http://www.oercommons.org/browse/keyword/creative-writing daily 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://www.oercommons.org/courses/science-fiction-as-a-vehicle-for-social-commentary Through this unit of study, students will come to realize the potential and power of science fiction as a vehicle for social commentary. Students will be reading and viewing various works of science fiction that make statements on current issues. The novel, Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler, will serve as our primary text. Besides exploring the ways in which other writers have used the genre for social commentary, students will research a current issue with which they are concerned. Based on the research, each student will write a science fiction story to illustrate the issue. P. Pugh Humanities 2013-03-22T11:48:23 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/writing-a-mystery-story This unit on writing a mystery story has 6 lessons and can be taught over time. Mystery writer Chester Himes is a focus of the lesson. T. Jollymore Humanities 2013-03-22T11:48:21 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/witch-of-goingsnake This unit studies Robert J. Conley's collection of stories "The Witch of Goingsnake". The six week unit seeks to answer the question: How does an indigenous people maintain their culture under a government with different cultural and spiritual beliefs? Students do a variety of activities including writing poetry, researched essays, comparison essays, poetry analysis, and oral histories. L. Delaney Humanities 2013-03-22T11:48:21 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/mary-dwyers-lesson-expert-analysis Teaching instructors, Dr. Chris Emdin and Dr. Susan Stires, highlight effective strategies and techniques used during Mary Dwyers 5th grade writing lesson.Ms. Dwyer purposefully develops a safe environment in which sharing emotions and perspectives is encouraged and validated. She prepares students for working together and presenting their work in a way that develops community in the classroom. Instructors point out specific strategies used to foster this environment. Humanities 2013-02-26T11:12:48 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/mary-dwyer-teaches-5th-grade-language-arts After completing a field trip to Cape Cod, students reflect on a whale watching field trip as a prewriting exercise prior to writing poems about their experiences. Both pictures and music help students remember their feelings and discuss ideas before writing and presenting their poetry in groups. Students include songs and visual displays to help describe their poetry and enhance their presentations.Collaborative discussions serve as the basis for much of what students are asked to do in this lesson. Individual and collective brainstorming prepares students for writing their poems prior to working in groups and Ms. Dwyer elicits both constructive and elaborative peer feedback after presentations. Additionally, students provide feedback to Ms. Dwyer about the process of selecting groups for this lesson. Humanities 2013-02-26T11:12:48 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/ekphrastic-poetry-lesson How can an image inspire a poem? This lesson plan guides students to write a ten line poem inspired by a work of art. Arts Humanities 2013-02-21T18:49:14 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/totally-us Totally Us is a classroom activity developed from Totally Joe. Humanities Social Sciences 2013-02-20T13:25:28 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/stay-in-the-mix-during-national-poetry-month How to use the written word to highlight, and counteract, social boundaries. Humanities 2013-02-20T13:25:27 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/journaling-history-sacagawea-and-york As you read about Sacagawea and York, write a journal entry that imagines Sacagawea or York's first-person account. Humanities Social Sciences 2013-02-20T13:25:25 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/cooperative-comics Comic books are visual literature. This simple cooperative group activity allows students to identify confrontational issues within their own school and then imagine solutions. Arts Humanities Social Sciences 2013-02-20T13:25:24 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/collective-poetry Collective poetry is an exercise designed to encourage students to work from a shared pattern in order to join their voices in a collective rhythm. Arts Humanities 2013-02-20T13:25:24 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-san-francisco-native-animal In this activity, students will learn some key information about a San Francisco native animal and then write a firsthand account of their experience from the perspective of that animal in the time before the explorers came to San Francisco. A series of prompts are provided to help guide their narrative. By thinking about San Francisco's natural history, learners may also discuss how animals have had to adapt to the changing environment over time. This lesson plan includes key vocabulary, background information, extension ideas, and is standards-based. Science and Technology 2012-11-29T17:25:05 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/inside-writing-communities This video workshop for elementary school teachers uses classroom footage to demonstrate how a writing workshop approach motivates intermediate students and helps them become proficient and independent writers. Ten teachers from across the country model teaching strategies and share reflections on their practice. Six nationally known experts in writing instruction comment on teaching and using the writing workshop approach with upper elementary students. Arts Humanities 2012-09-05T11:23:57 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/the-art-of-teaching-the-arts-a-workshop-for-high-school-teachers The Art of Teaching the Arts: A Workshop for High School Teachers is an eight-part professional development workshop for use by high school dance, music, theatre, and visual art teachers. The workshop examines how principles of good teaching are carried out in teaching the arts at the high school level. In the eight one-hour video programs, seven principles of effective teaching are introduced, then explored in depth. Teachers from arts magnet high schools and comprehensive high schools across the country are shown demonstrating their practice and discussing their goals, methods, and experiences. An interactive Web site and a print guide support and augment the video programs. The Web site includes activities for workshop sessions that encourage participants to draw on their own experiences; background on the schools and teachers featured in the video programs; and interactive features that provide perspective on the teaching principles. Arts Humanities 2012-09-05T11:23:57 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/artsedge-media-collection-poetry-literature From haiku to Hip Hop; slam poetry to the origin of our national anthem. Poetry reaches back through cultural traditions while also inspiring young artists on the cutting edge of self-expression. Arts Humanities 2012-07-26T16:04:47 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/locomotion A foster child copes with his past through poetry. Arts Humanities 2012-07-26T16:04:45 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/alan-stanford-the-power-of-theater Alan Stanford & the Cast of Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot" talk about experiencing the magic of theater by coming to the theater with an "open heart." Arts Humanities 2012-07-26T16:04:43 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/write-your-own-musical Heather Nathans, Associate Professor of Theatre at the University of Maryland, is joined by Joe Stein and Sheldon Harnick (writers of "Fiddler on the Roof") and Stephen Schwartz (who wrote "Pippin", "Godspell", and "Wicked") to talk about how a musical gets written. Arts Humanities 2012-07-26T16:04:41 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/nobody-s-perfect-2 There's more to live theater than meets the eye, peek at backstage theater culture to meet the challenges and the collaboration of talents who to bring a script to life. Arts Humanities 2012-07-26T16:04:36 Course Related Materials http://www.oercommons.org/courses/city-dionysia-the-ancient-roots-of-modern-theater Designed to support high school studies of theater, literature and world history, this site leads students though the development of Ancient ideas and contemporary theater practice, then on to write and stage their own original play while demonstrating an understanding of the rules and structure of Greek tragedy. Arts Humanities 2012-07-26T16:04:36 Course Related Materials