To show evidence of writing development throughout the course, students will be required to maintain Writer’s Notebooks that will be developed into a portfolio either  digitally or in print. Originality and writing that shows thought will be emphasized.  We will also seek opportunities to publish our original writings for example as part of  the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, New York Times Learning Network Contests, and in publications such as Teen Ink Magazine.

Course Description

The Creative Writing course is designed for students who enjoy writing as a form of art and personal expression. In this course, students will explore the elements of numerous literary genres, while also responding to literature, art mediums, quotes, and music.  They will explore the power of both print and multimedia formats. To develop original writing pieces, students will engage in writing workshops, literary element development lessons, peer reviews/conferences, and language lessons.  In sixth grade we will cover poetry, narrative writing,  and will lay the foundation for essay writing. We will write formula poetry, be introduced to the Step Up to Writing method (including the 3.8 paragraph), and put together a five paragraph essay.

Academic Standards

Composition Standards

• C.6.2- Compose informative and/or explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
• C.6.3- Compose narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or multiple events, memories or ideas, using effective technique, relevant descriptive details and well-structured event sequences. 
• C.6.4- Use digital resources to create and publish products as well as to interact and collaborate with others; 
• C.6.7- Compose routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames for a variety of tasks, purposes and audiences. 

Language Standards

• L.6.1- In both written and oral expression: 
  • Recognize vague pronouns and correct pronoun errors, including but not limited to subjective, objective, possessive and intensive pronouns. 
  • Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person.
• L.6.2- When writing: 
  • Demonstrate appropriate use of punctuation (commas, parentheses, dashes) to set off nonrestrictive/parenthetical elements.
• L.6.3- Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading or listening.  
  • Vary sentence patterns for meaning, reader/listener interest and style. 
  • Maintain consistency in style and tone.
• L.6.4- Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies. 
  • Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. 
  • Use Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word.
• L.6.5- Demonstrate understanding of, figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings. 
  • Interpret figurative language, including but not limited to personification, in context. 
  • Use the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words.
  • Distinguish among the connotations of words with similar denotations.

Approaches to Learning Skills

Thinking Skills

• Use brainstorming and mind mapping to generate new ideas and inquiries
• Create original works and ideas
• Propose metaphors and analogies
• Identify obstacles and challenges

Social Skills

• Help others to succees
• Build consensus
• Encourage others to contribute
• Take responsibility for one’s own actions
• Listen actively to other perspectives and ideas

Communication Skills

• Give and receive meaningful feedback
• Use appropriate forms of writing for different purposes and audiences
• Make inferences and draw conclusions
• Write and for different purposes
• Take effective notes in class 
• Use a variety of organizers for academic writing tasks

Self-Management Skills

• Plan short and long term assignments; meet deadlines
• Bring necessary equipment and supplies to class
• Keep an organized and logical system of information files/notebooks
• Select and use technology effectively and productively

Research Skills

• Use memory techniques to develop long term memory 
• Present information in a variety of formats and platforms
• Understand and use technology systems 
• Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on their appropriateness to specific tasks

Course Description

The Creative Writing course is designed for students who enjoy writing as a form of art and personal expression. In this course, students will explore the elements of numerous literary genres, while also responding to literature, art mediums, quotes, and music.  They will explore the power of both print and multimedia formats. To develop original writing pieces, students will engage in writing workshops, literary element development lessons, peer reviews/conferences, and language lessons.  In seventh grade we will cover poetry, narrative writing,  and complete a short research project. We will write an epic poem, create a children’s book, write a memoir, and conduct a “classics” research project.

Academic Standards

Composition Standards

• C.7.2-Compose informative and/or explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts and information through the selection, organization and analysis of relevant content.
• C.7.3-Compose narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or multiple events, memories or ideas using effective technique, relevant descriptive details and well-structured event sequences. 
• C.7.4-Use digital resources to create and publish products as well as to interact and collaborate with others; cite sources using MLA or APA format. 
• C.7.5-Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation. 
• C.7.6-Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and, in order to engage in reflection or analysis, quote or paraphrase data and conclusions of others, avoiding plagiarism by providing in-text and bibliographic MLA or APA citation. 
• C.7.7-Compose routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames for a variety of tasks, purposes and audiences. 

Language Standards

• L.7.1-In both written and oral expression: 
  • Create sentences using correctly placed clauses and phrases. 
  • Demonstrate appropriate use of simple, compound, complex and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships    among ideas. 
• L.7.2-When writing:
  • Demonstrate appropriate use of a comma to separate coordinate adjectives
• L.7.3-Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading or listening.
  • Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy. 
• L.7.4-Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies. 
  • Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. 
  • Use Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word 
• L.7.5-Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings. 
  • Interpret figurative language, including but not limited to allusions, in context. 
  • Use the relationship between particular words to improve understanding.
  • Distinguish among the connotations of words with similar denotations.

Approaches to Learning Skills

Thinking Skills

• Use brainstorming and mind mapping to generate new ideas and inquiries
• Create original works and ideas
• Propose metaphors and analogies
• Propose metaphors and analogies
• Identify obstacles and challenges

Social Skills

• Help others to succeed
• Build consensus
• Encourage others to contribute
• Take responsibility for one’s own actions
• Listen actively to other perspectives and ideas

Communication Skills

• Give and receive meaningful feedback
• Use appropriate forms of writing for different purposes and audiences
• Make inferences and draw conclusions
• Write and for different purposes
• Take effective notes in class
• Use a variety of organizers for academic writing tasks

Self-Management Skills

• Plan short and long term assignments; meet deadlines
• Bring necessary equipment and supplies to class
• Keep an organized and logical system of information files/notebooks
• Select and use technology effectively and productively

Research Skills

• Use memory techniques to develop long term memory 
• Present information in a variety of formats and platforms
• Understand and use technology systems 
• Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on their appropriateness to specific tasks

Course Description

The Creative Writing course is designed for students who enjoy writing as a form of art and personal expression. In this course, students will explore the elements of numerous literary genres, while also responding to literature, art mediums, quotes, and music.  They will explore the power of both print and multimedia formats. To develop original writing pieces, students will engage in writing workshops, literary element development lessons, peer reviews/conferences, and language lessons.  In eighth grade we will cover poetry, narrative writing, argumentative writing, and a short research project.  We will write free verse poetry, participate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), choose topics to defend in writing, and conduct a “Bucket List” research project.

Academic Standards

Composition Standards

• C.8.2- Compose informative and/or explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts and information through the selection, organization and analysis of relevant content. 
• C.8.3-Use narratives strategically in other modes of writing, utilizing effective technique, well-chosen details and well-structured sequences for an intended purpose.
• C.8.4-Use digital resources to create and publish products as well as to interact and collaborate with others;
• cite sources using MLA or APA format.
• C.8.5-Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating new avenues for inquiry. 
• C.8.6-Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and, in order to reflect, analyze or complete short research projects, quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism by providing in-text and bibliographic MLA or APA citation.
• C.8.7-Compose routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames for a variety of tasks, purposes and audiences.

 Language Standards

• L.8.5- Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings. 
  • Interpret figurative language, including but not limited to irony, in context. 
  • Use the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words. 
  • Distinguish among the connotations of words with similar denotations. 
• L.8.4- Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies. 
  • Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. 
  • Use Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word.
  • L.8.3- Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading or listening. 
  • Use verbs in the active and passive voice and in the conditional and subjunctive mood to achieve particular effects (e.g., emphasizing the actor or the action, expressing uncertainty or describing a state contrary to fact). 
• L.8.1- In both written and oral expression: 
  • Identify verbals correctly based on their intended function.
  • Demonstrate appropriate use of verbs in the active and passive voice. 
  • Demonstrate appropriate use of verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional and subjunctive mood, while recognizing and correcting inappropriate shifts.

Approaches to Learning Skills

Thinking Skills

• Use brainstorming and mind mapping to generate new ideas and inquiries
• Create original works and ideas
• Propose metaphors and analogies
• Propose metaphors and analogies
• Identify obstacles and challenges
• Gather and organize relevant information to formulate an argument 
• Recognize unstated assumptions and bias
• Evaluate evidence and arguments

Social Skills

• Help others to succeed
• Build consensus
• Encourage others to contribute
• Take responsibility for one’s own actions
• Listen actively to other perspectives and ideas

Communication Skills

• Give and receive meaningful feedback
• Use appropriate forms of writing for different purposes and audiences
• Make inferences and draw conclusions
• Write and for different purposes
• Take effective notes in class
• Use a variety of organizers for academic writing tasks
• Create references and citations, use footnotes/endnotes and construct a bibliography according to recognized conventions

Self-Management Skills

• Plan short and long term assignments; meet deadlines
• Bring necessary equipment and supplies to class
• Keep an organized and logical system of information files/notebooks
• Select and use technology effectively and productively

• Bryan Station High School Academy of Leadership and Professional Services
• Frederick Douglass High School The Academy of Professional Services
• Henry Clay High School Liberal Arts Academy
• Tates Creek High School The Academy of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Education

• Drama club
• Yearbook
• Academic team