AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 

1) to stimulate critical thinking

2) to introduce creative ways of coping with stress and self-esteem

3) to practice 21st-century skills

PROCEDURE 

Step 1: Read the following article: How music and writing help my mental health and learn how Samara practices self-care through music and creative writing during times when she's struggled with anxiety, stress and depression.

Step 2: Do this vocabulary exercise on vocabulary.com. You'll need to create an account on this website. Alternatively, you could play with the Spelling bee exercise.

Step 3: Use at least seven of the words in the previous vocabulary exercise to write a song, fantasy, or other creative writing just like Samara does in the article “How music and writing help my mental health”. Preferably let the song or the writing tap into your own mental health or your own experience.  

TIPS: You can watch this Mental Health Awareness spoken poem for inspiration. Turn on the English subtitles to help you with the text.

Your song text and/or writing should be approximately 4-6 stanzas/paragraphs. The fantasy story should include a story structure with a beginning, middle, and end, an imaginary world, and at least 2-4 characters. 

OPTIONAL EXTRA INTERCULTURAL MILE: You are not alone, teenagers in many countries feel similarly. If you feel like sharing your text or video you made of yourself speaking/singing your text, post your creation on THIS Padlet (Password: CL-HEALTH) and then comment on someone else's contribution. 

TIPS: Remember to apply NETIQUETTE and encouraging FEEDBACK.

ALTERNATIVELY: Deliver your creation to your teacher as instructed by him/her.

GUIDING QUESTIONS 

1. How do I write a personal text to share with the world? Get inspired by Taylor Swift's songs - read the article 10 Taylor Swift Songs That Reference Anxiety, According to Therapists

2. Are Taylor Swift's songs talking about what I feel? Maybe! See this post on Taylor Swift's songs on mental health - so many of them!

3. What if I'm not a Taylor Swift fan? You can watch THIS video in which many artists like Avril Lavigne, Ariana Grande, Jay-Z, Demi Lovato, Paramore and others express their feelings through their songs.

4. What feelings are your most recurrent ones? Describe them using some words from THIS website (with examples of usage! :)

5. Not a singer or songwriter? Song lyrics are merely poems - and poems can take on a lot of forms. Check out THIS website for examples of poetry (with video clips!) that you might enjoy writing.

TIP: If you've never done recordings before or you're shy - check out these tips!