Creative Writing Lesson: Capturing Images

We’ve mastered metaphor, studied sensory details, and improved our ability to show.

In this fourth creative writing lesson, students learned how to capture images. We had some poetic moments. I love poetic moments.

Creative Writing Lesson Plan: Capturing Images

1. Discuss homework assignments from lesson two. We look at the good, the bad, and the ugly (and how to make it all better). If your students are hesitant to participate in the discussion, ask questions.

2. Wonderful Words Game

We played a game with the “Wonderful Words” exercise. I created rules similar to Scattergories.

First, I chose a word from the worksheet.

The students (in an orderly fashion) rambled off the replacement words they recorded. If anyone had a word that no one else had, they got a point.

Students kept track of their points.

We continued this pattern for four different word charts.

At the end, the person with the most points was declared the winner.

3. “The Red Wheelbarrow”

We read “The Red Wheelbarrow” by William Carlos Williams. We read it again.

I challenged my students: “What does this mean!?” “Is this just weird?” “Why did the poet write this?” “What’s the point?”

We analyzed every line. We looked at each image. We discussed the larger image and the big idea.

I told my students that part of their homework assignment for this week would be to copycat Carlos’ poem: same number of stanzas, lines, and syllables in each line plus three images.

4. Excerpt from Their Eyes Were Watching God

We read the “So Janie began to think of Death” paragraph.

We discussed personification, the images used in the paragraph, and all the things we loved about Hurston’s writing. Each student chose an emotion to personify and write about (part this week’s homework).

5. Capturing Images

Why are images important in writing? We had a short recap discussion. Students mentioned sensory details and showing vs. telling as part of our discussion.

We spent the rest of the class outside. I instructed students to become human cameras– went outside and become human cameras–use your pens and paper to capture snap shots of nature. 

I loved reading their image snapshots.

Here is an example of an image captured by a student:

Clouds

The butterflies of the sky
When they move

Like whipped cream when they are puffed

And when they are long they seem
Like soft feathers

Like white fire

by Ivy S.

Teacher’s Note:
Please note that I give my students oodles of various exercises throughout our creative writing classes.

I don’t expect each exercise to ripen into a fantastic poem or piece of prose. I do expect each student to work hard.

If they are willing to work hard and complete the assignments, they will harvest (at least) a few great pieces by the end of our time together. Encourage your students to keep trying —especially when it’s a struggle. 

If a student works hard, she will surprise herself by the end of the semester.

Creative Writing Lesson Plans for Capturing Image

If you’d like a copy of the printables I used for this creative writing lesson, simply click on the image below.

This creative writing printable pack includes an assignment page, the poem and story excerpt used in class, and two snapshots stationery pages.

More Creative Writing Lessons

If you are looking for additional creative writing lessons, try these:

• Creative Writing Lesson 1
• Creative Writing Lesson 2
• Creative Writing Lesson 3
• Creative Writing Lesson 5
• Creative Writing Lesson 6
• Creative Writing Lesson 7
• Creative Writing Lesson 8

Happy Writing!