For any discussion of power, privilege or identity, it’s important to establish that the lesson is a workshop or open discussion, rather than an opportunity for indoctrination. While this may seem obvious to teachers, it still needs to be stated, as in many cultures the student-teacher relationship is itself a power dynamic. Teachers take on……
[Even]before the invention of the airplane, some people imagined flight as one of mankind’s potentially greatest achievements. Flight would not only free people from the tyranny of gravity and its earthly chains, but it would liberate them mentally, socially, and spiritually. This linkage of the airplane and freedom was prevalent in much of the literature…
With any book, the setting in the first chapter, often holds clues to character traits, themes and plot lines. Test your observation skills, with these questions: Observation 1) What are the key words used to describe this world? 2) What type of government is featured in this book? What clues do you have? 3) How…
Rebuilding Arcadia, Book 1, gives students the opportunity to practice steampunk world-building, either through art projects or creative writing. The series spans several decades but Book 1 focuses on the limited perspective of one teenager. The term After Fallout in the subtitle of each chapter implies a nuclear disaster and the illustrations imply that the…
I can’t create believable characters – they seem to lack their own voice. Here’s a practical exercise that can help you get started: Picture the last time you felt a strong emotion. Now write for 15 minutes about that experience. Don’t correct your writing. Don’t criticize yourself. Don’t change words to make yourself sound smart,…
I’m terrible at managing my time. I don’t know how to get started and I don’t have a writing routine. Time management and motivation are learned behaviors. There are many ways to build these habits. Here’s something you can try: Block off large spaces of time in your week, so you can re-center yourself and…
What will people think? I’m not a good writer, never got A’s in English and I’m constantly making mistakes. Writing is hard work. There’s no magic pixie dust that settles on the author’s desk, signalling a period of inspiration. Hang on there! Are you saying there’s no such thing as talent? Not at all. But…
What is implied by the subtitle of Chapter One – 10 Years after Fallout? Define the term ecotopia. Write a short descriptive explanation linking the two terms. Explore how one reality would lead to the other. Suggested Readings MATHISEN, W. (2001). The Underestimation of Politics in Green Utopias: The Description of Politics in Huxley’s…