Planning

Writers Workshop

Author: Luke Abbott l Suitable for: Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3+, Planning

Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris van Alsburg

Fictional context    The Writers Cooperative Company, recently awarded the ‘Writer of the Year’ gold medal for a collection of short stories, have been head hunted by ‘Book World’ publications of the USA.

‘Educational slant’or point of view from which to think from.    Their brief has been to find ‘ghost writers’ to invent and write stories based on the late Harris Burdick’s last set of illustrations which have been left in a will to his life-long friend and bookseller Tom Gardner. Tom Gardner and Harris’s widow, Martha, have agreed that such a project will be a fitting memorial. The idea has generated a great deal of interest in the literary world.

Teaching strategies and resources sequence

A)    The will and ‘ribbon’
B)    T.I.R. as ‘Solicitor’:
I, Harris Burdick, being of sound body and mind, leave all my worldly goods, wealth and manuscripts to Martha, my dear wife, except my drawings of mysteries, which I leave to my friend Tom Gardner, who I am sure, will know what to do with them. To help him I also leave $250,000.

C) T.I.R-Solicitor to Martha Burdick
D) Martha Burdick  T.I.R
E) ‘Photographs’:  i.e. copies of the ‘Burdick’ illustrations in ‘The Mysteries of Harris Burdick’ by Chris van Alsburg)

Building conviction and motivation through mantle of the expert system (Heathcote 1984)

B] The ‘history’ of the Writers Cooperative created through dramatic systems.
1)    the founder rich and successful; initial story told by teacher
2)    the ‘invites’ of the founder to fellow writers, poor but talented. created with teachers by class
3)    The cooperative’s mission, created by the class, (as an analysis of stages 1 and 2, this is an assessment opportunity.)
4)    Examples of the ‘beginnings’ of short stories that have made them famous. (Class to do ‘writing’)
5)    The award of the Gold Medal. Through dramatic enquiry and dramatic conventions.

C] Their present place-road, map, contacting fax, phone, email?
(Class creates the living conditions through imaginative dramatic action as if in their place of work.)

D] We meet the Solicitor, & Mrs. Burdick. (This provides dramatic tension and the need to write.)
Can the commission be met?

E] First drafts? As the work emerges these will be shared/heard/critiqued for inclusion in a set of ‘Short Stories’.
F) Other contractors? Again as project develops, teacher/class ‘invents’ other narratives to confirm and give drives to the firm’s work. The fictional setting can then have a life of its own since pupils and teachers are in the mode of creating an unfolding fiction in partnership.

Phases

Phase 1

Pupils engage in ‘big picture’ (context of the Will of Harris Burdick) we meet solicitor, editor and publisher from U.S.A.

Phase 2

Pupils discuss the size and nature of the task to be undertaken in the story so far.

Phase 3

Pupils engage in ‘imagination setting’ to create a place of inspiration for writing.

Phase 4

Contact with ‘editor’ U.S.A. Tasks set

Phase 5

Writing!

Phase 6

This will be directed by the narration the pupils will create throughout the day.

Phase 7

•    ‘Assessing’ outcomes of the day with pupils
•    evaluating and analysing final products
•    planning for futures.

Yr 6        50%     SEN

(pupil organiser)            LL+        LS+-        18 pupils
input writing skills
wrotomg, working in our imagination

(challenge++)

Contexts for writing:    (teacher ?)

•    strategies -
•    resources -
•    ways in  -
•    planning -

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