School-based Curriculum Development (Secondary) and Language Support Section

Please sit in groups of four!

Agenda of the workshop (2.5 hours)

Some basic knowledge about writing Introducing creativity and creative writing Introducing strategies for teaching creative writing (1) Break Introduce strategies for teaching creative writing (2) Planning a creative writing lesson Q and A
10 mins 15 mins 40 mins 15 mins

30 mins 30 mins 10 mins

Some basic knowledge about writing

Matching Game

Why do we write? -Activity Sheet Part 1

Purpose of writing
Communicate with each other
Record information which last over time Present information, ideas and feelings for a variety of purposes and audiences Enhance oral development and reinforce the language structures and vocabulary that learners acquire

Develop students communication

Demonstrate ones creativity and critical thinking Inform, influence and entertain others
<Draft> English Language Curriculum Guide (P.1-6), p.141

Process of writing
Activate knowledge Take in information

Generate ideas
Organize and reorganize ideas/ Recreate meanings

What are the writing skills to be developed for KS1 and KS2?

Using the basic conventions of English

Presenting information, ideas and feelings clearly and coherently

<Draft> English Language Curriculum Guide (P.1-6), p.54

Activity Sheet - Part 2

Stages of writing
In primary schools, learners go through four stages in developing their writing skills, i.e. 1.Copying 2.Controlled writing 3.Guided writing 4.Independent writing

Development of writing skills through task-based activities

Have a context Have a purpose Involve learners in thinking and doing Learners draw upon their framework of knowledge and skills Purposeful activities lead to a product

Approaches of writing
Parallel writing Modelled writing Shared and interactive writing Experiential writing Creative writing Process writingetc

Creativity and creative writing

What is creative writing?

Definition:

Creative writing is writing that expresses the writer's thoughts and feelings in an imaginative, often unique, and poetic way. Creative writing is guided more by the writer's need to express feelings and ideas than by restrictive demands of factual and logical progression of expository writing.
http://www.sil.org/lingualinks/literacy/ReferenceMaterials/GlossaryOfLiteracy Terms/WhatIsCreativeWriting.htm

What is creativity?
Different definitions: 1. It is the ability to produce original ideas and solve problems 2. It is the result of a complex of cognitive skills/abilities, personality factors, motivation, strategies and metacognitive skill.
<Draft> English Language Curriculum Guide (P.1-6), p.69

Elements of creativity
Flexibility Fluency Originality Elaboration
Sensitivity to problems

Problem defining Visualization

Analogical thinking

Transformation Attribute listing

Synectics

What can teachers do to develop learners creativity?

Choose interesting topics for students

Ask them to go beyond the given information

Allow them time to think Reward their creative efforts Value their creative attributes Teach them creative thinking techniques Create a climate conducive to creativity

Conducive environment for developing learners creativity

Respect the novel and unusual

Provide challenges
Appreciate individuality and openness Encourage open discussion Absence of conflicts Allow time for thinking Encourage confidence and willingness to take risk Appreciate and support new ideas
<Draft> English Language Curriculum Guide (P.1-6), p.69

A comfortable and resourceful teaching environment is very important for initiating creativity. And more important is teachers should provide students with a pressure-free, harmonic, free and encouraging environment so that students will be able to express freely. In developing students creativity, teachers should allow mistakes.
Timberlake 1982, Chan 1988, Lee 1992

Strategies for teaching creative writing (1)

1. Three-minute Fast Write

Activity sheet Part 3 Write down anything you can remember from the story of The tortoise and the hare. 1, 2, 3.go!!!!!

The tortoise and the hare

rabbit, fast, tortoise, slow, grass, white, lazy, stupid, clever, work hard, sunny , run competition, sleep, hot, tired, sad, surprised, green, a long time, sleep, win, lose, unhappy, happy, cry, wake up

Setting: Who? When? Where?

Event

Problem

Resolutions

a green tortoise a white rabbit grass hot sunny

running competition

slow, fast, lazy, stupid, clever, work hard, sleep, hot, tired, a long time

wake up win, lose, unhappy, surprised, happy, cry

Swimming competition

Cant swim, clever, find a bridge, jump, easy, cool, proud Swim well, comfortable, enjoying,

arrive first, rest, laugh, silly proud

Three-minute Fast Write + Transformation = A new version of the story

Why using Fast Write?

First thought on a starting point are often the most original and powerful ones A daily fluency exercise Helps students get started on an assignment

Remember: Accuracy is not emphasized at this

stage!

2. Thematic Tree
1. 2. 3. 4. Start with a common theme Reflect on the theme Develop sub-themes Keep on thinking relevant ideas

Theme: My Flat

Rooms in the flat

Things put in the rooms

Things to do in each room

My flat 1 living room TV, sofa, cupboards, coffee table, lamp 1 kitchen stove, sink, pans, cupboards, kettle, cups, plates 2 bedrooms computer, toys, bed, lamp, cupboards, pillow, 1 toilet 1 dining room

towels, toothbrush, soap, toilet, bathtub

table, chairs, vase, pictures

watch TV, read books, rest

Now, write about your Dream House

How many rooms do you want? Besides toilet, bedrooms, dining room, sitting room and kitchen, do you want any other rooms/things in your house? What do you want to put into different rooms? What do you want to do in those rooms? Who do you want to live with?...

Why using Thematic Tree?

Encourage students to think of something in different perspectives builds up students flexibility more ideas generated for writing Help students structure their writing

3. Multi-dimensional writing
Assign students a role and they have to write for that role.

Example
Teacher discusses a car accident with the students Students discuss how the accident can be avoided. They have to imagine they are the: 1. driver 2. passengers 3. pedestrians

Activity sheet Part 4 Writing rules

Imagine you are the: Group 1,2: principal Group 3,4: librarian Group 5,6: class monitor Group 7,8: teachers

Other examples
1. Imagine you are the Papa Bear,
write rules for Goldilocks so as to

help her become a good girl.

2. Imagine you are the king of the

forest (lion), write rules for

different animals to follow

Why using Multi-dimensional writing?

Enables students to view things from different angles

Helps students to be more focused when they write

4. Brainstorming and mind mapping

Identify a problem / task to be done Brainstorm solutions / steps/ possibilities Use mind map to arrange and develop the ideas

Example
1. Teacher puts the word cooking on the board. 2. Brainstorm words related to cooking. (ingredients, cooking utensils, different ways to cook, people who cook, different tastes ) 3. Tell students to focus on the ingredients, cooking utensils and ways to cook. 4. Group the words under these 3 sub-themes 5. Teach students how to write a recipe A loving recipe for _____________

Why using brainstorming and mind-mapping?

Brainstorming: Excellent way of developing many creative ideas Help students to break out of their thinking patterns into new ways of looking at things Mind-maps: Used for arranging and developing ideas Improve the way students take notes A good format for memorizing and reviewing ideas
Remember: There should be no criticism of ideas. Students should not worry about peoples egos or opinions. Judgments and analysis will stunt idea generation. Ideas should only be evaluated once the brainstorming session has finished.

Break Time!!
(Be back in 15 minutes!)

Strategies for teaching creative writing (2) :

Writing stories

1. Transformation
(a)Creating a new ending / new version to the story (b) Making an appeal

Example
Making an appeal Imagine you are the Troll, write about why you are so fierce to the goats. I am fierce to the goats because

Activity Sheet Part 5

Discuss with your groupmates:

Why was the troll so fierce to the goats?

Language help
Goats kicked trolls mother Mother fell into the water Mother died No one took care of Troll Hated the goats

Goats ate all the grass No more grassland, trees All the other animals were hungry

reasons

The goats were naughty Always kicked the troll Ate the grass and flowers in his garden

2. Imagine you are

Activity sheet Part 6 Imagine you are the 3 goats, use your five senses to think about how nice the grassland is. See? Smell? Listen? Taste? Touch?

Sample work
When I arrived at the grassland, I saw ___________. I smelt ________ and it was __________. I could hear ____________________. I touched ____________________. Finally, I ate the grass and it tasted _________________.

3. Character empathy
Write for the characters and express how they feel (letter, diary) examples: - Write about Baby Bears feeling when he saw his broken chair. (letter) - Write about Cinderellas feeling at home. (diary)

Example
Activity Sheet Part 7 When writing Cinderellas diary, what language help will you give your students? Discuss with your groupmates.

Sample Work (Diary)

10 Oct, 2004

I am so unhappy today. My sisters made me wake up at 5:00 a.m. I am so tired. They made me cook breakfast for the whole family. They made me feed the animals and take the dog out for a walk. They didnt let me have my breakfast and I was hungry all day. They made me
Language help: past tense

use of let and make

vocabulary relating to housework

4. Imagination
(a) If Create a new ending based on an assumption e.g. If the Little Billy Goat Gruff couldnt cross bridge, Activity sheet Part 8 Now, it is your turn to create a new ending! 1,2,3go!

Language help
Troll took him home No food for Little Billy Goat Little Billy Goat was very hungry. Little Billy Goat died Troll took him home. Troll and Little Billy Goat Gruff became friends Troll took care of Little Billy Goat Lived together happily

New endings

The two brother goats didnt see Little Goat Brothers were sad Brothers went back to the bridge to find Little Goat The two brother goats fought with the troll. Brothers won and took Little Goat home

(b.) Wish fulfillment

Example:

Discuss what Cinderellas dream is. Write about your own dream (e.g. poem writing).

Sample Work
My dream
When I am 20, I want to be a teacher. I will teach pupils to draw pictures. When I am 30, I want to be someones wife. I want to have 3 children in my life. When I am 40, I want to be richer and richer. But I dont want to get fatter and fatter. When I am 50, I want to travel around the world. And I am going to Disneyland and Movie World.

Planning a creative writing lesson

Lets watch the video!

Shared reading + creative writing + students presentation

Sample work
DSCN0863.JPG DSCN0864.JPG DSCN0865.JPG DSCN0866.JPG

Any questions?

Contact information
Project officer: Amy Fan Tel. no.: 2364 6471 Email address: amyfan@emb.gov.hk

Thanks!
Thank you for attending the workshop!
Please complete the evaluation form

before you go
Good luck in implementing the

creative writing programme in school!