Love’sCreative SPARKS

Activity Focus: Communicate

Materials Needed: • ComputerwithPowerPointORpresentationboard/posterboard andsmartphoneforphotos • Ideaoutline • Picturestory

Overview:Let’suseyourinspiration,projectoutline,andpicture/photostorytocreateamockpresentationforapotentialcommunityleader.

Steps:

1. Imagineyouaregiventheopportunitytopresentyourideafor acreativecommunitytoaleaderinyourcommunity.Tobe successful,youwouldneedtocreateapolished,professional presentation.Inordertodothat,youneedtothinkcarefullyabout themessageyouwanttocommunicateandthegoalofyourproject. Yourmessageandgoalsneedtobeconveyedclearly. 2. Advertiserscreatepitches,orproposals,topromoteaproductor service.Howareyougoingto“pitch”youridea?Whatmediacan youuse?Aposter,photos,ajingleorrap?LetyourcreativitySPARKhere. 3. Yourpresentationshouldincludethefollowingitems: •Acatchphraseorslogantocapturetheattentionofyour audience •Adescriptionoftheproject •Yourphoto/picturestorysotheaudiencecanimagineit •Aestimateofexpensesfortheproject •Atimelineofstepsthatneedtobetakenforyourcreative communityidea 4. Useacomputertocreatethedocumentthatwilldeliveryour information.Thinkofyourvisualoptions(PowerPointorother presentationprogram)ORaphotoofapresentationboardwhere youhaveputtogetherallthebulleteditemsabove.Includegraphics andcolorswhereappropriate.Makesureyoucheckyourpresentation forcorrectspellingandgrammar. 5. Practiceamockpresentationinfrontofafriend,teacher,orparent. Makesureyouare“selling”yourideathoughyourpresentation! 6. Tipsforentrysubmissionatnie.newsok.com: •Answerthequestionsintheboxesprovided. •Attachyouressayorimages.

Love’s Creative SPARKS! is asking students across the state to brainstorm ways they could make their community more creative. The students with ideas that are determined to be the most innovative

will receive cash awards, the Creative SPARKS! Awards, that will serve as seed funds to implement their ideas. Classroom activities allowing students to use collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and communication

to move from idea to implementation can be found here! When people come together with a common interest, a community is created.

Community can mean various things to different people. It is commonly described as a group of people living in the same place or a group of people sharing common attitudes, interests and goals. First we will focus on working in a partnership through a creative exercise, focusing on developing a creative community. Students will continue working on their idea for their creative community and result in one final project.

What is Community to You?

Focus: CollaborationMaterials Needed: • Posterboard(orotherlargepapermedium) • Markers • Severalmagazines • Scissors • Glue

Overview: Forthisactivity,studentswillworkinpairs.Afteradiscussionofwhatacreativecommunitymeanstothem,theywillusethematerialstocreateacollagefocusingoncreativewordsandpicturesrepresentingtheirideas.

Steps:

1. Getintopairs. 2. Beforeyoustart,haveadiscussionaboutwhatacreative communityistothetwoofyou,whatmakesacommunitycreative, andwhatyoumightseeinacommunitythatiscreative.Comeupwith ideasyoubothagreeon,sothatyourposterrepresentscollaboration betweenthetwoofyou.Thinkaboutplacesyouhavetraveledtoor seenonTV.Whatthingscomposeastrong,creativecommunitythat encouragesandwelcomestheartsandnewideasandsolutions?3. Usingthematerialsyougathered,createacollagethatrepresents anidealcreativecommunitytothebothofyou.Findpicturesandwordsinthe magazinesthatspeaktoyouroriginalconceptthatyoudiscussed.Gluethem inanartisticcomposition,useallofyourspace,thinkaboutwheretheviewer’s eyeisled,andbecreativeandthoughtfulwithplacementofyourcutouts.

Whenyourcollagehasdried,turnitover.Writeaparagraph(6-8sentences)describinghowandwhyyourposterrepresentsanidealcreativecommunitytothetwoofyou.

Makesureyourparagraphhasathesis(claim)withevidencetoproveit.Payattentiontotheideasthatseemmostimportanttoyou.Wewillworkwiththemmoreinthenextlesson.

Focus: CriticalThinking

Materials Needed: • Paper • Writingutensil • Collage • Computer(optional)

Overview: Usingyourcollage,identifyonespecificelementofyourcreativecommunitythatyouwouldliketoimproveandoutlinetheprocessitmayrequireifitweretobeimplemented.

Steps: 1. Takeafewminutestolookoverthecollageyouandyourpartner made.Identifyonespecificelementofitthatyouwouldlovetosee happeninyourcommunity. 2. Usingthiselementasyourguideandgoal,createanoutlinewith whichyouwilllaterusetoproposeyourplan/idea.Anoutlineis aplanforsomethingthatdoesn’tgointogreatdetail.Outlinesare clean,concise,andeasytoread. 3. Usingacomputerorpaper,createyouroutline—makingsureit includesallofthedetailsincludedbelow: a.Onesentencethatsummarizesyourcreativeideaforyour community b.Stepsthatneedtobetakeninordertoseeitinaction.Besure tonumberthesteps. 4. Allprojectshavecoststothem.Whatcostsmightyouridea include?Bespecificandcreateanestimatedbudgetbasedonthe needsyouidentify. 5. Listpotentialobstaclesyoumayruninto 6. Concludeyouroutlinebyexplaininginabriefsummaryhowthis wouldbenefitacommunity.

If you could change one thing about your community to make it more

creative, what would that be? Creative problem solving depends on critical thinking skills. Using critical thinking skills teaches you how to be flexible, inventive and make judgments that reflect careful thinking. Now we will focus on identifying one creative idea from your collage that you would most want to see in action in your local community (town, school, state).

Communicate how you would implement your plan.

To communicate is to articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written, and nonverbal skills in a variety of forms. In this final lesson you will create a presentation to share your idea.

Focus: Creativity

Materials Needed: • Camera(orpaperforillustrationsifacameraisnotavailable) • Printerandstorytemplate(optional) • Paper • Optional:clay,Legos,paintoranyothermediumwithwhich youcouldbuildorillustrateastory

Overview: Nowthatyou’vemadeanoutlineofyourcreativecommunityproject,brainstormwhatyourprojectwouldlooklikeifitwerecreated.Inthislesson,you’llcreateaphotostorythatdemonstratesandcelebrateswhatyourideacouldbe.

Steps:

1. Imagineyourideabecomesareality.Whowilluseit?Wherewillitbe?What experiencewillpeopledrawfromit?Whywillitbeused? 2. Basedonyourbrainstorming,useapaperorcomputertowriteout/plotashortstory involvingyouridea.Includeplot,characters,andasetting.Thinkabouthowyoucould dividethisstoryintosuccinctimages. 3. Usingthistemplate(feelfreetouseitasaguideorcreateyourown),tellyourstory inaseriesofboxes.Thinkabouthoweachboxwouldconnecttothenextoneand tokeepthestorygoing.Becreative!Youcantakepicturesofreal peopleand locations,sculptclay,paintimages,buildwithLegos,oruseanythingelseyoucanthink oftotellyourstory.Ifyouchoosetotakepictures,emailthemtoyourselfanduse theminaprogramsuchasPublisherorWordtocreateyourphotostory.Oryoumight choosetomakethemintoaPowerPoint.Justmakesureyourfinalproductclearlytells thestoryofyourideathroughtheboxes.

Make a photo story on how you would address the change you identified

for your community.Creativity is the process of developing a new idea or combination of ideas that can be put into action. It is a skill that everyone has and uses every day in some way. This section will focus on helping you visualize your project that could be implemented in a community.

Only one attachment is allowed per entry, so consider inserting images

in the document you attach.

Newspapers for this program provided by:

Love’sCreative SPARKS

Newspapers for this program provided by:

Oklahoma Creative CommunitiesSend us your ideas!

Creativity, defined as the “generation of ideas that have value,” is a basic human ability that we all possess. New, fresh, creative ideas are constantly needed to resolve some of the world’s most pressing issues. Through the Love’s Creative SPARKS! program, Creative Oklahoma is challenging students of all ages to start using their creative abilities now to offer their ideas for solutions to problems they see within their classroom, school or community environments. The Love’s Creative SPARKS! awards will grant cash prizes to the students who submit the most innovative ideas. Any funds received will be a call to action for the student and school to work together to make the idea a reality.

This year’s Love’s Creative SPARKS! theme is Oklahoma Creative Communities. Creative Oklahoma encourages the creative development of students throughout their lives, especially during their time in Oklahoma classrooms. Creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration are all important skills essential to compete in the 21st century. They are also vital to ensuring strong economic growth and quality of life for all Oklahoma communities.

To be considered for the Love’s Creative SPARKS! awards, students will need to submit an application on the NIE website. Entries can be in the form of digital images or written proposals. Students, this is your chance to use your creativity to make a difference!

StudeNt eNtrY FOrMSubmit your entry on the Newspaper in Education website:

nie.newsok.com For more information email:

info@stateofcreativity.comPrizes

Grand Prize Winner (Any winner)$1500tothestudent’sschooltoimplementthestudent’sideaand$1000cashprizetothestudent(s)whosubmittedthebestoverallidea.

Two High School Awards (Grade 9-12)$1000tothestudent’sschooltoimplementthestudent(s)’sideaand$250cashprizetothestudent(s)whosubmittedtheentry.

Two Middle School Awards (Grade 6-8)$1000tothestudent’sschooltoimplementthestudent(s)’sideaand$250cashprizetothestudent(s)whosubmittedtheentry.

Two Elementary School Awards (Grade K-5)$1000tothestudent’sschooltoimplementthestudent(s)’sideaand$250cashprizetothestudent(s)whosubmittedtheentry.

Submissions are due by March 21, 2016!

RULES AND REGULATIONS: Allfederal,stateandlocalregulationsapply.Nopurchasenecessary.Therearenoprizeorcashsubstitutions.Prizesarenon-transferable.Byparticipatinginthispromotion,entrantsagreetobeboundbytheofficialrulesandthedecisionsofthejudges/contestofficials.Alldecisionsmadebycontestofficialsshallbedeemedfinal.Employeesofcontestsponsorsandtheirimmediatefamiliesareineligibletoparticipate.Thiscontestisvoidwhereprohibitedbylaw.Acceptanceofprizesconstitutespermissiontousethewinnername(s),video(s),photograph(s)andlikeness(es)forpurposesofadvertisingandpromotiononbehalfofcontestsponsorswithoutcompensation.AllcontestsubmissionsbecomethepropertyofCreativeOklahoma,Inc.andCOIretainstherighttoreusethemattheirdiscretionandwithoutcompensation.