Workshops
I use story games to teach creative writing in a way that helps students access their ideas in an organized manner. In all my workshops, I insist on two simple rules. Our stories are non-violent and original. The purpose is to encourage creative thinking without plagiarizing and without using violence to solve problems, so please maintain these two rules in these activities.
Group Story Writing | Writing together in a democratic process helps create models for writing.
Kindergarten and First graders will create stories in a democratic collaborative process, using a scaffold designed from a familiar story pattern. Every person, students and teachers will participate in the decision making to create our own folktale. In schools or K-5 higher, it is especially fun for us to ask the older students to do line drawings as illustrations for the story so that each Kindergartener or First grader gets a coloring book made from their story. The link below will show a few sample pages.
See Writing plan pages.
Coloring Book Samples
Cat-in-the-Hat Type| A simple sequence fashioned after Cat in the Hat- Great for 2nd graders
This is especially for 2nd grade but also works well for First graders late in the school year. It is designed on the idea of Cat-in-the-Hat. Two characters live together. One goes away for an all day errand leaving the other at home alone. Once the friend leaves, a crazy creature burst into the house and starts making a terrible mess. The Main Character must get rid of the trouble maker and lcean up the house before th eFriend gets home.
See Writing plan pages.
View sample stories.
Interdiction| A great device that's quickly recognized by all - "What ever you do, don't ..."
Third and Fourth Graders {and older} write interdictions stories. The Main Character is told something they "Must not do!" but of course we know they will do it and that's when the trouble starts. It is a fun device that is easy recognied by all ages.
See Samples
Cinderella Stories| A character has a chance at a new life.
Designed for 5th and 6th grade, this writing process presents a Main Character who lives with a "Bad" family. Some special event comes about that will give thiis character a chance at a new life.
See Writing plan pages.
Sample
ANANSI TALES| There's good Anansi and Bad Anansi
Other Story Genres| Tall Tales, Fables, Myths, Trickster Tales, etc.
See Writing plan pages.
Copyright 2014 Eshu Bumpus and Motoko