BP9-2009122 Flickr: Teaching Creative Writing

Tell A story in 5 Frames
About Tell a story in 5 frames (Visual story telling)
Telling a story in 5 frames is a visual form of a two part story telling where five frames or photographs are posted and are open for discussion or interpretation.
“The first part is creating and telling a story through visual means with only a title to help guide the interpretation. The second part is the response of the group to the visual story. The group response can take many forms such as, a poetic or prose rendering of the visualization, a critique on the structure of the story, comments on the photograph, or other constructive forms of response. Telling and enjoying stories should create entertainment for the group as well as offer insight into the universal elements that help create a story for an international audience. The more people who respond , as either story tellers or respondents, the greater the reward for all.”
The rules for the game are as follows:

1. Submit a sequence of up to five photographs that create a story.

2. Do not post photos in the group pool. The best story of the month will be featured in the group pool. 

3. Choose any subject, but the entire sequence should visually tell a story.

4. A title is the only words that can be used. Rely on the photographs to bring the story to life

5. Group members respond by relating in their own words the story that they see, or critique the story and/or photographs and open the story up to discussion.

following this example is easy as evry one has photographs that could be used to create a story.
I find this kind interesting and challenging because of the endless possibilities it could be put to use. Apart from digital story telling, I find it applicable in creative writing like say a poem. in such an exercise each photograph could form the stanza of a poem or be a source of inspiration to write. this is fun and really exciting.
In my work situation this is especially useful as I could paste such photographs on a board and challenge my students to tell the story behinds the photos or interpret the story behind the pictures. i simply love this.









Teaching Creative Writing

Sample Poems to Read and Be Inspired

Today at the Bluebird Cafe

It's all-you-can-eat
at the Bluebird Café,
A grasshopper-katydid-cricket buffet,
with berries and snails and a bluebottle fly,
a sip of the lake and a bite of the sky.
I wondered lonely as a
I wondered lonely as a cloud
Walking about so proud.
The sun kissed my face
And the world was filled with grace
For love, love was abound.


How do I love thee? Let me
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways
I love you 1 because
Of your desire to learn.
I love you 2 because
You continue to try it until you get it.
I love you 3 because
Of the vitality you bring to our class.
I love you 4 because
You continue to bloom and grow.
I love you 5 because
You are always willing to help a classmate.
I love you completely just because you are you!



Guidelines to follow in writing your poem

Browse through these first lines of famous poems.
When you have found one that inspires you, continue writing your own poem based on the first line.
Once you have finished your poem, post it in the comments section below. Link the NYPL blog to your Facebook page, and share with your friends!
Be sure to check back on April 30th to see what other New Yorkers have written – as well as the original poems.
And don’t forget to print out a copy of your poem and tuck it in to your pockets, so you can be ready for April 30th


This is a lesson plan to teach creative writing, and specially, poems. i find it interesting and inspiring.

I chose these poems because they give a learner an inspiration from a common practice found in America, Hometown buffet, that offer all-you-can-eat places. The love poem is one that young people will be interested in more that adults.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/poem/html/poems/bluebird.shtml
http://www.nypl.org/blog?page=12
http://drupal02.nypl.org/blogs/2009/03/29/poem-your-pocket-day-2009