Creative Writing Assignments

Creative Writing Lesson 1

Objectives:
1. Students will practice writing dialogue that fits a given situation and character.

2. Students will insert dialogue into an already begun piece of writing.

Activities:
1. Students will read the Micro-fiction "The Appalachian Trail" by Bruce Eason.
a. Students will focus on the use of dialogue to both give add to characterization and advance plot.

2. As a large group, students will study a photograph of two children fighting. Then the class will write a piece of dialogue that explains the situation and says something about who the children are. Students will brainstorm possible causes and resolutions for the fight. Then, as a group they can make decisions about the way each character sounds.

3. On their own, students will examine another photograph, this time each student will have their own photograph. Students will determine what the characters will talk about, and how they will sound. In class, they should take time to work out a piece of a conversation between the people in the photo.

4. Students will trade photos with a classmate and repeat step 3.

5. With their partner, students will examine their conversations and provide feedback asking each other:
1. Does this advance the plot?
2. Does this say something about the character?

6. Once students have finished giving each other feedback, they will look back at a piece of writing they have started that needs more dialogue. Making decisions about character and purpose, students will write at least 5 lines of dialogue into that story.

Assessment:
1. Students will be informally assessed on their interaction in the large and small group interactions.

2. Students will be assessed on the in class writing they completed, and the dialogue they added to their story.


Creative Writing Lesson 2

Objectives:
1. Students will practice writing sensory detail for a given situation.
2. Students will insert sensory detail into an already begun piece of writing.

Activities:
1. Students will read the Micro-fiction "Bread" by Margaret Atwood.
a. While reading, students will highlight details that appeal to the 5 senses. After reading students will discuss which senses are used for description in the piece.

2. As a large group, student will study a photograph of a Thanksgiving dinner. As a class, the group will brainstorm details for each of the five senses. Together, the group will write a description of the scene choosing from the details on the board.

3. With a partner, students will examine another photograph. Together, they will brainstorm details that could be used to describe that piece. In class, students will write a description of that scene using as many sensory details as possible.

4. With their partner, students will evaluate their work be reading it aloud and asking the other person to picture what is happening. The object is to paint an accurate picture for the listener.

5. Once students have finished sharing with their partner, they will look back at a piece of writing they have started that needs more description. Using details that appeal to the five senses, students will write at least one paragraph of description into that story.

Assessment:
1. Students will be informally assessed on their interaction in the large and small group interactions.

2. Students will be assessed on the in class writing they completed, and the description they added to their story.


Creative Writing Lesson 3

Objectives:
1. Students will brainstorm many different possible first sentences for a story.

2. Students will begin five different stories using the same first sentence.

Activities:
1. Students will read a list of first lines and leads taken from magazine articles.

2. Taking a few minutes on their own, and using the leads as inspiration, students will write as many first lines as possible without editing.

3. As a large group, students will share some of their first lines, generating a large class list on the board.

4. Students will choose one first line that they find interesting. Using that first line they will begin the first few lines to a paragraph of a story.

5. Once they have finished one beginning, students should take the same first line and write the beginning a completely new story. Some questions to help them change their stories could be:
1. Does a new character enter?
2. Does the setting change?
3. How old is the character?
4. Is the character surprised?
5. Does an unexpected event occur?

6. Students will repeat steps 4 and 5 until they have the beginnings of five stories. From those stories, students will choose one that they want to work with for the next day. That night, students should add one page of writing to those opening lines, working with plot and character.

Assessment:
1. Students will be informally assessed on their interaction in the large and small group interactions.

2. Students will be assessed on the in class writing they completed, and the story they began as homework.