Describes an activity in which students must invent graffiti that might have been written by one of the characters studied in the class's literature assignments. (HTH)

This article begins with a rationale for using "great" poems with children and the justification for linking the reading and writing of poetry. First, the author provides tips for teachers to use when selecting adult poems and offers a brief bibliography of classic poetry collections and anthologies appropriate for children. Next, suggestions for…

Discusses well-written, moving children's stories that can be used to promote children's writing. (RL)

Describes the use of "poemakers," sheets of white paper with special drawings pre-printed on them that have blank lines where words go. Describes using these poemakers as springboards for writing in poetry workshops for students from first grade through twelfth, as well as with college students. Includes one finished example, followed by four…

Provides a method for students to involve themselves in the lives of characters from two books, "The Catherine Wheel" and "Love Medicine." Presents writing assignments that actively engage students with these characters who confront emotions in radically different ways. (MS)

Proposes ways of blending the study of literature and the teaching of writing. Suggests assignments that involve writing or rewriting literature, writing about literature, and writing in response to literature. (MM)

Working with genre provides viable alternatives and variety in the teaching of creative writing and gives legitimacy to forms and subjects with which students are already familiar. (HOD)

Describes how "Gulliver's Travels" was used with 11- and 12-year-olds to stimulate writing activities. (SRT)

A poet-in-residence discusses some of his teaching techniques for exposing students to a variety of poetry. (MM)

Shares some approaches and suggests poems that can be used to inspire discussion and creative writing in bilingual classes. (RL)

Shows how the regular reading and discussion of rich literary passages builds a respect and interest among students for imagery. Describes a series of classroom exercises designed to build imagery writing skills. (TB)

One approach to introducing students to poetry is to have them write and analyze their own poems. Although this approach has some disadvantages, it does serve to tap students' experiences and expressive potential with creative projects and to give them an immediate and direct relationship with the traditional published works. By writing poems…

This document contains a separate memorandum and course outline for both students and teachers on the reading and writing of poetry. The memorandum for students includes a list of goals and objectives, a description of the course, required work, optional and additional processes, and a description of grading and testing procedures. The course…

This article describes one poet/teacher's program to explore and cultivate student creativity, intuition, and imagination through a series of visual, verbal, and psychological exercises. Visualization, free-writing, association, variations on other poets' work, and memory mapping are among the creativity exercises employed prior to actual writing…

In a required class on literature and composition at Eastern Illinois University, students learn about the short story by writing one of their own. Their stories then become the context for an introduction to literary terminology such as point of view, setting, and use of dialogue versus narration. Having just written their own stories, students…