by Jake Hollingsworth // Seoul, South Korea // www.JakeHollingsworth.net
A few writing ideas to encourage your students to think independently and creatively…
1. Create a new super hero. Describe him or her. What powers does he have? What does her costume look like? Who is his arch enemy?
2. Think up a new (and hopefully odd) Olympic sport. How did this sport begin? Which country usually dominates the competition? How does one train for competitions? Have students vote for the best idea, and then award a gold, silver, and bronze medal in a classroom ceremony.
3. Assign students a very uncommon pet. (An 8 ft. alligator. A starfish that tells jokes. A unicorn.) Have them pretend that their pet has run away from home and make posters to post around town. Have them describe their pet’s looks and personality, in case someone comes across it.
4. Choose a famous person. A movie star, pro athlete, singer, etc. Have your students keep a journal for a week, pretending to be the celebrity.
5. Have your students rewrite the ending to a famous movie, with them as the star.
