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PIZZAZ! is dedicated to providing simple creative writing and oral storytelling activities with copyable (yes, copyable!) handouts for use with students of all ages. Permission is given to use these resources for in-class, non-profit use only.Prerequisite:
An interest in using English in fun, dynamic ways!ESOL Student Level:
Beginner through Advanced
| Cinquain Poems |
Five-line poems that are
very easy to write. Submit one through an automatic PIZZAZ form. |
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| Diamante Poems |
Diamond-shaped poems - real
gems! Seven lines in all. Submit one through an automatic PIZZAZ form. |
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| Haiku Poems |
A short, three-line poem
(originally from Japan) with the form: 5,7,5 syllables.
Resources, examples, publishing opportunities. Submit one through an automatic PIZZAZ form. |
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| Headline Poems | Use popular media to create these interesting poems. Content courtesy of my University of Oregon colleague Iris Moye. | |
| Limericks | Resources, teaching ideas and contests. | |
| Persona-Poems | A structured 8-line poem, biographical in nature. Works well as a pairs activity. | |
| Renga and Renku Poems | Multi-authored poems from Japan | |
| Sausage Poems | For vegetarians and carnivores alike, these simple chained poems are easy to write and fun to read. | |
| Twist of Fate | A bi-directional poem or narrative. | |
| Up and Down Poems | Adapted from Sylvia Helmer. A great finish-up for a recent theme/topic or event. | |
| 20 Consonant Poems | Quite a challenge to create! The site I originally used has gone offline. I offer this one in its place. | |
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Fiction |
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| Basket Stories | Students tell stories based on a basket full of prompts that they have generated. | |
| Chain Stories | Multi-authored stories. (Can also be done with e-mail!) | |
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EduPlace, Web Libs
Huddle Games, Web Libs Salon Sabine's Weblibs |
Electronic-style Mad
Libs. Visitors fill in the blanks with parts of speech
(verbs, adjectives, nouns, etc.) and generate funny
stories. Likewise, StoryFun from MIT offers a mix of adult topics (one or two are mildly "off color"). |
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| Magazine Marvels | Students create stories from magazine picture collections. | |
| Message in a Bottle | An activity from Houghton Mifflin, intended for K-5 but could be adapted to older audiences. | |
| Mystery Stories | Ideas for getting students to write simple mystery short stories. | |
| Poessays | The best of both worlds, poetry and essays combined, from John Pereira. | |
| Story Boxes |
An oral, "free-flow" method
for creating stories with physical prompts.
Also see Bits and Pieces, a similar site from Houghton Mifflin. |
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| Wordless Picture Books | Use picture-only books to help students invent their own oral or written stories. | |
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Bag of Tricks |
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| Class Mailbox | Generate ideas for class topics and open channels of communication. | |
| Cybertoons | Students write captions or stories to fit wordless cartoons. | |
| Icebreakers | See AskERIC's Lesson Plans. Use the search function with "icebreaker" or "get to know you" as keywords. | |
| Rolls of Fun | Another, less conventional, ice-breaker activity. | |
| Tongue Twisters | Create individualized tongue twisters with names. Original submissions are invited. | |
| Writing Roulette | Online "prompt" ideas. | |
| Web-based Lesson Plans | Web-based lesson plans from I-TESL Journal. | |
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More Publishing Opportunities |
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| Andreas Lund's Grammar and Poetry Site | Write a 5-line poem in the prescribed constructivist manner. | |
| Aviva Furman's Write a Poem Site | Send in your poem about a healthcare topic and see it published on this webpage. | |
| Barefoot Press | You are asked to send them a "Foot Poem"! (Advanced vocabulary. Some adult humor and content.) | |
| Poetry and Writing Contests Poetry Publishing Opportunities | Yahoo directories. Also see the Yahoo directory of poetry for kids. Screen sites carefully for appropriate topics, age level and language level. | |
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Other Teacher Resources |
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| Activity Search | From Houghton Mifflin Pub. | |
| Countries and Cultures | Yahoo directory of poetry from African American to Vietnamese! | |
| Internet TESL Journal, Games | Resources and information from the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Computer Assisted Language Learning Interest Interest Section (CALL-IS). | |
| Tech Tips | From Deborah Healey, a monthly column with information on how to use specific types of technology to enhance language teaching. | |
| TESOL CALL Interest Section | Resources and information from the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Computer Assisted Language Learning Interest Interest Section (CALL-IS). |