A Vision – Creative Writing Anthology

A Vision 2009 is an anthology of students' writings on various literary genres- essays, stories, poems, and poetical sketches, which aims to showcase the youth's thoughts, viewpoints and insights of the things around them and even across borders, regardless of cultural and racial diversity. Its purpose is to use the art and the medium of creative writing to demonstrate that despite differences, teenagers around the world share the same hopes, fears, interests and concerns. This magazine is dedicated to a vision of cooperation and friendship among the people and governments of the world, and to the myriad of personal visions that make us all human.

The project is facilitated by the A Vision 2009 Team from the Philippines. For five consecutive years now, the magazine has been published by the Makati Science High School in the Philippines. A Vision is produced, not merely by the students directly involved in the project, but by everybody who contributes pieces of writing or art and is not afraid to share his/her opinion about the world today. A Vision is not only a magazine - it is a forum for sharing and learning!

Guidelines for CREATIVE WRITING:

DOMAIN: Story Writing (Narrative/ Descriptive)

AUTHOR: Twila Chambers; Frost Elementary School, Chandler, AZ GRADE

LEVEL/SUBJECT: Appropriate for grades 1-12: Language Arts

OVERVIEW: This is a creative writing time that takes a minimum of 25 minutes. During this time students are beginning their own story, reading another's beginning and creating the middle section, reading yet another story and finally developing a conclusion for that story.

PURPOSE: This activity encourages students to be creative in their own writing, as well as being critical and analytical of another's. I find that students, who accomplish very little during a typical structured writing time, become very much involved in this type of writing.

OBJECTIVE(s):

1. Create the beginning of a story. Introduce the characters and the setting.

2. Develop the action for the story.

3. Bring the story to a conclusion.

4. Read and analyze another's work.

5. Recognize the need for neat, well-organized work.

6. Time management.

RESOURCES/MATERIALS: Pencils and writing paper for each student and one of the planners for planning writing.

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:

• Each student is asked to take out a clean piece of writing paper and a pencil. Do not put their name on this paper.

• The direction is given to write the beginning of a story. The characters' names should not be those of students in the class and gorey (blood and guts) type plots are not allowed. They are given 5 minutes to write as much of the story as they can. (Time might be lengthened for older students.). You may also try giving the planners for this activity.

• At the end of 5 minutes, direct the students to pass their papers in a given order. Try to get them at least 3 or 4 students away.

• Have the students read the story that has been started and continue it for the next 5 minutes. Remind them that they are developing the plot.

• At the end of this 5 minutes, again have the students pass the papers in the same pattern as before.

• The students now read their new story, keeping in mind that it will be their job to write the conclusion for this story.

• Again allow the students 5 minutes for writing.

TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:

There are several possibilities. Any and or all could be used.

• Pass the stories yet another time and have a fourth student illustrate the story then read it aloud to the class.

• Collect the stories and use them for an editing activity. Two or three students could edit the same story.

• After the stories have been edited, have them word processed for posting in the iEARN Creative writing ‘A Vision’ project forum at http://foro.iearn.org/webx/.eea35ba/

Project-Facilitator:
Mrs. Maria Luisa Hernandez-Larcena (maloularcena@yahoo.com)
Master Teacher I, Makati Science High School
Philippines