Creative Observation Prompts

 ***from Keri Smith's "How to Be an Explorer of the World"


1. Sound Map:

Sit in a location for one hour. Document/describe all the sounds you hear and the approximate times you heard them. Make a map and mark the sounds in relation to you on the map.

2. Fifty Things:

Write down fifty things (observations) about 1) a trip to the library or grocery store or weight room or some other interesting place or 2) a walk around campus outside or a walk around the town, neighborhood, etc.

3. Differences:

Collect multiples of one thing (leaves, pencils, shoes, stones, etc). Lay them out in front of you and observe them for a long time. Make a chart of their characteristics. Describe their differences in detail.

4. One Thing:

Choose an everyday object. It can be something you find or something you have. Look at the top half for 15 minutes and describe everything you see there in detail. Do the same for the bottom half. Then turn it around and look a few different ways. Do you see anything new?

5. Personal Archaeological Dig:

Choose some objects that relate to your childhood or inspire memories of your past. Write a brief story about each one or a longer story that involves more than one.

6. Light:

Collect objects based on how they represent light. List the different qualities and pay attention to the way that light works through and around the objects, makes patterns, creates color, etc. Write about the objects and the light and their relationship to one another.

7. Right Where You Are Sitting:

Sit in a common place where you often sit. Observe everything around you and touching you. Write about all the small details that you wouldn't notice unless you were paying close attention. Use your five senses.

8. Consumer:

Record and describe everything you eat in a fixed time period (a few days). Or choose to record and describe everything you purchase or everything you read, etc.

9. Structure:

Document a place that most people ignore (ex: the ceiling, a bathroom, a corner, a closet, the inside of a drawer). Describe in detail everything in this place.

10. People Watching:

Sit in a public location and document all the people you see in one hour. Choose one or two to describe in detail.

11. Water:

Study and describe shapes made by water (you may need to research this). COme up with some new shapes that you invent for water.

12. Accidental Art:

Go for a walk and find something that looks like "art" to you although it was not necessarily intended to be art (ex: a stain spilled on the ground, random arrangements of objects that create a scene, something damaged or altered in a unique way). Describe it as you would a painting in a museum.

13. Blind Observation:

Close your eyes and have a friend place an object in your hand. Describe it only by touch. Repeat with different types of objects.

14. Found Sounds:

Sit in a place for one hour and record all of the different types of sounds you hear. Describe it as if it were a song or symphony.

15. Eavesdropping:

Sit in a place and listen to the conversations around you. Choose one and create a story using the actual dialogue you overheard.

16. World of Magic:

Collect objects for their potential Magic qualities. Create a story using one or more of your magical objects.

17, Interesting Garbage:

Collect some pieces of garbage and arrange them in an interesting way. Describe them as a piece of artwork.

18. Invisible City:

Describe the campus of CA but not what we see but the "invisible city" existing there that only you see. Be very detailed so we can understand what you see.

19. The Truth about Inanimate Objects:

Choose an inanimate object. What do they do when people are not around? Spy on them, and track their activities and social interactions. Make a report for the FBI detailing what you found.

20. Library Exploration:

Go to the library and record many titles of books. Arrange these into a poem.

Quiz

This is ___ easy question.

Please speak ___ little louder.

May I have your ___ phone number?

I have never seen ___ UFO.

May I ask you ___ question about ____ homework for ____ Biology?

We are having ___ pancakes for ____ breakfast

David is ___ best student in our class.

He has ___ my car today because his car has ____ flat tire.

He studied in Paris for ___ year and made many visits to his favorite tourist site: ____ Eiffel Tower.

There were many dogs in the park. One dog was ___ Dalmatian.

Pandas and ___ tigers are both endangered animals.

___ teacher told ____ class that they didn't have any ____ homework this weekend.

Did you read ___ book for ____ English class yet?

There are ___ students in the library right now; I think there is ____ workshop going on there.

She is wearing ___ blue dress with red earrings

Over ____ Thanksgiving break, she went to ____ London and saw ____ Big Ben.

Hawaii is ___ island in the Pacific Ocean.

Christmas comes once ___ year.

___ ant is __ insect.

The Nile is ___ river in ____ Africa.

I went to the shop to get ___ bread and ____ peanut butter.

He broke ___ glass when he was washing dishes.

You should take ___ umbrella when it is raining.

I went to ___ sea during my summer vacation.

Is there ___ public telephone near here?

This coat was designed by ___ famous New York artist.

Can you tell me how to get to ___ bank from here?

___ city museum is closed today.

He is one of ___ smartest people I know.

I recommend you eat ___ apple pie at this restaurant.

___ milk is good for you.

Would you like to see ___ movie?

___ apple a day keeps ___ doctor away.

I can't believe I failed ___ yesterday's test!

Do you have ___ dictionary that I can borrow?

Article Practice

http://www.english-grammar.at/online_exercises/articles/article-index.htm


After we practice, we will have a quiz.

And the winners are.....

(Award listings will be updated soon!)

For the Most Creative Homework Excuse.....

and  For the Most Outrageous Homework Excuse....

Amanda

Sera

Gordon

Philipp


Congratulations!

Partner Quiz

Grammar Quiz

The following sentences are in chronological order. Use the correct form of the verb tense to show that order: simple present, present perfect, simple past, past perfect.

The students ___________________ (to have) their homework with them now.

They ____________________________ (to be) working on this homework assignment all week.

They ____________________________ (to receive) it on Monday.

Before this, they _________________________ (to complete) a similar assignment.

Use the correct word in the following sentences. (everyday, every day, affect, effect)

______________________ I eat oatmeal for breakfast.

Sunday clothes are much too fancy to wear ______________________.

My ____________________ clothes are jeans and T-shirts.

He has an _____________________ exercise routine as well as a special one for the day before a race.

The researchers are studying the cause and _____________________ of the volcano eruption.

Some people are sensitive to gluten in their diet, but it does not _________________ me at all.

It is proven that the long-term __________________ of smoking  is lung cancer.

The documentary about people dying from lung cancer really __________________ me emotionally.

Use the correct transition word in the following sentences. (however, therefore, additionally, in fact)

I did not do my homework last night. __________________, I had no idea what the teacher was talking about today in class.

I did my homework. ____________________, it was very confusing, and I was lost today too.

I had too much homework last night. _______________, I had CATS rehearsal and a headache. All of those things kept me from finishing my homework.

I hate homework! ________________, I think we should start a petition to ban homework altogether!

Punctuate the following sentences correctly using commas, semicolons, periods, and correct capitalization.

all of the grammar presentations were excellent in fact I was incredibly impressed

I especially liked the games and activities but I also thought that the practice sets were useful

in my classes next year I will certainly assign this task again so students next year can have a similar experience

I hope that you all have learned something it is said that teaching something allows you to master it

Write two sentences using a semicolon, and write two sentences using a comma + FANBOYS.

Write two sentences using an introductory word or phrase. Use a comma if needed.

Identify the correct sentences below (with correct verb tenses).

Her cats, which is kept inside all day, scratch the furniture.

Her cats, which are kept inside all day, scratch the furniture.

Her cats, which are kept inside all day, scratches the furniture.

Both my cat and my dog has fleas

Both my cat and my dog have fleas.

My first class, full of motivated students, is doing well.

My first class, full of motivated students, are doing well.

When Nina and Jennifer get to class, they see that they have arrived late and missed the quiz!

When Nina and Jennifer gets to class, they see that they are arriving late and missed the quiz!

When Nina and Jennifer get to class, they see that they are arriving late and missed the quiz!

When Nina and Jennifer gets to class, they see that they have arrived late and missed the quiz!

Identify the complete sentences, but not sentence fragments, comma splices, or run-on sentences.

The drawings on my class which were completed by students in my English II class.

The class drew pictures of the characters after that they wrote some descriptive words on the paper.

The drawings are now decorating my room, and I like to look up and see them hanging there.

The drawing of Ashmol was done by Leo and he takes art classes and you can tell because it’s good.

Because he took those classes, he learned some techniques to help him draw.

Because he always liked doing art projects in and out of school since he was very little.