Final Writing Portfolio and Presentation for Creative Writing
You have worked hard, had some laughs or shed some tears, gotten mad or gotten glad, set goals, and achieved or improved on most if not all of your writing goals. Now it’s time to reflect, celebrate, and share. Combined, the portfolio and your presentation comprise your semester test grade. We will have the computer labs Dec. 12-14 for putting your portfolios and presentations together.
Your Semester Final will be a combination of your final portfolio and a presentation of some of your work. The semester “test” is worth 15% of your semester grade. Half of this grade will be the portfolio and half will be the presentation. So make sure you save everything you do for class.
The Portfolio:
This is where you showcase what you have learned. You will share the final products of your efforts and your thoughts about yourself as a writer with the world or with a specific audience (me and whomever else you choose). You have two options – a paper version or an online version.
Portfolio Requirements:
ü All the final pieces from your creative work this semester. Edit and polish these pieces so the final published versions display your best writing skills.
o Fiction Piece
o Creative Nonfiction Piece
o The three poems you wrote for the poetry unit
o Your final creative choice project
ü An introductory welcome letter to the reader to be placed on your main page of your site or in the front of your paper portfolio.
ü Your writing goals for both quarters of the semester.
ü Your reflections on each of your final pieces:
o Reflection on your fiction piece
o Reflection on your creative nonfiction piece
o Reflection on writing your three poems
o Reflection on your creative choice project
ü A Final Reflection essay.
o This will serve as the final piece of writing for this class. In this piece, reflect on what you have gained from your writing this semester. Write about the goals you set, accomplishments, downfalls, successes, or anything that connects to the processes you went through while completing this course.
o One full page, typed, double-spaced, Times New Roman font, size 12
The Presentation:
· Choose at least one piece from your portfolio to present to the class. You may need to present more than one piece to fit the time allotted for each student’s presentation, which is 5-10 minutes per student. Practice your presentation so you meet the time requirement. (As you may know, I have high tolerance for language and content in your writing, but your pieces must be school appropriate for public presentation to the class. Please adapt your work for presentation as needed.)
· You may present any way you wish as long as you include all of the following components and meet the criteria on the Presentation Checklist:
· Introduce yourself in an interesting way.
· Introduce /explain each piece you are presenting. You might tell about the inspiration for writing it, what it means to you or to someone else, how you went about developing it and revising it, and why you selected it to share with the class.
· Read the piece(s). Make your reading clear. See the checklist.
· Add a presentation creative element -- Make your presentation interesting in some creative way in addition to the reading.
Some ideas for presenting: Stand and deliver, create a power point or video, act out a drama, illustrate it for display, show your website, play background music with it, dress in costume…..whatever works for you depending on what you are doing – be creative!
Project Timeline:
Days 1, 2, 3, & 4 12-8, 9, 12, &13: Polish all of your pieces. Reread and see if you want to change the content in some way to make it even better. Correct all grammar and punctuation problems. Construct your online portfolio or your paper portfolio according to the instructions in this handout. Think about and prepare for which piece(s) you want to present to the class and how you want to present. See the instructions.
Day 5 12-14: Finish portfolio construction and presentation. Submit the final portfolio, either in paper form or by e-mailing your Googlesites link to me. . Portfolios are due on or before the same day that you present.
Days 6-11 12-15, 16, 17, 19, 20 & 22: Presentations of creative writing pieces. Turn in portfolio on or before your presentation date.
Google Site Checklist
Home Page: A welcome page with a creative title that tells a little bit about yourself and welcomes viewers to your website (Your introductory welcome letter.) Use caution about revealing personal information if you open your site for public viewing.
Writing Goals page: A page with your writing goals for each quarter.
Writing Projects Pages:
· A page for your fiction, labeled clearly to indicate it’s your fiction piece.
· A page for your creative nonfiction piece, labeled clearly to indicate that this is your creative nonfiction page.
· A page or pages for your poetry (all three poems), labeled clearly to indicate poetry page(s).
· You may add any extras that enhance or display your pieces of writing. These may include but are not limited to pictures or music.
Reflections Page: Post your reflections for each piece either on the same page with the piece or on a separate page of reflections, labeled clearly.
Final Reflection Page: Post your final reflection essay on a separate page of your website (see instructions under “portfolio requirements”).
Paper Portfolio Checklist
Cover page: An attractively designed folder or cover to contain your portfolio. Give it a creative title and include your name.
First Page: Write an introductory letter that tells a little bit about you and welcomes readers to your portfolio. Label clearly.
Writing Goals: Include your writing goals for each quarter. Label clearly.
Writing Projects:
· Your fiction piece, labeled clearly to indicate it’s your fiction piece.
· Your creative nonfiction piece, labeled clearly to indicate that this is your creative nonfiction work.
· Your poetry (all three poems), labeled clearly to indicate it’s your poetry.
· You may add any extras that enhance or display your pieces of writing. These may include but are not limited to pictures or special papers or scrapbooking items.
Reflections Page: Include your reflections for each piece either with the pieces or in a separate section of reflections, labeled clearly.
Final Reflection Page: Your final reflection essay (see instructions under “Portfolio Requirements”).
Creating A Google Site
Step 1: Create a Google Account
Click Sign in on the Google Website.
Click create an account now.
Enter your email address and a password.
Make sure you un-click ‘Stay Signed In’ and ‘Set Google as my default homepage’
Once you have created your account, you must verify your new account through the email address you entered. Go to your email and click on the link provided in that email.
Click Google Home on the screen that appears after you have clicked on the email link.
Step 2: Create your Google Site
On the Google Webpage, click more, then click Sites.
Click Create Site.
Choose Blank Template.
Name your site (example: Al’s Creative Writing Portfolio)
Choose a theme.
Decide whether you want everyone in the world to see your site or just the people you specify. If you choose people you specify make sure you add MY email address to that list of lucky people!
Click Create Site.
Step 3: Add content to your Google Site Home Page
Click Edit Page. This allows you to write on your home page. You will write the introductory welcome to your entire portfolio here. You may type right on the page or copy and paste from a Word document.
Click Save once you have finished or every time you make changes to the page.
Step 4: Create the pages for your pieces – for each page:
Click Create Page; Choose Web Page
Name your page (example: Fiction piece, Poetry, Creative Nonfiction, or the title of your piece) Pages must be clearly labeled to make it easy for me to check off all the requirements for full credit.
Put each of these pages under your Introduction Page/Home Page
**Note: The pages you create will appear in alphabetical order. Number your projects if you want them to appear in a specific order.
Step 5: Add content to your essay pages
Click Edit Page.
Choose your font type, size, and color or copy and paste a new font from Word.
You can insert pictures and other gadgets by using the Insert drop down box.
You can also format the layout of the page by choosing the Layout drop down box.
Play around with the features on the editing page so that your final product looks the way you want.
Save often.
Step 6: Create a Final Reflection Page
Click Create Page; Choose Web Page; Name your page (example: Final Reflection Essay.)
Put this page on the TOP LEVEL
Write or copy and paste your final reflection paper on this page.
Online Portfolio Rubric
Site Construction
Easy to navigate 25
Has a creative title
Neat and organized
Pieces are labeled clearly
Writing Selections
All required pieces are included
(goals, writing products – fiction, nonfiction, poetry, choice and their reflections – 4, final essay) 50
Pieces are edited and polished final drafts, better than ever
Welcome page
Properly introduces the site 25
Words are precise and descriptive
Author’s voice shows in the writing
Sentences are complete with varied structure
Employs correct grammar and usage
Final Reflection Paper
Reflects on writing progression in Creative Writing 50
Discusses goals, accomplishments, and setbacks in writing and/ or learning process
Words are precise and descriptive
Author’s voice shows in the writing
Sentences are complete with varied structure
Employs correct grammar and usage
Final Online Portfolio Grade
150
Paper Portfolio Rubric
Portfolio Construction
Attractive cover/binding with author’s name and creative title 25
Pleasing to the eye
Neat and organized
Pieces are labeled clearly
Writing Selections
All required pieces are included
(goals, writing products – fiction, nonfiction, poetry, choice and their reflections – 4, final essay) 50
Pieces are edited and polished final drafts, better than ever
Welcome page
Properly introduces the portfolio 25
Words are precise and descriptive
Author’s voice shows in the writing
Sentences are complete with varied structure
Employs correct grammar and usage
Final Reflection Paper
Reflects on writing progression in Creative Writing 50
Discusses goals, accomplishments, and setbacks in writing and/ or learning process
Words are precise and descriptive
Author’s voice shows in the writing
Sentences are complete with varied structure
Employs correct grammar and usage
Final Paper Portfolio Grade 150
Presentation checklist
10 pts. / Presenter introduced self in an interesting way. The introduction seemed practiced and polished.20 pts. / Presenter introduced and/or explained each piece. (inspiration for writing it, what it means to you or to someone else, how you went about developing it and revising it, and why you selected it to share with the class.) The explanation seemed practiced and polished.
20 pts. / The reading was clear and loud enough for the entire class to hear. The reading was slow enough that listeners could follow. The reading was done in a way that kept readers interested and showed the presenter’s care.
20 pts. / The presentation lasted 5 - 10 minutes. It was clear that the presenter timed the presentation well to fit the time allotted. The presentation seemed practiced and polished.
30 pts. / The presentation had a creative element to it that enhanced the presentation to the delight of the audience.
100 pts total possible for presentation / Comments:
50 pts. possible for audience behavior / The presenter as an audience member was respectful, attentive, encouraging, and appreciative.
150 total possible
HAND THIS RUBRIC IN THE DAY YOU PRESENT!