Selective Unit 6 (S06)

WRITING I

(SECONDARY)

SELECTIVE UNIT 6 (S06)

(Creative Writing)

(July 2014)

“We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” -- Joan Didion

Unit Statement: Thestudent will use the basic story patterns (WS 321) to explore possible stories related to teenage life. Using the writing process, the student will discover and craft a character who faces a particular conflict. The short story should reveal a particular theme related to teenage life, and the final goal of the story should be to accomplish what Brandon Sanderson (author of The Way of Kings) described as the purpose of the storyteller, “Not to tell (us) how to think, but to give (us) questions to think upon.”

Essential Outcomes: (must be assessed for mastery)

The Student Will use the writing process (discover, focus, develop, revise and edit).

TSW develop a central character.

TSW establish a conflict that should be resolved.

TSWorganize story based on narrative plot elements (exposition, initial action, rising action, climax, denouement).

TSW create dialogue that is appropriate for character and setting.

TSW apply sensory details and figurative language.

TSWrevise word choice to create tone within the writing.

TSW self-assess the qualities of the final product in regard to effective storytelling.

Introduced Outcomes: (taught, not assessed)

The Student Willcreate a list of interview questions to discover significant aspects of a person’s life.
TSW analyze several literary reviews of an author’s short stories.

Practiced/Ongoing Outcomes: (development is ongoing)

The Student Will work within a creative writing group offering and receiving constructive feedback and input throughout the writing process.
TSW assist group members in Editing of the final short story.
TSW present an oral reading of the completed short story.
TSWresearch a minimum of three sources describing the features of the selected story pattern beyond the brief summary in Write Source and will use these to annotate a self-selected short story that exemplifies the selected story pattern.

Key Terms and Concepts:

QSI WRITING I SEC S06

Plot

Character

Conflict

Quest

Rite of Passage

Tone

Reversal

Choice

Rising Action

Climax

Denouement

Initial Action

Exposition

QSI WRITING I SEC S06

Suggested Student Materials: (provided by school)

“Writing Stories” Write Source (pp 313-322)

Suggested Professional Materials For Teachers: (provided by school)

“Writing Stories” Write Source (pp 313-322)

Additional Resources: (may not be provided by school)

STORY by Robert McKee

Fiction Writer’s Workshop by JosipNovakovich

Technology Links:

The Norton Field Guide To Writing (on-line)
OWL: Purdue Online Writing Lab
PB Works
Destiny Webpath Express (found in school library)

Suggested Strategies and Assessment Tools:

Students may work in pairs to brainstorm well-rounded characters. Students can create a list of interview questionsthat will help them to create a more complex character. (General – Where are you from? And Specific – What kind of chewing gum do you like? How big are your feet? What is on the inside of your school locker door?)

Students may discover different conflicts by placing their character in different settings.

Students should use the PLOT DIAGRAM (WS 314) to outline the major events of the plot.

Students can use the suggestions (WS 319) to explore several different ways to begin their story.

Students can annotate and discuss the self-selected model short stories to help them discover areas in their own stories that need revising.

SELF-ASSESSMENT: A Literary Review Article

Based on the annotation and discussion of several published literary reviews in The New Yorker (or similar publication), students will write a one page literary review detailing the strengths and weaknesses of their final product for this unit.

Attached Rubric will be used to assess ALL essential outcomes (TSWs).

RUBRIC FOUND ON FOLLOWING PAGE………………………………

Suggested Unit Evaluation Rubric: Creative Writing (S06)

Student Name: ______Date: ______

To receive a ‘B’ in the unit, a student must demonstrate “MASTERY” of all TSWs.

To receive an ‘A’ in the unit, a student must demonstrate consistent “ABOVE MASTERY” on 5/8 TSWs.

TSW / ‘A’ LEVEL / ‘B’ LEVEL / Notes/Evidence
(TSW-1)
Use the writing process (discover, focus, develop, revise and edit). / Uses the writing process to explore and develop the possibilities of character, conflict. Evidence of discovery is noted. Revision illustrates intentional crafting. / Completes each phase of the Writing Process leading to the production of a fictional short story.
Revision focuses on correcting mistakes.
(TSW-2)
Develop a central character. / Specific qualities of the character create the conflict in the story. Character must be original. / Basic features of main character are developed mostly through narrative comments.
(TSW-3)
Establish a conflict that should be resolved. / A specific conflict is derived from the development of the character placed in a specific situation. Resolution (happy or not) illustrates the growth or failure of the character. / A general conflict developed and resolved.
(TSW-4)
Organize story based on narrative plot elements (exposition, initial action, rising action, climax, denouement). / Builds interest and suspense as it moves toward the climax and final resolution by using elements such as foreshadowing, flashback, or withholding information. / All plot elements identifiable in the narrative.
(TSW-5)
Create dialogue appropriate for character and setting. / Reveals character and may be used to define the conflict and develop the plot. / Reflects genuine voice of the character.
Correctly formatted.
(TSW-6)
Apply sensory details and figurative language. / Sensory details and figurative language reveal significant information about character and setting in relationship to conflict. / Sensory details and figurative language describe basic elements of character and setting.
(TSW-7)
Revise word choice to create tone within the writing. / Word choice develops a specific tone significant to other story elements. / Revision leads to more specific word choice.
(TSW-8)
Self-assess the qualities of the final product in regard to effective storytelling. / Justifies textual decisions and offers suggestions for improvement. / Identifies strengths and weaknesses based on rubric elements.

QSI WRITING I SEC S06