mand Posted April 20, 2006 Posted April 20, 2006 I have a lesson observation on Monday. The Deputy wants to see how i encourage creative writing in year 1. Our new topic is cavemen. I first thought about getting the children to write a list of things needed to be done in the cave. But then i thought it perhaps does not extend children to be imaginative. I am now thinking about reading a very short piece of text (as last time i was criticised for keeping the chn on the carpet too long), about them entering a cave. Then brainstorming some ideas about what they see, feel etc and then getting them to write about it. I could work with the less able scribing if necessary and the more able can work independently. I also want a mixed ability group making cave paint and cave drawings with the TA. Anyone got any better suggestions i would be pleased to hear. How could i make the intro more exciting etc. Thanks getting a bit nervous about it.
Marion Posted April 20, 2006 Posted April 20, 2006 (edited) How about Mind Mapping? Its a good way to start a new topic and appeals to boys especially. Write the title in the middle of a big piece of paper then get the children to add their bits round it. You can display it on the wall for the children to use when they go away to do their writing. Edited April 20, 2006 by Marion
Guest Posted April 20, 2006 Posted April 20, 2006 How about a group doing a speaking and listening /role play type activity- put on caveman clothes and talk about what they can see inside and outside their cave. Some children could go outside the cave and act out whatever cavemen did! I like the brainstorming idea- perhaps they could then work in pairs using a whiteboard to scribe ideas and then feedback during the plenary?
JacquieL Posted April 20, 2006 Posted April 20, 2006 I think that it will be important to know beforehand what the children understand about Cavemen. What their prior knowledge is so that you are all on the same wavelength? It is is difficult to be imaginative about something that you know nothing about. A mind-map is a good starting point for that. Will they have seen some TV re caves (wonderful David Attenborough programme the other week about really deep caves), read some stories, or related Caves to creatures they know about, bears, bats etc/ That said if they know a little about caves and what might be inside i would go with some role-play work as that is not static. You could talk them through being asleep and waking up slowly in a cave. What do they see, feel, hear? They could enact moving about and seeing, hearing etc. and you could freeze frame and talk to one or two about what they are seeing etc. Let them move- 'in the cave' with you narrating them on etc. follow their leadif they express ideas you can build on. They could finish by going back to sleep,or escaping, or drawing cave pictures, whatever seems right for the group. Follow up could be vocabulary, ideas for what they need to know now, story around the circle, pictures of their cave and what they saw, with description or just labelling to build up a vocab. to use for more extended work later. You could set nouns or adjectives on the theme or a given number of both depending on the groups ability. They could do a mind-map on what they would need if you were going to do a 'role'play cave. Oh i'm getting warmed up now this could be fun. anyway just a few ideas hope it helps.
JacquieL Posted April 20, 2006 Posted April 20, 2006 what about looking at austrailan cave art and 'The Dreaming' ?
Guest Posted April 20, 2006 Posted April 20, 2006 I think that it will be important to know beforehand what the children understand about Cavemen. What their prior knowledge is so that you are all on the same wavelength?54275[/snapback] Ah, Jacquie, this will be The Flintstones, then Mand - do you have to link creative writing to the topic necessarily? Going on a bear hunt might be a good starting point? - what might be inside the cave etc etc
Marion Posted April 20, 2006 Posted April 20, 2006 (edited) I found this for role play cave with writing ideas http://www.lancsngfl.ac.uk/curriculum/earl...?category_id=12 RolePlay_Cave.doc Edited April 20, 2006 by Marion
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