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Description:
The Creative Writing course is designed for students who enjoy writing as a form of art and personal expression. In this course, students will explore the elements of numerous literary genres (short fiction, poetry, drama, film) and the power of both print and multimedia formats. To develop original writing pieces, students will engage in writing workshops, literary element development lessons, writing/author studies, and peer reviews/conferences. To show evidence of writing development throughout the course, students will be required to maintain Writer’s Notebooks that may be developed digitally or in print. Finally, students will design, edit, and contribute writing pieces to Englewood High School's Literary Magazine.
Course Standards:
Students will:
Complete prewriting activities to encourage creative thinking and to inspire writing projects.
Analyze and critique writers’ use of literary elements, word choice, style, and content.
Use class writing exercises and the Writer’s Notebook to develop their ability to create characters, conflicts, settings, plots, themes, and points of view; to craft language to convey their ideas; to refine their own writing style.
Write original writing pieces inspired by literary models and examples.
Make connections among literature, students’ lives, and real world issues.
Complete writing projects, such as short fiction, children’s book, poetry collection, digital prose poem, one-act play, film screenplay, and literary magazine.
Special Note:
Special Note:
While one of the fundamental goals of this class is for students to use their unique experiences, aspirations, and inspirations for writing creatively, students should understand that their writing will be read by others and possible shared beyond the classroom writing community. Since all students’ well-being is an utmost priority, any “alert” writing will be investigated (i.e., shared with proper authorities, counselors, parents, etc.) to ensure that the student writer is physically, mentally, and emotionally safe. “Alert” writing is writing that contains depictions of any of the following:
gratuitous violence, sex, language or drug use
harm to self or others
physical, mental, emotional, or sexual abuse
bullying
Grading:
Grading:
Students will evaluated on the writing process and the process of completing writing projects and class activities including, but not limited to:
Writing projects
Writer’s Notebooks
Prewriting activities
Reading journal
Class participation
Grade Calculation:
Grade Calculation:
Writing Projects - 50%
Writer’s Notebook - 25%
Writing Development Activities - 25%
Participation and Attendance:
Participation and Attendance:
Since students will be a part of a nurturing class writing community, they must be prepared to share their ideas and writing through peer conferences/edits and class activities. Without enthusiastic participation and attendance, the class writing community suffers. Students who miss class due to an excused absence may not be able to complete a class assignment since some class activities are spontaneous or can only be completed within the class setting; however, such an assignment will NOT detract from a student’s grade. Late work of major projects and Writer’s Notebooks only will be accepted. Each day the major project or Writer’s Notebook is late, the grade will be penalized 10%. Any other late work will NOT be accepted.
Writing Prompts
Writing Prompts
If you want to become a better writer, the best thing you can do is practice writing every single day.
If you want to become a better writer, the best thing you can do is practice writing every single day.
Writing prompts are useful because we know sometimes it can be hard to think of what to write about!
Writing prompts are useful because we know sometimes it can be hard to think of what to write about!
History of writing
History of writing
Unit 1: Writers Toolbox
Unit 1: Writers Toolbox
UNIT GOALS:
Gain tools for our writer’s tool-box!
We will experience writing as play and begin to build our foundational skills. We will brainstorm, free write, list free write, focus free write, and cluster. We will play with strategies for accessing memories and practice using sense and specific details. We will begin to write in scenes and practice shaping a story. We will become comfortable sharing work with one another and practice giving meaningful feedback.
“Let yourself go. Pull out from the depths those thoughts you do not understand and spread them in the sunlight and know the meaning of them.” E.M. Forester
“Let yourself go. Pull out from the depths those thoughts you do not understand and spread them in the sunlight and know the meaning of them.” E.M. Forester
Discover the writer within!
Discover the writer within!
Engage in the writing process by writing daily in a journal. Develop interest through using precise
language, specific details, definitions, descriptions, examples, anecdotes, analogies, and humor as well as anticipating and countering concerns and arguments and advancing a position.
Practice compelling openings and strong closure to written pieces.
Evaluate the impact of tone, word choice, style, content, point of view, literary elements, and figurative
language.
Demonstrate personal style and voice effectively to support the purpose and
engage the audience of a piece of writing.
Future Me!
Future Me!
Gain tools for our writer’s tool-box!
We will experience writing as play and begin to build our foundational skills. We will brainstorm, free write, list free write, focus free write, and cluster. We will play with strategies for accessing memories and practice using sense and specific details. We will begin to write in scenes and practice shaping a story. We will become comfortable sharing work with one another and practice giving meaningful feedback.
“Let yourself go. Pull out from the depths those thoughts you do not understand and spread them in the sunlight and know the meaning of them.” E.M. Forester
SETTING GOALS:
• Write an email to your future self and received it on the date you choose: Future Me.
📝 Writing History and Timeline📝
📝 Writing History and Timeline📝
🌎 Writing is the physical manifestation of a spoken language. It is thought that human beings developed language c. 35,000 BCE as evidenced by cave paintings from the period of the Cro-Magnon Man (c. 50,000-30,000 BCE) which appear to express concepts concerning daily life. These images suggest a language because, in some instances, they seem to tell a story (say, of a hunting expedition in which specific events occurred) rather than being simply pictures of animals and people.
As we are talking through the history, you will create a TIMELINE.
Characters in a Novel
Characters in a Novel
character-types-worksheet-1.pdf7-min Autobiography:
7-min Autobiography:
Begin by making some lists:
⏱️ Make a list of the towns and states you have visited or lived in. Put a note about
what you saw or did there.
⏰ List animals you’ve touched or petted. When? Where? What did it feel like?
⏰ List the historic events you have witnessed. These can be a neighborhood, city, state, national or international
⌚ List things you’ve lost
⌚ List some odd things you have experienced
⌚ List places you have shopped and things you have bought
⌚ List memorable things you have seen happen in your classroom, or with particular
students
⌚ List a few favorites, whatever comes to mind
⌚ List places that are special to you and a few details about each.
Combining some of the opening lines below as starter dough with ideas in your lists,
write and shape a poem about yourself. (see sentence starters on the link)
Unit 1 Assessment
Unit 1 Assessment
Unit 1-Extra Credit Options
Unit 1-Extra Credit Options
Sense and specific detail
Sense and specific detail
SENSE AND SPECIFIC DETAIL:
• Read an article on how sense and specific detail affect the brain: Why Description Matters to the Brain.
**this writing is tough! With descriptive words, turn this sentence into something positive: “Sticks and stones may break my bones”. Use each work in a “positive” way. Here is an example: “I love the way sticks break under my hiking boots during a hike in the woods”.
INTROVERSION:
• Watch the TED talk: The Power of Introverts.
If you are an introvert, tell us about how you interact with the world around you when you want to be alone.
If you are an extrovert, tell us how you deal with those who are quiet and introspective.
JUST FOR FUN:
• Find out which famous author your work most resembles: I Write Like.
• After you are done with your creative writing piece, paste it in Wordle or in Wordclouds and upload it to Google Drive.
Argumentative Writing
Argumentative Writing
Dear Reader,
What makes you mad?
What would you like to see change?
What do you wish more people understood?
Over the last seven years, tens of thousands of teenagers from around the world have answered these questions in the form of short opinion essays submitted to our annual spring Editorial Contest.
They’ve made compelling arguments on issues big and small, from climate change, Black Lives Matter, lockdown drills, college admissions and immigration, to Ultimate Frisbee, teen slang, the blessings of selfie culture, and why pineapple pizza deserves more respect.
Now we’re inviting students in 2021 to do the same: make an argument in 450 words or fewer about something that matters to them, and persuade us, with evidence, that we should care, too. To help, we have an all-new collection of 300 questions and images to spur ideas.
Another place to start? With our collection of mentor texts — the many student essays that have won our past contests. One hundred of the best have been collected in a book, but you can also find many online. If you’ve taught with them already, we’d love to know how — and if you haven’t, we invite you to try and then tell us what happens.
To learn more, join us for a live webinar on Feb. 11 as we walk through our student contest and share resources and mentor texts for teaching argumentative writing with The Times.
Sincerely,
Katherine Schulten, Editor
We will continue to learn and grow your familiarity with the mechanics of the written and spoken word and RAP and the development of rhyming schemes.
Loop Music Example (History)
Loop Music Example (History)
Code Switching
Code Switching
I am poems-Macbeth
I am poems-Macbeth
Story Mapping!
Story Mapping!
Weave a tale using your own experiences.
Weave a tale using your own experiences.
Start with a story that makes you smile and build out with the template.
Start with a story that makes you smile and build out with the template.
STORY WRITING
STORY WRITING
SINGLE LIMITED VIEWPOINT
Posted on November 2, 2014 by scott
This is an excerpt from a work in progress called How to Write YA. It’s a companion to my current book, Afterworlds, about a young novelist living in NYC. There’s more info on this page, and you can listen to me talking about Afterworlds here on Wisconsin Public Radio.
Point of View
Point of view is hard. It’s complicated, subtle, and confusing, and POV failure is one of the most common reasons why agents and publishers cast aside submissions half-read.
http://scottwesterfeld.com/blog/2014/11/single-limited-viewpoint/
Setting the Story
Students examine setting as a significant element of fiction. They learn devices for creating a realistic setting, identify and critique these methods in well-known works of fiction, and use the methods in works of their own. Students also identify, examine, evaluate, and use the elements mood and spatial order as methods of creating realistic settings.
Finding your voice
Finding your voice
Writing Your Novel
Writing Your Novel
Story pt 1.pdfStory pt 2.pdfCreate an outline
Create an outline
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