Dear Tim, having attended the workshop you held at Charles Dickens School, Portsmouth, in January I was very inspired to use Myst with my own pupls to stimulate and extend ideas and vocabulary.
I am the English Manager at Newbridge Junior School in Portsmouth and was faced with the annual challenge from Portsmouth L.E.A. to submit pieces of writng on a stipulated theme for their annual anthology of children’s writing.
This year, the stimulus title was “Futures” so my mind immediately focused on the barren, atmospheric landscape of the MYST game with the windchimes and circling bird. I provided the pupils with an opening verse detailing a crash landing in a space ship and asked them to write a poem about their first impressions of this weird landscape. By challenging them to be led by their senses and encouraging them to refine and improve their vocabulary choices we actually procured some marvellous poetry and I duly made my ten submissions from across the key stage.I was delighted to receive a letter informing me that, from the entire school, the two pupils selcted for the anthology were from my class and their work had been inspired from MYST. Thought you might like to see these two pieces. Not bad for two nine year olds in an inner city school eh?
Thanks for the inspiration.Jackie Price - Newbridge Junior.
Future World
A gust of wind,A blow of the sand,I stand in the depths of an exotic land I hear a vulture, a mellow sound,I turn my head to the yellow ground,It’s amazing what I found.
The area is very parched,
The rocks are formed just like an arch,
I taste the sand blowing in the air,
I believe there’s something moving over there.
I feel the rocks crunching under my feet, I tke a breath, my heart starts to beat, like the wings of a bird, I wonder what it is that I heard, I feel hunger, I feel thirst, MY luck, I think, has taken a turn for the worse!
It’s coming - a very ghastly breeze,
I get cold, I start to freeze,
I open my eyes, this is what I see,
A future world caving in on me.
By Jake C. Year 4.
Future World
I can see mysterious rocks as arched as a church door, The parched planet smells like sulphur and ashes.
In the sky there is a brid soaring like an eagle, The parched planet tasted like dehydrated air.
I can hear whistling winds and soaring birds I think are eagles, I feel as if someone, or more importantly, something, is watching me!
There’s no greenery at all, not even a living soul.
There was an arched rock that looks like a dinosaur, The parched planet smells like lava, The planet makes me feel like I am in danger!
I hear twinkling wind chimes like my mum has!
Now the only questions I ask is ” where am I?”
By Nakita H. Year 4.
Well done Jackie, and pupils!