Words Catcher

Lets Catch The Words From The Hearts!

Story Submitted by Habiba Noman -The Big Change

By 2 Comments

Habia Noman is the student of the Creative Writing Program by Author Ayesha Marfani. The author conducts online classes for the kids and this is what they have written during the class. The kids also practiced the art of storytelling. This is the original unedited work of the kid.

Please appreciate it by commenting!

If you wish to be the part of the class then contact +923138997470.

A BIG CHANGE

Alizah, a 10-year-old girl, with peachy lips, dark brown eyes small face and thick blonde shiny hair. She was a bright student, a good reader, and an active sports girl. She used to participate in assembly recitation. Everyone used to admire her voice. She never lied to anyone and was very fond of making good new friends.

Three classmates of Alizah Nida, Saba, and Fatima grouped together. They were bold. Nida was tallest so she thought she’d be a leader; Saba was chubby and always hungry. Her parents were working and she used to bring money for lunch that was not enough so she joined in with Nida so she can share in other’s lunch. Fatima was timid and shy so she just followed Nida as she said so. Nida uses Fatima for her personal favors to get lunch for Saba, complete her homework and stand in canteen queues. On the other hand, Alizah always wanted to be friends with Fatima because she thought she is a nice girl. She wanted to save her from the mean company.

After coming home Alizah used to pray as soon as possible, take a bath and tidy up her room. After lunch, She used to clean the table to help her mother who was busy with her younger siblings. One day Fatima called Alizah’s home and her mother answered. Fatima told her that Alizah is getting punished for talking in class during a lesson and its getting usual day by day. Alizah’s mom got upset and scolded her for being talkative in class and instructed her to be more attentive. The next day Alizah and her friends Huma and Ariba were targeted the same way. Nida laughed at them saying “poor girls! Mama scolded you, very sad: now behave well in class”.

Fatima felt guilty but Nida and Saba took her away.

In school the last unit was PE and Alizah was swinging in the garden when Nida and Saba pushed her hard. Alizah almost crashed on both of her knees. Fatima and her other classmates rushed to pick her up. At the same moment, PE teacher took Nida and Saba to the Principals office and Alizah was taken to First Aid. Sometime later, Alizah was called in the office and was asked to tell what actually happened. First Alizah looked at both Nida and Saba, they were ashamed and guilty. Alizah thought for a moment and told the principal that the girls were just standing nearby and actually it was her own fault because she was swinging fast. The principal asked her again if there’s anything more but Alizah affirmed her that there is nothing to worry about.

Nida and Saba apologized to Alizah for their arrogant and mean behavior. She forgave them and asked them to not to do this ever. They promised her. Alizah said, “We are friends and will be forever”.

Making Literature Learning Fun

By Leave a Comment

Here are some amazing techniques to make literature learning fun. Some of the techniques are known to you and some of them are exclusively designed by me.

Happy Teaching!

Exclusive techniques for teaching literature

Role play:
The role play is one of the great strategies to teach literature. The students love to be Oliver twist, Dorothy and when they subrogate the roles they naturally learn the
• Vocabulary
• The cultural frame of the story
• The historical settings in which the story was written
• The writing style of the author and his inspirations

Environmental themes creation
The creation of themes in the classroom based on famous literature novel could be very productive. For example
 The students may make a prop of row and dress like Tom Sawyer
 The students could make the den room like that mentioned in little princes
 The creation of elixir of life from the alchemist
 They could also plan the farm like that in Pollyanna
 Hogwarts school set up as in Harry Potter

Use of props
The teacher could create the props and then expose them to teach the students through them.
 The ring of the lord of the rings
 The wand, cloaks, and broom to teach Harry Potter
 The diary of Anna’s diary
 The pink rabbit for “when Hitler stole the pink rabbit”
 Wonka’s golden ticket and chocolates

Building characters
The students could be asked to create a literary character of their own. First, they may be allowed to go through the famous character in great literature piece then they may create their own character.

Stepping in the shoes of the characters:
The students must be able to tell their
 Action
 Reactions
 Feelings
 Aspirations
if they were Helen Keller or Oliver twist or Matilda or Charlie of Charlie and the chocolate factory.

Imitative writing or Fanfiction:
The students must be asked to decode the theme the author has targeted like
Fantasy
Adventure
Autobiography
Biography
Reflective writing
Magic
Then they may be asked to imitate that and create a piece of writing of their own.

Literature Pandora box:
The students could make their literature Pandora box in which they may collect all the things related to the literature piece.

The students can make the box from the chocolate factory containing
• The egg that hatch and out came the sweet duck
• The squirrel toy
• Oompa Loompas
• Willy Wonka’s golden bar

They can make Harry Potter magical box
o Snitch
o Broom
o Wand
o Hogsmeade items
o Potions etc

Finding life connections
The students learn the things that are relatable o the ordinary lives. They should be asked to make life connection:
A. Similar feelings
B. Like and dislikes
C. Desires and aspirations
D. The event that relates to their life
For example
A student from Farm background would love to relate their life with Polly Ana
The students with only one cousin would love to relate his experience with eight cousins
The students who faced the setback in financial term would draw inspiration from little princess.
Students feeling lonely will found greater pleasure in relating to the secret garden.

Making a drama
 This is the most used yet most successful techniques.
 The students should convert the literature piece into dialogues
 They must decide on characters
They must distribute roles

Innovation in Drama method by creating new endings
The students would love to end the literature drama in their own way.
This would make the literature drama technique more interesting.

Story stones
The students shall be allowed to paint the literature stones during their learning and then develop a literature novel wall on the completion of the literary novel.

Add some techniques in the comments if I missed any.

Teaching Islamic History Creatively

By 3 Comments

Islamic lessons must be designed creatively. The Islamic knowledge must be imparted in the way that students find it interesting. Here are some innovative lesson planning ideas that could work amazingly.

Mystery solving using a visual mind map

The educator can design the mystery visual maps on varied topics.  The sample given below may guide how this technique works.

This mind map will be displayed and children will be asked to decipher the picture using the following bulleted statements

Phase 1 focus the main picture

  • See what it shows

Phase 2 naming the event

  • Identify and locate the things used in the event
  • Identify the time of the occurrence of the event

Clues

  • It was lost by Muslims after getting close to the victory
  • Muslims failed to follow the commands of Muhammad (P.B.U.H)
  • A lot of Sahabas were martyred

Phase 3 (Focus the linked pictures)

Picture 2 TO 5

These pictures are related to picture one

Clues

  • They show the role of someone in picture 1
  • See how the object could be used in specific event in the identified historical time
  1. The students in the first phase will identify that it is war
  2. In the second phase, they will reach the conclusion that it is Ghazwah-e-Uhud
  3. In the third phase, they will come to know that it is related to the role of women
  4. In the fourth phase, they will decipher the role of women in following headings
  5. They carried the leather bag (Mashkiza) in order to give water to the injured
  6. There is the sword in the women hand in picture 3, the students will find out who used it, how when and why
  7. They will decipher the first aid items for ancient times and they will know how women treated the ills
  8. In picture 4, there are the Arabic verses that were said by women to raise the inspiration of the soldiers

Technique number 2

Coordinated flashcards

  • Make the flash cards and jumble them.
  • Then ask the children to read the flashcards.
  • Then allow them to read full text related to the event.
  • Ask them to arrange the flash cards in order.
  • Then ask them to fill the details under the title
  • Then allow them to paste their flashcards on the chart so that it could be displayed

The sample below may tell you how to use this technique.

  • These are the step by step titles on the role of Muhammad in the battle of Hunain.

Titles of flashcards

  • use of before the war tactics
  • sending of Sahaba to gather the information against enemy
  • the decision on initiating the attack on the settling place of the enemy
  • collection of weapons for the war
  • appointed to various leading roles to different people
  • the arrangement of the army on the battlefield in ranks and awarding of flags
  • getting himself armed for the war
  • encouragement at the moment of delicacy
  • displaying himself as a true leader to make other imitate him
  • fulfilling the duty of calling enemies towards Islam
  • his deep prayers for the victory
  • welcoming the victory with the integrity and humbleness

sample flashcards are presented below

 

Technique number 3

A map showing demographics of events

Phase 1

Decipher the graph

Reading the graph together with students

  • It shows the war whose demographics is shown in the graph
  • It shows no bloodshed
  • It says 0 days spend in the war
  • It shows the waiting for enemy for 20 days
  • It shows zero injury
  • Result of the war: Muslim won the war

You can ask your child to search for the name of the event using the above facts extracted from the graph.

They will research the facts then they will know that it was the battle of Tabok

See the demonstration:

Technique number 4

Use of mystery creating props

The use of props can be an excellent idea below is the example that will show how this could prove an excellent idea. Like if you wish to teach the difference in Arab culture before and after Islam, you can arrange the props on two tables.

Before Islam:

  • A crying doll
  • A sword
  • A wine glass
  • A poster of war

After Islam:

  • Hijabi dolls
  • A balance
  • A poster of peace

I hope you enjoyed the post. Please share your techniques in the comment box.