| Add more places, characters and/or actions to the baskets.
|
| Short cut: bring the baskets already all made up. Use vocabulary
from previous class lessons.
|
| Add a fourth object category of "things" (e.g. an old brown shoe, a
gold knife, stale bread, etc.).
|
| Groups exchange items from each other's baskets.
|
| Groups trade baskets entirely.
|
| Have students leave large margins on all four sides of the paper
when they write. Then they can go back and put small, border
illustrations around the outside edges of the story.
|
| Students illustrate the story on separate pieces of paper, or "book-style"
with the writing on one half and the illustrations on the other.
|
"Misteries"
ESOL Student Level: High Beginner+
Description: Short stories that are fun to write and fun to read (you
won't believe what's lurking in the minds of your students!
- In groups of 4, students BRAINSTORM (think of as many words
as possible) that remind them of mysterious conditions. Post the answers
for everyone to see.
- QUESTIONS for the group to answer (answers can also be posted):
| How do mysteries begin? |
| What kind of events typically happen in a mystery? |
| Name two or more ways a mystery can end. |
Choose one of the PROMPTS below ...
PROMPTS
- Tombstone rubbings from your local graveyard make great
prompts for characters, behind-the-scenes stories and spooky settings.
Place a large sheet of paper over an interesting picture or inscription,
and rub with crayons/charcoal/pastels. This also works with white
crayons / chalk on black construction paper.
Note: not recommended with cultures whose belief system makes such an
activity disrespectful or truly frightening.
- Mystery shapes: Give students a piece of paper that has only
a few random lines / partial shapes. Singly or in groups, have them
complete the drawing
- Grab bag: Bring a bag of odd objects to class, and have
students draw one out which they must then use inside their stories.
- Students write their stories either individually; or
- Chain-style (multi-authored). See
Chain
Stories for more information.
- Illustrations optional.
"Rolls of Fun"
ESOL Student Level: High Beginner+
Purpose:
| To develop trust between class members so they can more easily share
some of their other creative work. |
| To provide a creative activity that is linked to writing; to help
students get their "creative juices flowing". |
| To develop writing fluency in a fun way. |
| One roll of strong two-ply toilet paper or adding machine paper per
group of students (usually 2-3 students works best).
|
| A variety of pens/writing materials.
|
| A large, flat, dry surface (eg. many long tables, a gym floor,
hallway, etc.).
|
- Brainstorm vocabulary / phrases / topics pertaining to a
certain area of interest or a recent class experience or .....?
- Divide students into small groups. Each group of students
receives one roll of paper with access to whatever writing implements
are available.
- The class gets a set amount of time (5, 10, 15 minutes) and
told to fill up as much of the paper as they possibly can with writing.
Encourage students to develop creative strategies for filling in maximal
writing space. (Optional: give a few minutes for strategizing /
discussion before the writing begins.)
- And the winner is... the group with the most "yardage", of
course! (Blank squares are subtracted.)
- Debrief with students exchanging ideas on successful
strategies for working in a group toward a common goal.
- Award prizes or certificates for various humorous categories
(optional, but fun!).
"Chain Stories"
INFORMATION
ESOL Student Level: High Beginner+
Description: Students co-author a very short story in three parts,
a beginning, middle and end.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Set the Stage: (optional) use as a process-writing activity (based
on a class experience), or pre-select a theme (e.g.
mystery,
false fable, soap opera, etc.).
- Set up the authoring teams. Divide the class into groups of
three. (See VARIATIONS below for inter-class exchanges.)
- Everyone writes Part A (the "beginning" of the story), and
gives it another person in the group (either through email or on paper).
- Everyone writes Part B (the "middle" of the story), and gives
it to the third person in the group.
- The last person writes Part C (the "end"), and the story is
finished!
- Illustrate individually or in groups (optional).
- Hints:
| Make sure each person's name gets on the story at each turn. |
| This works best if it's done in one day -- then copies are not "lost"
and chains are not "broken". |
VARIATIONS
| Find a class with whom you can share exchanges.
Hint: IECC is a great way to
find an email exchange class for free!
|
| Faster results can be achieved in an email exchange if the
class that initiates the story (Part A writers) also finishes the story
(Part C). Then the story is only "gone" (in the hands of the other class)
for just one turn. Fewer stories are "lost" or remain unfinished this
way.
|
| More exchanges are possible if you give 2 turns in the middle
(i.e. 2 parts to the middle). |
"Story Boxes"
INFORMATION
ESOL Student Level: High Beginner+
Description: An oral, "free-flow" method for creating stories. The
stories can then be literally transcribed, or a retold version/interpretation
of them can be written down after the telling.
MATERIALS
| Real Storytelling Box(es), either already-made or Boxes that
students have created themselves. They can be designed very simply or,
with time, more elaborately. A Storytelling Box can also be owned/created
individually or as a group. It is a special box into which the following
kinds of items, or combinations thereof, are placed:
| Small, smooth stones (or ceramic squares) onto which words, signs
or symbols are painted, written or imprinted. |
| Small, unusual objects (e.g. toys, things from nature, household
items, small bits of clothing, coins, and so on). |
| Slips of paper or flat sticks with words or pictures on them. |
|
| Online "Prompts" Use one or more of the sites listed below as
prompts for finding people, places, things, etc.
|
INSTRUCTIONS
- Students work in groups of 3-5. The instructor can frame a beginning,
allow one of the group members to "set the stage", or leave it
completely up to the individual storyteller from the very start. This,
and any other parameters, should be clear from the start (e.g. a time
limit, use of a tape recorder, a minimum or maximum number of items
pulled from the Box, specific time/tense that should be used).
- The first storyteller begins by drawing out an object from the box
without looking (the element of surprise makes it more interesting and
challenging!). The drawn item must be used sequentially in the story and
stays out of the Box until the story is finished; i.e. it can't be put
back into the box and exchanged, or saved until later in the story, or
redrawn in the same story.
- The story continues until such time as the teller becomes "stumped",
and pulls out another object. This process continues until the teller
determines that the story is finished.
- At this point there are several options for a corresponding written
version of the story:
| A audio or video taped story can then be transcribed. |
| Students in the group can write the story as they remember it.
|
| The individual teller can write her/his own story as it is
remembered. |
VARIATIONS
| Author the story as a group. One person begins a story and stops at
a crucial point. The box then goes to the next person in the circle who
draws out a new object from the Box, and uses it to continue the story.
The Box continues to go from person-to-person around the group in this
way, thereby creating a "chain" story.
|
| Illustrate the stories.
|
| Bind the stories up in individual books for students to read and
share with each other, or as a class anthology.
|
| See the activity "Basket Case" for an activity that is similar, yet
allows the teller more control over the sequence of events in the story.
|
"Twist of Fate Poems"
INFORMATION
ESOL Student Level: High Beginner+
Description: Structured poem using contrastive themes/topics/ideas
as a basis. Incorporates oral, analytical thinking, reading and writing
skills. Works well as a stand-alone exercise or in conjunction with a
class event, activity, topic or related reading.
Purpose: This activity produces an artistic swirl of words that is
read in two directions. It is useful for developing writing fluency and
can serve as a purposeful grammar focus. Twists can be all in one time/verb
tense, or can use two contrastive verb times/tenses. E.g. past and present,
past and future, present and future, etc.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preparation: The teacher can set the framework for writing on
a given pair of topics / themes, or students can choose them freely. In
the case of free choice, it may help for students to "brainstorm"
possible pairs of opposites in groups of 2-3, and then write them for
everyone to see.
Examples of opposing pairs:
day - night
past fears - future hopes
past successes - future dreams
racism - tolerance
school - vacation
summer - winter
Thailand - USA
war - peace
wilderness - civilization
women - men
- Timed Free-Writes: Students do two separate timed free-writes.
Keep them short, allowing about 5-10 minutes each. No dictionaries!
Spelling and grammar accuracy don't count here. This is a free
association, stream-of- consciousness, blur-of-writing. Tell students to
write as fast and as much as possible. The writing can be very "sloppy".
(If students have never done free association timed writings before, you
may want to demonstrate and/or do a practice session first on a separate
day.)
- Expanded Writing: Now students go back over their two free-writes,
and circle 5 key words for each one. Using a thesaurus, dictionary, more
free association, have them write as many short descriptors as they can
for each of the 10 key words.
- When all the writing is finished, have students clean up their
spelling. This saves time and frustration when they are composing the
actual twist.
- The Twist - Part A: At this point you need to stipulate
whether students will write complete sentences with punctuation, you
will make punctuation optional, or students will write with no
punctuation stream-of-consciousness style. Starting at the center of the
page, students write a running commentary of various points from free-write
#1 only. As they write, they turn their sheet of paper around and around,
spiraling their prose outward until the paper is filled or the first
half of their writing is finished. Remind them to leave plenty of space
between the rings of the lines so they can easily "wind" the second
writing back inside.
- The Twist - Part B: Now, starting at the outside of the
circle, students write a running commentary of various points from free-write
#2. As they write, they turn their sheet of paper around and around in
the opposite direction (working backwards), spiraling their prose inward
until the spaces are filled and the second circle reaches the center
point. Using a contrastive color pen/cil makes a very nice effect. It
will also be easier to read if writers leave "white space" on all sides
of the lines.
- The finale: twist and shout!
Or, read with an "inside voice", if you prefer.
VARIATIONS
| Students treat the two opposing topics as extremes of one continuum.
They pick a neutral word that somehow represents the "middle" of the
continuum (e.g. night ---> dawn <--- day). The neutral word is placed at
the center of the spiral where the two topics meet.
|
| Reinforce/back the poems with heavier paper, attach thread/fine
string to the center back and hang the poems upside-down from the
ceiling. Read the swirls by standing underneath them and twirling the
paper around in the two directions.
|
| Experiment with other kinds of swirls. Write a long top-to-bottom
helix. Use a box or pyramid form.
|
| Provide an outline of a Yin and Yang. Students write the opposing
trains of thoughts in circular patterns that fill up the two opposing
Yin and Yang shapes.
|
| Make "webs"! The free-write #1 prose runs in straight lines center-to-periphery,
and the free-write #2 lines loop continuously around the supporting
straight lines. More advanced writers can intersect with same letters.
Position related, one-word "flies" at random points on the web.
"Fly" ideas:
| question words (Why?, Who?!, So what?, Huh?...) |
| non-vulgar expletives (WOW!, UGH!, Bleah!, Alright!, Cool!, ...)
|
| "sparkle" words (Flash!, Attention!, Smile!, ...) |
| emoters (sigh, frown, shrug, ...) |
| little pictures or cut outs from magazines |
|
| Students write shorter, mini-swirls in the shape of clouds (dreams,
wishes?), hurricanes (anger, turmoil, problems/solutions?), other shapes?
This makes a good class mural or bulletin board project where everyone
is writing on the same theme. |
"Up and Down Poems"
INFORMATION
ESOL Student Level: High Beginner+
Description: Structured poem using thematic word(s) or phrase as a
basis. Incorporates oral, analytical thinking, reading and writing skills.
Works well as follow up for a class event, activity, topic or related
reading.
Used with permision from:Sylvia Helmer (TESL-L archives 12.95)
Email: schelmer@unixg.ubc.ca (That's Canada, eh?)
SAMPLE UP and DOWN POEM
Note:You can also move the lines to make the letters of the
focus word (HOMEWORK) line up vertically.
"HOMEWORK"
Horrible stuff,
cOmpletely disgusting, in fact!
Makes
mE
Want to
gO and find a
"Real job"...
Nah, I don't thinK so!!
INSTRUCTIONS
- Brainstorm related key words - adjectives, adverbs, feeling
words, power words, etc. These words can be grist for the mill while
composing.
- Choose one key word as the focus - e.g. slavery, tolerance,
freedom, etc.
- Write the word DOWN the middle of the page, (one letter per
line). Students can write individually, in pairs or in small groups.
- Fit words and phrases around the letters by choosing your
kindred words, or by using the brainstorm list to help.The idea is that
each letter from the key word becomes incorporated into the word or
phrase going across. The one rule is that the first line and the last
should be connected in some way - same word or same sentiment.
Hint:I have students write the key word in all caps and big, so
letters stand out and the key word can still be read.
Variations
- Write the word down the left side of the page, so that all the words
/ lines of the poem start with those letters.
- More difficult: write it down the right side of the page, so that
all the words / lines of the poem end with those letters.
"Cinquain Poems"
INFORMATION
ESL Student Level: High Beginner+
Description: Diamond-shaped poems with 5 lines. Incorporates oral,
analytical thinking, reading and writing skills.
Sample Cinquain
War
by Saud
War
Sad, destructive
Killing, injuring, destroying
A thing that kills life.
Terminator
WARM-UP ACTIVITIES
Briefly examine structured forms of poetry from students' native
languages as an introduction, eg. haiku poems from Japanese. In our class,
we often link the cinquaines to things such as a nature walk just off
campus, closure for a certain class activity/unit, end-of-term remembrance,
etc.
NOTE: As an alternative, consider diamond-shaped
diamante
poems, for a related but slightly more complex form of poetry.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Students work in small groups of 3-5. Each group has one example
poem, and the tasks:
a) Identify the structure / form of the poem (what are the parts of
speech in each line); and,
b) Report orally and informally to the rest of the class on the feeling
/ tone of the poem.
c) Answer the question: What is the relationship between the first and
last lines?
Students can use dictionaries, as necessary, to figure out unfamiliar
words.
- Students report on their assigned poems. (Optional: students
practice with the instructor orally beforehand and then read their
assigned poem to the class.)
The structural form is then written on the board or screen and/or
presented on a handout. Example:
Line 1: War = 1 NOUN-A
Line 2: Sad, destructive = 2 related ADJECTIVES
Line 3: Killing, injuring, destroying = 3 descriptive GERUNDS (verb + -ing)
Line 4: A thing that kills life. = 1 complete, related SENTENCE
Line 5: Terminator = 1 NOUN-B (a synonym of NOUN-A)
- Students' observations regarding synonyms, parts of speech on each
line, emotional tone, etc. are also discussed / outlined clearly.
- Individual groups then "brainstorm" as many possible pairs of
synonyms as they can create. The teacher puts the pairs up on the board
/ overhead screen as suggestions (eg. vacation-holidays, artist-creator,
Paris-paradise, life-journey, , ......). Students can use a dictionary
and/or thesaurus.
- Students and the instructor choose one of the brainstormed topics
and write a cinquaine poem together on the board / overhead screen.
Optional: copy it down and add it to the class collection if a class
anthology is in the works.
- Working individually with a template (see sample below), students
write one or more cinquaines on the subject(s) of their choice. (Poems
can also be written or transferred onto a computer VIA a teacher-prepared
template.)
SAMPLE POEMS TO USE IN CLASS
(written by adult intermediate-level ESL students)
River
by Miki
River
Clear, wonderful
Slapping, whirling, flowing
The river is cold.
Water
Nature
by Khaled
Nature
Beautiful, pure
Refreshing, enjoying, relaxing
Nature is healthy.
Fun
Dove
by Min
Dove
Active, free
Flying, sitting, crying
A dove is free.
Bird
Eel
by Miki
Eel
Greasy, long
Winding, swimming, moving
An eel is strange.
Fish
Make up your own examples, using simpler or more complex vocabulary/topics,
to tailor this activity to your particular students' level.
TEMPLATE
Title of Poem
Author's Name
_________________
_____________, ___________
_______________, ______________, _______________
____________________________________________________ .
__________________
FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES
- Students' work can be compiled into a class anthology for reading,
autographing, souvenirs, and so on.
- Illustrate poems with handrawn or computer-generated images.
"Sausage Poems"
INFORMATION
ESL Student Level: High Beginner+
Description: Poems for vegetarians and carnivores alike. A string
of words with matching endings and beginnings. Choose either letters or
sounds for the word boundary matches (it gets confusing if both are
allowed).
SAMPLE SAUSAGE POEMS -- WITH MATCHING LETTERS
Good dogs shouldn't tell lies.
Twenty yellow waterlillies skunked Donald Duck's
snake.
SAMPLE SAUSAGE POEM -- WITH MATCHING SOUNDS
Dad drives Zara and Della around Dallas.
More Examples
You are also welcome to email some from students:
leslieob@oregon.uoregon.edu.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Students work individually or in pairs. They examine example poems
and explain what's happening at the word boundaries.
- Optional: Students and the instructor choose a topic or starter word
and write a sausage poem together .
- Students write their own poems completely "from scratch" or with
starter words suggested by the instructor. Students can use dictionaries,
as necessary, to check spelling.
Variation: Write the poems so that the first and lsat word of the
poem also have matching sound/letter boundaries. In this way, the poem
can be written in a complete circle!
FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES
- Students' work can be pinned up or compiled in a class anthology.
- Illustrate poems with handrawn or computer-generated images.
Variations on a theme
- Find a number of pictures (6-10) that are not very different
in theme. (For example landscapes of various places.) Place them
so that each student can see them well.
- Ask the students to choose one of the pictures and write a
description of it within a given time limit.
- When they are done, put all the descriptions on the wall/board.
- Give each picture a letter and each description a number, and
ask students to match them.
Notes
| If you want to make it into a competition, you can award a
point for ech correct guess, and give the author of a description
points according to the number of students who guessed his/her
description correctly. |
| You can also take these descriptions home and get valuable
data on the common mistakes in your group. |
|
Which picture is it about?
- Give each student a picture (their topic can be anything).
- Ask them to write a sentence about the picture they have, but
in a way so that it shouldn't be very easy to guess which picture
the sentence is about. Stress that the sentence must be true.
- Ask the students to hand their pictures over to their
neighbour on the right and write a sentence about their new
picture.
- Continue until everybody's had each picture.
- Put all the pictures on the wall/board and ask the students to
read one of their sentences. If the others can't guess which
picture it's about, he/she gets a point.
Notes
| You can also practise grammar with this activity by requiring
students to use a certain structure, for example "There is/are
...". |
| You can also take these descriptions home and get valuable
data on the common mistakes in your group. |
|
How to get
to my house
- Prepare a (simple) map of a town. Name some of the buildings, and
make sure you've got a railway station.
- Make as many copies as the number of students in your group.
- Mark a different building on each map.
- Assign each pupil a partner to whom he/she will be writing. Tell
them that their task is to write a letter to their penfriend explaining
the way to their home from the railway station. (The marked building on
their maps is their house.)
- When the letters are finished, the students 'send' them to their
penfriends, who try to find the building on the map based on the
description they got.
- Ask them to compare their maps for checking.
"Cartoon Strips
Revisited"
by
Rolf Palmberg, Dept of Teacher
Education, Åbo Akademi University, Finland
This activity is based on the
traditional "fill speech balloons with text" cartoon strip activity that
students everywhere seem to enjoy – only this time there are some extra
twists to it.
1. Select a cartoon strip
consisting of a series of four pictures that tell a story. Each picture
should have a speech balloon or a thought balloon containing text. Prepare
a transparency version of the original cartoon strip to be displayed later
on an OHP.
2. Remove (cover, hide) the text
from each picture and prepare transparency versions of the modified
cartoon strip (now showing empty balloons). There should be one
transparency version for every four students in the class.
3. Cut each transparency version
of the modified cartoon strip into four pieces (with one picture on each
piece).
4. Divide the class into groups of
four, and give one picture to each student so that there are different
pictures for each student in each group.
5. Tell the students that each of
them now has got one picture from a four-picture series that make up a
cartoon strip. Tell them what the topic of the cartoon strip is (unless
this is evident from the pictures), and ask each student individually to
provide his or her balloon with a short sentence or a couple of words to
go with the picture and the overall topic. Ask the students neither to
talk nor to show the pictures to each other.
6. When the students have all
written something into the balloons, ask them to share their pictures and
texts within their group and to arrange the pictures in the most logical
order. They are no longer allowed to change their texts.
7. Ask each group to present their
cartoon strip to the class and to invite their classmates to comment on
their suggested presentation. Since the students were given pictures cut
from a transparency both the presentation and any re-arranging of pictures
can be done very easily.
8. When all groups have finished their presentations, show them the
original version of the cartoon strip.
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