Creativity - Novice High

Positive Psychology Learning Outcomes: Students will identify and exemplify creativity and discover how they and others are creative. Language Learning Outcomes: Students will learn vocabulary words associated with creativity, actively participate in conversations through proper responses, infer meaning of unfamiliar words by using background knowledge, and create language based on memorized phrases and formulaic speech.

 

Lesson Information

Positive Psychology Learning Outcomes

Students will...

  1. identify and exemplify creativity.  
  2. discover how they and others are creative.  

Language Learning Outcomes

Students will...

  1. learn vocabulary words associated with creativity.  
  2. actively participate in conversations through proper responses.
  3. infer meaning of unfamiliar words by using background knowledge.
  4. create language based on memorized phrases and formulaic speech.

Materials Needed

Overview

Explain that the lesson is about creativity. 

Activate Background Knowledge

Display the following definition on the board: creativity–the ability to use your imagination to produce new ideas or make things. Show the following examples to explain what creativity is: 

Activity 1: Vocabulary 

  • Explain that creativity is a noun. The following are examples of the word being used in different forms: 
    • Adjective: creative 
      • Sarah drew this beautiful picture. She is very creative
    • Verb: create
      • She wants to create a new website. 
  • Explain that the following words are used when talking about creativity or they are similar to creativity: 
    • imagination: the ability to form pictures or ideas in your mind 
      • Bob Ross uses his imagination to paint. 
    • original: existing or happening first, before other people or things
      • The man had an original idea. 
    • artistic: good at painting, drawing, or producing beautiful things 
      • She is very good at art. She is artistic
    • unique: being the only one of its kind
      • Everyone in the world has unique DNA. 
  • Have the students each think of examples of these words or have them use the words in a sentence with a partner or as a class. 

Activity 2: Speaking

Explain that people can be creative in many different ways. 

  • Split the students up into groups of 3 or 4 and have each group find something creative in a specific genre. Genres that can include the following: 
    • art
    • music
    • dancing
    • writing 
    • speaking 
    • building 
    • designing 
  • Have the students explain to the class what they found and how it was creative when finished. 

Activity 3: Listening/Speaking

Have students think of something they made, did, or said that they consider creative. You may want to show them an example of something you created that you consider creative such as a poem you wrote, a room you decorated, etc. 

  • Have them share their creativity with a partner and answer the following questions: 
    • What is it? 
    • Why did you create it? 
    • Why do you like it? 

Activity 4: Creativity

Provide a stack of paper for the class (you can choose whether it’s colored or construction, etc).

  • Tell them that they can do whatever they want with the paper. This is their chance to be creative. 
  • Note: It may be beneficial to set a timer for this activity based on class time. 
  • Some suggestions (if you want to provide them to students) 
    • Write a story
    • Origami
    • Draw a picture 
    • Write a poem 
    • Cut the paper to create something 
    • Write a note 
    • Make a decoration 
  • Have students explain to the class what they created and how. 

Homework

Find an example of creativity and share it in class. Why do you consider it creative? The example can be something you have created or something someone else has created. 

Follow-Up

Tuesday:

Share the following quote and have a class discussion: 

“Creativity is intelligence having fun.” -Albert Einstein

Wednesday:

Have the students all write the most creative sentences they can think of, and share them with a partner. 

Thursday:

Ask the students to brainstorm how they can be more creative or set more time aside in their schedule for creativity. 

This content is provided to you freely by EdTech Books.

Access it online or download it at https://edtechbooks.org/PositivePsychologyintheClassroom/creativity_novice_high.