Lists and What ifs - A Creative Writing Workshop for KS2

A Creative Writing Workshop for Key Stage 2 students.
Keywords: Creativity, Fun, Overcoming barriers to writing, Lists, What if, Empowering children

Transcript

1. Creative Writing Workshop Proposal for a KS2 (Year 3 – Year 6) level workshop on creative writing By David Chang 1
2. Creative Writing? Writing Creatively? 2
4. Details, details, details … • Collaborative • Fits around the formal activities • Complimentary to the curriculum • Workshop is run with the teacher 4
5. Details, details, details … • Everybody CAN write • A short story • A Poem • A collaborative work • A performance piece 5
6. Core Concept • Children like writing what they like writing • Use of Lists • Capture spontaneous insights • Record of their imagination • Rich source of material – ingredients for the child’s story recipe 6
7. Core Concept – List examples • Places I’ve been to over the weekend • My favourite things to … • Eat • Play with • Do when I get home • Have with me when I’m not well • Character from a book, TV or movie • What I want to be when I grow up • What I want for Christmas 7
8. Core Concept - Method to the madness STORY ELEMENTS! Scenarios Places Characters 8
9. Workshop Lesson Plan Proposals – Common sections • Introduction • Who is this strange man in my classroom and does he want my lunch?? • Who likes stories? • Give some examples • Who likes writing? • Who doesn’t like writing? • Ice-breaker • Word games – whole class poems. (ref Andy Croft) • Lists – Start making lists early! (ref Toby Jones) 9
10. Workshop Lesson Plan Proposals – Common sections • Introduction • Who is this strange man in my classroom and does he want my lunch?? • Who likes stories? • Give some examples • Who likes writing? • Who doesn’t like writing? • Ice-breaker • Word games – whole class poems. (ref Andy Croft) • Lists – Start making lists early! (ref Toby Jones) 10
11. Workshop Lesson Plan Proposals – Common sections • List Making • “I – Lists” • Maybe based on the five senses – favourite smells, tastes OR horrid tastes • Character Lists • Favourite fictional character • Favourite real character – footballer, singer • Places you go to everyday • Things that make you feel happy and sad • Imaginary Beasts and super powers 11
12. Workshop Lesson Plan Proposals – Common sections • Now we have our lists in place, WHAT IF we made up a story together? • “What if?” is where all the magic happens 12
13. Deep breath… Introductions “We WILL write a story at the end!” Ice-breaker Made lots of noise but also our LISTS Worked together as a class to write a story – “What if the teacher was a robot with laser eyes?” ??? 13
14. Workshop Lesson Plan Proposals – what do we do now??? • Teacher input required! • Remember this? • Everybody CAN write – Let’s have finished pieces at the end • Options • Individual stories • Lengths? • Individual poems • I am the boy that likes to play football … • Amalgamation approach • Class performance piece? 14
15. Workshop Lesson Plan Proposals Introduction, Icebreaker Lists and Whole Class story Free Writing time Sharing and evaluation 5 mins – Introduction 10 mins – Icebreaker 10 mins – Lists 10 mins – Whole class story 15 mins 10 mins 15
16. Resources • Time for Workshop • One session or multiple? • When? • School hours? After school club? • Whiteboard or Flipchart • Record lists and stories – Can I use a Dictaphone? • Marker pens • Post-it pads • Blu-tack • Printing handouts for children 16
17. Resources • I am providing this workshop as part of my MA course. There will be no charge • Local schools so travel expenses are minimal • FREE, for now … 17
18. Food for thought • Outside of the class-room • Cross-curriculum • Writing about real events 18
19. Food for Thought • Whole School event • Everybody Writes template 19
20. Summary • Creativity • Fun • Reduce the fear of writing • No-one gets it wrong • If you can tell a story, you’re a winner 20