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What is the pattern of the poetic form called a cinquain? Did Flaubert have themes that he frequently used in his short stories? Can we say that Dr. Seuss was a man who knew about word patterns? Does Emily Dickison create patterns of images in your mind's eys as you read her creative endeavors?
Literature is patterns of words, ideas, and imagery. Sample some of the following activities to learn more about literary patterns.
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 patterns in literature.
Emily
Dickinson
Visit Amherst, Massachusetts, the home place of Emily Dickinson. She was a reclusive person and spent almost her entire life in Amherst. Her poetry had unusual patterns and styles.
Visit Amherst, Massachusetts, the home place of Emily Dickinson. She was a reclusive person and spent almost her entire life in Amherst. Her poetry had unusual patterns and styles.
EspañOlé
Via the patterns of literature and language, virtually visit and learn about the cultures of Mexico and Spain. This is a great site with many resources for teaching and learning the Spanish language.
Via the patterns of literature and language, virtually visit and learn about the cultures of Mexico and Spain. This is a great site with many resources for teaching and learning the Spanish language.
People To SeeDashiell
Hammett
Mystery writing often has a formula--or pattern. Meet Dashiell Hammett, the creator of the Sam Spade detective character.
Mystery writing often has a formula--or pattern. Meet Dashiell Hammett, the creator of the Sam Spade detective character.
Edward
Lear
Meet Edward Lear. He was the master of the poetic form called the limerick. He wrote hundreds of limericks in the mid-1800s.
Meet Edward Lear. He was the master of the poetic form called the limerick. He wrote hundreds of limericks in the mid-1800s.
Mr.
William Shakespeare and the Internet
Spend quality time with William Shakespeare. Explore the pattern of his words.
Spend quality time with William Shakespeare. Explore the pattern of his words.
Robert
Heinlein
Science fiction, as a genre, has its own special kind of pattern. Get to know one of the most renowned of science fiction writers.
Science fiction, as a genre, has its own special kind of pattern. Get to know one of the most renowned of science fiction writers.
Things To DoFavorite Poem
Project
The Favorite Poem Project is dedicated to celebrating, documenting and encouraging poetry's role in Americans' lives. Robert Pinsky, the 39th Poet Laureate of the United States, founded the Favorite Poem Project shortly after the Library of Congress appointed him to the post in 1997.
The Favorite Poem Project is dedicated to celebrating, documenting and encouraging poetry's role in Americans' lives. Robert Pinsky, the 39th Poet Laureate of the United States, founded the Favorite Poem Project shortly after the Library of Congress appointed him to the post in 1997.
Graphic
Organizers
Use these graphic organizers to help identify various patterns used in expository writing.
Use these graphic organizers to help identify various patterns used in expository writing.
The
Hero's Journey
This site enables you to explore the classic mythical structure of the archetypal hero's journey pattern that recurs in many stories and popular movies. The "Hero's Journey Motif" was popularized by the works of mythologist Joseph Campbell. You can use the tool to actually create your own story using the archetypal framework provided.
This site enables you to explore the classic mythical structure of the archetypal hero's journey pattern that recurs in many stories and popular movies. The "Hero's Journey Motif" was popularized by the works of mythologist Joseph Campbell. You can use the tool to actually create your own story using the archetypal framework provided.
Literature:
What Makes a Good Short Story?
This interactive exhibit takes visitors on a literary journey through the classic short story "A Jury of Her Peers." Activities in the exhibit invite visitors to describe setting, write story and solve mystery who killed John Wright. also includes related Web sites interest."
This interactive exhibit takes visitors on a literary journey through the classic short story "A Jury of Her Peers." Activities in the exhibit invite visitors to describe setting, write story and solve mystery who killed John Wright. also includes related Web sites interest."
O
Henry
Learn about the short story writer known as O Henry. His real name was William Sydney Porter, and he had a very unusual life. His short, simple stories are noted for having a pattern of careful plotting, ironic coincidences, and surprise endings.
Learn about the short story writer known as O Henry. His real name was William Sydney Porter, and he had a very unusual life. His short, simple stories are noted for having a pattern of careful plotting, ironic coincidences, and surprise endings.
Patterns
in Poetry
To bring a focused attention to the rhythms and patterns of language is really where poetry begins. A poet needs to study, replicate, alter and sometimes flout the patterns that both control and enrich our lives.
To bring a focused attention to the rhythms and patterns of language is really where poetry begins. A poet needs to study, replicate, alter and sometimes flout the patterns that both control and enrich our lives.
Ray Bradbury
Is there a pattern to writing in a particular genre? Do most romance novels have a formula---is there a formula involved in the writing of mysteries? Have students explore common elements and themes in literary genres. Start with science fiction and use Ray Bradbury as a resource.
Is there a pattern to writing in a particular genre? Do most romance novels have a formula---is there a formula involved in the writing of mysteries? Have students explore common elements and themes in literary genres. Start with science fiction and use Ray Bradbury as a resource.
Tom Swifties
Tom Swiftie is a word game that follows an unvarying pattern and relies for its humor on a punning relationship between the way an adverb describes a speaker. At the same time, it refers significantly to the import of the speaker's statement, as in "I know who turned off the lights," Tom hinted darkly.
Tom Swiftie is a word game that follows an unvarying pattern and relies for its humor on a punning relationship between the way an adverb describes a speaker. At the same time, it refers significantly to the import of the speaker's statement, as in "I know who turned off the lights," Tom hinted darkly.
Teacher Resources 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).
Lesson Plans/Webquests
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).
- Children's Literature - Authors/Illustrators A-B
- Children's Literature - Authors/Illustrators C-E
- Children's Literature - Authors/Illustrators F-I
- Children's Literature - Authors/Illustrators J-L
- Children's Literature - Authors/Illustrators M-O
- Children's Literature - Authors/Illustrators P-R
- Children's Literature - Authors/Illustrators S-T
- Children's Literature - Authors/Illustrators U-Z
- Children's Literature - Book Sites
- Harry Potter Hotlist
- Jan Brett: Where DOES She Get Those Ideas?
- Jack London
- Jon Scieszka
- Lloyd
Alexander
- Reading Sites for Elementary Teachers
Bibliography- Amberg, Jay. The Creative Writing Handbook. Glenview, IIl.: GoodYear Books/Scott, Foresman, c1992.
- Berg, Elizabeth. Escaping into the Open: The Art of Writing True. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, c1999.
- Introducing Geat Authors [videorecording]. Melville, N.Y. : Video Knowledge, Inc., 1986.
- Kernen, Robert. Building Better Plots. Cincinnati: Writer's Digest Books, c1999.
- Krull, Kathleen. Lives of the Writers: Comedies, Tragedies (and What the Neighbors Thought). San Diego: Harcourt Brace, c1994.
- McClanahan, Rebecca. Word Painting: A Guide to Writing More Descriptively. Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer's Digest Books, c1999.
- O'Conner, Patricia T. Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know About Writing. New York: Harcourt Brace, c1999.
- Rozakis, Laurie. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creative Writing. New York: Alpha Books, c1997.
- Rule, Rebecca. Creating the Story: Guides for Writers. Portsmouth, N.H.: Heinemann, c1993.
- Tobias, Ron. Twenty Master Plots (and How to Build Them). Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer's Digest Books., c1993