Final Project

As a final project for this class, I have created a pdf document for a beginning creative writing class aimed at high school students. As with most lesson plans, this unit could be used with other age groups, depending on the students' abilities.

The pdf is divided into two sections: creating characters and writing stories. I think it would be best to use the lessons in the order they are presented, but either section could be used independently, and any order could be utilized.

All of the example writing is work I did in my CI5410 "Teaching Creative Writing" class at the University of Minnesota during the Spring Semester of 2010 with Thom Swiss.

I hope this helps my classmates and saves everyone a little time when creating new lesson plans for creative writing.

Apparently, I cannot upload files to this blog, so I have linked to my class wiki where you can download the pdf file.

Student Assignment: Creating a Collaborative Poem

This assignment is adapted from a speech given by Deborah Appelman at the MCTE conference in Duluth in April, 2010. It reflects an assignment she created during her work with inmates incarcerated at Stillwater Prison. Her assignment was inspired by Eve Ensler's work with inmates in the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in New York.

• Begin with a discussion of the power of words. Use familiar examples like Martin Luther King, Jr. versus Malcolm X.
• Have students brainstorm (write) the most powerful words or phrases they can think of.
• Have students volunteer to share their "most powerful" word or phrase and explain where they heard it and/or why they think it is so powerful.

• Show clip of Eve Ensler's video, "What I Want My Words to Do to You"
• Discuss the many uses of words and the power they can wield.

Discuss the idea of collaboration and what it means. Have students think of projects that need collaboration versus those that are individual. Ask students what poems are: collaborative or individual? Have students describe a poet: Where does she work? Does he work alone? Is she a happy person with a lot of friends? Have them explain their answers.

• Introduce the idea of a collaborative poem and explain how the poem will work. (Each student will write as much or as little as he/she can by completing the sentence provided. Then, each student will choose one or two to share with the class. At the end of the class, a podcast will be made (or video, if desired) of students reading their portions of the poem, in turn, to create a collaborative poem.)
• Introduce the phrase, "I want my words to..."
• Share an example of this with your students. Here is my example:

I want my words to affect you.

I want my words to inspire you.

I want my words to sit on your shoulder and whisper in your ear and be the voice you need to hear.

I want my words to push you toward your goals and remind you of what you said you wanted.

I want my words to haunt you at night.

I want my words to make you laugh and shake your head at my silliness.

I want my words to make you care enough to disagree.

I want my words to make you think.

I want my words to be heard.

• Students write their own completions for the phrase, "I want my words to..."
• Students share their "top two" sentences.
• As a class, the sentences are organized into a collaborative poem, taking into consideration length, flow, subject, etc.
• Students create a podcast (or video, if desired) comprised of each student reading his/her sentences, in the order determined by the class.
• For a more authentic audience, podcasts may be uploaded to facebook or myspace pages.

Student Assignment: Creating a Collaborative Story

Lesson #1: Simple Collaboration

Like a childhood car game, this exercise will be simple and fun. Students will learn that there are many directions a story can go and might be surprised at the creativity of their classmates.

• Have each student write the first word of a sentence on a blank piece of paper. (The student originating the story should also put his/her name on the paper.)
• Each student will then pass the paper to his/her left.
• Students will write another word on the paper they receive.
• This will continue for at least 50 rounds (about a paragraph).

At the end of the class, return the newly formed stories to the students whose names are on the paper. Have students volunteer to read "their" stories aloud. Ask the person who "originated" the story if he had any idea the story would turn out the way it did. Discuss, as a class, how easily and quickly a story can change direction.

Lesson #2: Start in the Middle (based on our text)

• Gather clips of beginning scenes of sitcoms and movies that show the idea of "starting in the middle."
• Show 10-20 second clips of 2-3 different shows/movies. It is best to use clips the students will be unfamiliar with.
• As a class, make a list of all the things you know and/or don't know about the setting, characters and plot.
• Gather 5 sentences from novels or short stories that start in the middle. Discuss how this is similar to the show/movie clips.

• Students write 5 beginning sentences that start in the middle.
• Students choose 1 sentence from the 5 that they think is best, or could imagine turning into a story.
• Students write the chosen sentence on a clean sheet of paper.
• Each student passes the paper to his/her left.
• Each student adds one sentence to the paper she receives.
• Rotate 5-10 times, depending on the time available and the writing level of the students.
• Return the completed stories to the original sentence creator.
• Have students explain what type of story they had in mind when they started the story and if they were surprised by the way the story ended up.

Discuss, as a class, the value of input of other students in the room, especially when experiencing "writers' block."

Chapter 8: Resolution and Final Meaning

Exercise: Chapter 45
Titles and Keys

Just playing around with some titles for the story I’ve been working on.


“Accusations and Arguments”
“The Waiting List”
“Last Adult Standing”
“Option Impossible”
“Shades of Green”
“Full Circle”
“Half Smiles”
“Almost There”
“One Last Option”
“Optional”
“Not Optional”
“Opt In”
“Against All Advice”
“No Slowing Down”
“After the Fall”
“Steps and Staircases”
“Steps”

Chapter 7: Story Elements as a Given

Exercise: Chapter 44
Stirring Up a Fiction Stew

chef (replaced by mother)
hostess (replaced by daughter)
gas station
root beer
knife
blue
patriotism

As suggested in this chapter, I had my husband go through the list of words, and I started to write a scene. But, I didn’t think this would help my story, so I took his words and applied them to the characters I have been working on, in the hopes I could use this in my story. It was an interesting exercise, but I could only manage to incorporate three of the five words he suggested.


The gas station was closed, but we could see a man through the window, cleaning up inside.

“I’m sure he’ll open up so I can buy a root beer. Go ahead and pump the gas. I’ll be right back.” My mother twisted around, struggling to get her sticks—her pet name for the crutches she now depended on to walk even a few feet—from the back seat.

“Mom, stop. Just let me pump the gas. You don’t need a root beer this late at night anyway. Just sit still. I’ll be done in a minute.”

It was as if I hadn’t spoken. The sticks bumped against the windows, the roof, the seats. She had one leg dancing outside the car door as she placed her right forearm into the brace that helps her keep her from losing her grip.

“Mom. Really. I’ll stop at the grocery in the morning and pick up some root beer. It’s going to take forever and the store’s not even open.”

Outside the car, she stumbled her way across the asphalt, each steady crutch leading the way for her faltering legs. The man inside looked up from his spray bottle and waved her away, shaking his head, mouthing the words, “Sorry, we’re closed.”

She kept moving forward, waving back, crutch dangling by its cuff from her forearm, then leading the way once again.

“He’s closed, Mom,” I called from across the station, filling up the tank.

“Honey, I just want a root beer. I’ll be right back,” she answers without turning toward me. She gives the man another wave, as if he didn’t see her coming toward the door already.

I watch as she knocks on the glass, announcing her arrival at her destination. Wearily, the man makes his way toward the door, shaking his head and talking through the glass. She must be able to hear him; their faces only inches apart, separated by a bullet-proof slab of glass covered in red, white and blue stickers of the American flag. He turns away from her, but she waits.

“Come on, Mom. I’m done. Let’s go.”

And then the man returns. His oily hands open the door and hand my mother a can of root beer. It is only then that I realize she doesn’t have her purse; she has no way to pay. I start to walk over to pay the man for the soda, but this time, he waves me away.

“No charge,” he calls from across the asphalt. I smile and wave back, knowing it will do no good to argue. Returning to the driver’s seat, I wait for my mother to make her way to the car and tell me all about the nice man inside.

Chapter 6: Plot

Exercise: Chapter 32
From Situation to Plot

Character: a mother with Parkinson’s Disease who lives on her own, but whose children want her to move into an assisted living facility.


Situation #1: Mother and two adult children get in a car accident. One of the children was driving. The accident was the child’s fault. The mother is hurt and is forced to move into a rehab facility, with a plan to move into assisted living afterward. All of this is because of the accident, not because of the Parkinson’s.

Reactions #1: Mother is angry at and resentful toward the child for his mistake and consequential accident. Mother feels self-righteous because she knew she would not have ever had to go into assisted living if it were up to her, but the accident has forced her into it. Mother blames child for having to move into rehab/assisted living. Child thinks that mother would have ended up in assisted living anyway and takes no responsibility for the premature move. Other siblings side with child. Mother feels abandoned at assisted living and starts to believe the accident was a conspiracy. The more the siblings defend the child, the more “evidence” the mother collects against them. Mother becomes more and more withdrawn and depressed as her obsession to prove her conspiracy theory grows.


Situation #2: One of the children is diagnosed with Parkinson’s, as well.

Reactions #2: The mother is defensive: she thinks blame is being placed on her for passing the Parkinson’s through biology, even though no one has accused her of this. As the children convince her that no one is blaming her, the mother becomes more confident and takes on the role of “expert” because she has had the disease longer. The mother feels a new connection with the child because they share this diagnosis, but the child wants nothing to do with this type of “connection.” The mother takes the child’s defiance as not wanting to be anything like her, while the child can’t understand how the mother can think of this as something to bond over. The child eventually moves to another city, rather than live the life she sees her mother living.


Situation #3: The children hire a painter to paint the interior of the house so the mother won’t get hurt doing it herself. The painter turns out to have some marital and financial problems and is living in his car.

Reactions #3: The mother is overly concerned with the painter’s life. She feels incredibly sorry for him. She enjoys having someone around her whom she considers to be “worse off” than herself. Because the children have been worried bout her living alone, she offers to rent her spare bedroom to the painter in order to have someone around at night to help her in case of an emergency. While she says he is there to take care of her, it is obvious to everyone else that she is taking care of him. Clashes occur over the possibility of her being taken advantage of and of the painter’s character and motives. More details about the painter emerge, a few “close calls” occur, and the mother finally tells the painter to move out. After some delay, interpreted differently between the children and the mother, the painter moves out. Since nothing horrible has happened, the mother feels vindicated, while the children feel this is proof the mother has lost her ability to make logical decisions.

Chapter 5: Dialogue

Exercise: Chapter 28
Not Quite a Fight

“What are you going to do if there’s a waiting list? When you need to get in, you’ll wish you had signed up.”

“When I need to get in, I’ll sign up,” my mother answered with a flippant air of impatience.

“That’s what I’m saying. When you go to sign up, you won’t be able to get in. Then you’ll get stuck somewhere you hate. What’s wrong with thinking ahead, being proactive? Let’s just put your name on the list. If they call, we can say you’re not ready and they can keep your name ready for the next opening.” I sat down on the bed, careful not to bump my head on the triangular grab bar hanging inches away.

Mom held onto the wall bars she had just had installed throughout her bedroom and half-walked, half-fell toward her dresser.

“I don’t know why everyone is making such a big deal of this. If you want to sign someone up for something, if that’s what you like to do, sign people up for things, then go ahead, sign your kids up for something…camp or something. As for me, I don’t need to sign up for anything. I like it here. I don't want to go anywhere else.”

“Camp? Mom, are you serious? Can’t we have an adult discussion about the options here?”

“What options? I don’t need any options. I live here. That’s my option.” She moved slowly but surely away from the dresser with a necklace in her hand, held it out to me, and asked me to put it on for her. She can’t work the clasp anymore, but hasn’t had a chance to get this particular stone switched to a chain long enough to slip over her head.

“What are you going to do when you fall down the steps and break your hip and there’s no room at the assisted living place you want to go to? If you were on a list, you’d be the next one in.”

“I’m not falling down any steps. You sound just like your siblings. You're like a stack of broken records. What if you fell down the steps? What if your sister fell down the steps? What list are you two on? You know, anyone can fall down steps any time. You don’t have to have Parkinson’s to have an accident.”

“No, you don’t, but it sure makes it a lot more likely.”

Ignoring me, she headed for the bedroom door and downstairs. “Here I go,” she bragged, “down the steps!”

I followed behind, unsteady and unsure.

Chapter 5: Dialogue

Exercise: Chapter 27
The Invisible Scene: Interspersing Dialogue with Action

“Upstairs!” she called when the dog barked, alerting her to a guest in the house.

At the top of the stairs, looking into her bedroom, I saw her left foot, clad in a man’s white tube sock, twisting uncontrollably at the behest of its big toe. The rest of my mother lay sprawled between the bedroom and the bathroom, almost upside down, as her entire left leg jumped and danced to its own beat, while her right hand attempted to paint the bathroom door frame. With paint all over her shirt and more green in her hair than gray, she smiled up at me, “Isn’t this a fabulous color?”

Chapter 4: Perspective and Point of View

Exercise: Chapter 22
An Early Memory, Part One: The Child as Narrator

Like us, the Siegels have a Black maid. I don’t know her name, but ours is Doris. This lady looks a lot like Doris, and she’s really nice, just like Doris. And, she thinks my little brother is the cutest thing ever, same as Doris. Her and Kenny have been playing in the kitchen since we got here. We had to come early because Mom had to help Mrs. Siegel get dinner ready for Seder. You wouldn’t believe how much there is to do, my mom kept saying. Between the matzoh ball soup and the charoset, you’ve got the hard-boiled eggs and the gefilte fish. Mom’s been talking about it for weeks.

Mom and Mrs. Siegel are sitting at the dining room table rubbing that gooey stuff on the silver and talking about all the people coming over later. I’ve been upstairs to the playroom, but the ping-pong table is boring by myself and they won’t let me play Barry’s drums because they’re too loud, so I’m back downstairs now. The maid is really nice to me, too, and gives me and Kenny both three squares of Hershey bar because we helped put the water glasses on the table and didn’t break any.

She reaches down to wipe chocolate off Kenny’s face. I don’t think I have any on me because I’m older and know how to eat a candy bar, especially when I have on a nice dress. Hold still, sugar pie, you’ve got chocolate all over your sweet little face, she tells him. Let me just rub that off you, child.

Kenny doesn’t sit still too good. He doesn’t really like when people try to clean him up. Next thing I know, he tells her, Why don’t you rub it off you? You’ve got chocolate all over your whole self!

The maid is laughing now like nobody I’ve ever seen. She says, Child, if I could wipe this chocolate off me, you know I would, but this here chocolate is here to stay! She keeps laughing and pretty soon Mom and Mrs. Siegel are laughing and Kenny and me are laughing, even though I’m not sure Kenny really knows what he’s laughing about. Mrs. Siegel even lifts up her glasses and wipe her eyes; she is crying from laughing so hard. The maid keeps laughing all night long, Wipe that chocolate off myself! Oh, child!


Exercise: Chapter 23
An Early Memory, Part Two: The Reminiscent Narrator

It seemed every Jew in Memphis had a Black maid. If you lived in a certain neighborhood, even though it was the South, you could go days without seeing another Black person except for your maid. So, while we grew up with a Black person in our house every day after school, we didn’t really know any.

Like us, the Siegels had a Black maid. I don’t remember her name; ours was Doris. At the time, it seemed normal there would be a Black maid in every house we visited. They were more like family members than people who were getting paid, or at least that’s what we liked to believe: Sweetheart, meet Mrs. Seigel, her husband Mr. Siegel, her son Barry, her daughter Wendy, and her maid whose name I can’t remember.

The Siegel’s maid was helping out with Passover Seder, which meant she was expected to do any combination of cooking, cleaning and entertaining the kids who were getting in the way. She definitely had a soft spot for my little brother, as did most adults who met him. We had arrived early because my mother insisted on helping Mrs. Siegel get dinner ready. You wouldn’t believe how much there is to do, my mom kept saying. Between the matzoh ball soup and the charoset, you’ve got the hard-boiled eggs and the gefilte fish. Of course, she didn’t mention the extra help she was getting from the Siegel’s maid, or the help she had gotten from Doris earlier in the day.

As mom and Mrs. Siegel sat at the dining room table, polishing the silver and talking about the guests who had yet to arrive, Kenny and I were getting bored. After exploring every inch of the upstairs playroom, we returned to the main floor and proceeded to get in everyone’s way. The Siegel’s maid made us a deal: three squares of a chocolate bar if we helped put the water glasses on the table and didn’t break any. Done.

As we finished up our candy, the maid reached down to wipe chocolate off my little brother’s face. Hold still, sugar pie, you’ve got chocolate all over your sweet little face, she told him. Let me just rub that off you, child.

Kenny, cute and adorable and precocious, smiled up at her and said, Why don’t you rub it off you? You’ve got chocolate all over your whole self!

My eyes darted to the dining room where my mother sat. I expected someone to scold him, to explain that her skin is not made of chocolate and that what he said was certainly rude. But, my mother simply looked up, saw that the maid was laughing, and began laughing as well.

I heard the maid say, Child, if I could wipe this chocolate off me, you know I would, but this here chocolate is here to stay! We all laughed and the story was told again and again as each new guest arrived. Kenny stood, the center of attention, only slightly embarrassed by his mistake. It looks like chocolate, he insisted.

To this day, I still wonder why it was so funny.

Writing Fiction, Part 1

Exercise: Chapter One
First Sentences: Beginning in the Middle

When she realized her children would actually make her wear that ridiculous neck brace every waking moment, she started to regret her decision to water the plants on the back deck.

Thank God for caller ID; without it, I would have surely answered the phone.

I couldn’t quite figure out who she was, but I knew for certain she was not my mother.

The leaking wouldn’t stop, no matter what she tried.

Once she held the child in her arms, she knew he was hers.



Exercise: Chapter Three
Pairs of Beginning Sentences

Birth/Death:
He thought babies were supposed to be cute, but he wasn’t so sure about his own.

She would never forgive him for not allowing her to say goodbye.

Blistering Heat/Freezing Cold:
They drove around in the cool comfort of the car for hours, avoiding the stifling humidity of their shared apartment.

He told her to take off her clothes and wrap her arms around him; he had read this was the best way to treat hypothermia.

Toddler/Teenager:
The boy ran through the house with the crazy abandon of the child he was supposed to have been.

To know all there was to know about everything was the worst feeling in the world.



Exercise: Chapter Eight
People from the Past; Characters of the Future

Craig was the cutest, most talented boy in the school. He had every lead in every play; he scored the highest on every test; he was every teacher’s favorite student; and he had complete control over the entire class. But, Craig and I had a history. He had lived across the street from me since we were four years old. We were best friends on the kickball field and taught each other how to kiss in a secret hiding spot in his room. Of course, all of that changed in middle school. Craig started to torture me: spitting in my hair and teasing me through each minute of the excruciatingly long car ride to school; stealing my bike and claiming to have no knowledge of how it ended up propped in a neighbor’s tree; and turning the heat up on my fish tank, simmering the little guys to death. Smug, arrogant and conceited, Craig was trouble from sixth grade on.

I heard a rumor that Craig worked for Barnum & Brothers circus in some type of sales position. And, while this is probably a very lucrative job, it certainly doesn’t compare to his little brother’s career as a cardiologist. I’ve been told he lost all his hair, which seems like poetic justice to me. I think he is married to a woman whom he makes feel less than what she is or could be. They probably have three children; he focuses on his son’s potential and his daughters’ limitations. He has affairs on the road and thinks this is his right, as the breadwinner in the family. His wife knows about these betrayals, but feels helpless to confront him. He lives a pretty-on-the-surface lifestyle, but is deeply disappointed by the path he has chosen.



Exercise: Chapter Nine
Mining Memory

Things that pleased me:

Having the plumber come and finding out the leak was clean water from the tank and not dirty water from the toilet bowl.

The Starbucks barista gave me a free venti nonfat latte when I forgot my wallet and didn’t even make me pay for it the next day when I tried to.

Scheduling a babysitter to go out with old friends I have fallen out-of-touch with.

Getting a huge hug from one of my newest and dearest friends when I showed up to a happy hour I didn’t think I would be able to make.

Watching my son look like a teenager, walking outside with a camera to take pictures.

Having my husband leave for work, turn around, and come back inside for an extra hug and kiss goodbye.

Writing lists of things that have made me happy and things that have made me angry and realizing I have more happy things than angry ones.

My two sons sitting in the living room with me, quietly reading.

My neighbor’s little girl, Gretta, calling me “Aunt Denise” even though I am not her aunt.

Having a little brother who makes me laugh: I told him I’d like a new family and he responded that I’ve wanted that since I was 14.


Things that made me angry:

My father ignoring my request that he NOT go to California while I am there visiting my mother.

Preparing the Passover Seder meal completely by myself.

Overhearing a neighbor’s homophobic remarks toward possible buyers of the house across the street.

Waiting for a huge lump to rise on his forehead before believing my son when he said he punched his cousin only because his cousin had thrown him into the hard corner of the couch.

Hearing judgment in the voice of a student for a girl in a situation not unlike her own.

My boss telling his staff (including me) how great the conference was that I was not allowed to go to.

Hearing about services my students cannot be assessed for because they are too expensive.

Hearing my sister smirk over the phone when I mentioned my friend is gay.

Seeing the engine light come on in my car and knowing that this repair will be expensive.

Going to pick something up at my school and realizing my key card doesn’t work after a certain hour of the day.



Exercise: Chapter 12
He/She: Switching Gender

I choose my shirt and pants with little thought, knowing that one or the other will be replaced. Susan never lets me leave the house without changing at least one item of clothing. It’s sort of like a boss who needs to put his thumbprint on everything; a person who makes change just to make change, not for any real purpose. I don’t care too much. She’s probably better at this than I am. Probably. But, sometimes, I question her taste. To myself. Not out loud.

When I walk outside the closet door, she’s there, waiting. She looks great, as always. She’s everything I’ve always wanted; she’s everything my ex-wife is not. Suzie’s got a great body, a good sense of humor, and will try anything once. She has changed my life for the better. Definitely.

She looks me over, assesses the damage, and quickly slips into my closet, emerging with a patterned shirt she bought me last Father’s Day and a belt with ten thousand colors. Nice, I guess. She brushes a kiss on my cheek as she hands me the shirt and walks past to finish her makeup. I give myself a half-smile in the mirror and go to change my shirt.



Exercise: Chapter 18
Creating a Character’s Background, Place, Setting, and Milieu

She shows me my bedroom, but all I see is pink. Obviously, she’d rather have girls. The bed is old: I can see the mattress soft and sagging in the middle. I don’t want to sit on it, much less sleep there. A faded pink comforter with some light brown stains lies crookedly, so the top corner of the pale yellow sheets can be seen. The comforter used to have some type of floral print, but that seems to have faded over time. The bed itself is painted pink with little strips of wood showing through at worn-out edges. It could be someone’s lame attempt to make the frame look old (I’ve seen that in magazines before), but I think this one really is old. On the pillow, there is a baby blue dog with a tattered ribbon around his neck. I’m surprised no one has taken it yet. Maybe he’s too old for anyone to want. I think I might like him. At least he’s not pink.

Lesson Plans: Creative Writing Class Midterm

I really like to use visual images to get students started with creative assignments. Giving them a starting point seems to take away some of the intimidation factor, in addition to providing some (often needed) inspiration.

Theme: Using Photography for Creative Writing

Preparation:

Teachers need to collect black and white “headshots” of various people. These can be historical images (only use photos of people the students would not be familiar with), snapshots, advertisements (without writing), little-known actors, or any other type of image the teacher can find.

You will need two copies of each photograph and should have the same number of photographs as you have students. Have a couple extra copies on hand in case there are an odd number of students and you need to use three of one photo.

Label each image with some type of “code” (not a name) so that the students can record which image they worked with.

Lesson One: Searching for Details

Use half of your photographs (for example, 2 copies of 20 different shots for a class of 40). Each student will be given one image so there are two copies of each photograph distributed. Try to separate the images around the room so that two of the same photographs are not near each other.

Have students “study” their images for 2 minutes before writing.

Brainstorm: Have students write 30 words describing the physical attributes of the person in their photographs. These words can be any part of speech and should be the first things that come to mind. (This is a good place to insert a grammar mini-lesson if you want to require a certain number of each part of speech.) Students should focus only on the physical characteristics of the person in the photograph.

Write: Have students create a poem from their lists of words. The poem may be created with any additional words, but MUST include the 30 words they brainstormed. Be sure each student puts the “code” on his poem so you can later match the poem to the image.

Pair & Share: Have each student pair up with the person in the room who has the same photograph. Have the paired students compare their poems. Once finished, have the pairs present their poems to the class and give a brief synopsis of what they found when comparing their poems.

Lesson Two: Inference

Distribute the second half of images (for example, 2 copies of 20 different shots for a class of 40). Each student will be given one image so there are two copies of each photograph distributed. Try to separate the images around the room so that two of the same photographs are not near each other.

Have students “study” their images for 2 minutes before writing.

Brainstorm: Have students write 30 words describing the personality traits of the person in their photographs. These words can be any part of speech and should be the first things that come to mind. (This is a good place to insert a grammar mini-lesson if you want to require a certain number of each part of speech.) They should focus on the perceived/inferred personality/mental characteristics of the person in the photograph, but should also extend to things like education level, career, family life, etc.

Write: Have students create a poem from their lists of words. The poem may be created with any additional words, but MUST include the 30 words they brainstormed. Be sure each student puts the “code” on his poem so you can later match the poem to the image.

Pair & Share: Have each student pair up with the person in the room who has the same photograph. Have the paired students compare their poems. Once finished, have the pairs present their poems to the class and give a brief synopsis of what they found when comparing their poems.

Reflection: Have each student reflect individually on the differences between the comparative processes when they were writing only about viewable physical characteristics versus inferred characteristics. Were there more or less differences between themselves and their partners in one case over the other? Why do they think that is?

Lesson Three: Dialogue

Redistribute the photographs the students used for Lesson Two. Have students review the photograph and their brainstorming and poems.

Write: Have students write one sentence this person might say.

Pair & Share: Have each student pair with a student who has a different photograph. Have the students share their poems and sentences from Lesson Two.

Write: Have the students develop a scene where the two people from the two photographs might interact with each other. Working with this scene, have them create a dialogue between the two characters. This may take the form of a poem or a short story, but it MUST include the original two sentences created by each student.

Present: Have students act out their dialogue, each student acting out the part of the person whose photograph they were originally working with.

Lesson Four: Final Project

Have students find photographs on the internet or in magazines to craft a creative writing piece. Their photograph may be of any subject, including people or not. But, it must be something that inspires them to write a work of poetry or fiction.

Once they have chosen an image, have them work through the steps practiced earlier:

Brainstorm #1: Have students write 30 words describing the physical elements apparent in the photograph. These words can be any part of speech and should be the first things that come to mind. They should focus on the physical aspects of the photograph.

Write #1: Have students create a poem from these lists of words. The poem may be created with any additional words, but MUST include the 30 words they brainstormed. Be sure each student attaches the original image to his poem.

Brainstorm #2: Have students write 30 words describing what they can infer from the photograph. These words can be any part of speech and should be the first things that come to mind. They should focus on anything not physically apparent in the photograph.

Write #2: Have students create a poem from these lists of words. The poem may be created with any additional words, but MUST include the 30 words they brainstormed. Be sure each student attaches the original image to his poem.

Write #3: Using writing exercises #1 and #2 from this lesson, have students write a poem or short story about the photograph they have chosen.

Present: The poems/stories may be presented orally with the image displayed during the performance, or they may be presented visually on a poster board or digital medium.

Commentary on "Penny for Your Thoughts"

Our group chose a poetry piece from Def Poetry Jam entitled "Penny for Your Thoughts." Part of what I think works so well in this piece is the element of surprise. First, the poet surprised me because he's a big white guy and doesn't fit the stereotypical image of what I have experienced with spoken word poetry. The spoken word artists I have heard have all been people of color or more alternative looking white people. Second, his topic is surprising. His entire poem is about the sexiness he finds in a woman's mind, rather than her body. With this, he again defies stereotypes of this type of poetry: he's not angry or victimized.

While the surprise element is certainly a large part of what makes this poem good, I think his use of language is amazing and makes the poem great. His ability to use very sensual language typically used to describe the body to instead describe his attraction to the mind is wonderful. It confuses your head just enough to really have to pay attention and be pleasantly surprised by what he is saying.

I think it qualifies as both a poem and a performance piece in that it is rhythmic, has an amazing use of poetic language, and draws strength from being performed rather than just read. However, I think the performance aspect could be improved. I though the poet was a bit stiff, especially at the beginning, and the piece could be more powerful if he were able to perform his words to more fully invoke the images they create in our minds.

Poetry Slam Debate Lesson Plan

As I was researching and trying to get ideas for a performance poetry lesson plan, I came across a definition for a poetry slam that used the word "competitive." This made me think of a way I could do a poetry slam in the classroom that would work for students who are too shy or self-conscious to perform in front of the class. By developing a group project, I thought students would be able to contribute to the poetry without feeling the pressure of performing. In addition, I wanted to introduce the concepts behind a debate, since many performance poetry pieces seem to be arguing for some type of cause/point of view.

Here is my idea for a classroom poetry slam debate.

1. Have students view videos of performance poetry to get an idea of the multiple directions this could take.

2. Have students choose a topic to debate. The teacher may want to have a list of possible topics, or suggest one from recent discussions in class.

3. Divide students into two group: one for and one against the topic. Keep groups as even as possible. It is a good lesson for students to be placed in a group they don't agree with; they will have more "arguments" than they think.

4. Have each group write 2 poems to be performed in front of the class. The first poem will introduce their point of view and make their argument for or against the topic. The second poem will be a rebuttal of what they think the other group may argue. If this is beyond the students' ability, they may appropriate a poem by using existing poetry performance pieces and changing the words to fit their topics.

5. Each group will be responsible for choosing two students to present the poems: one student for argument and one for rebuttal.

6. The performance piece will take the form of a debate between the two sides, alternating as follows: argument (group 1); argument (group 2); rebuttal (group 1); rebuttal (group 2).

My Attempt at Performance Poetry

It seems that the only performance poetry I can think of writing is angry. I don't know if this is because most of the performance poetry I have heard (spoken word) has been by urban teenagers and has had pretty serious, often angry, anti-status quo messages. Actually, writing this down was difficult because I felt the need to mark the words I wanted to emphasize so the reader would know where to place the emphasis. On the other hand, I changed quite a bit of it once I heard myself recorded; hearing it aloud really changed what I wanted to do with it.

I cannot seem to get any type of audio file to upload here, so here is the written version.


You Think You Know

You think you know something
about me?
You think you're smarter
than me?
You think you know kids
like me?

You think you understand
my life?
You think you see something in
my eyes?
You think you get what's in
my head?

Fuck you.

You tell me to look inside.
You tell me to think some more.
You tell me to calm down.
Fuck you.

You say you know about
my mom.
You say you've heard about
my dad.
You say you've seen
my kind.

You say you understand
my situation?
You say you're here to help with
my life?
You say you can relate to
my reality?

Fuck you.

You tell me to look inside.
You tell me to think some more.
You tell me to calm down.

But you don't bother to listen to what
I say.
You don't bother to hear what
I speak.
You don't bother to see what
I see.
You've never touched what
I feel.
And you don't even know how to taste what
I taste.

So fuck you.

Don't tell me to look inside.
Don't tell me to think some more.
Don't tell me to calm down.

I know what's inside.
I know what I think.
And I know what my life's like.

But you don't listen
You don't hear
You don't see
So fuck you.

Performance Poetry

This is one of my favorite performances. I think the back and forth of the two women performing together really adds to the power of the piece. It first surprised me because I think of poetry as such a solitary pursuit, but this certainly disproves that stereotype.

Click here to view the video on youtube.

Def Poetry Jam Lesson

I really enjoy using Def Poetry Jam videos in my classroom. I usually choose 3-4 videos, readily available on youtube (or for sale by the season), and show them as examples of spoken word poetry. I can always find subjects that are relevant to my students, which makes a huge difference in capturing, and keeping, their attention.

What I like best about using spoken word is that the poems are indeed spoken. I think so much of poetry is lost when read quietly to one's self. I first tried teaching spoken word when planning a unit on Shakespeare. I read somewhere that Shakespearean plays were not meant to be read in a book; the plays were meant to be performed. Duh. So, I used this argument as an excuse to introduce the students to poetry through spoken word and insist that all of the poetry we would be discussing would be read aloud in the classroom.

While I use the Def Poetry Jam lesson plan to focus on the vocabulary of poetry (alliteration, meter, etc.), I also use it to help the students understand the meaning behind language. My first question after each and every spoken word performance is, "What is this poem about?" The students are not allowed to be literal with their answers, which pushes them to think about the meaning behind the words. This translates to their being able to read more deeply into any literature that we study while also helping them understand the nuances of language and the complexity of poetry.

Couldn't Resist a Limerick

The lady went out through the in,
She cared a bit much for the gin.
She thrust out her cane
And caused him great pain,
Just before she allowed him to sin.

Line It Up

This is a lesson plan I found on the Favorite Poem Project web site. It is one of my favorite web sites when I teach poetry. It has a variety of people reading their favorite poems, rather than the authors of the poems reading their own poems. I love to hear how different poems can be when they are read aloud by different people, especially when read by someone other than the author of the poem.

In this vein, I have "borrowed" one of the lesson plans that allows students to arrange a poem in a way they see fit. I like the idea of putting the poem out there, all jumbled up in a paragraph form, and seeing what happens to it when the students put work with the line breaks and structure. I think it would be really interesting to then compare the students' version with the poet's version and discuss what was differently and how those differences affected the meaning or feeling of the poem.

Here is the lesson (http://www.favoritepoem.org/lessonplans-links/lineitup.html):

Suggested Poems:

"The Farmer" by William Carlos Williams
"This is Just to Say" by William Carlos Williams
"One for the Rose" by Galway Kinnell
"A Lover" by Amy Clampitt
"Song" by H. D.
"The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams
"a(l)" by E. E. Cummings
"in-Just Spring" by E. E. Cummings

(For additional suggestions, and a variation on this lesson, look at "Learning the Lines" in the middle school lesson plans).

Teachers' Reflections:

This assignment is designed to draw students attention to the different ways poets use lines, line-breaks, stanza breaks and white space in free verse poems.

Teaching Ideas:

The teachers will present the text several poems typed each as a single paragraph, with no line-breaks or stanza breaks. You may want to review some useful terms with your students — enjambment, end-stopped lines, caesura. Put the students into groups, and give each group a poem-paragraph. Each groups will arrange the text into lines and stanzas, aiming to create textured lines with rich sounds, listening to the cadences of the phrases and sentences and looking for possible exciting ambiguities created by considered line-breaks (aiming to create at least one line that speaks to both the line that precedes it and the line that follows it). Encourage students to experiment — not merely breaking the text into syntactical units. They may arrange the same text a couple of different ways — trying longer and shorter lines, various stanzas. Together, the group will write a reflection about the process, explaining some of the choices and pointing out the lines that really seem to shine. Groups will briefly present and discuss the arrangements with each other, then compare them to the original poems and continue discussion.

Teaching Connections:

This assignment would be a fine introduction to lessons on American Modernist poets or the Imagists. The teacher can extend the discussion to include grammar and mechanics (punctuation, sentence structure). Inevitably, looking closely at a poem's texture will also bring up questions of tone.

Based on a lesson by Frances Ashe, Kate Oneschuk (Holliston High School, Holliston, MA), Monica Hiller (Watertown High School, Watertown, MA) and Allyson Sklover (Boston Latin Academy, Dorchester, MA)

Lesson Plan: Found Poetry

One of my favorite things to do with my students is to have them understand the poetry inherent in language without overwhelming them with the fear of writing a poem.

In this lesson, you can use any book you are currently reading in class -- fiction or non-fiction. It's often better with non-fiction because it really shows the students that a poem can be made using unexpected words. It also focuses on the concept of a poem being a concise work, which is able to create a message by being very specific with word choice.

This lesson can take anywhere from 1-2 hours, depending on the number of groups and the level of discussion that occurs during group presentations.

1. Model the process. Project a passage (1-2 paragraphs) from the text you are reading. Read it aloud at least twice. Have the students tell you what the non-important words/phrases are and cross them out. Continue until you have only the words/phrases that the students have deemed important. Read through the passage using only the words that are left. Give the students the opportunity to cross out more words. Try to pare down the passage as much as possible. Rewrite the passage using only the important words; focus on line breaks to create rhythm. Read aloud revised poem until the class is happy with what they have created. Compare the new poem to the original prose and discuss some of the differences.
   
2. Break students into groups. Hand out photocopies of passages from the text you are reading. Be sure no two groups have the same passage.
3. Groups create a found poem. Students should work within their groups to cross out words, as shown during the modeling process. Students should then rewrite their new poem, working on line breaks to create rhythm.
4. Students revise and edit. Encourage students to read the poem aloud (multiple times) within their groups to be sure the poem is as strong as the original prose. Does the poem use the right words? Do more need to be cut? Do some need to be added back in? Should the order remain the same? Is there a flow and rhythm to it? Do the line breaks need to be revisited? Does the poem need additional punctuation, or less punctuation?
5. Groups share their poems. Each group will read their poem aloud to the rest of the class. After each poem, the group will read the passage it came from. Have a class discussion to determine which is stronger in regard to emotion and message. Have students discuss the benefits of prose vs. the benefits of poetry.
   

Left Hand Poem: Santa Claus

She sat on the swingset gently swaying
back and forth.
I stood near her pushing the sand
with my sneaker.

Did you know that when you die you'll burn
in Hell?
All Jewish people burn in Hell when
they die.

Did you know that there is
no Santa Claus?
It was the best I could do.

She cried and ran to tell
the teacher.
I smiled and pushed the sand with
my sneaker.

Prose Poem: Parkinson's

Her legs follow reluctantly, trying to catch up to her ever-moving-forward upper body, as she tries to possess one last moment of togetherness, but her youngest daughter drives on. The girl glances in the rear view mirror, seeing her mother, now and always, fighting the disease which holds her legs hostage to the slow, deliberate, shaking footsteps which the daughter, too, has begun to despise. The days spent together cannot be enough as they move forward at different speeds and in different directions, no longer understanding how to be in proximity.

Poem #1

Dragging the blade across my skin

A thick muddle of thoughts with no results

No blood

Just the widening gap of bright red flesh

Over and over, again and again

The blade seemingly duller with each passing stroke

Wanting them to see clearly

While my sight grows blurred in an alcoholic fog

Shaggy blue carpet between bed and dresser

Flowered walls laughing at my tearful face

Knife gripped in a sleeping fist

The blade too dull to cut.