Grades 10, 11, 12 Unit 1 Creative Non-Fiction Writing 'If people cannot write well, they cannot think well, and if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them.' -- George Orwell OVERVIEW Creative Writing is divided into three six weeks units that cover Non-fiction, Fiction and Poetry. Non-fiction is a good place to begin because students can use personal experience for memoir and personal essay assignments. It is recommended that students keep a journal and write daily from prompts related to terminology or models from the specific unit. This first unit is the ideal time to review the writing process, revision and peer editing to ensure a successful semester. Students should create a final polished memoir or personal essay as a culmination to the unit. Suggested time: 6 weeks ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS Voice is established by the author in personal writing. Point of view can be altered for different purposes or effects in non-fiction. Showing a scene creates a picture in the reader’s mind. Memory can be manipulated with fictional elements. Style is unique to a particular author and genre. Non-fiction is a blend of actual experience and literary elements. Peer editing can help revision. Description is an essential element of any kind of writing Following the steps of the writing process enhances the final product. Humor is a genre that includes elements such as timing, unpredictability, conciseness, consistency and logic. GUIDING QUESTIONS How is voice established in non-fiction? What is the purpose of voice? What are the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person points of view? How does an author decide the most effective point of view? How does an author SHOW a scene? What are action verbs? Why are action verbs effective? What is the role of memory in non-fiction? How do authors manipulate or create their style? 1 | U pdated November, 2013 What is non-fiction? What are the different forms of non-fiction? What are the steps of the writing process? What is the purpose of peer editing? What makes a good description? What are the elements of humorous writing? STUDENTS WILL KNOW AND UNDERSTAND Brainstorming What voice is strategies The steps of the writing process Fiction vs. Non-fiction Brainstorming strategies Implicit themes, The difference between fiction and non-fiction explicit themes What style is Memoir What point of view is Memory What tone is Peer editing— What memoir is praising, questioning, What personal essay is making suggestions How to peer edit Personal essay What implicit and explicit themes are Point of view How to use transitions Revising—adding, Revising includes adding, deleting, reordering, deleting, reordering, substituting and reformulating substituting and Peer editing includes praising, questioning and reformulating making suggestions Show vs. Tell Following the steps of the writing process Style enhances writing Tone Transitions Voice Writing process STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO Reading: Informational Text Key Ideas and Details RI.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. RI.11-12.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. RI.9-10.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. RI.11-12.2 Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text. Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity 2 | U pdated November, 2013 RI.9-10.10 By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 9–10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently. RI.11-12.10 By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 11–CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 11–CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently. Writing Text Types and Purposes W.9-10.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using W.11-12.3 effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. W.9-10.3.a Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events. W.11-12.3.a Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation and its significance, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events. W.9-10.3.b Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, W.11-12.3.b reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. W.9-10.3.c Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole. W.11-12.3.c Use 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 (e.g., a sense of mystery, suspense, growth, or resolution). W.9-10.3.d Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to W.11-12.3.d convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters. W.9-10.3.e Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is W.11-12.3.e experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative. Production and Distribution of Writing W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, W.11-12.4 organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. 3 | U pdated November, 2013 (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.) W.9-10.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, W.11-12.5 rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. W.9-10.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically. W.11-12.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information. Range of Writing W.9-10.10 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 tasks, purposes, and audiences. W.11-12.10 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 tasks, purposes. Language Conventions of Standard English L.9-10.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English L.11-12.1 grammar and usage when writing or speaking. L.9-10.1.a Use parallel structure.* L.11-12.1.a Apply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can change over time, and is sometimes contested. L.9-10.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English L.11-12.2 capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. Knowledge of Language L.9-10.3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in L.11-12.3 different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening. SUGGESTED WORKS ADOPTED RESOURCES On Writing Well by William Zinsser RECOMMENDED RESOURCES (May vary by building): Nonfiction: “Camping Out” by Ernest Hemingway http://grammar.about.com/od/classicessays/a/campinghemingway.htm Dave Barry Columns: http://www.davebarry.com/misccol/misccol.htm “First Bend on the Baro” by Richard Bangs “Gifts from the Genetic Pool” by Susan G Falk “How to Become a Writer” by Lorrie Moore http://www.ninetymeetingsinninetydays.com/lorriemooore.html 4 | U pdated November, 2013 “My Hands” by Barry Lopez “My Horse” by Barry Lopez “Neither Here Nor There” by Aimee O’Leary “Picking Cotton” from I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou: http://msproehl.wikispaces.com/file/view/Picking_Cotton.pdf “Stop the Clock” by Amy Wu: http://www2.d125.org/~rtompson/StoptheClock.pdf (See copyright notice.) “Taste” by,J. Kingston Pierce “The Explorer’s Lesson” by L. F. Willard, “The Inheritance of Tools” by Scott Russell Sanders “The Lean and Hungry Look” by Suzanne Britt Jordan: http://www.tlex.com/msmosk/documents/183E3C0A032091AF09HtPQBAF525/Th eLeanandHungryLook.pdf?-session=cchs_sess:42F94CA6029d93992DVKi4165620 “Winter Lights” by Roger Rosenblatt http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101980216- 138598,00.html “Yearbook Signing Day” by Dempsey, Chris Zinsser, William “Writing About Yourself: The Memoir” from On Writing Well SAMPLE ACTIVITIES AND ASSESSMENTS ACTIVITIES 1.