Creative+Writing

__**Daily Assignments**__

__**Aug 26**__ Students will learn workings of the class through the syllabus, create a set of classroom norms, and learn about their class through a series of games.

Journal: Why does man create?

Introductory writing activities On three scraps of paper write down three nouns...Then put them into the bowl. Choose two and create a new compound word... Then write a story...advertise the product...write an article about its discovery... Share and Collect


 * Create a collage that answers the "What is Creativity?" Due Jan 10**


 * Bring composition notebooks for journals next class**

__**Aug 28**__ DUE: Collage, blank journals,three ring binder, signed syllabus Journal: Do you think you are more or less creative than you were at five? Why? What do you need, or what did need to make you creative? Time? Resources? Knowledge?, Freedom?... explain you answer

Students will participate in creative centers aimed at reconnecting with their creative selves. Once they have experienced the 'child side' they will switch hats and become an "Indiana Jones."

From that perspective they will discover an artifact, describe it in field note form, and then create a document of at least 200 words which considers purpose, audience and method of communication the final product. **__DUE: Sept 4__**


 * Students that were absent can use this picture to 'discover.'



__**August 30**__ Journal: What does perception mean and how can it affect you as a writer: Provide several specific examples...

In class answer questions and discuss

Reminder...A page long archaeology response based on the rubric and examples provided is DUE SEPT 4

Journal: In __**exactly 50 words**__ write the story of a cat chasing a ball of yarn...write it from the point of view of the yarn.
 * __Sept 4__**

Students will peer edit the responses and then grade their own based on that feedback. **COLLECT ARCHAEOLOGY RESPONSE**

Students will connect their observational skills to their idea of perception as they participate in a scavenger hunt of under-appreciated objects around the building.



__**Sept 6**__

Technology issues mean no journal :)

Students will apply the knowledge gained from the Scavenger Hunt to a "Day in the Life" descriptive essay. __**DUE: Sept 10**__



Go to the IMC to work on their Day in The Life Stories.

__**Sept 10**__ Journal: Make a list of twenty word that do not have a picture that goes with them. EX: courage, freedom Then write about the connotation and denotation of that word. How are they different? Are they the same?

Peer Edit "Day in the Life Stories" **COLLECT**

Create Sense Posters in groups of five. __**Due Sept 15**__

__**Sept 18**__ Journal: Write about ten things you will not do this weekend? Use description in your response.

--Finish sense posters

__**Sept 20**__ Journal: Story Sticks...(If absent use these as story starters.) Start with the first sentence. Move toward the last sentence and include a sensory description of the detailed item. First sentence - There were seventeen cats living in Larry's basement. Last sentence - That was the last time he invited his mother to dinner. Sensory Detail - the smell of Sally's leftovers.

Present sense posters **COLLECT**


 * ZOOM Books Introduction - Create a Zoom Book that reflects an element of changing perception like Istvan Banyai's book __ZOOM__.**
 * Due Sept 24**

[|Zoom example]



Zoom Book Planning Time...

__**Sept 24**__


 * Journal: paint chip character builder**

Writing Story Builder: Form a paint chip network. In randomly assigned groups of four decide how the people can be connected...as a family...a work unit...neighbors..etc. Then work together for fifteen minutes and create a story using the personalities formed during the last class as a basis for the characters.

Zoom Work Day

__**Sept 26**__ REMINDER ZOOM BOOKS DUE SEPT 30

Journal: Write about a 'dream trip' to a place you have always wanted to visit. Describe what you know about it and why you would like to visit there. Why did you choose that place? What would you like to do there?

Zoom Book Work Time (Due next class)

Consider the importance of setting using the message via airmail sheets

Turn your message via airmail into a paper airplane Take them to the top of the commons stairs and launch them Retrieve one that is not yours and complete the tale __**Share and Collect**__

If there is extra time in class choose one of the following setting - mood examples and have an i n class setting-mood write around and share


 * IF ABSENT CHOOSE TWO FROM EACH OF THE SETTING AND MOOD SHEETS. WRITE ABOUT THEM AND THEN BRING IT TO CLASS**
 * WHEN YOU RETURN.**

__**Sept 30**__

Journal: Make a list of fifty character traits...try to incorporate two or three of them into your character sketches

Zoom books due Story-time share and feedback from the Author's Chair (Stars and Wishes) Collect Zoom Books

Learn the requirements of the Stalk a Stranger. (Notes due Friday)



__**Oct 2**__

Journal: Make a list of ten stereotypes. Write a conversation that two stereotypes would have with eachother...

Students will use the computers in the IMC to create a one to two page character sketch of their 'Stalk a Stranger' character.



__**Oct 4**__ Journal: Select one of the following pictures and start a story. consider point-of-view, character, description, setting, flasback and dialogue in your story Share stories and give starts and wishes to the author

Creativity is...circles (Creativity test!)

Share/Peer Edit Character sketch stories (See grading rubric above)

__**Feb12**__ Journal: Words are important. Words are lasting. Write 50 words that could be included into a time capsule and sent into space to outlast earth and exist four billion years from now. Go to IMC

---Students will learn about Murmurs of Earth by Carl Sagen and The Last Pictures by Trevor Paglen. Both are scientists who sending visual images with satellites to last far beyond earth as we know it. Then consider what are the characteristics of a lasting image.....

Watch a cllip of the trailer for The Last Pictures from Creative Time.

[|The Last Pictures - Creative Time]

Discuss the value of words and images.

Look at the pictures chosen for Ron Howard's Project Imagination

[|Ron Howard's Project Imagin8tion]

Homework: Select eight images to guide the creative projects this semester..... Print them out and put them into your creative writing binder

__**Feb 14**__ Journal: Students will complete the second line of the poems on the sheets ATTACH IN THEIR JOURANLS

Students will create two Valentine's cards possibly using the two line verses they created. COLLECT

Students will work on their picture stories..... Be sure to include a theme from the list of themes.

__** Feb 19 **__ Journal: Describe your favorite character from a book, movie or television show......What makes them your favorite?

Students will go the IMC and work on their 1-2 page picture stories DUE: Thursday at beginning of class Students will select their eight pictures following the categories in Project Imagination and print out the pictures with categories chosen for each. DUE: Thursday at beginning of class

Conferences begin today:

Author's Chair begins Thursday: Second Hour: Garrit Gloyd, Stefani Messick Fourth Hour:

__** Feb 25: **__ Journals Due Journal: Why should we have had a snow day.....creatively persuade me

IMC work on two pieces that are to be finalized for Friday

** March 5: **
We went over the 8-photo portfolio that is due at the end of the 6 weeks
 * 1) Each of your 8 photos will be turned into a different creative writing assignment
 * 2) You can re-pick your photos if you would like to (we will be working with them a lot! Make sure you care about them!)
 * 3) The 8 different assignments will be
 * 4) Flash fiction 500-word story
 * 5) 2 Lies and a truth
 * 6) An ad, created around the concept of one of your photos
 * 7) A concrete poem
 * 8) InkleWriter adventure story
 * 9) Found poetry using lyrics of songs
 * 10) An Op-Ed piece
 * 11) An Aesop's fable

Each creative writing piece will be assigned and will be due throughout the 6 weeks, and each piece will be due in a binder at the end of the semester (along with the video you will make)

We will now start each day with a video writing prompt, to help you get ideas of what you might want to do with your photo movies.

Today's prompt:

http://youtu.be/ltun92DfnPY

Please watch the above video, and then write from the perspective of one of the children that Shane is talking about. This child should be a work of fiction, and your writing should be creative, using sensory and interesting details.

The rest of the day was spent working on the 2 lies and a truth project- please write 3 short stories, each one 1/2 page single-spaced. Each story has to somehow include ONE photo. If you pick your photo of a barn, each story has to include that barn in it. But one of these stories must be a true story, and the other two must be fabricated lies.

** March 7: **
The day was spent in the library, working on the '2 Lies and a Truth' writing project. Please refer back to March 5th for the assignment specifics.

Today's video writing prompt:

http://youtu.be/irbFBgI0jhM

Please watch the above video, and write from the perspective of one of the dolls. Things to keep in mind: how long has that doll been there? What was that person like before they became a doll? What do they think about all day? Who do you think is controlling this place? What is its purpose?

**March 12/14 (TCAP week):**
Today's video writing prompt:

http://youtu.be/WibmcsEGLKo

Please watch the above video, and write about the impact it had on you. Think about what made it so impacting, thinking specifically about the series of photos and how the related to the speech. You too will have many photos to choose from when you get in your groups and make your video. Your "Two Lies and a Truth" writing was due today. Before it was collected, you were to get into a group of three and share your stories. As you read your three stories aloud, the other two were to decide which one was true.

The rest of the class period was spent starting your concrete poems > Homework: Continue drafting and working with your concrete poems
 * To see an example of a concrete poem, [|click here].
 * A concrete poem is a poem about a certain photo or object. Your poem will be inspired by one of your 8 photos.
 * The poem will then me molded into the shape of that picture. If you wrote a poem based off a photo about a barn, you will then shape that poem into the barn. We will go over ways how to do this next time.
 * Your poem must be at least 30 lines long!

March 18
Due: --

March 20
Due: Concrete Poem

March 22
Today's video prompt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7X7sZzSXYs

Watch the above video with first just the audio, and then watch with the combined audio and video. Which did you like better? Please write in the story of this poem, turning something that is usually perceived as one thing (ex: being alone means something is wrong with you, being alone is bad) and turn it around (being alone is freeing and healing).

The rest of the class period was spend working on your 55-word flash fiction piece

Due: -- Homework: 55-word flash fiction piece

**March 26**
No video prompt for today. Mrs. Skoric announced the field trip that will be happening April 12th. If you have an A or B in the class, you are allowed to go. Please turn in your SIGNED slip along with $10! We had multiple read in the author's chair to do some catch-up.

Details of the Found Poems: - Pick one of your 8 photos (a photo that has not been used before!) - Pick three songs that are inspired by that photo (these songs must have lots of lyrics!) - You are forming poems by getting rid of words from the lyrics. You cannot add ANYTHING. - You can either do this in Word (by highlighting the words you don't want in black), or print the lyrics off and mark out the words you don't want with a dark marker. - [|Click here for an example of a Found Poem.]

Due: 55 word flash fiction piece Homework: Found Poem

**March 28**
Today's video prompt: http://www.ted.com/talks/david_kelley_how_to_build_your_creative_confidence.html

Please watch the above video, and write about your views on your own creativity. Are you afraid to be viewed as a creative person? Do you fear being creative in front of others? Do you place yourself on one of the sides of creative or not creative?

The class broke up into groups of 6, and each group was given an Aesop's Fable to read and report back on. We went over the assignment specifics of your Aesop's Fable. Attached below is the assignment sheet:



For more examples of [|Aesop's Fables, click here.]

Due: Found Poems Homework: Aesop's Fable (Due Wednesday after break)

**Final Writing Portfolio Project Information:**
Here is the assignment sheet for your writing portfolio:

Here is the assignment sheet for the InkleWriter:



For your ad: 1. Google image search "vintage ad" or "antique ad" for examples 2. Notice that they are text heavy- this is what you should be aiming for! 3. A good ratio is 30% photo, 70% text. 4. Aim for the ad as a whole to look like it belongs together-- like a poster you could hang in your room 5. You can either sell a product that already exists, or create a unique one of your own! 6. It should be based off of one of the photos we have yet to use. My example was, if you have a photo of mountains, you could sell skis or snowboarding equipment. It could be about hiking Colorado, or visiting Colorado.