Names Matter

The underlining understanding (connotative meaning) of words are dependent on the culture in which it was raised.  This interview answers the burning question, "Are toasters male or female".

Paradigm Shift

Fish are the last to recognize water.
Use the following videos and activities to look at the world differently.  

Ted Talk


Activity #1: World Map

 

 

Activity #2: Bathroom Break

Found Poems

Found poems take existing texts and refashion them, reorder them, and present them as poems. The literary equivalent of a collage, found poetry is often made from newspaper articles, street signs, graffiti, speeches, letters, or even other poems (source: poets.org).

The poem below was featured in a segment titled "Women Of Troy" on the NPR program Studio360.  It was composed from text found on an application for temporary assistance. 

The Office of Temporary Assistance

By Susan B. A. Somers-Willett

Did you know? You have the right to receive food stamps within a few days if you are eligible and have little or no money. Do any of these apply to you? Pregnant? Need to establish paternity? Need child support? Drug/alcohol problem? Fuel or utility shutoff? No place to stay/homeless? No food? No job? Recently lost income? Pending eviction? You have the right to receive an application when you ask for it. Did you know? When was the last time you or anyone who lives with you worked? Are you participating in a strike? Did you know? You can get WIC even if you are not a legal resident. What type of work would you like to do? Could you accept a job today? Are you a felon, fleeing to avoid prosecution, in violation of parole? Do you live in section 8 or other subsidized housing? Do you live in a drug or alcohol rehab facility? Did you know? We must accept your application if, at minimum, it contains your name, address (if you have one) and signature. How long have you lived at your present address? Is this a shelter? These programs are meant to assist you only until you can fully support yourself and your family. Did you know? If total expenses exceed income, explore how the household is meeting its obligations. Do you or anyone who lives with you have cash on hand? Stocks, bonds, or mutual funds? An IRA, Keogh, 401(k)? A safe deposit box? Life insurance? A burial fund? A burial space? Are you blind, disabled, or pregnant? Black, white, unknown? Are you a victim of domestic violence? Did you know? If so, when did you know it?

Other links to found poetry:
ReadWriteThink Lesson: Found Poems  

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Beautiful Word Breakdown

Beautiful Word Breakdown

Step one: Write step-by-step instructions for how your word is spoken.
Step Two: Explain the origin of your word based on how each sound is made.
Step Three: Speak your word into a spectrometer and describe what the voice print of your word looks like.
Step Four: Look up and record the definition and etymology of your word.

Here is the breakdown for the word LOOM

Step one:
How to say LOOM.
1. Put tip of tongue on roof of mouth just behind the teeth and push air around tongue.
2. Form lips into a circle and expel air out.
3. Press lips together and vibrate air into nose.

Step two:
Loom was first spoken when people saw the moon in the sky and said "ooooo". Then they added the "m" sound because the site was so beautiful and delicious. Finally the dark liquid of the dark night sky moving around the white moon moved people to add the "l" sound at the beginning. of the word.

Step Three: This is what the voice print of "loom" looks like when recorded using the program "audacity":









Step Four: Etymology
• verb 1 appear as a vague form, especially one that is threatening. 2 (of an event regarded as threatening) seem about to happen.

— ORIGIN probably from Low German or Dutch.

Sound Poetry

Sound Poetry is a form of literary or musical composition in which the phonetic aspects of human speech are foregrounded at the expense of more conventional semantic and syntactic values; "verse without words". By definition, sound poetry is intended primarily for performance.

Watch the clip of a performance of The Four Horsemen and then write your own example of a sound poem.

Newspaper Blackout Poems

Create a poem in three easy steps:
1. Obtain a newspaper
2. Black out words
3. Display your poem for the world to see

I have posted some examples created by my Creative Writing students at the Academic Magnet High School. You can also visit the best source for newspaper blackout poems by clicking here: Austin Kleon's Blog

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A World Of Words

Watch the clip below to see what the world would look like if it was made of words.


Click here to view instructions on creating your own world of words: The Calligram