“I can’t believe I can write that much,”, “Can we do it again?” How many times have your students said that?…probably never.
What is this variation on journaling that captures student interest and is designed to build the ability to write quickly (fluency) and get ideas fast (ideation)?
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star is a song for children. As quickly as you can, write the words of various children’s songs, and nursery rhymes. Car accidents do happen. Write the story of a car accident you were in, or saw. Write an imaginative story of a person who is always …
Write a humorous story of a character who is given advice or instructions all day and who “screws up” by not listening. Write a contrasting set of examples of sounds you like, and sounds you don’t like. For example, “I love the sound of rain on the roof, but not …
Velasquez was the court painter of Phillip IV of Spain. The little girl in the centre of the picture is the 5 year old Infanta of Spain, Phillip’s only living heir, and Velasquez standing at the back on the left by his easel is painting her picture. The two girls …
Painted in 1872, it is an image of the game sometimes also called Crack the Whip. A group of boys play this rough and tumble game. In the back of the field is the little red schoolhouse these boys attend. Analyze the picture to explain how the game is played, …
In December 1888, Van Gogh mutilated his ear. Recognizing what was probably depression, he admitted himself to an “insane asylum” for the wealthy where he had his own bedroom and a separate art studio. Here he created some of his most famous paintings, including The Starry Night. Find Don McLean’s …
Take a “hands-up” survey of the class: “How many of you are Type A; how many Type B?” Write about why you like your French fries the way you do. Is there a different sauce you like with fries. How do you feel about salt and pepper? Where do you …
Seurat was an impressionist painter who used pointillism – which is thousands upon thousands of tiny little dots to create the painting. “Green” might be made of many tiny dots of green, and blue, and yellow, and maybe even red. This is an upper middle class park. Write a detailed …
“Don’t worry, I’m vaccinated.” Tell the story of the vaccinations you have had, for what reasons, and your reactions to the shot if any. Also include your memory of your very first “needle” – whether or not it was a vaccination. Write an imaginative story about a grumpy person who …
There are 5 different ones in the series, each painting is of Provencal peasants in France, always male, always totally engrossed in the card game. One of them was sold to the royal family of Qatar in 2017 for $250 million dollars. Write about card games that you play, where, …
Vermeer was a dutch painter only 36 of whose paintings have survived- this is probably a portrait of Leeuwenhoek, the first scientist working with microscopes – also Dutch. It was stolen by the Nazi’s during WWII, but returned to the Jewish Rothschild banking family after the war. This painting has …
