Writing the natural way: how to inspire nature writing that isn't cliched - Ready to Write - Column

What child doesn't gaze intently at snowfall outside the classroom window, or watch in wonder as a ladybug takes flight? Nature hums with inspiration for writers of any age. By using the strategies detailed here, you can guide your students to write about the natural world in a way that's as detailed as an Audubon painting and as moving as a poem by Emily Dickinson.

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK

As a take-home activity, ask children to observe one thing in nature - a bird, a flower, a snake, a thunderstorm - as carefully as a scientist. Tell them to make a list of every word that jumps into their minds as they watch and listen. Encourage them to observe their subject for as long as possible. In the next writing class, talk about line breaks in poems and how they influence the reader's experience of the verse. Invite students to write nature poems using their lists for reference. A fifth grader's amazing verse appears at right; notice how the narrow, elegant shape of the poem suggests a heron's silhouette.

The Heron

A heron flew by the other day. Most beautiful. Blue, And shades of Gray. It soared Above me, By and by, And dropped a Clamshell From the sky. Its eyes were Black. The black of Night. And its long, Blue tail feathers, Swept the sky. It was most amazing to see it fly. Its long wings Stretched Across the sky. A heron flew by The other day. Most beautiful. Blue, And shades of Gray.

Jessica Erwin, Northwoods School, Greece, New York

PRIMARY IMAGES

Children in grades K-2 love to contemplate questions and share what they've already learned through discussion. So rather than send them off to gather fresh details about a natural object, I gather them in a circle and ask questions such as: Where have you noticed an insect moving quickly? Where have you ever seen an insect in the dark? How do different insects move? In one class a boy soon blurted out, "A blue dragonfly blurred its wings when it flew across the pond."

"Great!" I responded. "You're ready to get to work!" I handed him a piece of paper. A while later he shared his writing, which was a picture of a dragonfly with wildly scribbled wings above blue water. He'd labeled the wings with several carefully scripted W's and Z's (for wings). The letters D and R - for dragonfly - appeared on the underside of the body, while dozens of P's - for pond - swam in the water.

NIGHT WRITING

To begin this activity, I give children my usual pitch to involve their five senses as they compose their pieces, and I remind them of the importance of tiny, personal details. Students and I then enjoy an all-class brainstorming session on fascinating night places. After one of these inspiration jams, a second grader wrote a six-page story filled with intricate details. Here is an excerpt:

The mountains were tall and purple with moonlight shining on them high in the sky... On the highest mountain a tiny tree grew, its branches were twisted and rough and covered in moonlight. I was beside the tree on the smooth, emerald green grass.

Katie Sauvain, Council Rock School, Brighton, New York

NATURE PERSONIFIED

Looking for a clever way to strengthen your students' use of metaphor? Ask them: If the wind - or the moon, the night, the sun, the ocean - were a person, who would it be? A saxophonist? A barber? A ballerina? Have children fill the board with possibilities, and as they begin their pieces, urge them to include imaginative details about clothing, hair, shoes, and so on. Here is a third grader's take on a breeze:

The wind is a washerwoman ... wearing a very long dress that drags on the ground. She has big purple bows in her long golden hair.

The smell of soap is everywhere.

Cecilia Charlton, Savona Elementary, Corning, New York

FIVE MORE IDEAS FOR KIDS

1. Describe a thunderstorm, a blizzard, an ice storm, or a heavy fog you've experienced.

2. Write about something in nature that has a rhythm: ocean waves, wind in trees, croaking frogs, a crackling fire.

3. Tell about a time you caught something wild: a butterfly, a fish, a snake, a snail.

4. Write about a natural transition: twilight, the first warm day of spring, low tide, the garden after the season's first frost.

5. Observe and describe a single, specific natural object: a leaf, a flower, an acorn, a thistle, a shell.

DR. CYNDE GREGORY, author of the Childmade: Awakening Children to Creative Writing, works with thousands of children and teachers annually in workshops and residency programs.

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