This is a great exercise to trick young people into writing (cue evil laugh) I used this exercise for the first time the other day and was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the kids took to it.
1) Start the session by giving everyone a clipboard with a list of adjectives on it such as… Rough, smooth, brown, green etc
2) Go through the list with the class ensuring they know what all the words mean.
3) Spilt the class into groups (3/4 per group is ideal) and give each group a pack of post-it notes.
4) Head outside and tell the class they must look for things that are rough, smooth, brown etc. When they find something they can describe using one of the adjectives on their list they must write a simile describing that thing I.E. “The tree is as rough as a crocadile” I have done this with children as young as year 2 who took to it with great enthusiasm. There should not be too much emphasis on spelling – that can be worked on back in the classrooms once the kids are reeling at their brilliant simile ideas.
They don’t have to write similes you may want to focus solely on adjectives or challenge them to write a line that uses rhyme or metaphor. The exercise can and should be adapted to suit your needs.
As with everything – let me know how you get on.
