Presents 18 writing stimulus ideas that are intended as jumping off points for student writing and are based on poems from "If I Were in Charge of the World (and other worries)" by Judith Viorst. Offers some general suggestions for using poems in the classroom. (SR)

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

Describes "Plausible Stories," an activity which uses creative writing and story predictions to help teachers exploit the interactive nature of the processes of reading and writing. (MS)

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…

Describes a course unit on fiction writing with an emphasis on motivating students to see value and relevance in writing. (RAE)

Showing how fiction is a natural genre for children, this book helps teachers experiment with 10-minute fictional occasions, write with the children, and meld work in writing fiction with the reading program. The book includes a series of "actions"--experiments for personal growth and discovery in the classroom. Chapters in the book are:…

Developed by teachers and project staff members, this guide is designed to provide the opportunity for the practice and extension of basic skills in reading, writing, and language arts and to increase student and faculty knowledge of creative writing as an art. The strategies in the guide supply teachers with alternatives from which to select…

Proposes a creative writing workshop model to shift the focus from the product of writing--the finished poem or story--to the process of writing by engaging students in the imitation of writing processes used by published writers. (MS)

By following the "steppingstone" or marker theory of dividing one's life into no more than 12 and no less than 8 significant periods, a student in a writing course can develop a brief response for each phase to articulate multiple experiences. Writing teachers can aid students in realizing that important life experiences are the stuff of…

Discusses ways to use mythic literature to teach children about themselves and to help them write their own stories and legends. (SRT)

This document is a compilation of the four issues in the 24th volume of "Classroom Notes Plus." issue of "Classroom Notes Plus" contains descriptions of original, unpublished teaching practices, and of adapted ideas. The August 2006 issue (v24 n1) includes: More Choice Leads to More Reading (Amy Ishee); Book-of-the Month Reports (Patricia Crist);…