Junior & Young Writers: Week 13 [Wild Words] - Editing & Performance Skills {The Body Writes}

Hi Writers,

This week, we worked on our editing and performance skills in preparation for the end-of-

term showcase, but first, we checked in as body parts. We, of course, had a bum because it

was a tiring week, and they needed to poo everything out. We also had an oesophagus to

represent a very, very, very long week. A funny week was aptly compared to the funny bone,

and a smiley face represented a fun week.

Claire introduced a new game called Pass the Sound. In this game, Claire would start by

delivering a sound to a person who then had to pass it around the circle by repeating the

sound. Claire then added a second sound, and the group passed both sounds around, with

some people being sandwiched by sounds from both directions. We also, by popular

demand, played Chinese whispers, where a gingerbread man turned into a 'plop'.

Claire read 'Anthem for my belly after eating too much' by Kara Jackson, and we then tried

creating our own anthems for body parts or organs.

We had a mixture of body parts and anthems, including an anthem for my thumb, an anthem

for my bum and an anthem for my face. We then tried writing poems as a body part or organ.

We even got some rapping from a few of the group members for this exercise.

Moving on to preparing for the showcase, we looked at an editing checklist that included

headers such as overall content, structure, vocabulary, and language, and we explored why

someone might need to review and edit their work.

Next, we looked at performance preparation through vocal warm-ups. We recited tongue

twisters and performed 'the hum', in which we exhaled all the air in our lungs, increasing and

decreasing the volume of our hums. To stretch our faces and mouths, we scrunched our

faces into mice and then stretched into lions.

Before the end of the session, Noah shared a descriptive piece of writing he had been

working on that explained Buzzy Bees instructions. Henry and J also shared a brief

Pokemon-inspired choose-your-own-adventure.

In the next group, one week was summarised as a failing heart because it felt like everyone

was depending on them. We also had a week represented as wind-swept hair to symbolise

the stormy weather. A pointless week was compared to an appendix. One very dire week

was described as a stomach because it dissolved everything good, and some more positive

weeks were described as brains.

After reading the poem, the group tried creating their own anthems. This time, we had an

anthem for my eyes, my feet, and two anthems about their noses. We then looked at

creating poems from the perspective of a body part, and Sonny shared a clever poem from

the view of his nose.

The group then reviewed the editing checklist and discussed how work can be revised and

how it is sometimes good to put something away for a few days before revisiting and editing

it. Next, we warmed up our vocals and faces, and then we had time to try out 'Zip Zap Boing',

in which, taking it in turn, you handed zips to the left and zaps to the right and could

return to the sender by saying 'boing'

As the term comes to an end, we're super excited to see the performances and see

everyone's hard work take form.

See you next week

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