Warwick School District

Curriculum❯Creative Writing

Creative Writing

Grade Levels: 11 | 12 |

Course Description

Offered to students in grades 11 & 12
Creative Writing introduces students to the foundational skills of writing fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Students will read and analyze published texts, then experiment with a variety of forms through creative exercises in each genre. Through ongoing feedback from both the instructor and their peers in a workshop format, students will select two genres in which to develop, revise, and complete original pieces.

Core Curriculum Content Standards

PA Common Core: English Language Arts (2013)

  • Reading Informational Text: Students read, understand, and respond to informational text – with emphasis on comprehension, making connections among ideas and between texts with focus on textual evidence.

    • GRADES 11-12

      • Evaluate how an author’s point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.(1.2.11-12.D)
      • Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.(1.2.11-12.E)

  • Reading Literature: Students read and respond to works of literature - with emphasis on comprehension, making connections among ideas and between texts with focus on textual evidence.

    • GRADES 11-12

      • Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama.(1.3.11-12.A)
      • Evaluate how an author’s point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.(1.3.11-12.D)
      • Evaluate the structure of texts including how specific sentences, paragraphs and larger portions of the texts relate to each other and the whole.(1.3.11-12.E)
      • Evaluate how words and phrases shape meaning and tone in texts.(1.3.11-12.F)

  • Writing: Students write for different purposes and audiences. Students write clear and focused text to convey a well-defined perspective and appropriate content.

    • GRADES 11-12

      • Write informative/ explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately.(1.4.11-12.A)
      • Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events.(1.4.11-12.M)
      • Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation and its significance, establishing one or multiple points of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters.(1.4.11-12.N)
      • Use narrative techniques such as dialogue, description, reflection, multiple plot lines, and pacing, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters; use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, settings, and/or characters.(1.4.11-12.O)
      • Create a smooth progression of experiences or events using 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; provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.(1.4.11-12.P)
      • Write with an awareness of the stylistic aspects of writing.-Use parallel structure.-Use various types of phrases and clauses to convey specific meanings and add variety and interest.-Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and techniques such as metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic.(1.4.11-12.Q)
      • Demonstrate a grade appropriate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and spelling.(1.4.11-12.R)
      • Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research, applying grade level reading standards for literature and literary non-fiction.(1.4.11-12.S)
      • Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.(1.4.11-12.T)
      • Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments and information.(1.4.11-12.U)
      • Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.(1.4.11-12.V)
      • 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 discipline-specific tasks, purposes and audiences.(1.4.11-12.X)

  • Speaking and Listening: Students present appropriately in formal speaking situations, listen critically, and respond intelligently as individuals or in group discussions.

    • GRADES 11-12

      • Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on grades level topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.(1.5.11-12.A)
      • Make strategic use of digital media in presentations to add interest and enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence.(1.5.11-12.E)
      • Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks.(1.5.11-12.F)
      • Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English when speaking based on grade 11-12 level and content.(1.5.11-12.G)

Units

Unit #1 - Introduction to Creative Writing Practices

Unit #2 - Poetry

Unit #3 - Fiction

Unit #4 - Creative Nonfiction

Unit #5 - Drama

Unit #6 - Final Portfolio

Course Resources