# data[].attributes.body
What purpose(s) does this writing activity serve? Why use it?

# data[].attributes.body
What does it look like to implement this writing activity in practice?

# data[].attributes.body
Examples of writing or instructional slides, further reading or variations of the activity.

# data[].attributes.headline
Christensen: Reading, Writing, and Rising Up

# data[].attributes.subject
Christensen: Reading, Writing, and Rising Up

# data[].attributes.body
Pg. 6

# data[].attributes.body
This writing could be done in a unit about identity and/or community. It offers students the opportunity to think about the connections they have to a variety of communities, values, actions, etc. and share those connections with others. The assignment can be adapted to focus on more or less structured poems, depending upon the techniques you want students to practice with.

# data[].attributes.body
This activity engages writing for fun, creativity, and vocabulary study. It helps students work together in small groups and practice creating a communal writing. This activity highlights the joy and fun of collaborative storytelling, especially when students are given control over where they take these stories. It would work well as a class opener.

# data[].attributes.body
-Students read Margaret Walker's poems "For My People" and "Lineage"
-Discuss the mentor texts: How does Walker create a sense of connection with a larger identity or community? What techniques and images are used?
-Give students time to write. Share examples of other ways they can think of "their people"  (they are not limited to writing about their family, and can think about community in an expansive way)
-Share writing in a Read-Around

# data[].attributes.body
This slide deck that Gaby Panetti and I created has some essential questions to consider while doing the activity, prompts of different kinds of identities students can write about, and links to Walker's poems.

# data[].attributes.body
-Before class, pick out a list of vocabulary words that students are studying (either from required vocabulary curriculum or from the texts students are currently studying).
-During class, arrange students into small groups (3-4 students per group).
-Share the goal of the activity: Use vocabulary words to make a story, writing one sentence and then passing it on to the next table. Your sentence should build upon the sentence you receive in order to keep the story going.
-Distribute poster paper and markers.
-Show the first vocabulary word. Give students a maximum of 5 minutes to write their first sentence using the vocabulary word, then pass it to the next table. Remind students that the new sentence they write should add on to the story that's been written so far on the poster paper. Repeat through the rest of the vocabulary words.
-Have each group read out their story at the end of the list of vocabulary words.

# data[].attributes.headline
Christensen: Reading, Writing, and Rising Up

# data[].attributes.subject
Christensen: Reading, Writing, and Rising Up

# data[].attributes.body
Pgs. 15-18

# data[].attributes.body
This procedure is for sharing student writing with the whole class. It presents a structured, affirmation-focused way to encourage all students to see themselves and their peers as competent writers. It also foregrounds writing as a way to use our voices to share our experiences, and therefore students learn both writing techniques and more about their classmates' lives behind the writing.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Seat students in a circle
2. Distribute pieces of paper to each student; every student should have enough pieces of paper to write a compliment to each classmate in the circle.
3. Share instructions on how to use the feedback paper: write the author's name at the top, write one positive comment to each writer (ways to respond include to focus on the writing style and technique, the content, anything it reminded you of from your own life, and any ideas/lines/phrases/words that you liked), and sign your name.
4. After a writer shares their writing, ask for some volunteers to share their praise. (Teacher may have to model first.)
5. Remind students to look to each other when sharing comments. The writer should call on people to receive feedback.
6. At the end of a reading, students give each other their feedback papers.
After a few times of doing a read-around, it may be useful to focus only on oral feedback, but having students keep notes of what they liked while the writer read is still important.

# data[].attributes.body
Christensen p. 15-18 discusses some of the nuances of the read-around and her best practices.

# data[].attributes.body
Dan was the one who first introduced me to "Write Like" activities, and part of the philosophy behind this strategy is reflected in Kelly Gallagher's Write Like This.

# data[].attributes.body
The idea behind the "Write Like" is that students benefit from reading, analyzing, and emulating great writing. Kelly Gallagher says that "having students carefully emulate other writers is a necessary developmental stage" that allows them to try out different ways of being an expert writer. Through emulating great writing, students can adapt techniques and strategies that may mold their own writing practice and voice. These activities can be done frequently throughout the year, and are flexible to whatever skill you want students to try out.

# data[].attributes.body
1. In the text that you and your students are reading, identify one technique that the writer uses that you want students to emulate. (For example, use of repetition, use of lists, use of compound sentences, etc.)
2. Select multiple examples from the text that evidence this technique. Provide the examples to students and ask students to analyze and discuss what makes the technique effective, and why the author used it in the piece.
3. After students have discussed the "why" behind the technique, provide them an opportunity to "write like" the author. You can create a worksheet with different prompts that will help them use the technique.
4. Have students share their writing, and discuss how they felt using the technique - is this something they would continue to use in their own writing? Why or why not?

# data[].attributes.body
An example of a "Write Like" about complex sentences and the use of clauses in Love Medicine.

# data[].attributes.body
Their lesson is adapted from Linda Christensen's persona poem lesson in Chapter 3 of Reading, Writing, and Rising Up.

# data[].attributes.body
This lesson focuses on building the skill of writing from a different perspective. This skill can enrich students' writing and provide them with a direction for their creative writing that may not feel as vulnerable or scary as writing in their own voice. The lesson that Kayla and Megan designed has opportunities for peer sharing and hearing how two students respond to the same prompt, which can help students appreciate the different creative choices their peers make.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Before class, make  a list of inanimate objects. Print two copies of the list, and cut them into strips (one object per strip).
2. Give students instructions about persona poems: "We will be writing a poem from the perspective of an object. Your poem should contain details so that we know what this object's experience is. You will then share your poem with a partner who drew the same object word as you."
3. Show a model of a persona poem that you wrote.
4. Next, distribute the strips so that each student has a piece of paper listing an object.
5. Give students time to write. When writing time is done, have students find the student that had the same word as them and share their poems. After sharing, have students report back one thing their partner did in their poem that they liked.

# data[].attributes.body
Link to Kayla and Megan's power point. (U of M access only.)

# data[].attributes.body
Adapted from “It Happened in Fragments” by Isela Xitlati Gómez R. from How Dare We! Write: A Multicultural Creative Writing Discourse

# data[].attributes.body
This writing prompt helps students embrace ambiguity. By encouraging students to investigate "blurry" memories, the writing prompt invites students to add extra details, make things up, and consider the slippery nature of memory. This writing prompt would benefit from being paired with a conversation about how memory can change and how the stories we tell from memories change when we tell them. Exploring these themes could lead to larger conversations about the purpose of memory, what role truth plays in our lives, etc. This kind of activity could be useful in a unit about memoir or studying a text with an unreliable narrator. I would choose to frame the activity in these larger conversations, and not introduce this activity without any context. It is also important to consider how to present the activity to students - how can you prevent students from feeling like they have to access only bad or traumatic memories, knowing that this is a place many brains go when asked to consider blurry memories?

# data[].attributes.body
1. Instruct students to think of a blurry memory they have.
2. Without questioning the memory, write down everything you know about the memory: Who is there? Where is it? What are the smells, sounds, sights, touch, feelings? Give students a timer to know how long to free write for.
3. After writing, ask students to look at what they wrote and identify what they are certain is true, what's something they made up, and what is something they aren't sure about.
4. Discuss the process of writing and what questions it raised about writing and memory for students.

If there are larger context and framing pieces for this activity or instructions you want to give to help students choose specific kinds of memories, you will need to provide those extra directions throughout this basic procedure.

# data[].attributes.body
Sierra and Theresa's slides for the lesson. (U of M access only.)

# data[].attributes.headline
Karen Benke: Rip the Page!: Adventures in Creative Writing

# data[].attributes.subject
Karen Benke: Rip the Page!: Adventures in Creative Writing

# data[].attributes.body
This lesson was presented by Abby Hartzell and Emily Sladky.

# data[].attributes.body
This writing activity is helpful for getting ideas generated and seeing that anything can be a way in to a new piece of writing. It asks students to not overthink their inspiration, but instead to go with their instincts and see where that could lead them. This could be useful for students who feel overwhelmed about where to start with creative writing, giving them a set of words to start working with. (However, for some students this activity may feel confusing or like it is too open, so it would be important to adjust the parameters of your directions according to what your students need.) The writing activity also asks them to focus on juxtaposition and using a variety of images to elaborate on a single idea or theme, which are useful skills to practice.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Give each student a piece of paper. Ask them to fold it in half "hot-dog style."
2.On the left hand column (left of the fold), write the numbers 1-10.
3. Create prompts (1-10) so that students have a word to write for each of the prompts. Introduce the prompts one at a time, having students write the word they think of for the prompt in the corresponding list spot.
4. After all 10 prompts are given and students have a list of ten words, ask students to think of a word that contrasts with or juxtaposes with the words they chose based on the prompts, and write them in the corresponding part of the right hand column of their paper.
5. At the top of the page, instruct students to write a title: "____ is" (poetry is, my imagination is, my life is... etc.). Using the contrasting phrases and words on the paper, create a poem on the back of the paper or on another piece of paper. These will be shared with a partner to hear the variety of ways to create contrasting images.

# data[].attributes.body
Link to Abby and Emily's slides for the lesson example.

# data[].attributes.body
They took inspiration from these sources to create their activity: Inspired by #2 from https://justaddstudents.com/fun-writing-activites/ and #11 from https://reflectionsfromaredhead.com/writing-prompts-for-self-reflection/

# data[].attributes.body
This writing prompt asks students to use a visual prompt to begin writing. This can be used for practicing narrative writing, or for getting students to practice writing about scene and place in greater detail. It could also be used as a way to generate ideas for writing ("Tell the story behind this photo, how did this happen, etc."). This activity could be used with students' own photos on their own devices, or it could be used with photos that you pre-select. (You should plan ahead for students who may not have a device of their own.)

# data[].attributes.body
(For using students' devices - would have to be adapted for using pre-selected photos)
1. Introduce the activity: Students will be given dice and rolling a number - whatever number they land on, that's the photo that they are going to write about (they can choose whether to count from their last photo on their camera roll or the first photo on their camera roll).
2. Bring dice to class, or find an online dice generator. Distribute dice to students, or post the online dice generator to Google Classroom so students can access it.
3. Give students a timer for how long they will write for. Before beginning the timer, tell students that when the timer starts they will roll their dice, choose a photo, and free write for the remainder of the timer. When the timer is up, instruct students to share their writing with their small groups.

# data[].attributes.body
Link to Marina and Kaylin's slides.

# data[].attributes.headline
Christensen: Reading, Writing, and Rising Up

# data[].attributes.subject
Christensen: Reading, Writing, and Rising Up

# data[].attributes.body
Pgs. 81 - 85

# data[].attributes.body
This writing activity takes a mentor text and asks students to emulate the style and purpose of the poem to express their own concerns and identities. It provides students with a space to speak back to the things that the world has taught them to question about themselves, and reclaim those things for their own needs and desires. This poetry activity could be included in a unit about identity and situated within a critical literacy context.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Study "what the mirror said" by Lucille Clifton with students, including Clifton's reflection about why she wrote the poem. Have a discussion about what things Clifton is speaking back to through her poem (standard of beauty, womanhood, etc). Pose the question "What are some things people your age need to talk back to today?" Make a list of ideas that students generate.
2. Look at other examples of student writing these kinds of poems. Look at the themes the authors explore, use of home language, as well as the poetic techniques.
3. After generating ideas as a class and examining student examples, give students time to write their own poems. After writing, give time for conferencing with a peer, revising, and then sharing with the class.

# data[].attributes.body
Pages 81-85 in Reading, Writing, and Rising Up include Clifton's poem and multiple examples of student writing from Christensen's classroom.

# data[].attributes.headline
Sweta Srivastava Vikram, "Perfectly Untraditional" 

# data[].attributes.subject
Sweta Srivastava Vikram, "Perfectly Untraditional" 

# data[].attributes.body
Pages 148 - 152 from How Dare We! Write: A Multicultural Creative Writing Discourse

# data[].attributes.body
This activity shows students that creative writing can be one way to engage with and respond to oppressive social systems and beliefs. It shows students that creative writing is not disconnected from their experiences - it has real stakes and impacts. This activity would require a lot of set up - discussions about what a stereotype is, how power and privilege impact stereotypes, where we see them, etc. It would also require an established caring community, where students can feel comfortable being vulnerable with each other. Students may also benefit from sharing these pieces with others and perhaps in the broader school community, giving a real-world audience and impact to the work of speaking back to stereotypes.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Share with students that after our discussion of stereotypes, we are going to use writing as one way to respond to stereotypes. We will be thinking of times when we saw or experienced stereotypes and then writing poems to respond to those stereotypes.
2. Instruct students: On five individual index cards, share a way in which you or someone close to you has been stereotyped. (Phrases, actions, words, situations, etc.)
3. Have students shuffle their cards and select one. This will be their writing prompt.
4. Give students time to write a poem. Before sharing with a broader audience, ensure there is time for revision, conferencing, and sharing within the class.

# data[].attributes.body
The How Dare We! Write text has an essay that precedes this writing exercise, which could be useful for students to read in context of the activity and discussion about stereotypes. Additionally, it would be useful to discuss how this author "responded" to stereotypes in their life - what does it mean to respond to these things? How can our writing do that? How else can we respond?