Writing Using Lists of Items to Include

Age: Children to Adults

Level: Mixed, High-Beginner to Advanced

Language Skills: Writing, Speaking-Listening, Brief Reading

Participation: Groups or Whole Class

Materials: List of words and phrases divided by class.

Procedures:

Step 1: Give students a list of objects, people, and places they must use in writing/telling a story.

If using groups, you do not have to give the same list to each group. The higher the level of students, the more useful variety in finished stories will be in terms of motivation and practicing language skills. Whereas lower level students will benefit from the repetition if all groups have the same list.

Step 2: Brainstorm about possible uses of the words/phrases in small groups or as a whole class.

Step 3: Create and write down the story in groups or as a whole class.

Step 4: If working groups, have them share their stories with the class. Either orally or by publishing them on the wall or online.

Alternative Step 3.5: Have groups edit each other's final text then rewrite it.

Assessment: Participation, Final (and Revised) Text

 

(This activity comes from the book: Using Folktales by Eric K. Taylor which is part of the useful Cambridge Handbooks for Language Teachers)

 

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