Designed for
Students in grade 6-8 who are interested in learning about creative writing
Level
Beginner
Class format
One-on-one and small group (Max. 7 students/class)
Class Introduction
This course will focus on three genres: poetry, fiction, and personal narrative. In each 90-minute session, students will complete creative writing exercises, read, short anchor texts, and write their own original work. Occasionally, student will workshop (share and critique with guidelines) their own original work. Homework will typically be for students to complete what they began writing in class and/or be prepared with an item from their home or an image from the Internet. Homework needs to be complete before the start of the following class.
Taught by: A top private high school English writing and humanities teacher in the United States, with more than 31 years of teaching experience. They have won the National Outstanding Teacher Awards for many years.
Outcome
After completing the course, students are expected to reach the following goals:
- To adopt new ways of inventing ideas
- To write using descriptive details
- To write using sensory detail
- To learn the elements of storytelling-character, plot, scene, pacing
Course Content
| Lesson | Topics |
| 1 | Overview: Introduction to Creative Writing: The Different Ways We Tell Stories |
| 2 | Poetry: Description and Detail |
| 3 | Poetry: Figurative Language |
| 4 | Poetry: Form and Structure |
| 5 | Fiction: Character |
| 6 | Fiction: Plot & Pacing |
| 7 | Fiction: Point of View and Dialogue |
| 8 | Personal Narrative: Memory & Snapshots: Glimpses into your life |
| 9 | Personal Narrative: Compositing Characters and Collapsing Time |
| 10 | Personal Narrative: Theme and Message |
Feedback
Students and their parents will receive brief feedback after each class regarding the student’s general participation in class. Students will also receive feedback on graded assignments via email.
Schedule
10 group classes, 1.5 hours each time, 15 hours in total
