diary selections of famous people in fact and fiction creative writing journal topic development...
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Diary Selections of Famous People in Fact and Fiction
Creative Writing
Journal Topic Development
©2004 Tom Palumbo/AIM Consultants
Author, Integrating The Literature of Beverly Cleary In The Classroom
Diary Selections of Famous People in Fact and Fiction
Short-Term Project
After reading some famous diaries, keeping diary notes about yourself, and discussing other famous diary writers, such as Ann Frank and Lewis Carroll, you should be ready for this short-term
project challenge. It is called Diary Selections of Famous People in Fact and Fiction.
In this challenge you will choose a situation from those that follow and assume the identify of the famous person involved. You will try to write his/her exact feelings before or after an historic or not so
historic event. You are encouraged to practice being serious, humorous, or way out crazy in your journal thoughts.
Try selecting a different situation each day, or with your teacher’s approval make up some of your own. Keep your ideas in a journal,
writer’s log, or electronic portfolio.
About The Author
Tom Palumbo is the Lead Consultant for The Princeton Review’s (TPR) Literacy Benchmark Initiative here in Philadelphia. He is a nationally known author, educator, administrator, and graduate instructor. He has eleven books sold nationally on creative
curruculum.
The Literacy Office has asked him to develop a “Powerpoint Portfolio For Educators” that can be used for research, self enrichment and professional development programs
for parents, teachers, administrators, and students.
The educator’s portfolio will highlight standards based instruction, children’s literature, creative writing, poetry, and cross curriculum ideas. Teachers from the
Philadelphia educational community will be encouraged to design presentations that can, also, be included on the School District’s website and archived for this initiative.
Mr. Palumbo’s Contact Information
Additional ideas can be found on his Spruance School award winning website which contains virtual tours of eleven Philadelphia museums and over fifty supportive
activities. (www.phillyvrtour.org)
Tom can be reached at [email protected] or at 215-262-9986.
Teacher’s Note
Projects 1-5 are full class projects and you may work in your groups on them?The “rule of threes” will be followed for each diary entry in projects 1-5? Place three different directions the individual’s diary thoughts might take before selecting the one that you can write most creatively.You may also change that character’s journal direction (see examples +1 that follow)
Dear Diary
Can you pick an artist, musician, or politician and write their diary for a week surrounding a special event or situation in their life?
What would the one day diary entries look like in the following situations?
Dear Diary
Project 1. Harriet Tubman’s entry during one of her slave rescue trips.
Rule of threes…Three directions your writing might take for this diary selection plus one additional thought on how you might change the writing assignment for that particular person
1. Harriet is fearful that she may be caught
2. Harriet is confident she can rescue her family
3. Harriet is looking forward to meeting old friends
+1. Harriet at age ninety looking back on her life
Dear Diary
Project 2. Van Gogh’s thoughts and reasons the day before and the day after cutting off his ear.
Rule of threes…Three directions your writing might take for this diary selection plus one additional thought on how you might change the writing assignment for that particular person
1. Vincent wondering why no one understands his work
2. Vincent commenting on the beauty of his countryside
3. Vincent explaining his troubles
+1. Vincent returning one hundred years later to find he is famous
Dear Diary
Project 3. Beethoven’s entry on learning that he was soon to be deaf..
Rule of threes…Three directions your writing might take for this diary selection plus one additional thought on how you might change the writing assignment for that particular person
1. Ludwig explaining how he discovered his hearing loss
2. Ludwig listening to the orchestra playing his work
3. Ludwig racing to finish his projects before total deafness
+1. Beethoven getting a hearing help transplant device
Dear Diary
Project 4. Mary Shelley’s thoughts on creating the monster ‘Frankenstein’ in her new novel.
Rule of threes…Three directions your writing might take for this diary selection plus one additional thought on how you might change the writing assignment for that particular person
1. Mary wondering whether people will see her Frankenstein as a sympathetic figure
2. Mary comparing her writing to the beauty of her husband’s poems
3. Mary deciding if a female monster should share his fate
+1. Frankenstein lecturing Mary on his clothes selection
Dear Diary
Project 5. Oprah Winfrey’s thoughts on the acceptance for broadcast of her new television talk show.
Rule of threes…Three directions your writing might take for this diary selection plus one additional thought on how you might change the writing assignment for that particular person
1. Oprah deciding on the shows opening guests
2. Oprah selecting sidekick and her house band
3. Oprah at a meeting with her writing team
+1. Oprah backstage getting ready to be announced on stage
Dear Diary
1. The entry of Sally Ride, the astronaut, the night before her first space flight.
Rule of threes…Three directions your writing might take for this diary selection plus one additional thought on how you might change the writing assignment for that particular person
1.
2.
3.
+1.
Dear Diary
2. Sally Ride’s entry her first night in space.
Rule of threes…Three directions your writing might take for this diary selection plus one additional thought on how you might change the writing assignment for that particular person
1.
2.
3.
+1.
Dear Diary
3. Joan of Arc’s thoughts before she was to be burned at the stake.
Rule of threes…Three directions your writing might take for this diary selection plus one additional thought on how you might change the writing assignment for that particular person
1.
2.
3.
+1.
Dear Diary
5. Columbus’ entry after months on the high seas without sighting land.
Rule of threes…Three directions your writing might take for this diary selection plus one additional thought on how you might change the writing assignment for that particular person
1.
2.
3.
+1.
Dear Diary
6. Abraham Lincoln’s entry the night before he was to present his Gettysburg Address.
Rule of threes…Three directions your writing might take for this diary selection plus one additional thought on how you might change the writing assignment for that particular person
1.
2.
3.
+1.
Dear Diary
7. The Wright Brothers first thought the night they found they had a vehicle that was capable of flying.
Rule of threes…Three directions your writing might take for this diary selection plus one additional thought on how you might change the writing assignment for that particular person
1.
2.
3.
+1.
Dear Diary
8. Frank Lloyd Wright’s diary notes as his first architectural plans are being brought to life in a new building.
Rule of threes…Three directions your writing might take for this diary selection plus one additional thought on how you might change the writing assignment for that particular person
1.
2.
3.
+1.
Dear Diary
9. Cinderella’s entry the night she learned she couldn’t go to the Prince’s ball.
Rule of threes…Three directions your writing might take for this diary selection plus one additional thought on how you might change the writing assignment for that particular person
1.
2.
3.
+1.
Dear Diary
10. Paul Lawrence Dunbar’s entry the night he saw his first poem in print.
Rule of threes…Three directions your writing might take for this diary selection plus one additional thought on how you might change the writing assignment for that particular person
1.
2.
3.
+1.
Dear Diary
11. Robin Hood’s journal evaluation the first time he met Little John and his new band of merry men.
Dear Diary
12. Rumplestiltskin’s journal thoughts the night he thought he would definitely keep the baby.
Dear Diary
13. Amos Mouse’s entry the first evening in Benjamin Franklin’s house.
Dear Diary
14. Betsy Ross’ entry the night she was told that her flag would be used as the nation’s banner.
Dear Diary
15. Sleepy (the Dwarf) on how he feels about Grumpy always complaining.
Dear Diary
16. Daniel Boone’s entry the first night alone in the woods.
Dear Diary
17. Snow White’s diary notes the day she awakened from her sleep.
Dear Diary
18. Robinson Crusoe after first sighting footsteps on his island.
Dear Diary
19. George Washington’s entry the last night of his horrible winter stay at Valley Forge.
Dear Diary
20. Paul Bunyan on learning that his footsteps made the Great Lakes.
Dear Diary
21. Merlin the Magician’s entry on learning he was responsible for young, future King Arthur’s upbringing.
Dear Diary
22. Bambi’s journal thoughts the night she almost lost her mother.
Dear Diary
23. Donald Duck’s entry the first day that Huey went to school.
Dear Diary
24. Charles Lindbergh’s airplane log halfway across the Atlantic on his first transatlantic flight.
Dear Diary
25. Icarus after his wings to freedom were constructed but not yet placed into motion.
Dear Diary
27. What would Sherlock Holmes write in his journal the night he solved his first case?
Dear Diary
27. Martin Luther King’s thoughts the night before his “I Have A Dream” speech.
Dear Diary
28. President Nixon’s journal thoughts after being the first President removed from office.
Dear Diary
29. Isaac Newton’s journal entry after first discovering the laws of gravity.
Dear Diary
30. Leonardo da Vinci’s writing and next drawings after completing (what about the missing eyebrow) the Mona Lisa.
Dear Diary
31. What would Shakespeare have written the night his first play received a standing ovation?
Dear Diary
32. How would Gelsey Kirkland (ballerina) have composed her diary thoughts after first dancing the lead in Swan Lake?
Dear Diary
33. Can you put Neil Armstrong’s diary moon scratches into some readable form?
Dear Diary
34. How tragic would the log of the captain of the Titanic have been as he realized that rescue ships were too far away to assist his quickly sinking luxury liner?
Dear Diary
35. What would the tortoise have said the night after he lost that important race to the hare?
Dear Diary
35. What would the tortoise have said the night after he lost that important race to the hare?