Ecriture créative

Le procédé est extrêmement simple. Le prof parcourt l'internet à la recherche de photos pour fabriquer un collage. L'enseignant veille à ce que le résultat obtenu soit insolite pour pouvoir titiller l'imagination de l'apprenant. La consigne donnée à celui-ci est d'écrire un court texte de fiction inspiré par le collage. 


En guise d'exemple: 
Photo distribuée

Texte-exemple


Nature Capitale

Jean-Michel Doppagne goûtait un repos bien mérité en Corse après une campagne particulièrement mouvementée et éprouvante.  Jeune politicien plein d’ambition, il avait suivi à la lettre les recommandations de son mentor, Baptiste Donnadieu, député de la première circonscription de Toulouse. Celui-ci lui avait suffisamment  fait comprendre combien la suprématie du mouvement écolo ces dix dernières années l’exaspérait au plus haut point et qu’il était temps de damer le pion à ces gauchistes qu’on croyait tout droit sortis du siècle passé, ne jurant que par  « Woodstock » ou autre rassemblement fantaisiste revenu à la mode dans les années dix. Comble d’ironie, ce subit regain d’intérêt pour le vert, le bio, le botanique qui allait placer le Parti Ecolo sur les rails du pouvoir  avait vu le jour sous le gouvernement conservateur de Sarkozy, à l’occasion d’une manifestation rendue populaire à grand renfort de publicité, l’opération « Nature Capitale ».  En 2011, il s’agissait modestement de recouvrir les Champs-Elysées d’un gazon vert tendre paré d’une centaine d’espèces d’arbres pour – aux dires des organisateurs – sensibiliser le public à la biodiversité, à l’écologie et aux questions que ne manquait pas de soulever le développement durable. Depuis cette grande célébration de l’utopie verte comme l’aimait à la baptiser Donnadieu, l’Europe tout entière s’était soudain senti l’âme jardinière : Big Ben au milieu des tournesols, le Colisée tapissé de roses, le Prado devenu un marché de fruits et de légumes, chaque capitale européenne s’était surpassée pour impressionner le touriste bio...

Donnadieu avait donc confié à Doppagne une mission : il s’agissait d’éclipser tous ces médiocres en soumettant un projet encore plus grandiose, encore plus impressionnant, encore plus vert ! De ce projet dépendait l’avenir de leur parti et la confiance des électeurs. Il fallait battre les écolos sur leur terrain ! Et c’est là que Doppagne avait eu son idée de génie : fertiliser le champ de Mars pour faire honneur à son nom car après tout, il devait bien s’agir à l’origine d’un champ! Il s’était dépêché de contacter les grands noms de la science botanique et agricole, tâche rendue facile par les nombreux contacts que lui assurait le patronage de Donnadieu qui, en ex-ministre del’Education et de la Recherche, avait encore ses entrées au CNRS (Donnadieu aimait rappeler qu’à son époque on ne perdait pas son temps à la création d’un Ministère du développement durable !).  Doppagne s’était ainsi lié à un éminent botaniste (qui préférait garder l’anonymat), jadis contacté par le gouvernement israélien pour transformer l’aride désert du Néguev en ce qui était devenu une des plaines les plus fertiles au monde. Le secret du botaniste consistait à concocter un mélange savamment dosé d’engrais naturels et de fertilisants chimiques aux propriétés connues de lui seul, pour métamorphoser la nature la plus revêche en grenier à blé, maïs, coton, arachide ou tout autre plante supposée assurer l’autonomie agricole d’une région donnée.

«  Pas d’excès, surtout, mon petit Doppagne ! » lui avait recommandé Donnadieu.  «  Rappelez-vous  qu’il faut en jeter plein la vue mais sans en faire trop.  Savoir naviguer entre l’austère et le pompier entre le sobre et le kitsch, c’est là qu’on reconnaît les génies ! Je vous fais confiance, ne me décevez pas ! »

Tandis que Doppagne se remémorait les épisodes glorieux de son ascension politique et, en particulier, ce coup de maître  consistant à « amener la campagne au pied de la tour Eiffel », comme le rappelaient partout dans la capitale les posters annonçant l’événement , il sentit vibrer dans la poche de son short le beeper que lui avait remis Donnadieu.

 « Prenez quelques jours de repos, vous en avez le plus grand besoin ! », lui avait-il dit en lui confiant les clés d’une maison de vacances qu’il possédait en Corse.

« Je vous conseille de vous couper du monde pendant quelques jours car les journalistes, cameramen et blogueurs du monde entier tiendront à vous voir et mendieront des interviews. Patientez quelques jours et vous aurez la France tout entière à vos pieds. Les écolos feront leurs valises et s’efforceront d’oublier d’avoir voulu briller dans la cour des grands. On ne devient pas politicien, mon petit Doppagne. On l’est !  C’est une seconde nature ! Vous, vous faites partie des vrais de vrais. Donnez-moi 5 ans et je vous céderai volontiers mon siège. Vous l’aurez bien mérité... »

Et c’est pourquoi Doppagne avait quitté Paris en hâte, laissant derrière lui son portable,  et son ordinateur, leur préférant une série de Folios qu’il s’était promis de lire il y a déjà bien longtemps.  Donnadieu lui avait parlé du confort assez fruste de la villa : pas de télé, pas de radio, juste une ligne téléphonique en cas d’urgence. Exactement ce qui convient pour échapper à la fièvre médiatique ! Et Doppagne s’était envolé pour Ajaccio sans même avoir pu contempler l’oeuvre qu’il avait créée, avec pour seul contact avec le monde ce beeper au fond de sa poche. Un rapide coup d’oeil à l’appareil lui permit d’identifier le numéro d’appel de Donnadieu. Doppagne accéléra le pas, se permit même quelques foulées sur le sable chaud de Saleccia et c’est le coeur battant  - résultat de son excitation autant que de sa course improvisée – qu’il pénétra dans la villa de son patron et se précipita sur le téléphone. Midi approchait. Donnadieu avait certainement appelé de son cossu appartement de la Place des Vosges pour le féliciter.  Doppagne forma fiévreusement le numéro... Au bout de deux sonneries à peine, son interlocuteur décrocha :

« - Doppagne !  »  aboya la voix au bout du fil. « Vous êtes un fieffé crétin et je ne sais pas ce qui me retient d’envoyer une horde de maffiosi corses à vos trousses pour en finir avec votre triste existence ! 

- Qu’est-ce qui se passe ? Je ne comprends pas...

- Vous ne comprenez pas ? « Amener la campagne à la ville », c’était bien votre idée, non ? Est-ce que je vous ai demandé d’être aussi littéral ? Et votre spécialiste du Néguev, il n’a pas eu la main un peu lourde avec ses dosages ?

- Je ne vois toujours pas le problème ?

- Ah non ? Dans ce cas, écoutez-moi bien. C’est le dernier conseil que vous recevrez de ma part, mon vieux. Quittez ma villa, envoyez-moi les clés par la poste, rendez-vous dans le premier bistro venu et voyez ce qu’on diffuse en boucle à la télé depuis 24 heures !  Et cachez-vous, Doppagne. Surtout, cachez-vous ! »

Using Windows MovieMaker or Apple i-Movies to create a trailer for a film adapted from a book studied in class

Class or Subject Area: English / Foreign Language

Specific Learning Objectives:

Writing (intermediate):

Students give a straightforward prepared presentation on a given literary work in a clear manner.

Students describe the plot and sequence of events of a film or book, and narrate a story.

Writing (advanced):

Students produce clear, smoothly flowing, storyboard for the adaptation into a movie of literary works.

Students critically appraise classical as well as contemporary literary texts in different genres.

Speaking (intermediate / advanced):

Students deliver announcements fluently, almost effortlessly, using stress and intonation to convey finer shades of meaning.

Grade Level(s): 10-12

Activity Summary:

After a short tutorial on how to write a storyboard, students use Windows MovieMaker or Apple i-Movies to translate their own storyboard into a short film. They are asked to create a trailer for a hypothetical movie adapted from a book studied in class.

What you need:

Windows MovieMaker or Apple i-Movies

How it works:

The teacher previews the trailer of a movie of his choice. He then transforms that trailer into a storyboard that he gives her/his students as a model while showing them the trailer used as sample. Students work in groups to create their own storyboard. Then, they shoot their movie, edit it with Windows MovieMaker or Apple i-Movies and publish it.

Preparation:

Preview the trailer of a movie and adapt that trailer into a storyboard. Give them a short tutorial about Windows MovieMaker or Apple i-Movies if needed.

Explain the assignment to them

Directions for the students:

“ You have been asked by a movie producer to work on the trailer of [title of the book studied in class]. You will (1) write the storyboard for that trailer and (2) shoot it and edit it. To understand how it works, let’s demonstrate with … (you model the activity by showing an example of a storyboard you created yourself).

Sample:

Here is a sample model of a storyboard created after the trailer of the French movie “Entre les murs” (The Class), available on YouTube.

Using Flashface to work on vocabulary related to human physical features: face, eyes, hair, …

Class or Subject Area: Foreign Language

Specific Learning Objectives:

Speaking/Writing: Students use a series of phrases and sentences to give a description or presentation of people.

Speaking/Listening/Reading: Students ask and answer questions about people’s physical features (face, eyes, hair ...).

Grade Level(s): 10-12

Activity Summary:

Students use Flashface to practice the vocabulary terms related to human facial features (parts of the body and characteristics), like in the following examples:

- face: elongated, round, square, oval…

- eyebrows: thick, thin, bushy…

- eyes: blue, green, dark, light, big, almond-shaped…

- hair: dark, light, short, long, bald, moustache, beard…

- chin: douible, square, receding, pointed, prominent…

- mouth / lips: thick, thin, lower, upper, fleshy, lipstick, lipgloss…

What you need:

Access to Internet

Access to Flashface

How it works:

Students 1 uses Flashface to draw a sketch artist that (s)he later describes to Student 2.

Student 2 uses Flashface to draw a portrait according to the description given by Student 1.

They compare both sketches and make comments.

They exchange roles.

Preparation:

Familiarize yourself with Flashface so that you can give your students a short tutorial, if needed.

Explain the assignment to them

Directions for the students:

“ You have witnessed a crime and you are the only person who saw the perpetrator. You need to describe that person. In order to do so, you will use a software to help you draw a sketch artist. You will later give a description of your drawing to your partner. (S)he will make her/his own drawing according to your directions and you will compare both portraits. After that, you switch roles with your partner. To understand how it works, let’s demonstrate with … (you model the activity by explaining how to use Flashface and by showing examples you created yourself).

Sample:

Here is a sample model made with Flashface.

Using Microsoft Word’s “Track Change” feature as well as Wix.com for a project in Creative Writing

Class or Subject Area: English / Foreign Language

Specific Learning Objectives:

Writing (advanced): Students narrate a story.

Writing (advanced): Students write clear detailed descriptions of imaginary events and experiences.

Writing (advanced): Students write a short critical review of a piece of fiction giving reasons for their opinion.

Grade Level(s): 10-12

Activity Summary:

Students work on a draft copy of a short story they need to write (about 450 words).

Teacher uses Microsoft Word’s “Track Change” feature to edit students’ draft copy.

Students publish their story on Wix.com.

What you need:

Microsoft Word

Access to Internet

Access to Wix.com

How it works:

Students write a short story according to constrained writing techniques loosely based on Charles Baudelaire’s French poem, “Correspondances” (see Directions for the students below).

They submit their first draft copy to the teacher who uses Microsoft Word’s “Track Change” feature to make comments and offer suggestions.

They submit a second draft copy which is reviewed the same way by the teacher.

They work on their final version which is reviewed a last time by the teacher before publication on Wix.com.

Preparation:

Make a list of themes you want your students to include in their short story. Those should be related to the contents of your curriculum.

Explain the many meanings of “correspondance” (French for correspondence):

- similarity, analogy

- exchange of letters (or the letters themselves)

- [only in French]: connection between places or modes of transportation

Assign each student two of the themes on your list:

Have them write a short story including those themes and edit their text.

Have them publish their final copy on Wix.com.

Directions for the students:

Each student receives the following written instructions:

STUDENT	PLACE	THEMES
Pierre	Madrid’s railway station	a map of rome a CD-ROM

Your task is to write in 450 words minimum a short story including :

• a place (a raiway station or a train coming from or going to that railway station)
• an anecdote
• A THEME (also used as the title of your story)

In the example here above, Pierre should write a story whose action happens in Madrid’s railway station (or in a train coming from or going to Madrid). The whole story is about a CD-ROM (that someone lost? is seeking? is keeping safe?). At some point in the story, Pierre has to allude to a map of Rome; that map has no relevance to the story; it is merely anecdotic.

The story

• is a fiction (all characters are imagined, without any reference to real people, dead or alive);
• is coherent (with an opening, a plot, a resolution)
• describes a word altogether realistic and contemporaneous

Illustration

• image : your story comes with a black and white picture (2’’ x 2’’, jpeg format)
• sound : your story comes with a soundtrack (mp3 format)

Notes

• do not share with your classmates the contents of your assignment before completion of the project
• use web resources to help you with realistic descriptions of the assigned places and avoid stereotypes!

Sample:

Here is a sample planner for a class of 7 students in AP French:

ETUDIANT	GARES	THEMES
Etudiant 1	Berlin, Zoo Station	une tasse en porcelaine de Chine UN SAC A MAIN EN CUIR ROUGE
Etudiant 2	Londres, Waterloo Station	une montre ancienne UN EXEMPLAIRE DU JOURNAL « LE MONDE »
Etudiant 3	Los Angeles, Union Station	des soeurs jumelles UNE MONTRE ANCIENNE
Etudiant 4	New York, Grand Central Station	un exemplaire du journal “Le Monde » UN BOUQUET DE ROSES
Etudiant 5	Gare de Lima	un couteau de cuisine un hôtel UNE TASSE EN PORCELAINE DE CHINE
Etudiant 6	Gare de Moscou	Un sac à main en cuir rouge UN COUTEAU DE CUISINE
Etudiant 7	Gare de Beijing	un bouquet de roses DES SŒURS JUMELLES

Notice that the anecdotic theme assigned to a given student becomes the main theme for another student, which allows hyperlinks from text to text when the work is published on line, hence the title for the activity: “Correspondances”.

Here is the 2011 project published on Wix.com.

Using Themeefy to narrate in the past

Class or Subject Area: Foreign Language

Specific Learning Objectives:

Reading (beginner): Students locate a concert or a film on calendars of public events and identify where it takes place and at what time it starts.

Reading (intermediate): Students I read reviews dealing with the content and criticism of cultural topics (films, theatre, books, concerts) and summarize the main points.

Writing (intermediate): Students give clear detailed descriptions on a wide range of cultural, intercultural and social issues.

Writing (advanced): Students write detailed critical appraisals of cultural events (film, music, theatre, literature...).

Grade Level(s): 6-12

Activity Summary:

Students use Themeefy to write a short e-book presenting the cultural life of a given city.

What you need:

Access to Internet

Access to Themeefy

How it works:

Students use Themeefy to (1) agregate and (2) curate relevant information about the cultural life of a given city. They visit web pages giving information about seasonal festivals, movies, dance, theater, museums. Then they pretend that they spent their last week-end in that city and write - in the past – about their experience, contrasting past tenses, such as “perfect” (what they did) versus “imperfect” (how it was).

Preparation:

Make a list of cities you want your students to visit. Those may be related to places that your students will visit in real life or places described in a novel you are reading in class. Assign each student (or group of students) one of the cities on your list.

Have them write about the cultural life of the city they just visited.

Directions for the students:

“ I will assign for each of you one of the cities we have discussed in class. Using Themeefy, you will gather information about cultural events happening in that city. Your task is to write a five-page long e-book about the cultural life of that city, as if you had spent a week-end there For each page, write a comment about the cultural event you supposedly attended. Your magazine includes 5 contrasted uses of the past tense. At the end, you will send to your teacher the url of your e-book. To understand how it works, let’s demonstrate with … (you model the activity by explaining how to use Themeefy with a city and a narration of your own).

Sample:

Here is a sample e-book I have made for the students, to use as a model.

Using the web site of a major operator of bus and rail service to give directions

Class or Subject Area: Foreign Language

Specific Learning Objectives:

Speaking: Students give directions to explain how to get from X to Y, by foot or public transport.

Writing: Students write about how to get from X to Y.

Listening: Students understand / follow directions relating to how to get from X to Y.

Grade Level(s): 6-12

Activity Summary:

Students use the Trip Planner provided by major operators of bus and rail service to find out and explain to others how to go from one place to another.

What you need:

Access to Internet

Access to web sites such as Lingt or AudioDropbox where students can leave recordings

How it works:

With beginners, it is advised to have the students work in groups. Students of Intermediate or Advanced classes should work individually. Groups or individuals use the Trip Planner feature to explain how to get from one place to another. Teachers can choose to guide them with questions such as:

- If you leave your starting point at 2:00 p.m., at what time can you expect to reach your destination?

- How many different modes of transportation would you use?

- What would be those modes of transportation?

You can use those questions to generate discussions on the pros and cons of public transportation in a given city.

Preparation:

Make a list of itineraries you want your students to comment. Those may be related to places that your students will visit in real life or places described in a novel you are reading in class. Assign each student (or group of students) one of the items on your list.

Have them talk / write about them.

Directions for the students:

“ I will assign for each of you an itinerary in one of the cities we have discussed in class. Using the Trip Planner feature, you will work on the best / most time effective itinerary. Your task is to make comments (orally or in writing) to your classmates about the experience.

To understand how it works, let’s demonstrate with … (you model the activity by explaining how to use the Trip Planner from home to school).

Sample:

Here is a sample activity I have used for AP students who read a French novel as a Summer Assignment. They were asked to describe the trip the main character made every day to go from home to school.

Using Google Maps to describe places or write descriptions about places

Class or Subject Area: Foreign Language

Specific Learning Objectives:

Speaking: Students describe aspects of a given environment in a list of points.

Writing: Students write about everyday aspects of a given environment.

Listening: Students understand descriptions made by their classmates or by the teacher.

Grade Level(s): 6-12

Activity Summary:

After a short tutorial on how to use Google Maps, students are (virtually) sent to places of interest related to the language or topic studied in class. In “Street View” mode, they explain what they see on their way from X to Y.

What you need:

Access to Internet

Tutorial on how to use Google Maps (this one is in French)

Google Maps

Skype in the classroom

Access to web sites such as Lingt or AudioDropbox where students can leave recordings

How it works:

With beginners, it is advised to have the students work in groups. Students of Intermediate or Advanced classes should work individually. Groups or individuals describe what they see in “Street View”. Their classmates take notes and answer a few questions to show that they understood what they heard. Students take turns (a) describing and (b) taking notes. For advanced levels, students may be asked to contact by Skype a given public place (when a phone number is displayed by Google) and to ask for more information about what those places have to offer (opening hours in a restaurant or museum, price for service, etc.).

Preparation:

Make a list of places or “hot spots” you want your students to discover. Those may be places that your students will visit in real life or places described in a novel you are reading in class. Assign each student (or group of students) one of the items on your list.

Have them talk / write about those places.

It is highly recommended that you do the exercise yourself in preparation for your class. Some European cities have graffiti that you do not want your students to read…

Directions for the students:

“You will see a short video explaining how to use Google Maps. You can ask any questions if something is unclear. Then, I will assign for each of you an itinerary in one of the cities we have discussed in class. Your task is to make comments (orally or in writing) to your classmates about what you see.

To understand how it works, let’s demonstrate with … (you model the activity with a city and a description of your own).

Sample:

Here is a sample activity I have used for AP students who read a French novel as a Summer Assignment. They were asked to describe the environment of the main character in the novel. The web site used by the students to organize their trip is the one of the RATP, the public transport company operating in Paris, France.