Source of the verse: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/20295
Link to PicLit site: http://www.piclits.com/viewpoem.aspx?PoemId=229678
After creating a few more writing prompts with Piclits, I remembered the ideas presented in a writing workshop tape from a homeschoolers’ convention. Years ago I heard Rebecca Winn, a writing teacher, recommend using what she called ‘brain warmers’ to get “students’ creative juices flowing”. She gave her children a set of three words and asked them to create a story based on those words. Of course she had several sets and allowed the children to choose which set they wanted. For example, a girl would choose “grandma”, “stove” and “brownies” whereas a boy would choose “pyramids”, “Egypt”, “trapped”. These were native English speaking children but I imagine the same method would be beneficial for any writer provided they possessed enough language to convey their ideas. The evaluation criteria could be based on the correct use of the words in a vocabulary class, targeted grammatical forms in a grammar class, or perhaps popular vote for the best composition. The compositions could be posted on a closed group on Facebook and the number of likes counted for each entry.
To control for age and proficiency level, the teacher could either assign words and pictures to the students or, in a more advance class, allow them to choose their own picture and words. The length of the required composition could also be adjusted to reflect the ability of the writers. In a content-based literature class, the students might be asked to choose a verse of poetry or a story from their text book and then find an appropriate picture as a background. The picture would then be pasted on the title page of their report on that book or author.
To control for age and proficiency level, the teacher could either assign words and pictures to the students or, in a more advance class, allow them to choose their own picture and words. The length of the required composition could also be adjusted to reflect the ability of the writers. In a content-based literature class, the students might be asked to choose a verse of poetry or a story from their text book and then find an appropriate picture as a background. The picture would then be pasted on the title page of their report on that book or author.
Descriptive writing example using the words "Horizon, boulders, and pebbles".
The gray, striped boulders stretched to the horizon over a narrow pebbly beach. The afternoon sunshine warmed the beach and ocean waves as they tumbled the pebbles over and over smoothing and polishing them in a perpetual, rhythmic pulsation. The blue sea stretched to a long, thin line where it touched the lighter blue sky.
The gray, striped boulders stretched to the horizon over a narrow pebbly beach. The afternoon sunshine warmed the beach and ocean waves as they tumbled the pebbles over and over smoothing and polishing them in a perpetual, rhythmic pulsation. The blue sea stretched to a long, thin line where it touched the lighter blue sky.