"Criminal Sentences" – Creative Writing Card Game for GCSE English Language (Paper 1 Question 5)

Can you gamify creative writing?  That was the question posed to me by a colleague a while ago.  The game I amabout to describe (created for students working towards GCSE English Language – and more specifically the creative writing question – Paper 1 Question 5 in the AQA specification that I deliver) was my response.  The answer to the question? A resounding “yes”.   The game is called “Criminal Sentences” – so called because players can steal from each other (sometimes in the middle of game play). You can find the game here but this article is more about they how and why of its development.

The decision to create a card game was an easy one (bringing it into the world was a little more challenging!).  Every break time, I see my students get packs of card games out of their bags and proceed to engage with them in a thoroughly engaged and animated way.  I like to think that my classes are interesting – and varied – but it was rare to see this kind of energy from my students when teaching creative writing, even from those who say it’s their “favourite part of English”.  I wanted to harness that energy (even fleetingly) and incorporate that into their writing.

The Mysterious Arrival of an Unusual Letter

Originally published in Poetry, The Mysterious Arrival of an Unusual Letter is an enigmatic piece by the Canadian-born American poet, essayist, and translator Mark Strand. You can guess what the poem is about from the title but its content is rather less straightforward – you could even go as far as perplexing.

Still, it is an excellent subject for an animated short and animator and director Scott Wenner has risen to the challenge. It is an elegant and pared back animation and brings out the words of the poem beautifully. The mellifluous narration by John Olive is the icing on the cake.

Fern

If you want a short black comedy about bereavement, you’ve come to the righ(ish) place.  Fern is a short movie about a recently widowed women who is not called Fern.  The title of the short is the name of the type of house plant our bereaved protagonist befriends in her hour of need.  This tatty, almost dead plant allows her to nurture something that she can, at least, help return to life.  If that sounds a little cosy, fear not.  The fern in question is very much the antagonist of the piece – but you will have to watch to find out more.

Written and directed by Johnny Kelly and commissioned by the UK TV Channel 4, Fern stars Monica Dolan.  Dolan is a very familiar face to British TV and theatre audiences, having starred in numerous shows and productions, including Talking Heads, Mr Bated vs The Post Office, Sherwood and Death in Paradise.

Those outside the UK may recognise her from two episodes of Black Mirror (series 5’s Smithereens, and series 6’s Loch Henry.  Dolan’s film credits include Kick-Ass 2, The Dig and This Time Next Year.

Fern was produced by Nexus Films.  Watch it below.

Monster's Symphony

 
In German, Monstersinfonie, this wonderful animated short by Kiana Naghshineh tells the story of a little girl who has a job – to train the monsters in her life to make the sort of noises that are going to properly frighten people.  Altogether, she does a pretty good job.  This short was created during Naghshineh’s time at the Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg in Germany.  Believe it or not it was created and produced in just three weeks.  Watch the film below. Emjoy!

The Porcupines that Climb Trees

Over on our sibling site, The Ark in Space, we're taking a closer look at some truly remarkable climbers -  the tree-dwelling porcupines of the Coendou genus. With their prehensile tails, spiky hairstyles, and surprisingly agile moves, these nocturnal creatures are the hidden acrobats of the Central and South American forests. From their quirky behaviours to their vital role in the ecosystem, these little-known porcupines are full of surprises. Want to meet the “punk rock” porcupine and learn why some scientists are only just beginning to understand their world? Swing over and check out the full story!

Image Credit

Uhangri Unleashed: Where Dinosaurs (Sort Of) Roam

Meanwhile in South Korea, dinosaurs brought back from extinction in a secret laboratory have broken out and are now roaming the Korean countryside, gobbling up the locals and generally doing the things that dinosaurs love to do.  However, this particular de-extinction has been brought about courtesy of wire framing, concrete and fiberglass rather than gene-splicing.  The Uhangri Dinosaur Center and Park - 해남공룡박물관 - may not host the real thing (it’s more of a visual, “colossal” fib but we're no strangers to that kind of thing, are we?) yet it’s still a great way to engage the public with all things cretaceous.

Image Credit

Why here? Dinosaur footprints – lots of them – were discovered in the Haenam county of South Korea (located in the far southwestern tip of the country), specifically around the Uhangri formation.   That was in 1992 and since then the tracks of therapods, sauropods and ornithopods have been preserved in situ in the dinosaur museum that has been built over them.  To attract visitors, the idea of dinosaurs breaking free was dreamed up by someone who had never seen a certain American film franchise – honest.

When Was Wallpaper First Introduced and How It Has Changed Through The Centuries

Wallpaper kicked off way back in China. Around 200 BCE, during the Qin dynasty, people there stuck rice paper on walls. They painted it with cool designs- simple but neat. Europe didn’t hear about it for ages. Not until the 12th century, when paper-making sneaked west via the Silk Road.

The Chinese swapped rice for linen fibers later - smoother stuff for painting. By the 1400s, rich Europeans caught on. Fancy hand-painted sheets started popping up in big houses. Oscar Wilde, though, hated his wallpaper in a cheap Paris hotel room - he called it a “duel to the death.” No one saved that ugly thing after he died in 1900; it’s gone forever.

Printing Makes It Big

Then the printing press shook things up. Around 1509, Hugo Goes in York made the oldest surviving European wallpaper - pomegranates in a damask style, block-printed. That’s when it started getting cheaper. France jumped in by 1599 with “dominotiers” - wallpaper makers for poor folks’ huts. Still, the rich kept their fancy tapestries.

The 1600s brought bolder vibes. England copied French looks but added flair - think flowers or velvet bits. Chinoiserie hit too—Chinese bird-and-flower designs that posh English homes like Ightham Mote loved by 1752. The manufacturing was slow, all done by hand.

The 1700s: Fancy Gets Fancier

By the 18th century, wallpaper went nuts. France ruled with Jean-Baptiste Réveillon’s wild designs—swans, fruits, framed panels. Machines in 1785 sped it up—cheaper rolls for more people. England taxed it in 1712, though - forging stamps could get you hanged by 1806!

Chinoiserie stayed hot - bright export papers from China wowed Europe. Flocked wallpaper showed up too - wool bits on glue, mimicking velvet since 1680. Walls turned into art—forests, battles, whatever. Only the rich could splurge, though.

1800s: Steam and Speed

Industrial Revolution time! Steam machines in the mid-1800s cranked out paper fast. Middle-class homes got in on it - Victorians loved dark, busy looks. William Morris pushed back, though—his Arts & Crafts flowers and birds fought “vulgar” factory stuff. The trouble was, his green dyes had arsenic—linked to child deaths in the 1860s.

Everyone could afford wallpaper now - not just elites. Colors popped with new dyes—reds, blues, crazy mixes. What about the peel and stick safari wallpaper? Nope, glue was the only way back then. Designs got jungly - birds, vines, chaos.

Early 1900s: Simpler Vibes

The 20th century chilled things out. Victorian clutter? People were over it. Art Nouveau brought curvy nature vibes, and then the 1920s went geometrically and jazzily. Wars slowed production—and money got tight. Post-war? Boom! Mid-century modern hit—funky shapes, bright hues.

Regular homes everywhere had it now. No more “rich only” rule. Designs slimmed down—less wild, and sleeker. Still, some kept the old floral game going.

Late 1900s: Wild and Free

The 1970s exploded - think orange, green, psychedelic overload. Wallpaper went everywhere—kitchens, even bathrooms. The ‘80s loved country stuff—roosters, plaid. By the ‘90s, paint took over—wallpaper faded a bit.

Modernism liked bare walls - less fuss. But it hung on, just quieter. People still slapped it up—just not as loud.

Today: Back and Better

Now, wallpaper’s back, big time. Digital printing means anything goes - custom looks, fast. Self-adhesive stuff like these laundry room wallpaper ideas makes it easy - stripes or dots, no mess. Luxury brands - Hermes, and Versace - jumped in too.

Old meets new = vintage florals or slick lines. Textures rock—fake brick, metallic shines. Zuber’s panoramas, like a £24,000 American Independence one, scream fancy. Eco-friendly papers? Yes, green’s in.

How It’s Changed Forever

Wallpaper’s trip is wild. From China’s rice sheets to today’s techy rolls, it’s flipped tons. It started elite = handmade, pricey. Then machines made it for all. Styles swung—simple, crazy, back to chill.

What’s next? Maybe glow-in-the-dark walls! It keeps evolving—never stuck. Walls today are way cooler than paint, thanks to the wallpaper’s long, twisty story.

Image Credit Wikimedia

The Lucky Old Mill of Vernon and its Less Fortunate Bridges

The old town of Vernon nestles at the side of the river Seine about 75 kilometers away from Paris.  It has, as you can imagine, a long history and has been through periods of momentous change both in France and Europe as a whple.

When change happens there are always winners and losers. In Vernon, architecturally speaking, perhaps it is the old bridge which could be considered most unfortunate – it no longer exists.

In fact it has been rebuilt and destroyed often enough for us to consider it perhaps the unluckiest bridge in the world.

Image Credit Flickr User Pladys

The lucky survivor, in that case, is the old mill house (le vieux moulin) which straddles the first two piers of the ancient bridge. Vernon itself is first mentioned in the archives of the Frankish King Pepin the Short (or the Great, depending on which history books you read) around the 750AD mark.  Vernon as a city was founded in 950 and the first wooden bridge was built at some point in the early twelfth century (though there is argument there among historians too).

David Archuleta - Crème Brulée

There is a certain sweet douleur to Crème Brulée by David Archuleta.  On the surface this song is pure bubble-gum (just the way great pop should be) but underneath it there is a kind of sensual sadness running through it and something much sharper than its “sugary and caramelized” exterior.  The speaker (we can’t automatically assume it’s David) is well aware of their allure but also that their ethnicity has been eroticised – and we're preety sure it’s not the first time either.  After all, when you package yourself as a dessert, you’ve probably been objectified more than once.

This song absolutely captures that sweet douleur - the pleasure of desire tangled with the ache of knowing it won’t last.  It’s layered though – the “speaker” might seem somewhat heartless but there’s also something melancholic in how quickly the passion fades — from “singing my praises” to being discarded just as easily as clothes on the floor. It’s exhilarating, yes, but also a little sad - like the sweetness of crème brûlée that’s gone too soon.  Talking of which – the song’s protagonist is really the opposite of that popular dessert – he’s harder on the inside than the outside.  Yet there is no victim here.  This is a knowing protagonist who is fully aware of his attractions and takes them all on board with a cheekily opportunistic pragmatism (is there even a hint of self-satisfaction?). 

Or maybe I’m just reading too much into this!

No, I’m not. The song is knowing, socially political and wistful all at the same time.  The lyricists (David Archuleta, Robyn Dell’Unto, Ryan Nealon) are a clever bunch as this song does something that not many do – it goes beyond words.  Hats off, too, to choreographers the JA Collective who with great panache really show how to fluidly interpret a song.

Sunday Short Movie: Barbie Boy

Bobby’s parents are very understanding – he enjoys playing with Barbie and Ken dolls rather than with robots and soldiers – although his father warns him that other boys might not be quite so empathetic when it comes to his choice of toys. However, they mostly leave him to it.

However, Bobby recognizes that his choice of toy does not truly meet with their approval.  He goes on a personal journey to discover what he should be playing with. Barbie Boy is about growing up, identity, and the delicate balance of letting go.

Directed by Nick Corporon, this is a coming of age tale that many boys will recognize but perhaps will not so readily admit. A short film about growing up, identity, and the delicate balance of letting go, Barbie Boy has been shown at festivals around the world. 

It was also the recipient of the Alfred C. Kinsey Award for its major contribution to the discussion of gender.

Even Pigeons go to Heaven

An old man, Moulin, has cut off the world and lives a miserly existence on his own.  One day he climbs a pile of books so he can reach a bottle of spirits and the stack collapses.  Fortunately a priest arrives to stop his fall but notices that the old man has brought something else to the ground as well as the bottle - a red sock containing all his savings.

The priest promises Moulin salvation if he signs over the money.  He has a device which will ensure his entry in to heacen but the old man wants to see more proof....

This extremely cool animated short directed by Samuel Tourneux was nominated for an Academy Award in 2007.

The Radome - Amazing Hi-Tech Radar Umbrella

They look as if they might be home to families of extra-terrestrials recently arrived on earth from some sort of galactic cataclysm – and they are everywhere and increasing in number. Yet there is no need to call in the air force just yet if you spot one of these on your travels. Your average radome may look like it is from a science fiction novel but its real purpose is much more down to earth: it is a kind of umbrella.

Teufelsberg, Germany - Image Credit Flickr User Snapsi

Endangered Tortoise Gives Birth at 100: A Conservation Milestone at Philadelphia Zoo

Over at our sibling site, Ark In Space, there's a truly heartwarming story about a 100-year-old Galápagos tortoise named Mommy, who has become a first-time mother at Philadelphia Zoo. After nearly a century without offspring, Mommy surprised keepers by laying sixteen eggs - eight of which have so far successfully hatched. As one of the oldest members of a critically endangered species, her hatchlings offer new hope for conservation efforts. Set to make their public debut on April 23, exactly 93 years after Mommy arrived at the zoo, these tiny tortoises represent a rare and valuable addition to their fragile genetic lineage.

relaxAI Unveils "PetTalk" – The AI Breakthrough That Lets You Chat with Your Pet

I suppose it had to happen.  Today, I spoke to Bruce.  To say that he got the surprise of his life is an understatement and he was reluctant to answer for a while.  Once we got going, he couldn't shut up.  Turns out he had a lot to tell me.  Bruce is a dog.  I am a human. Hey, they're just labels. From  now on, we can all have all conversations great and small with the creatures we live with.

How is this possible? Today, relaxAI, the advanced AI assistant platform, introduced PetTalk, an experimental new feature designed to translate pet vocalizations into human language in real time. Even more exciting? It allows humans to reply in their pets’ own "language."  You can try it for yourself using this link.  Just click on "pet mode" when you get there and you're away!

Powered by deep learning, speech pattern recognition, and a specialized natural language model trained on thousands of pet audio samples, PetTalk aims to revolutionize human-pet communication.

According to Mark Boost, CEO of relaxAI, the concept came straight from users who wanted to strengthen their emotional bond—not just with AI, but with their beloved animals.

“PetTalk is an exciting and ambitious step toward expanding the boundaries of AI-human interaction,” said Boost. “We’ve been working with leading academic researchers and animal behavior specialists to make what once seemed impossible… just a little less impossible.”

The feature was developed in collaboration with Dr. Emily Petrichor, Professor of Animal-Human Communication at the University of Ashwood, whose research into animal vocalization patterns helped shape the project’s foundational AI model.

Dr. Petrichor explains:

“We’ve identified acoustic patterns in animal sounds that indicate intent or emotion. Full interspecies conversation is still a distant dream, but with machine learning, we can make an educated guess about what your dog or cat might be trying to express. Whether it’s right or not—that’s for the pet to decide.”

While PetTalk isn’t (yet) scientifically or medically certified, early testers have shared entertaining results—from a Labrador pleading for “a bigger bed” to a cat demanding “a sunbeam that lasts all day.”