GSWLA+Creative+Writing+Course+Outline

GSWLA Creative Writing Outline
GSWLA Creative Writing-Course Outline Ms. Plummer-Ms. Kasyanik Spring 2008

__Course Description__

The creative writing course at Tallwood High School offers students’ opportunities to apply and refine their creative writing skills and abilities beyond those developed and required in the regular English classroom. Students will use creative writing as a way of exploring meaning in language and the world around them. Through the use of a multicultural literary genre text, students will explore the ways in which writers use their individual voices to represent the collective experiences of their peoples and cultures. Students will learn about the specific processes of creating fiction, non-fiction, drama, and poetry and will analyze the larger context of the ways in which these literary forms express both individual and universal truths. Through practicing the various conventions, students will improve their own abilities to communicate individual experiences creatively and connect those ideas to the larger dialog of language created by previous writers. The work of all students will be copied and shared in class as part of a roundtable and workshop forum for discussion and revision. Through self-publication of their work and the sharing of that work in a workshop environment, students will experience the empowerment of sharing their voice and receiving critical and constructive acknowledgment of that voice.

The creative writing course will be a one semester course offered in the spring as enrollment warrants each academic year. Three basic components will be central to the organizational design of the course. These three components will focus on encouraging students and teacher alike to make connections between literature, culture, and the students’ own writing.


 * Creative/Productive Component: The student will learn where ideas come from and how ideas can be transformed through exploration and critical thinking. Reflection is an important part of the process. Skill development is important also, and should occur within the context of the students’ ideas.
 * Cultural/Historical Component: This component deals with the role of literature in culture, the development of literature throughout history and various world cultures, and the factors that influence writing and writers. In addition, it focuses on writing in contemporary cultures, popular culture, and cross-cultural studies. The intention of this component is to deepen students respect for and appreciation of the diversity of all peoples.
 * Critical/Responsive Component: This component asks students to reflect upon published writing, their own writing, and the writing of their peers. It allows students to discover the interactive component between writer and audience as well as experiment with different writing forms and approaches. Students will also be asked to contribute to the dialog on writing by offering personal observations on their work and the work of their peers that should demonstrate constructive and deeply reflective responses that also demonstrate an appreciation of personal interpretation yet be devoid of judgmental commentary that might seem negative and detract from the conversation of writing.

__Course Outcomes__

Students will produce a number of specific works in this course that include, but are not limited to, six to eight poems which must include at least one sonnet, one villanelle, one ballad, one metered and rhymed poem of at least sixteen lines, one free verse poem, and others of the author’s choosing by way of form, two works of nonfiction including one personal essay and one of the author’s choosing, at least two short stories using at least two different points of view, and a one act play. Students will also be responsible for keeping a writing journal in which they will keep personal reflections, observations, bits of dialog, and anything else which my aid them in their writing, and finally students will be expected to go to the web page for the course and post not only their work but comments on their peers work on a regular basis. This course will also introduce students to graphic design elements to help students enhance the final digital portfolio each student is expected to produce as part of a final course assessment.

__Goals and Objectives__

General Objectives-

Students will be able to
 * Develop abilities to write creatively and expressively
 * Develop knowledge of creative writing and appropriate vocabulary for discussing creative writing
 * Practice the behaviors of effective writers
 * Practice the behaviors of effective readers
 * Recognize the contributions of literature to cultures and societies
 * Recognize that talk is an important tool for communicating, thinking, and learning
 * Practice the behaviors of effective speakers
 * Speak fluently and confidently in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes and audiences
 * Practice the behaviors of effective listeners
 * Listen effectively in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes.

Specific Objectives-

Writing
 * Develop their abilities to write creatively and expressively
 * Use writing to explore unique personal perspectives
 * Use writing to explore ideas in a new way
 * Manipulate language for poetic and aesthetic purposes
 * Use language as a vehicle for thought
 * Writer to express understanding
 * Write to engage a reader’s interest


 * Practice the behaviors of committed creative writers
 * Understand that the process of writing is a process of finding the internal truth of subject matter, rather than recording external details
 * Keep a journal of ideas, reflections, and notes on writing
 * Explore personal unique creative processes
 * Apply knowledge of literature and literary traditions in writing
 * See the development of a piece of writing as organic and incremental
 * Understand the importance of revision
 * Confer with peers and teachers
 * Develop knowledge of appropriate vocabulary for discussing creative writing
 * Understand the meaning of specific literary vocabulary and definitions of devices
 * Use the vocabulary in the discussion of creative writing strategies and techniques
 * Examine the ways in which language and literary devices create meaning in various literary forms such as poetry, plays, and short stories.

__Course Text__ //Crossroads: Creative Writing Exercises in Four Genres// by Diane Thiel. __SOL Objectives__ 1.0 Writing 1.1 Students will develop abilities to write creatively and expressively. 1.2 Students will use writing to explore unique personal perspectives. 1.3 Students will write to explore ideas in a new way. 1.4 Students will keep a journal of ideas, reflections, and notes on writing. 1.5 Students will apply knowledge of literature and literary traditions in writing. 1.6 Students will write to express understanding. 1.7 Students will write to engage a reader’s interest. 1.8 Students will see the development of a piece of writing as organic and incremental. 1.9 Students will understand the importance of revision. 1.10 Students will confer about writing with peers and teachers. 1.11 Students will develop knowledge of creative writing and appropriate vocabulary in order to discuss the writing process. 1.12 Students will understand and write from various points of view. 1.13 Students will understand and use literary devices in their writing. 1.14 Students will learn the characteristics and conventions that apply to a variety of writing genres including poetry, fiction, plays, and nonfiction. 1.15 Students will write in a variety of genres including poetry, fiction, plays, and nonfiction. 1.16 Students will utilize the whole writing process including prewriting, drafting, revision, and publication. 1.17 Students will use prewriting strategies to gather ideas for first drafts from journals, mapping, note taking, reflections, diaries, and a variety of other strategies. 1.18 Students will prepare for first publication using the original ideas and drafts of assignments in the various genres. 1.19 Students will revise by editing, deleting, reorganizing, and reshaping material. 1.20 Students will edit, proofread, and present drafted and revised work. 1.21 Students will compile a portfolio of their best work.

2.0 Reading 2.1 Students will practice the behaviors of effective readers. 3.0 Literature 3.1 Students will recognize the contributions of literature to cultures and societies. 4.0 Language 4.1 Students will manipulate language for poetic and aesthetic purposes. 4.2 Students will use language as a vehicle for thought. 4.3 Students will explore connections between language use, theme, and meaning.

5.0 Listening 5.1 Students will practice the behaviors of effective listeners. 5.2 Students will listen effectively in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes.

6.0 Speaking 6.1 Students will practice the behaviors of effective speakers. 6.2 Students will speak fluently and confidently in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes and audiences.

7.0 Technology 7.1 Students will use technology to create an electronic portfolio of their work to include both original writing and visual graphic designs.