Resources:
Lots of scrap paper
Big pens
A clear area on the floor
What to do:
Give students a big pile of scrap paper – about A5 size.
Ask them to imagine a place.
They should write the first words that come into their heads, one word per piece of scrap. You can give tips such as ‘what can you see in front of you?’ ‘How do you feel?’ or ‘Can you smell…?’
These words written on the paper now need to be spread around the floor, to make a ‘word carpet’.
In a circle around the words students should have a look at the different ideas.
At this point, this might be enough to stimulate some writing. Alternatively, they can ‘pair up’ and do the following:
Partner A should shut their eyes whilst Partner B takes them by the arm and leads them on a ‘walk’ through whichever scene has been set up, paying close attention to the senses and feelings evoked whilst describing the words the partner steps near/on?
The ‘vocabulary bank’ provided by the word carpet, and the ‘rehearsal for writing’ provided by the ‘walk’ (if used) allows more reluctant writers to feel ‘safe’ in getting started, whilst more able writers might be stimulated by different word choices or ‘feelings’.
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| Word Carpet by @TillyTeacher |
Variations:
Ask students to add synonyms to the words they pick up?
Have a word frenzy by asking all students to speak a sentence using 5 words?
Ask students to use specific words/language features?
Guest post by Laura Rowlands- @TillyTeacher
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