Chippewa River Writing Project Teaching Demo by Beth Nelson

Language is for discovery and through writing, one can more fully reflect on self identity and ideas. Tools such as visualization and drawing are precursors to thinking and writing. Reflecting metaphorically leads to more creative thinking and writing.

HSCE: STANDARD 1.2 Use writing, speaking, and visual expression for personal understanding and growth. CE Write, speak, and use images and graphs to understand and discover complex ideas. CE Write, speak, and create artistic representations to express personal experience and perspective

CE Use writing, speaking, and visual expression to develop powerful, creative and critical messages.

CE Use sentence structures and vocabulary effectively within different modes (oral and written, formal and informal) and for various rhetorical purposes.

Through the use of graphics, students can interact with the books they are reading and the essays, stories, and poems they are writing. Using graphics teaches students to think metaphorically, which is the primary way we expand our understanding of the world. Students dramatically improve their retention of words and stories for which they have drawn pictures.

“…try to frame ideas in a metaphorical way in order to see angles we might not have come up with otherwise. Because logical thinking tends to follow a linear pattern, while metaphors are symbolic—which can potentially unlock our creative side.” (Boswell, Wendy. "Dissolve Mental Blocks by Thinking Metaphorically." Lifehacker. 14 Oct Mind Hacks. 13 June 2009 ) “Writing provides a useful means for self expression…it can be used to discover more fully who we are and what we think” ( Graham, Steve. Research on Writing Development, Practice, Instruction, and Assessment. Vol. 21. Nashville: Springer Netherlands, June 2009 “Thinking in metaphorical terms has helped me develop the ability to improvise…” (Gallager, Kelly. Deeper Reading, Stenhouse, 2004)

Geico wants to create a message that says “We are so easy to use that even a simple caveman can do it.” The metaphor in this ad compares Geico’s simplicity to an ancient species to show that even those who are pre-modern can use it.

Alice was thrilled when her idea began to bear fruit. (This implies that Alice's idea produced results.)

Each year, a new crop of students entered Greenville High School (This implies that each year a new group of students entered whose skills and abilities would grow during their years at Greenville.)

Her dog, Jake, was the sunshine of her life. (This implies that Jake was the brightest or best part of her life.)

Excerpt from Onitsha by Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio, Nobel Prize n Literature 2008 It was the first time. He looked at Maou's face, the left side, as it gradually became a pure profile in the brilliance of the sky and the sun. Yes, he thought, this was it, this was the first time. And still he did not understand the tightness in his throat, this feeling which made his heart beat and filled his eyes with tears, because it was also the last time. They were going away, nothing would ever be as before. Beyond the white wake the ribbon of land was fading. The silt from the estuary had suddenly given way to the deep blue of the sea. The reed- spiked fingers of sand, where the fishermen's huts looked like toys, and all the strange shapes on shore – towers, beacons, hoop nets, quarries, block­houses – all were lost to the movement of the sea, drowned in the tide.

Excerpt from Onitsha by Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio, Nobel Prize n Literature 2008 It was the first time. He looked at Maou's face, the left side, as it gradually became a pure profile in the brilliance of the sky and the sun. Yes, he thought, this was it, this was the first time. And still he did not understand the tightness in his throat, this feeling which made his heart beat and filled his eyes with tears, because it was also the last time. They were going away, nothing would ever be as before. Beyond the white wake the ribbon of land was fading. The silt from the estuary had suddenly given way to the deep blue of the sea. The reed- spiked fingers of sand, where the fishermen's huts looked like toys, and all the strange shapes on shore – towers, beacons, hoop nets, quarries, block­houses – all were lost to the movement of the sea, drowned in the tide.

Write for 5 minutes revealing your personality, qualities, strengths, and weaknesses

The word “Mandala” originated from the classical Indian cultural language of Sanskrit and simply means “circle”. These circles symbolize many things, including our whole self and our connection to the community.

Drawing a mandala in its simplest form is a natural precursor to writing. Yes! This will lead to writing. Children usually use their drawing and talk to support their early exploration and use of print (Dyson, 1988a).

On the outside we look like simple, individual people. On the inside, we are complex with countless roles in our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual lives. A mandala reflects the many parts of our one, whole being.

The sun-shadow archetypes arise from thinking about the dualities in literature and our lives. Our history is filled with philosophies that are built on concepts of opposites: good and evil, war and peace, inner and outer, the haves and the have nots. These tensions are what drive us and our storytelling. Without an understanding of these patterns, a reader misses a whole layer of meaning available to them.

You will imagine, feel, observe, and analyze whole self You will create metaphors and integrate them into your circular design. You will weave sun and shadow metaphors into sentences which frame your drawing.

Write a short bio including some metaphorical language to describe yourself. You may use the metaphors created in the MANDALA or new ones. I would like to read these aloud and see if we can figure out whose bio I am reading. Please write DO NOT READ if you do not wish for your bio to be shared.

To help students with visualization of the character To help students in writing a creative character sketch To help students to think of universal ideas associated with the character To help students to understand the tensions between characters within a piece of work To help students see the complexity of particular characters.

AmericanBigotryCivil Rights GovernmentDemocracyJustice FreedomTyrannyCommon Good OppressionUrbanizationConstitution ConsumptionTradeGoods IncentivesInflationCommerce

MatterHypothesizeUniverse Black HoleClimateForce GravityMassNatural Selection DensityElementsEcosystem TemperatureDiffusionGene EnergyAccelerationReactions

StrengthEnduranceStamina FlexibilityMomentumEnergy ExertionPersistanceAbsorption AgilityConditioningCalorie BalanceHealthExercise CoordinationFlexibilityMetabolism

TempoChordMelody SyncopationForteTone MeterCaesuraPitch RangeSequenceTime ForteBeatKey HarmonyVerseBass

DimensionBalanceTexture HighlightTintSymmetry PigmentUnityComposition BlendingColor ComplementIntensityMovement EmphasisBlueFlow