13 June 2020
Posted by Lucy Pearce
Birds with Jack Thacker
11 - 14 Age Group, 14 Attending, 15 - 18 Age Group, 7 Attending
This week, the Young Writers had something a little different and very exciting! We were lucky to have the Lighthouse Writer In Residence Jack Thacker leading the workshops, with a theme of birds - or more specifically, the collective nouns of birds!
To kick off the session, Jack talked us through all the different types of birds that can be found living in Poole Harbour (there are a lot!). These vary from the more common Seagull to the rarer Heron and Osprey. After going through these, it was then quiz time. From a multiple-choice, the Young Writers were asked to select which collective noun they believed related to each bird.
We discovered the below collective nouns:
Bird - Collective Noun
Seagulls - Screech
Kingfisher - Crown
Crows - Murder
Geese - Wedge
Herons - Siege
Starlings - Murmuration
Sparrows - Quarrel
Ravens - Unkindness
Cormorants - Gulp
Osprey - Duet
Tern - Committee
After this, the 11-14 age group read and lightly analyzed Hymn To The Birds, which incorporated collective nouns within it, while the 15-18 age group read Collective by Matthew Francis and Collective Nouns for Humans In The Wild by Kathy Fish. Both of these poems demonstrated how collective nouns can slot into poetry and be used as a tool.
The Young Writers were then asked to take three birds that weren't included in the session and create collective nouns for these. I created:
Wrens - An ovation
Swans - A braid
Parrot - A Clowning
Then, the Young Writers were asked to create collective nouns for actors, musicians, theatre-goers, and writers.
And finally, the 11-14 age group were given time to write a poem that included at least 3 of their own collective nouns, while the older group were asked to write a poem which included collective nouns used for humans.
Rosie wrote:
A Slurp of Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers
As footsteps shower
The gravelled ground,
A quarrel of sparrows
Look around.
A slurp, in my
Saddened fear,
Of yellow-bellied
Sapsuckers appear.
They cock their heads
At my errands,
While my gaze skirts past
A siege of herons –
They call their
Scratchy mews,
A discord of
Sung blues.
Who stand stock still,
Looking down,
Battling for fish
With a nearby crown
A well of eyes,
Of tears a pail,
A pocket of memories,
Of whispers a wail.
Of kingfishers.
A birdwatcher learns
The silhouette of
A committee of terns.
A flight of evenings,
A calming of lakes,
A lentic of sobs,
Ripples in their wakes.
I have not yet learnt.
A gulp in my throat,
A gulp of cormorants
On an upturned boat
A distraught of worlds
And lives rocked.
Emptiness where once
His birds flocked.
The opposite shore,
Some distance away.
A slurp of yellow-bellied sapsuckers
Go flying away.
Thank you to Jack for a fantastic session that was both informative and fun! We hope to have you back one day!
Archive
Junior & Young Writers Week 3: Return From The Magical World
Junior & Young Writers Week 2: African Mythology
Problems, Problems, Problems...
Cautionary Tales & Christmassy Opening Lines
You've Gotta Have Pace, Pace, Pace
Junior & Young Writers Week 1: Alien Encounters
Junior & Young Writers: Week 5 - Play on Words Pt. 2
Junior & Young Writers: Week 11 - end of term showcase [build a bard workshop]
Junior & Young Writers: Week 10 - Greek Theatre - chorus stories
Junior & Young Writers: Week 9 - Greek Origin Stories - Spring
Rubber Ducks & Writing Festivals
Junior & Young Writers: Week 7 - Greek Hero Stories [the 12 labours of Hercules]
Junior & Young Writers: Week 12 [Wild Words] - Stuff & Things
Junior & Young Writers: Week 11 [Wild Words] - World Building 2
Junior & Young Writers: Week 10 [Wild Words] - World Building
Junior & Young Writers: Week 9 [Wild Words] - Mystery & Choose Your Own Adventure
Junior & Young Writers: Week 8 [Wild Words] - Spooky Sequels & Potion Poems
Junior & Young Writers – Week 10 (Writers’ Inspiration) – Final Showcase
Junior & Young Writers – Week 9 (Writers’ Inspiration) – Editing & Performance Tips
Junior & Young Writers – Week 8 (Writers’ Inspiration) – Cuteness
Time goes on by Tavinder Kaur New
Junior & Young Writers – Week 7 (Writers’ Inspiration) – Natural Solutions
Junior & Young Writers – Week 6 (Writers’ Inspiration) – The Language of Fruit and Veg
Junior & Young Writers – Week 5 (Writers’ Inspiration) – Adventures In Space
Tinklebobs and Bedraggled Angles
Junior & Young Writers – Week 4 (Writers’ Inspiration) – Our Environment
Fortune Tellers & Future Letters
Junior & Young Writers – Week 3 (Writers’ Inspiration) – Home
Young Writers - Week 10 (The Art of Writing) – Final Week Showcase
Junior Writers - Week 10 (The Art of Writing) – Final Week Showcase
Young Writers – Week 9 (The Art of Writing) – Choose Your Own Adventure
Junior Writers – Week 9 (The Art of Writing) – Choose Your Own Adventure
Young Writers – Week 8 (The Art of Writing) – Sequel Stories
Junior Writers – Week 8 (The Art of Writing) – Sequel Stories
Young Writers – Week 7 (The Art of Writing) – Picture Prompts
Junior Writers – Week 7 (The Art of Writing) – Picture Prompts
Young Writers - Week 6 (The Art of Writing) - Script-writing & Dialogue
Junior Writers - Week 6 (The Art of Writing) - Script-writing & Dialogue
Junior Writers – Week 5 (The Art of Writing) – Poetry
Young Writers - Week 5 (The Art of Writing) - Poetry Potions
Edward The Martyr - A Competition!
Mood Boards and Postcards from Space
Young Writers - Week 3 (The Art of Writing) - PLOT
Junior Writers - Week 3 (The Art of Writing) - PLOT
Moomin Stories and Hollywood Pitches
Young Writers - Week 2 (The Art of Writing) - Genre & Setting
Junior Writers - Week 2 (The Art of Writing) - Genre & Setting
Prompts, Dialogues, and Cliché
Story Structure Part One: Exposition and Beyond...
Young Writers - Week 1 (The Art of Writing) - Character
Young Writers - week 4 - Nature Writing [animals & wildlife]
Junior Writers - week 4 - Nature Writing [animals & wildlife]
Young Writers - week 3 - Nature Writing [trees/plants/flowers]
Junior Writers - week 3 - Nature Writing [trees/plants/flowers]
Young Writers - week 2 - 'fractured fairy tales'
Junior Writers - week 2 - 'fractured fairy tales'
