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Speaking Up For Creativity

Creativity is a driving force, not only in art but in innovation and all areas of study. Students will discuss its many uses and collaboratively create a display promoting creativity.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Hole Punch
  • Poster Board
  • Ribbon

Steps

  • Step 1

    Have students discuss what comes to mind when they think of creativity. Many will say creating visual works of art, composing music, choreographing a dance, inventing vivid scenes and characters in literature, etc. But creativity exists in every domain. Breakthroughs in science require out-of-the box creative thinking. The ability to form mental images of what is not yet in existence is a vital skill in engineering, technology, and other fields. Ask students to think of examples of how creativity is the spark behind innovation.

  • Step 2

    Have students form groups and discuss ways creativity benefits everyday life. For example, it drives progress in every field, it inspires new inventions and innovation, it enhances critical-thinking skills, it fosters problem-solving abilities, etc. Ask them to generate a list of words associated with creativity. They might include topics related to creativity or synonyms for it, such as ingenuity, imagination, inventiveness, etc.

  • Step 3

    Ask each group to write and illustrate one of the words or phrases from their list on a square piece of paper. When the groups are finished, join the squares, either by gluing them to a large poster board or by punching holes in the corners and tying them with ribbon or string.

  • Step 4

    Display the homage to creativity prominently in the classroom to remind students that creativity is all around us.

Standards

LA: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade level topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

LA: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal contrast, addition, and other logical relationships

VA: Select media, techniques, an processes; analyze what makes them effective or not effective in communicating ideas; and reflect upon the effectiveness of choices.

VA: Intentionally take advantage of the qualities and characteristics of art media, techniques, and processes to enhance communication of experiences and ideas.

Adaptations

Possible teacher resource: Water Paper Paint: Exploring Creativity with Watercolor and Mixed Media by Heather Smith Jones; Oma's Quilt by Paulette Bourgeois

Poets use words in creative ways to evoke images in the readers' minds or to hide meanings in plain sight. Students read selected poems about weather and snow together in class. Discuss the poet's creative use of language. Encourage students to compose original poems about snow and be prepared to present to classmates.