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OVERVIEW
Creative Writing is divided into three six weeks units that cover Non-fiction,
Fiction and Poetry.
This first unit is the ideal time to review the writing process, revision and peer
editing to ensure a successful semester. Students should create a final polished
memoir or personal essay as a culmination to the unit.
By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the
high end of the grades 910 text complexity band independently and
proficiently.
RI.11-12.10 By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the
grades 11CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as
needed at the high end of the range.
By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the
high end of the grades 11CCR text complexity band independently
and proficiently.
Writing
Text Types and Purposes
W.9-10.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using
W.11-12.3 effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event
sequences.
W.9-10.3.a Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or
observation, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and
introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression
of experiences or events.
W.11-12.3.a Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or
observation and its significance, establishing one or multiple point(s) of
view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth
progression of experiences or events.
W.9-10.3.b Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description,
W.11-12.3.b reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events,
and/or characters.
W.9-10.3.c Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on
one another to create a coherent whole.
W.11-12.3.c Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on
one another to create a coherent whole and build toward a particular
tone and outcome (e.g., a sense of mystery, suspense, growth, or
resolution).
W.9-10.3.d Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to
W.11-12.3.d convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or
characters.
W.9-10.3.e Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is
W.11-12.3.e experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.
9. LETTER WRITING (W.9-10.10, W.11-12.10): Write letters to self and others for a
variety of purpose and audiences.
OVERVIEW
During the poetry unit students begin to explore essential elements of poetry.
Students should be exposed to a variety of models and continue to use their
journals to respond to prompts that allow them to experiment with different kinds
of poetry and different aspects sound, line, image, etc. It is important for
students to share these journals often. As a culminating activity, students can
submit polished poems that have been through the writing process including
peer editing and revision.
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The Eye by Michael Benedikt:
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse/106/4#!/20597425
The Poet by Jane Hirschfield
The Tragedy of Hats by Clarinda Harriss:
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poem/29856
What I Do by Ellery Akers
What the Living Do by Marie Howe:
http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/21378
Why I Will Not Get Out of Bed by James Tate: http://inpoems.tumblr.com/
(Scroll down.)
Yellow by Charles Wright:
http://apoetreflects.tumblr.com/post/6414886594/yellow-yellow-is-for-regret-the-
distal-the
http://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/unbound/poetry/atlpoets/alex9406.htm
www.poems.com
http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/poetry/search
How to Write a Rotten Poem with Almost No Effort by Richard Howey:
http://temerson.pageout.net/page.dyn/student/course/general_assignment?co
urse_id=150985&assign_id=1582851
Poetry and the Writing Standards by Jan Burkins and Kim Yaris:
http://www.burkinsandyaris.com/poetry-and-the-writing-standards/ (A piece
that discusses poetry in relation to Common Core standards.)
SAMPLE ACTIVITIES AND ASSESSMENTS
ACTIVITIES
1. THEMES OF POETRY (RL.9-10.2, SL.9-10.1, SL.9-10.1.a, RL.11-12.2, SL.11-12.1, SL.11-
12.1.a): Read various models. In a small group discuss the themes of several
poems. Share ideas with the entire class.
Themes of Poetry:
http://www.litscape.com/indexes/themes/Themes_Of_Poetry.html
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(Section on Imagery):
http://app.discoveryeducation.com/player/view/assetGuid/851FE8FB-697F-
4339-9251-5FE30E5F64B7
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9. FORMS OF POETRY (W.9-10.3, W.9-10.3.a, W.9-10.3.b, W.9-10.3.c, W.9-10.3.d, W.9-
10.3.e, W.9-10.4, W.9-10.5, W.9-10.6, W.9-10.10, W.11-12.3, W.11-12.3.a, W.11-
12.3.b, W.11-12.3.c, W.11-12.3.d, W.11-12.3.e, W.11-12.4, W.11-12.5, W.11-12.6,
W.11-12.10): Write poems in different forms: haiku, sonnets, shapes:
Examples of Haiku Poems: http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-
of-haiku-poems.html
Sonnet Central: http://www.sonnets.org/
Shape Poems and Calligrams:
http://www.angelaspoems.com/teacherspage/different-poetry-
forms/shape-poems-and-calligrams/
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Grades 10, 11, 12 Unit 3
OVERVIEW
During the fiction unit students begin to explore essential elements of short
stories, drama, etc. Students should be exposed to a variety of models and
continue to use their journals to respond to prompts that could eventually lead
them to a completed piece of fiction. It is important for students to share these
journals often. For the culminating activity, students should submit a short story
or one-act play that has been through the writing process, including peer
editing and revision.
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How does dialogue show, not tell action?
How should dialogue be written?
How is narrative time developed in plot?
How is plot developed?
What is structure in plot?
How is structure in plot developed?
What is tone? Mood?
How are tone and mood created in fiction?
What is the goal of characterization?
How does an author get an emotional response from the reader?
STUDENTS WILL KNOW AND UNDERSTAND
Characterflat, round, static, dynamic What voice is
Clich The different forms of poetry
Dialoguerules, function What closed, endstopped and
Effective beginnings enjambed lines of poetry are
Flashback What an image is
Foreshadowing What the devices of sound are
Genre of short fiction alliteration, assonance,
How to develop a setting consonance
In medias res What the structure of poetry is
Mood How rhythm is established with
Narrative stressed and unstressed syllables.
Narrative time
What stressed and unstressed
Plot and structure
syllables are.
Point of view
What figurative language is
Point of view
Reliable narrator
How to divide lines of poetry for
Scene effect
Setting What free verse is
Show vs. Tell
Slow motion
Stereotypes
Summary
Tone
STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO
Reading: Literature
Key Ideas and Details
RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.11-12.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including
determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its
development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is
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shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of
the text.
RL.11-12.2 Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their
development over the course of the text, including how they interact and
build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective
summary of the text.
RL.9-10.3 Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting
motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other
characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
RL.11-12.3 Analyze the impact of the authors choices regarding how to develop and
relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the
action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
Craft and Structure
RL.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text,
including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact
of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language
evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
RL.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text,
including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of
specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple
meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful.
(Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)
RL.9-10.5 Analyze how an authors choices concerning how to structure a text, order
events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing,
flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
RL.11-12.5 Analyze how an authors choices concerning how to structure specific parts
of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to
provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure
and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
Writing
Text Types and Purposes
W.9-10.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using
W.11-12.3 effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event
sequences.
W.9-10.3.a Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or
observation, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing
a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of
experiences or events.
W.11-12.3.a Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or
observation and its significance, establishing one or multiple point(s) of
view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth
progression of experiences or events.
W.9-10.3.b Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description,
W.11-12.3.b reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or
characters.
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W.9-10.3.c Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one
another to create a coherent whole.
W.11-12.3.c Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one
W.11-12.3.c another to create a coherent whole and build toward a particular tone
and outcome (e.g., a sense of mystery, suspense, growth, or resolution).
W.9-10.3.d Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language
W.11-12.3.d to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or
characters.
W.9-10.3.e Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is
W.11-12.3.e experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
W.11-12.4 organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
(Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1
3 above.)
W.9-10.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,
W.11-12.5 rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most
significant for a specific purpose and audience.
W.9-10.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update
individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technologys
capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly
and dynamically.
W.11-12.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update
individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback,
including new arguments or information.
Range of Writing
W.9-10.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection,
and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for
a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
W.11-12.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection,
and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for
a range of tasks, purposes.
SUGGESTED WORKS
ADOPTED RESOURCES
On Writing Well by William Zinsser
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Evacuation Order No. 19 by Julie Otsuka:
http://mostlyfiction.com/excerpts/whenemperor.htm (not sure if this is the
complete selection.)
Figure Eight by Joseph Monninger
from A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
from Shes Come Undone by Wally Lamb:
from The Best of Bad by Hemingway, George, Plimpton, Ed.
from The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien:
http://corysnow.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/ttc-full-text.pdf (Full text is available
after the acclaim.)
Gryphon by Charles Baxter
Keith by Ron Carlson
Macauleys Thumb by Lex Williford
Mamas Bank Account by Kathryn Forbes
Memorial Day by Mark Richard
Passions by Louise Erdich
Strays by Mark Richard
The Chaser by John Collier:
http://www.utdallas.edu/~aargyros/the_chaser.htm
Walking Out by David Quammen
Yours by Mary Robison:
http://wps.pearsoncustom.com/pcp_longman_rmcmllgt_1/43/11016/2820141.c
w/index.html
SAMPLE ACTIVITIES AND ASSESSMENTS
ACTIVITIES
1. CHARACTERIZATION (RL.9-10.3, RL.11-12.3): Analyze how complex characters
(e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a
text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the
theme.
Characterization in Literature: http://youtu.be/AzqEgKwG0o4
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4. MOTIVATION (RL.9-10.3, RL.11-12.3): Identify a characters motivation.
How to Discover Your Characters Motivation:
http://writeitsideways.com/how-to-discover-your-characters-motivations/
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10. SHOW VS. TELL (W.9-10.3, W.9-10.3.a, W.9-10.3.b, W.9-10.3.c, W.9-10.3.d, W.9-
10.3.e, W.9-10.4, W.9-10.5, W.9-10.6, W.9-10.10, W.11-12.3, W.11-12.3.a, W.11-
12.3.b, W.11-12.3.c, W.11-12.3.d, W.11-12.3.e, W.11-12.4, W.11-12.5, W.11-12.6,
W.11-12.10): Turn a telling scene into a showing and vice versa.
How to Write Fiction that Feels Real: http://www.creative-writing-
now.com/how-to-write-fiction.html
Purpose: Students will understand that successful creative writing combines a writers
unique style, voice, form, and technique effectively.
Engaging Scenario: You have decided you want to submit some of your work from this
semester for possible publication. Create a bound portfolio of your best writing
formatted for publication. Include an analysis of yourself as a writer which shows your
progress so far, as well as your future goals.
Task 1: Using original work and revisions of work done all semester, students include 10-
15 pieces of their best writing. The writings should be formatted like a submission for
publication. The collection can include all poetry or a blend of poetry and prose.
Task 2: Students write a 3-4 page analysis of themselves as writers, which includes:
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Task 3: Students write a 2-3 page evaluation of the course and the method by which it
was taught in order to help the instructors grow and improve the content and
instructional practice.
Task 4: Have the 3 portions listed above bound together in book form.
Task 2: Self-Analysis
_______ 3-4 pages.
_______ Demonstrates progress as a writer over each quarter.
_______ Shows what was learned from the course.
_______ Describes writing rituals and processes.
_______ Discusses preferred themes and subjects.
_______ Discusses future plans and goals.
_______ Evaluates own writing.
_______ Evaluates effort over the semester.
_______ Organized
_______ Statements and ideas are supported with details and examples from own
writing and experiences.
_______ Clear.
_______ Interesting. (A good read)
______ Voice is friendly, confident.
Task 4: Binding
______ Bound in book form.
______ Uses staple and cover bindings or plastic ring bindings.
______ Professional appearance.
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