Presents a teacher's journal entries for poetry classes she conducted for fourth and fifth graders at Anthony Chabot Elementary School in Oakland, California, located in a middle class neighborhood with an ethnic mix of students. Describes two poetry writing ideas: "What Matters" and "100 Words." (PA)

Uses "Black Misery," a picture book that shines a spotlight on 27 humiliating moments of childhood. Begins by reading the text and discussing the pictures and captions; then asks students to write a minimum of five captions in a manageable amount of time. Concludes by having students read their captions aloud and engage in more…

Explores the quality of "voice" in writing, and how an individual's early experiences and heritage influence voice. Advocates using exploration of voice with students in freshman composition. Uses "In Praise of What Persists," a collection of essays, as models for the students and a source of writing assignments. (PA)

Explains the guidelines for an exercise based on the poem "The Little Mute Boy" by F. Garcia Lorca. States that students are to: discuss synesthesia, the substitution of senses; explore the surreal senses; think about life without a sense; create a net of surprises; write a poem; and read the poem aloud. (PA)

Discusses five forms of traditional oral poetry from around the world which not only provide a window into the cultures that nourish them, but inspire students to perform poetry, both their own and that from literature. Offers examples of each form, and presents writing exercises and ideas for students. (SR)

Advocates using James Baldwin's essays to motivate high school and college students to write and think critically. Contends Baldwin is the greatest American essayist since World War II. Cites Baldwin's love of language and his carefully crafted prose. Describes assignments in which students write about their mother or father or about growing up.…

Defines the ballad as the link between the written and the sung. Explains that ballad meter is made of quatrains that alternate between four-stress and three-stress lines, and contain an "abcb" or "abab" rhyme scheme. Notes that ballads are mnemonic devices and tell stories. Discusses modern balladeers and describes ballad writing assignments. (PM)

Addresses students' writing that often requires special attention. Considers this in relation to violent fantasies. Discusses censorship in relation to student writing. Recommends finding out whether the law requires educators to report any evidence of illegal activity to the police. (SG)

Discusses five ideas for writing projects designed for high school students, including the church story, the house story, the newspaper story, and teaching the library "our" way. (PA)

Describes how Frederick Douglass's "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave" can be used to explore differences between biography and autobiography, and how a personal account can be used to change attitudes of others. Presents poems written by 10th- and 11th-grade students composed after reading Douglass's…

Describes an exercise designed for K-6 grade levels based on books where the characters undergo transformation. Explains that students should write a story in which the main character goes through a transformation, and then act out the story. Emphasizes that younger students may not pay attention to the "why" or "how" of the…

Describes two word games useful in secondary writing classrooms: "illot-mollo," in which freewriters announce words they just wrote which the other members must use in their subsequent freewriting; and "secret" in which students each write a secret (usually made-up) and then put them into a hat--students then pull out a secret and write about it.…

Describes an assignment designed to assist senior English students in rediscovering their genuine selves. Invites students to create an imaginative piece that involves experimentation and intellectual risk. Encourages students to mix genres, devise new structures, collaborate, and incorporate other art forms in which they have some expertise.…

Describes an exercise for grade school through high school students that focuses on describing abstract emotions through allegory. Notes that some examples include hate, depression, happiness, and patriotism. Provides examples of student writing from prior trials of this exercise. (PA)

Describes a series of miniature writing assignments for college students, including reflections on freedom, writing down ideas in a notebook, writing postcards or letters, a gathering page, and doing a first draft in 20 minutes. Provides examples of each assignment. (PA)