Course Overview

Course Content

This course focuses on writing as an art form. The curriculum guide is designed to help teachers plan a program that encourages students to develop creative ideas and express them through writing in a variety of forms and genres.

The four major genres of creative writing featured in this curriculum are poetry, short fiction, play writing, and nonfiction. However, the teacher can and should include additional forms if students are interested. The Independent Project module offers the opportunity for students to explore other forms independently if they choose (e.g., radio drama). This module also allows students to participate in such varied experiences as studying with an author, joining a writing group, or obtaining experience with a publishing company.

The content of Creative Writing 20 can be summarized in the following way:

• The course must be based on the foundational and specific learning objectives that have been set for Creative Writing 20.
• In order to develop these objectives, the course must focus on the language processes of reading and writing, although students will also be engaged in speaking and listening as they discuss their own writing, their peers' writing, and reading selections.
• The course must include poetry, short fiction, plays, and nonfiction. How the teacher organizes the course is optional. (Two possible options are explained in this guide.)
• The course must comprise 100 hours.

Developing a Complete Program

Creative endeavours flow from an individual's knowledge, experience, and cultural background. Because creative writing focuses on writing as an art form, there are many connections between Creative Writing 20 and Saskatchewan's arts education program. The arts education curriculum guides describe what are referred to as the "three components" of the program. These are designed to ensure balance among creative activity, the study of works of art, and critical response. These three components apply to creative writing as well, in that they encourage students and teachers to make connections between literature, culture, and the students' own writing.

The three components of arts education as they apply to Creative Writing 20 can be described as follows:

Creative/Productive Component: This component includes the exploration, development, and expression of ideas through writing. The student will learn where ideas come from, and how ideas can be developed and transformed through exploration and critical thinking. Reflection is an important part of the process. Skill development is important also, as long as it occurs within the context of the students' ideas.

Cultural/Historical Component: This component deals with the role of literature in culture, the development of literature throughout history and various world cultures, and the factors that influence writing and writers. In addition, it focuses on writing in contemporary cultures, popular culture, and cross-cultural studies. The intention of this component is to develop in students an understanding that the arts (including the literary arts) are an integral aspect of living for all people.

Critical/Responsive Component: This component encourages students to reflect on and respond critically to published writing, their own writing, and their peers' writing. Through this component, students become participants in the interactive process between writer and audience. Students should be encouraged to avoid making quick judgements of unfamiliar work and, instead, arrive at informed personal interpretations. This component encourages students to welcome experimentation with writing, rather than judging new work against traditional criteria.

By including the three components as described above and not focusing just on craft, the teacher can address the needs and backgrounds of each student, and emphasize that the arts are relevant in all cultures and societies.

Teacher Information

The curriculum guide includes a section entitled "Teacher Information". This section provides background information for teachers on the following:

• the creative process
• the writing process
• conferencing
• authors in the schools
• writing poetry
• writing short fiction
• writing plays
• writing nonfiction.

This section can be used by teachers for their own information, but can also provide the content for mini-lessons. However, it not intended that the material in this section be taught routinely or sequentially to students. Mini-lessons created from this section should be based on student need.

Objectives

Teachers should select from the following list as appropriate within their modules and lessons, taking care to cover the objectives over the term. In addition, teachers should add other appropriate specific learning objectives as necessary for their particular students. Student assessment and evaluation should be based on the foundational and specific learning objectives.

Foundational Objectives

Foundational objectives are broad objectives that are to be developed throughout a course. They cannot be achieved through a single lesson, unit, or module. Students, through a variety of developmental learning experiences, will gradually grow toward the achievement of the foundational objectives.

The foundational objectives for Creative Writing 20 are as follows.

Students will:

• develop abilities to write creatively and expressively
• practise the behaviours of committed creative writers
• develop knowledge of creative writing and appropriate vocabulary for discussing creative writing
• recognize writing as a constructive, meaningful process
• recognize reading as an active, constructive process
• practise the behaviours of effective, strategic readers
• recognize the contribution of literature to cultures and societies
• recognize that talk is an important tool for communicating, thinking, and learning
• practise the behaviours of effective speakers
• speak fluently and confidently in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes and audiences
• recognize listening as an active, constructive process
• practise the behaviours of effective listeners
• listen effectively in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes.

Specific Learning Objectives

Learning objectives are specific objectives that can be applied to a particular lesson or unit/module. Specific learning objectives related to each foundational objective are listed below. The teacher should also develop additional learning objectives that are a further breakdown of these, as they apply to the activities selected.

Specific learning objectives for Creative Writing 20 include the following:

Writing

• Develop their abilities to write creatively and expressively
  • use writing to explore unique personal perspectives
  • use writing to explore ideas in a new way
  • manipulate language for poetic and aesthetic purposes
  • use language as a vehicle for thought
  • write to express understanding
  • write to achieve unity
  • write to engage a reader’s interest
• Practise the behaviours of committed creative writers
  • understand that the process of writing is a process of finding the internal truth of subject matter, rather than recording external details
  • keep a journal of ideas, reflections, and notes on writing
  • explore personal unique creative processes
  • apply knowledge of literature and literary traditions to writing
  • engage in a process of creative problem solving
  • see the development of a piece of writing as organic and incremental
  • understand the importance of revision and understand that revision involves seeing a piece of writing a new way
  • confer with peers and teachers
• Develop knowledge of creative writing and appropriate vocabulary for discussing creative writing
  • understand and write from various points of view
  • understand and use literary devices
  • explore connections between language use, theme, and meaning
  • understand the unique characteristics of poetry, fiction, plays, and nonfiction
  • learn appropriate conventions that apply to a variety of writing genres including poetry, fiction, plays, and nonfiction
  • experiment with a variety of writing genres including poetry, fiction, plays, and nonfiction
• Recognize writing as a constructive, meaningful process
  • recognize the value of what is known as the writing process
  • use the writing process to organize thoughts and explore ideas through writing
  • use appropriate pre-writing strategies
  • develop ideas into draft form
  • revise by adding, deleting, rearranging, or expressing the idea in a different way
  • edit, proofread, and present writing

Reading

• Recognize reading as an active, constructive process
  • read for pleasure
  • read critically
  • read to find meaning and interpret
• Practice the behaviours of effective, strategic readers
  • attempt to understand an author’s purpose and intentions
  • recognize patterns of organization and structures
  • recognize various literary uses of language
  • withhold judgement of literary works until adequate information is obtained to arrive at an informed personal interpretation
  • demonstrate an open-minded attitude toward new and unfamiliar work
• Recognize the contribution of literature to cultures and societies
  • read works from a variety of cultures and time periods, both historical and contemporary
  • interpret meanings within appropriate contexts
  • relate understanding of literary works to life experiences and personal writing

Speaking

• Recognize that talk is an important tool for communicating, thinking, and learning
  • speak to clarify and extend thinking
  • speak to express understanding
  • speak to share thoughts, opinions, and feelings
  • speak to build relationships and a sense of community
• Practise the behaviours of effective speakers
  • recognize and adjust verbal and nonverbal elements in keeping with purpose, audience needs, and individual cultural and linguistic background
• Speak fluently and confidently in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes and audiences
  • practise the roles of group members including: chairing, participating, moderating and reporting
  • prepare a reading of a personal composition

Listening

• Recognize listening as an active, constructive process
  • recognize listening as an active process which requires listeners to:
    • anticipate a message and set a purpose
    • attend
    • seek and check understanding by making connections, and by making and confirming predictions and inferences
    • interpret and summarize
    • evaluate and analyze
• Practise the behaviours of effective listeners
  • recognize factors that interfere with effective listening, including personal biases
  • be sensitive to ideas and purpose when listening
  • provide appropriate feedback
  • respond personally, critically, creatively, and empathetically
• Listen effectively in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes
  • listen for personal pleasure and aesthetic satisfaction
  • listen to: understand and learn, analyze and evaluate, empathize and make connections with others
  • assess the overall effectiveness of group discussions, readings, and interviews

Representing and Viewing

Representing and viewing are included as language processes, along with the traditional language processes of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Representing and viewing broaden the ways in which students can understand and communicate their learning.

While the emphasis in language arts is on representing thoughts, ideas, and feelings in written or spoken forms, students also might use visual, dramatic, and multimedia formats to support their written and spoken messages. When appropriate, students should be given opportunities to communicate and respond through a variety of formats including print (e.g., charts, graphs, tables), visual (e.g., diagrams, photos, advertisements), drama (e.g., tableaux, improvisations, role playing, storytelling, readers theatre), and multimedia (e.g., recordings, films, videos, television).

Students also comprehend thoughts, ideas, and feelings by viewing. When appropriate, students should be given opportunities to view a variety of formats including visual (e.g., photos, graphs, cartoons), drama (e.g., tableaux, improvisations, live theatre), and multimedia (e.g., videos, television, CD-ROM). As students read and listen, they encounter visual messages which require response, interpretation, and critical assessment. The interaction between the viewer and the text varies because of students’ prior knowledge and cultural perspectives.

By accommodating a variety of learning styles, representing and viewing help students achieve the English language arts objectives. Incorporating representing and viewing into language experiences encourages students to explore and expand the depth of their understandings. Representing and viewing also expand the ways in which students can communicate their ideas.

Methods of Organizing the Course

The teacher does not necessarily have to organize the course according to the four writing genres. Two options for organizing the course are outlined in the section entitled "Module Overviews and Suggested Activities". The outline of each option includes a "starter list" of suggested pre-writing strategies.

The two possible options for organizing Creative Writing 20 described in this guide are as follows:

Option A: Organizing by Context Module 1: Introduction Module 2: The World Around Us Module 3: Popular Culture Module 4: Imagination Module 5: Differing Perspectives Module 6: Independent Project (Teachers choosing this option could work with the thematic contexts provided or develop their own according to student interests. The challenge of choosing this option will be to keep the contexts broad enough that individual student ideas can develop and grow within them.)

Option B: Organizing by Writing Genre Module 1: Introduction Module 2: Writing Poetry Module 3: Writing Fiction Module 4: Writing Plays Module 5: Writing Nonfiction Module 6: Independent Project (The challenge of choosing this option will be to keep the course focused on the students' ideas and creative processes. The teacher should not allow craft to take precedence or form to determine content.)

Module Content

The following should guide the teacher in planning the modules for Creative Writing 20:

• All modules should be based on the foundational and specific learning objectives outlined in this guide.
• The emphasis in the modules should be on student writing.
• Necessary content about writing should be taught through mini-lessons, student presentations, or discussion.
• Necessary content should be taught within the context of the student's own projects, and as the students need the information.
• References to published literature and writers should be frequent.
• Discussion about the creative process, students' writing, writing issues, and the role of literature in society should be continuous.
• Activities should be focused on ideas and getting started with a writing project, unless a need for another type of writing exercise is expressed by a student or group of students.
• Students should spend a significant amount of time learning about what inspires them to write and exploring sources for their own writing. This is true even if the course is organized according to writing genre (Option B).
• Students should experience all four writing genres covered by this course, even if the course is organized according to context (Option A) rather than writing genre.

Daily Scheduling

Daily scheduling will depend, of course, on the students and teacher. Where one teacher and class might require a fairly tight structure, another might function best in a less structured manner. It is important that some flexibility be maintained so that the teacher can respond to student needs and progress. In addition, the teacher should build in some mechanism for allowing for varying rates of progress, as some students will write very quickly and wish to work on many projects at once, while others will work more slowly and methodically according to their personal style.

Two examples of five-day schedules follow. These are intended to be "case study" examples, rather than prescribed schedules.

Five-day Schedule: Example 1

Day One

• 20 minutes - Small group reading and study of literary models from classroom anthologies, teacher collections, or student choices.
• 10 minutes - Teacher explanation of and/or whole class discussion of a pre-writing strategy or activity to explore topic ideas.
• 15 minutes - Some students try new pre-writing strategy or free write in their idea notebooks. Others (identified by teacher in previous lesson) participate in a mini-lesson.
• 15 minutes - Small group peer conferencing and/or discussion of topic choices, of free writing activities, or of work-in-progress. At the same time, some students participate in scheduled teacher-student conferences.

Day Two

• 10 minutes - Teacher presentation of a particular component of the genre or context being studied (mini-lesson).
• 40 minutes - Drafting (student writing, teacher writing). Teacher-student informal or scheduled conferences.
• 10 minutes - Question time. Students ask questions about problems or writing issues. Whole class discussion in response.

Day Three

• Guest author, field trip, library visit, research and/or writing time. Informal teacher-student conferences.

Day Four

• Repeat day two.

Day Five

• Extension, reinforcement, enrichment, or culminating activities such as the following:
  • oral presentations (e.g., author’s circle, oral reading, readers theatre)
  • formatting writing for classroom publications, the school newspaper
  • planning or presenting a dramatic performance in connection with the writing accomplished
  • making audio recordings of creative writing combined with music
  • putting up bulletin board displays of creative writing
  • preparing illustrations (e.g., drawings, photographs) to accompany creative writing.

OR

• Peer conferences. Four students per group. Each student leads the group for fifteen minutes of reading/discussion of her or his work.

Five-day Schedule: Example 2

Day One

• 20-40 minutes - Small group or whole class reading and study of literary models, with time included for silent or oral reading, written or oral responses, and group discussion.
• In the time remaining - Teacher presents a mini-lesson on a pre-writing strategy. Students record this strategy in their notebooks and begin to generate ideas for their own writing topics.

Day Two

• 40 minutes - Students work on pre-writing activities. Some students who have selected their topic confer/discuss with peers regarding their topic choices and plans. Others free write, allowing their ideas to flow in a non-stop, natural manner.
• 20 minutes - Teacher presentation of a mini-lesson on some aspect of the module context or writing genre. Students record notes in a separate section of their notebooks.

Day Three

• 45 minutes - Individual student writing and teacher writing (free writing, first drafts, or successive drafts). Teacher conducts some informal conferences.
• 15 minutes - Scheduled teacher-student conferencing and/or peer conferencing, as needed.

Day Four

• 10 minutes - Teacher presents a mini-lesson on a pre-writing strategy or activity. Students record ideas in their notebooks.
• 50 minutes - Scheduled peer conferencing and teacher-student conferencing. These conferences may be for work-in-progress, for revising, for editing, or for proofreading, depending on individual student writing progress and length of piece(s). Students not ready for conferencing continue with their writing.

Day Five

• 60 minutes - Student writing, revising, editing, polishing. Those students who have finished pieces work on extension, reinforcement, or informal or formal publishing activities (e.g., preparing writing for bulletin board displays or for publication in the school newsletter). They might also choose to try another pre-writing strategy.

The two five-day schedules presented above are samples only. Teachers of Creative Writing 20 may construct their own timetables in order to address the needs of their particular students. However, the following should be included in all weekly plans:

• various appropriate components of the writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, presenting)
• other writing activities such as free writing and journal writing
• whole class and/or small group discussion of writing and literary models
• mini-lessons on components of writing genre, craft, and thematic contexts
• time for student reflection
• time for peer and/or teacher conferencing.

Classroom Environment

It is essential that student writers work in an atmosphere that inspires confidence, knowing that they can take risks without fear of criticism or ridicule. Teachers should understand that all honest creative endeavour involves risk-taking, especially for adolescents with developing self-concepts. Many students will find their voices in an atmosphere where risk-taking is encouraged and respected.

Teachers must insist that students behave respectfully toward one another. At the beginning of the term teacher and students together could decide on classroom rules and procedures for giving feedback; these could be posted and revised as necessary.

During discussion periods students exchange ideas, consult one another, and share their writing. The sound of constructive conversation is healthy during these times. However, some classroom time should be set aside as quiet time, to enable students to reflect, deliberate, and concentrate. The classroom environment should be predictable and consistent.

Although conferencing is a part of the writing process, teachers should be aware that some students benefit more than others from group discussion of their work. Teachers should help students determine their preferences for receiving feedback and accommodate them as much as possible. Some students will benefit from working with one partner with whom they have good rapport. Others will benefit most from teacher-student conferences.

It is a challenge for teachers to make all personalities feel at home in a group environment, especially when creative endeavours are often solitary and intensely personal. However, if teachers promote an atmosphere of respect for individual differences, the creative writing program can be a productive one for most student writers.