How looking through a lens might inspire writing?
When I go to my favorite park it is littered with people under the age of 18 making videos and taking photos of each other. When I was a student we had to wait for our film to be developed and it felt like forever before we could see them– but alas I digress.
What if we used this photography to inspire writing in our classrooms?
This month celebrates one of my favorite writing events Write Out! This is a two week celebration, a love letter if you will, to the outdoors. The Writing Project and National Park Service come together yearly to encourage others to get outside and write. You should really check it out. (https://writeout.nwp.org/)
Now if you are like me my blocks were 42 minutes each. Getting outside isn’t always an option. (Sometimes it is and when it is it’s brilliant). So how about using technology for our benefit?
Here is one way you could use your students phones to your benefit:
How it works:
- Prep Work
If you are teaching middle-high schoolers and they are allowed to use their cell phones, tell your students that you are going to do some writing in class this week and you are going to need them to take some photos. Give them time to be creative at home.
*We want this to be equitable for all students. There may be students in your class who don’t have a phone or they are too young. Possibly pulling some photos (searching instagram etc.) could be another option so all students can participate. Students could also buddy up.
- Get in touch with their figurative side
This is a perfect week to go through the basics of figurative language. How could students remix or practice using their figurative language with their photography. Make sure students have solid examples that they can try in their own writing– or take a day to make a class list of mentor texts of figurative language examples.
- Strong Mentor
Use one of your photos from your photo reel. Firstly, it is a point of connection for your students. Use a photo that you can tell your students a story about yourself. (See bottom of post for my example)
- Let the juices flow
This is when your students can let the creative juices flow and you can allow for choice in your classroom. Have your students choose a photo– and then tell them to describe, tell a story, or use this photo for inspiration. Here are some ideas below.
- They could create 6 word stories
- Tell a personal story about the place
- Rambling figure language to describe the place
- Create a 50-100 word story using the photo as inspiration
- Create a social media post about the photo
- Haiku
Of course this is only the beginning.
Using students’ photography gives them freedom to create something that is personally theirs. It allows you to get to know your students and make connections that you may have not previously had.
(an example of a photo from my reel and a haiku)
Hopefully your students outdoor photography will inspire some beautiful writing. I would love to see what your students do so please share via instagram or twitter @mrsablund. And join @writeoutconnect #writeout for more ideas this month. https://writeout.nwp.org/
Please reach out with questions, reflections, and connections in the comments below or on Twitter @Mrsablund. Check out my other articles writing out of the ELA classroom.
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