Creative Writing

Creative WritingGrades 11-12 Elective

Michele Schmidt Moore David ArbogastSupervisor, English/Language Arts Specialist, English/Language Arts

Sharon Ackerman Timothy J. FlynnAssistant Superintendent, Instruction Director, Instructional Services

Dr. Edgar B. HatrickSuperintendent

Curriculum Development CommitteeSteve Bills Katherine LittelTerry Milton Dan Vojcik

2008 Curriculum Revision CommitteeLisa Fiorilli Julie HildboldDonna Pomponio In Sim

Creative Writing

Syllabus

Creative Writing offers a supportive environment in which students may engage in writing prose, poetry, and drama as well as reading published samples. This course is dedicated to the development of the creative process. This one-semester course focuses on the study of the fundamental elements of creative writing. Students will collaborate to critique and improve their work for final review.

A positive, congenial classroom atmosphere is established so that students feel safe to explore and improve their creative writing skills. The emphasis of the course is on developing students’ writing skills and promoting student growth toward their individual writing goals. Grading is based on individual student growth toward literacy goals and the effort each student makes to achieve his or her goals.

STRAND EMPHASISReading Read for the purpose of understanding an author’s craft. Analyze and evaluate

models of effective writing in prose, poetry, and drama.Writing Write to communicate ideas with an emphasis on creative writing. Engage in

real world writing. Revise for organization, elaboration, sentence variety, descriptive word choice. Edit for usage and mechanics.

Listening Practice active listening in a workshop setting to understand, analyze, evaluate, and respond to the opinions of others.

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OBJECTIVES

Writing: The student will…examine the fundamental elements of creative literary genres.

Identify key elements of poetry, prose, and drama. Define and identify the literary terms associated with the

various genres. Read genre selections to understand established authors’

methods and style. Write drafts to demonstrate student understanding of the

elements of the various genres.

critique others’ work. Follow the established guidelines for constructive criticism. Utilize a workshop environment to discuss others’ writing. Critically review others’ writing for required features. Edit drafts. Assess others’ work using literary terms.

experiment with and write selections of poetry, prose, and drama.

Generate ideas in a variety of ways. Create and revise drafts for each genre. Write and/or critique during every block. Practice the steps of the revision process. Utilize peer and teacher input to revise and improve writing. Share revised drafts in an appropriate forum (e.g. portfolio,

class book, coffeehouse) at the end of the course.

experiment with rhetorical devices through reading and writing.

Identify the effects of rhetorical devices used by established authors.

Establish tone appropriate to his or her own writings. Write drafts examining the effects of varying points of view and

voice. Vary language appropriately to achieve desired effect (e.g.,

diction, figures of speech).

avoid plagiarism. Define plagiarism. Explain the consequences of plagiarism.

use technology to support his or her writing.

Use various word processing features in writing, formatting, and revising.

Collaborate in forums on the Internet.

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Creative Writing

WORKSHOP

This course is designed to help students attain individual creative writing goals. In addition, the course focuses on developing students’ expertise in writing texts in prose, poetry, and drama.

The teacher is responsible for working with the student to determine what objectives the student should have for the semester. The teacher will need to conduct an initial assessment to set a plan for each student. Once objectives have been set, the teacher should then contract with each student to plan his or her activities for the quarter (see the Appendix). The rest of the activity in the class should proceed in a workshop format.

A workshop is a setting that allows students to learn and practice literacy skills with more independence than is typically seen in a traditional classroom setting. Students practice their literacy skills for many purposes, making many of their own choices regarding genre, topic, process, form, style, etc. The teacher provides formal instruction through mini-lessons targeted to identified needs.

In the workshop, the teacher’s role is to use literature to stimulate student work; circulate and assist students in their learning efforts; model reading, writing, and oral communication skills; use observations of common needs to focus mini-lessons on particular skills; hold conferences with students about their progress; and provide students with various means of sharing their progress with each other.

In the workshop, the student’s role is to learn from mini-lessons and from his or her own practice; work individually, with peers, and in small groups; participate in conferences with the teacher about progress; share feedback with peers, small groups, or the whole class; evaluate his or her own progress during the workshop; and maintain a folder, portfolio, or log of his or her work.

Essential components of a workshop include the following: a safe place for students to feel comfortable with their literacy strengths and weaknesses

so that they are able to share opinions with each other, can be “wrong” without being teased, and can celebrate growth;

a literacy-rich environment that includes materials and spaces for pursuing growth in literacy skills and student choice in what they read, write, and view.

formative and summative literacy assessments, including teacher observations, student-maintained portfolios, student self-assessments;

time for reading aloud, including books and non-fiction articles for students to read and use as models for their own writing;

time for invested discussions, which focus on discussing ideas, sharing interpretations, and negotiating meaning from various texts, including books, film, and student writings;

explicit instruction based on identified needs, embedded in authentic literacy activities, through mini-lessons or conferences.

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These components are described in detail below.

A safe place…The nature of this course requires that the teacher establish and build a close rapport with students as well as develop trust among the students in the class.

One of the ways to make the Creative Writing a safe place is for the teacher to model the expected behaviors and allow time for students to practice them. Even behaviors such as getting seated before the bell rings or gathering for a mini lesson on a writing convention should be modeled so that students know what is expected of them in this particular classroom. As teachers model behaviors and actually provide time for students to practice these behaviors, the students will learn what is expected for each part of the workshop and will be able to play their roles appropriately. Eventually, students know how to run the class even if the teacher is not present.

A literacy-rich environment…The Creative Writing course provides students with high-interest, high-quality, authentic literacy materials, including (but not limited to):

Fiction Mediao young adult novels o Internet accesso classic novels o visual artso comic books/graphic novels o music (CDs, radio)o contemporary fiction o television/film

Nonfiction and Informational Texts Other literatureo magazines o poetryo newspapers o dramao biographies o screenplayso content books o environmental text

The classroom should be saturated with literacy, providing students with multiple opportunities to read, write, and critique.

Student choice is a critical factor of this component. The teacher should NOT make most writing format decisions for the students; the workshop provides an array of choices which the teacher structures to support the development of students’ creative writing skills. However, a focus on prose, poetry, and drama texts should be emphasized. Helping students to explore each of these genres aids students in finding their literary niche. In addition, it exposes student to a variety of modes of writing, enabling them to experiment with different modes of writing. Students may need to be guided to select appropriate reading materials or writing topics and formats.

Authenticity is also a key. Students should be encouraged to write for publication. Anthologies, basals, and other traditional classroom materials are not as effective as the kinds of texts students are likely to encounter outside of school. The use of real-world materials for discussion and modeling will prove to be helpful in engaging students in their writing.

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Formative and summative literacy assessments…As this course is not standards-driven, the teacher is responsible for assessing each student’s growth from his or her initial skill levels. Assessment in this course should be based on the day-to-day interactions and experiences with the student. Teachers are encouraged to keep logs, portfolios, or other collections of student work and progress to help define grades for each quarter.

Assessment should be clear to students; contracts are recommended as a way for both the student and teacher to identify areas of weakness, set objectives, define tasks to pursue during each semester, and evaluate the student’s progress toward the objectives. Rubrics for writing assignments help students analyze their writing. Rubrics can be created in conjunction with the class as well as tailored to each student’s individual needs.

Time for reading aloud…Reading aloud is not just for elementary students. Almost all people of all ages like having books and other texts read to them. Even better, the research clearly indicates that there are significant benefits when the teacher devotes instructional time to reading aloud to the students.

Reading aloud does the following: Creates a community of learners Helps students self-select reading materials Models the joy of reading and learning from text Builds fluency Models complexity of thinking required for reading.

When should text be read aloud? To emphasize the language of a text To introduce challenging texts and new concepts To grab students’ attention at the beginning of a lesson To hook students into a longer text To tell an entire story To focus on a difficult part of a longer text To provide a common forum for discussing a text To review material students are learning To expose students to new material above their independent reading levels

A read-aloud can also provide a venue in which students can share their written work. The reader should practice the text prior to reading aloud. It is seldom recommended that students be asked to read new text aloud without having time to practice it. This practice time helps the reader build fluency so that listeners can better understand the text.

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Time for invested discussions…One of the goals of the Creative Writing is to take students beyond “I liked it” in response to a text.

Conversation allows the writers to explore their personal reactions to a text and learn from others’ understandings. Discussions of the author’s craft, writing conventions, usage, and mechanics in a variety of pieces including prose, poetry, and drama can aid students in the development of their own expository writing. Taking time to model and “think-aloud” during the discussion of texts, be it professional or student created texts, can help students to understand the thinking process that supports analyzing and critiquing another’s work.

Explicit instruction…The research is clear that the most effective way for students to develop their writing is to read, write, and revise, read, write, and revise. However, sometimes students have difficulty with a writing piece simply because a critical piece of information that would help transform their writing has not been made explicitly clear to them. Therefore, the astute teacher looks for signs of these missing pieces and attempts to intervene to help the students make the connections.

There is no one best way to teach a student how to develop a plot, revise a poem, or evaluate dialogue. Often, instructional techniques have to be matched to the text, the student, and the context. That is the beauty, as well as the frustration, of teaching literacy skills.

The various professional texts provided to the teachers of this course also offer a variety of skills, and teachers often bring some tried and true methods of their own.

Mini-lessons are a powerful tool for explicit instruction. Mini-lessons usually last 15 to 30 minutes and can be extended over a series of days as students apply the practice to the literacy projects in which they are currently involved. Teachers can present mini-lessons to small groups or to the entire class, based on needs.

The steps for conducting a mini-lesson are:1. Introduce the concept, strategy, or skill. 2. Share examples using books students are reading or students’ own writing.3. Provide opportunities for practice – in small groups and individually.4. Have students take notes – in notebooks, on butcher paper, etc.5. Have students reflect on the lesson.

Conferences are another powerful tool for providing students with explicit instruction in problem areas. Teachers can use conferences to keep track of students’ progress on their contracted goals as well as to work on areas of weakness. Conferences may be as short as two minutes or as long as twenty. They can be spontaneous or planned. In any case, the teacher should keep clear notes of when the conference was held and what was accomplished, as conference notes can be very useful in supporting a grade at the end of the quarter.

Material in the Appendix provides some support for organizing class time to allow for both explicit instruction and workshop.

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MANAGING THE WORKSHOP

One key to making the Creative Writing course function well is to provide routine. The alternating day block schedule can be problematic for some students. Anything the teacher can do to provide structure and routine is welcome.

One method for achieving structure is to post an agenda on the board each day. Another way to provide students with structure is to organize the class into 2-week divisions, having some standard activities on each Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Tuesday, and Thursday – and then starting the next series. For instance, every Monday could be “conference day”; every Thursday could be “portfolio review” day. Thus, the teacher could build a five-day plan that looks something like this:

MONDAY WEDNESDAY FRIDAY TUESDAY THURSDAYBell-ringer

Status of the classRead-aloud from model or student writing

Mini-lesson Read-aloud from model or student writing

Mini-lesson Read-aloud from model or student writing

Conferences/ Reading & Writing WorkshopOn-line search for publishing opportunities

Creative Writing Stations

Creative Writing Stations

Creative Writing Stations

Work on class anthology

A student who understands that this is the regular schedule also knows that missing class on a Wednesday means missing a mini-lesson. With some modeling at the beginning of the year, the teacher can help students know exactly where to go to pick up the notes on the mini-lesson for each week.

Within the 90-minute block period, the teacher should be sure to schedule ample variety to keep students engaged, but not so much variety that the students become confused or disengaged. Here are a few models for scheduling a single 90-minute period.

Sample 11. Teacher read-aloud 10 minutes2. Mini-Lesson 20 minutes3. Status of the Class 10 minutes4. Workshop 45 minutes5. Closure 5 minutes

Sample 21. Bell ringer 10 minutes2. Workshop 20 minutes3. Creative Writing Stations 10 minutes4. Teacher Read-Aloud 45 minutes5. Closure 5 minutes

Creative Writing

Creative WritingGrades 11-12 Elective

Appendix

Student Literacy Inventory …………………………………………… 8

Creative Writing Contract …………………………………………… 9

Literary Terms …………………………………………………… 10

Internet Safety …………………………………………………… 11

Resources …………………………………………………………… 12

Suggested Activities …………………………………………………… 16

Creative Writing

STUDENT LITERACY INVENTORY: Writing and Reading

Name: _________________________________________

Indicator Levels: Beginning (B) Developing (D) Advanced (A)

The student is able to… Quarter A

Quarter B

WritingEstablish goals for writingGenerate ideas in a variety of waysDevelop and organize ideasCreate and make meaningful revisions to works of poetry Create and make meaningful revisions to works of proseCreate and make meaningful revisions to dramatic worksEstablish tone appropriate for writingCreatively use of rhetorical devices and diction for effectExplain the differences between quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizingDefine and avoid plagiarismGive constructive feedback to peersUse peer feedback to reviseWork independently on own writingPublish own writing (in-class or outside of class)ReadingIdentify rhetorical devices used by established authorsCritique peer and establish authors’ work using appropriate literary termsIdentify key elements of poetry, prose, and drama used by established authors

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Creative Writing Contract

Name Quarter

Strand Measurable Student Goal Methods to Attain GoalReading

Writing

Student Signature:______________________________________________________

End of Quarter AssessmentInformal Writing

InventoryInformal Reading

InventoryOther

Teacher Observations/Comments:

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The following list of literary terms can be emphasized when instructing about reading, writing, or evaluating poetry, prose, and dramatic texts.

LITERARY TERMS: POETRY, PROSE, DRAMALiterary Term Literary Term Literary TermPoetry

AlliterationAssonanceBalladBlank verseCaesuraCantoConsonanceCoupletEnd rhymeEnjambmentFootFree verseHaikuHeroic coupletInternal rhymeLyricMeterOnomatopoeiaRefrainRepetitionRhymeRhythmSonnetStanzaVerse

ProseAllegoryAllusionAnecdoteAntagonistAutobiography/BiographyCaricatureCharacterizationClimaxComedy/TragedyConflictDenouementDialogueDictionEmpathyEpigramEpiphanyEssayExaggerationFalling actionFigurative languageFigure of speechFlashbackForeshadowingGenreImageryIronyLocal colorMemoirMood/ToneMotifNarrationNaturalismNovel/novellaParadoxParodyPlotPlot linePoint of viewProtagonistRealismRising actionRomanticismSatireSettingShort storyStereotypeStream of consciousnessStyleTheme

DramaAsideCharacter sketchDramatic monologueFarceFoilHubrisMelodramaMonologueOne-act playSoliloquyScreenplay

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INTERNET SAFETY

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has directed school districts to develop Internet safety guidelines and procedures for students. Currently, VDOE Computer/Technology Standards 9-12.3, 4, 5 specify technology use behaviors students must practice. These standards have been integrated into the English/Language Arts Information Literacy Framework. The safety and security of our students is our responsibility. As you establish and develop the learning community in your classroom, integrate lessons about internet safety that address personal safety on the Internet, accessing information on the Internet, and activities on the Internet. Please be sure to incorporate the following Guidelines and Resources for Internet Safety in Schools established by the Virginia Department of Education into your instruction.

Personal safety on the Internet. Students must understand that people are not always who they say they

are. They should never give out personal information without an adult’s permission, especially if it conveys where they can be found at a particular time. They should understand that predators are always present on the Internet.

Students should recognize the various forms of cyberbullying and know what steps to take if confronted with that behavior.

Information on the Internet. Students and their families should discuss how to identify acceptable

sites to visit and what to do if an inappropriate site is accessed. Students should be informed about various Web advertising techniques

and realize that not all sites provide truthful information.

Activities on the Internet. Students and their families should discuss acceptable social networking

and communication methods and appropriate steps to take when encountering a problem.

Students should know the potential dangers of e-mailing, gaming, downloading files, and peer-to-peer computing (e.g., viruses, legal issues, harassment, sexual predators, identity theft).

VDOE’s Guidelines and Resources for Internet Safety in Schools (2007)

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RESOURCES

Instructional TextsAnstandig, Beth, and Eric Killough. An Anthology for Creative Writers: A Garden of Forking

Paths. Prentice Hall, 2006. (class set)

Brewer, Robert Lee, ed.. Writer’s Market 2007. Writer’s Digest Books, 2006. (one per teacher)

Everyday Creative Writing. McGraw Hill, 1996. (class set)

Suggested Reading for Teachers (may be ordered through the English department chair)King, Stephen. On Writing. New York: Pocket Books, 2000.

Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. New York: Anchor Books, 1994.

Tharp, Twyla. The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2003.

Teacher Resources (may be ordered through English department chair)Hills, Rust. Writing in General and the Short Story in Particular. New York: Mariner Books,

2000.

Jason and Lefcowitz. Creative Writer’s Handbook. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1994.

Minot, Stephen. Three Genres. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1998.

Novakovich, Josip. Fiction Writer’s Workshop. Cincinnati: Story Press, 1995.

ADDITIONAL TEACHER RESOURCES

Recommended by the 2008 Curriculum Revision Committee These are for teacher use only and should not be used with students without prior teacher

review.FICTIONA Dash of Style: The Art and Mastery of Punctuationby Noah Lukeman

A short, practical book filled with original exercises, A Dash of Style teaches writers the benefits that can be reaped from mastering punctuation, in addition to other style elements such as word economy, enhanced style, clarity, progression, and intention. Along with the major marks (the period, comma, semicolon, colon, quotation marks, the dash and parentheses) the book examines little-scrutinized marks such as the paragraph break and section break, and finally considers how they all might be used together in “The Symphony of Punctuation."

How Not to Write a Novel by Sandra Newman

In this book, authors Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman combine their 30 years of experience in teaching, editing, writing, and reviewing fiction to bring you real advice.

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Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Themby Francine Prose

The book is a humorous tour of the tools and strategies of the masters of writing. Francine Prose uses humor and lively discussion to fully describe how authors of masterpieces advance plot, use dialog, and portray detail.

Semantics Antics: How and Why Words Change Meaning by Sol Steinmetz

Many common English words started out with an entirely different meaning than the one we know today. For example:The word adamant came into English around 1200 as a synonym for 'diamond,' very different from today's meaning of the word: "utterly unyielding in attitude or opinion."Before the year 1200, the word silly meant "blessed," and was derived from Old English saelig, meaning "happy." This word went through several incarnations before adopting today's meaning: "stupid or foolish."

Story Structure Architect:A Writer’s Guide to Building Dramatic & Compelling Character by Victoria Lynn Schmidt

Dense and detailed but a well organized and excellent book about the structural details of story writing. This book can provide a strong basis for a course.

The Art of Fiction by John Gardner

Written by one of the most famous fiction writers, this book teaches the serious beginning writer the art of fiction. There is also an appendix of exercises which can be used in the classroom.

The Artful Editby Susan Bell

A lively guide to the magic and mechanics of editing by a veteran editor and writer.

The Artful Edit explores the many-faceted and often misunderstood—or simply overlooked—art of editing. Brimming with examples, quotes, and case studies that include an illuminating discussion of Max Perkins's editorial collaboration with F. Scott Fitzgerald on The Great Gatsby, this book proves how fundamental editing is to great writing.

The Virginia Woolf Writers' Workshop: Seven Lessons to Inspire Great Writingby Danell Jones

In this brilliantly imagined book, author Danell Jones mines the diaries, essays, correspondence, and fiction of a literary legend to create an unforgettable master class in the art of writing. Using Virginia Woolf’s own words, this inspiring, instructive, and entertaining guide will delight fans, students, and teachers alike—and at last give Woolf a classroom of her own.

The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writersby Christopher Vogler

Vogler connects myth and modern storytelling in this book.

Word Fugitives: In Pursuit of Wanted Wordsby Barbara Wallraff

From “empty-fest syndrome” to “ringchronicity,” this is the ultimate gathering of recreational word coinages -- celebrating those words and phrases that should be in the dictionary but have eluded popular usage.

Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury’s personal reflections on writing. He shares a lifetime of wisdom in an entertaining way.

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POETRY

The Making of a Poem: A Norton Anthology of Poetic Formsby Mark Strand and Evan Boland

Each form is explained and then followed by a collection of poems that illustrate the history and evolution of the form.

The Ode Less Traveled: Unlocking the Poet Withinby Stephen Fry

The elements of poetry (specifically meter, rhyme, form, and diction) are explained and reinforced with exercises that lead to a sonnet, an ode, a villanelle, a ballad, and a haiku, among others. Also included are poems by well-known poets.

The Poetry Dictionary (2nd

ed.)by John Drury

An essential for the classroom so that students can access definitions to key terms that should be in the vocabulary of every poet. This dictionary also includes over 250 illustrative poems.

DRAMA: PLAYS AND SCRIPTS

Screenwriting for Teens by Christina Hamlett

This book offers teenagers the tools to begin screenwriting. It is easy to read and is immediately applicable to the classroom.

The TV Writer's Workbookby Ellen Sandler

In this unique hands-on guide, television writer and producer Ellen Sandler shares the trade secrets she learned while writing for hit shows like Everybody Loves Raymond and Coach.

Writing Movies: The Practical Guide to Creating Stellar Screenplays published by Gotham Writers’ Workshop

A how-to book that is well organized for the novice screenwriter.

CREATIVE NONFICTION

A Writer’s Coach by Jack Hart

From one of the most acclaimed writing coaches in America—a man who has coached reporters to Pulitzer Prize-winning success—comes his guide to making your nonfiction writing more coherent, precise, and powerful.

Creative Nonfiction This is a series of essays that can be ordered via Creative Nonfiction Foundation at www.creative nonfiction.org. The cost is $45 for 8 issues.

On Writing Wellby William Zinsser

A guide to nonfiction which includes a section on the memoir and business writing.

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COMPUTER RESOURCES

BBC Get Writing Site Offers mini-courses in the craft of writing.Gotham Writers’ Workshop Courses and Resources

Offers resources and classes from New York’s famous writing school.www.writingclasses.com

Newpages.com Wide variety of writing contests sponsored by universities and small presses.

TeenInk.com Offers teens opportunity to publish their work on issues that affect their lives.

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SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

Characterization Exercise(for narratives)

Place two to three pairs of shoes of differing styles (i.e. black high heels, worn-out tennis shoes) on a table in front of the room and have the students create a history for each character (including name, age, background, psychological makeup, physical description, family connections, occupation, appropriate setting, and anything else that seems important). Students can then form pairs and write a scene in which the characters interact.

Constructing an Anthology(for poetry)

In order to help students read more actively have them gather poems from a variety of sources (online, anthologies, etc.) that they would anthologize. Students will need to consider what criteria they would use for inclusion in their particular anthology; for example, would selection be based on gender, cultural background, or historical time period? Once the students have selected the poems for their anthologies, have them write an introduction to the work.

Kill This Poem(for poetry)

This exercise focuses on getting students to appreciate the impact precise language has in the construction of a poem. Choose a poem built on a strong, consistent image like Elizabeth Bishop’s The Fish. “Ruin” the poem by making the concrete words abstract and specific words more general. Discuss how the new version compares with the original.

Photo Exercise(for narratives)

After looking at several images, students select one photograph to base a story scene upon. The goal is to reveal character, so the emphasis is not on plot. This could also be used for creating scenes.

Stepping Stones and Stepping Stones Elaboration(for Creative Nonfiction)

Have students make a list of at least twelve of the most significant events in their lives. (“Significant” is neither good nor bad—it is neutral and includes both good and bad.) Students should be specific and avoid large amounts of time—make it a one liner. Students then choose one of the stepping stones they listed and place it in the context of their lives. They then write about the people, what they were doing, and how they were feeling. Teachers should provide an opening such as, “That was a time when,” for slow writers.

The “Bad” Poem Exercise(for poetry)

To help students identify the various levels that weaken a poem’s power or purpose have the students brainstorm ten everyday objects. Have students choose any of the brainstormed objects and write the cheesiest poem they can think of.

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The America Project(for narratives)

The America Project – this assignment provides students with the opportunity to explore three different aspects of what it means to be an American. Each response should be a minimum of 1-2 pages.

Choose either one photograph, painting, or sculpture that represents some definable aspect of American culture. Photographer Gordon Parks has a stunning collection of work that speaks to everything from civil rights to simple portraits.

Choose one piece of music that speaks to a second aspect of American Culture (for example – The Guess Who’s American Woman). Provide a copy of the lyrics.

Choose a film that represents a third divergent view of America (Grapes of Wrath has multiple applications for this section of the assignment).

A variation on this assignment is to have students write from a descriptive, narrative, and analytical mode for each of the three sections.

The Sensuous Orange(for poetry or narratives)

This exercise not only helps students practice sensual awareness and selection of sensory detail but also helps them to develop language that is rich in sensory detail. Have students give a piece of fruit their entire sensory attention (oranges work well). Allow a fixed period of time – 20 minutes.

The Tabloid Ballad(for poetry)

Students find a tabloid article and then write a ballad (at least four stanzas) about the event or the person in the tabloid article, using either the standard ballad stanza (alternating 4-beat and 3-beat lines, rhyming ABCB) or some variation. Adapted from www.poetryoutloud.org.

Writing “Off the Subject”(for poetry or narratives)

Students select a subject they feel passionate about and then they develop an original and fitting metaphor for their subject. The metaphor should be an unusual one. Finally have students write a poem about the metaphor keeping in mind when they write the poem that they are secretly writing about the original subject.

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