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Writing is a way to communicate facts and ideas, to express thoughts and feelings, and to tell a story. Through creative writing, we stretch our imaginations as well as acquire critical thinking skills.
Sample some of the following activities to learn more about creative writing.
Places To Go 
People
To See Things To Do Teacher
Resources Bibliography
Places To GoThe following are places to go (some real and some virtual) to find out about creative writing.
Purdue OWL: Avoiding Plagiarism
There are few intellectual offenses more serious than plagiarism in academic and professional contexts. This resource offers advice on how to avoid plagiarism in your work.
There are few intellectual offenses more serious than plagiarism in academic and professional contexts. This resource offers advice on how to avoid plagiarism in your work.
People To SeeBartlett's
Quotations Online
Talk to John Bartlett and use one of his 9000 quotations to spice up your writing. John lived from 1820 to 1905. He compiled his first „collection of passages, phrases, and proverbs traced to their sources in ancient and modern literature.‰ in 1855. That book is now in its 9th edition.
Talk to John Bartlett and use one of his 9000 quotations to spice up your writing. John lived from 1820 to 1905. He compiled his first „collection of passages, phrases, and proverbs traced to their sources in ancient and modern literature.‰ in 1855. That book is now in its 9th edition.
Things To DoChris Van Allsburg
Visit your school or public library and check out The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg. To fully appreciate and understand this wonderful book, be sure and read the preface. Have students select one of the illustrations and write a story around it.
Visit your school or public library and check out The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg. To fully appreciate and understand this wonderful book, be sure and read the preface. Have students select one of the illustrations and write a story around it.
It's
Raining Frogs
Raining frogs....raining cats and dogs......Have students write stories where other animals are raining down. (Raining camels? Raining penguins?) While you're at it, use the World Wide Words: Exploring the English Language site to find out the origin of the phrase "raining cats and dogs" or have students write their own versions of how they think this phrase came to be.
Raining frogs....raining cats and dogs......Have students write stories where other animals are raining down. (Raining camels? Raining penguins?) While you're at it, use the World Wide Words: Exploring the English Language site to find out the origin of the phrase "raining cats and dogs" or have students write their own versions of how they think this phrase came to be.
Wacky Web Tales
Have students review their parts of speech by inserting words into these goofy stories. They can use the existing stories or create their own.
Have students review their parts of speech by inserting words into these goofy stories. They can use the existing stories or create their own.
Wordsmith
- A Word A Day
Improve your vocabulary. Subscribe to the Word A Day listserv and receive a new and useful word every day via email.
Improve your vocabulary. Subscribe to the Word A Day listserv and receive a new and useful word every day via email.
Teacher Resources Online Activities/Hotlists are a listing of internet
sites with fun, interesting, and educational tasks attached to each one.
(You can learn how to use this WWW
Activities tool created by UEN for Utah educators).
Virtual Field Trips are teacher and student-created
tours of curricular topics. (You can learn how to use this UEN Virtual
Field Trip tool created by UEN for Utah educators).
Bibliography- Barden, Cindy. Love to Write: Activities to Sharpen Creative Writing Skills. Carthage, IL: Teaching & Learning Co., c1995.
- Brantley, Cynthia. The Princeton Review Writing Smart Junior: The Art and Craft of Writing. New York: Random House, 1995.
- Ellis, Sarah. The Young Writer's Companion. Toronto: Douglas & McIntyre, c1999.
- Fletcher, Ralph J. A Writer's Notebook: Unlocking the Writer Within You. New York: Avon Books, c1996.
- Johnson, Philip C. Impressions: Writing Opportunities for Children. Mukilteo, WA: WinePress Pub., c1997.
- Phillips, Kathleen C. How To Write a Story. New York: F. Watts, c1995.
- Policoff, Stephen Phillip. Real Toads in Imaginary Gardens: Suggestions and Starting Points for Young Creative Writers. Chicago, Ill.: Chicago Review Press, c1991.
- Seuling, Barbara. To Be a Writer: A Guide for Young People Who Want to Write and Publish. New York: Twenty-First Century Books, c1997.
- Stevens, Janet. From Pictures to Words: A Book About Making a Book. New York: Holiday House, c1995.
- Young, Sue. Writing with Style. New York: Scholastic, 1997.