Week 1: Creative Writing

Ms. Moran

Tuesday September 8, 2015

0Welcome to class!0Today our desks can stay the same!

Do Now

0Please complete the questions on the questionnaire.

What’s up this week?0Homework: By Thursday, have a parent

sign and return the syllabus // By Friday, finish writing and revising creation myths0Tuesday: Class Overview and Assembly!0Wednesday: Creation Myths0Thursday: Slam Poetry and Found Poems0Friday: Poems and Vocab Quiz

What’s up today?0Write a detailed letter to your future self

about your goals for the course and what you hope to achieve0Class Overview0Unit Overview0Free Write0Vocabulary0Goal Setting0Ticket to Leave

Class Overview0Expectations: Be here. Be nice. Be prepared. Be ready. 0Code Names: Real First name. Secret Name. 0Grades: Posted every Monday. Our goal is 80% every week.

0 Homework (usually one long assignment per week) 20% 0 Class participation (attendance and classwork)15%0 Projects (quizzes and presentations) 45%, 0 Tests (exams and longer writing assignments) 20%

0Shout Outs0 Early with desks set up0 Homework handed in on time0 Going above and beyond expectations0 80% grade0 Demonstrating leadership

Free WritingFREEWRITING RULES0 1. Write without stopping (don’t let inner editor catch up.)0 2. Write for the whole time (after you have written everything you

know, you write what you don’t know).0 3. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar (until the final draft).0 4. Follow the dog. (Follow those odd smells, sounds, images at the

corner of your mind.)

FREEWRITING HINTS (if you are slow getting started) 0 1. Start in the present moment with what you are thinking and feeling0 2. Describe your surroundings using all your senses. Describe how

your body feels.0 3. If you start to feel self-conscious or stiff in your writing, write about

it! 

Today’s Free Write0Write about your summer

10 minutes

Goal Setting0Write a letter to yourself to be delivered in January

20160 Handwrite or online: https://www.futureme.org/

0What is going on in your life now that you hope is resolved by then?

0What do you hope to learn in this class?0What would be the best thing that could happen to

you between now and then?0What is one thing you hope you have changed about

yourself between now and then?0What is one thing you hope you have learned?

Please move the desks back to rows

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

0Welcome to class!0Today our desks should look like this

(groups of 4)

Do Now

0Find someone new in the class and introduce yourself. Tell them your:0 Name0 Favorite place in the world0 Favorite smell

What’s up this week?0Homework: By tomorrow, have a parent

sign and return the syllabus // By Friday, finish writing and revising creation myths0Tuesday: Introduction0Wednesday: Creation Myths0Thursday: Slam Poetry and Found Poems0Friday: Poems and Vocab Quiz

What’s up today?0Listen to creation myths and use the

information to create a new creation myth0Class Overview Review0Free Write0Vocabulary0Creation Myths0Ticket to Leave

Class Overview0Expectations: Be here. Be nice. Be prepared. Be ready. 0Code Names: Real First name. Secret Name. 0Grades: Posted every Monday. Our goal is 80% every week.

0 Homework (usually one long assignment per week) 20% 0 Class participation (attendance and classwork)15%0 Projects (quizzes and presentations) 45%, 0 Tests (exams and longer writing assignments) 20%

0Shout Outs0 Early with desks set up0 Homework handed in on time0 Going above and beyond expectations0 80% grade0 Demonstrating leadership

Unit Overview

0Creating Our Toolbox0Vocabulary0Free-writing0Free-form stories

Free WritingFREEWRITING RULES0 1. Write without stopping (don’t let inner editor catch up.)0 2. Write for the whole time (after you have written everything you

know, you write what you don’t know).0 3. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar (until the final draft).0 4. Follow the dog. (Follow those odd smells, sounds, images at the

corner of your mind.)

FREEWRITING HINTS (if you are slow getting started) 0 1. Start in the present moment with what you are thinking and feeling0 2. Describe your surroundings using all your senses. Describe how

your body feels.0 3. If you start to feel self-conscious or stiff in your writing, write about

it! 

Free Write

0 Imagine it is the year 600. You look up in the sky and see this sight. How do you explain it?

5 minutes

Today’s Vocabulary:Absolve

0 to declare or make someone innocent/guilt-free

Today’s Vocabulary: Alleviate

0 to make a problem/situation/condition less severe or harsh

Creation Myths

0We will listen to 5 stories0After each story, write down characteristics of that

story that you think were0 Funny0 Interesting0 Smart0 Weird0 Something you would think

The Inca

0http://www.bigmyth.com/myths/english/2_inca_full.htm

The Navajo

0http://www.bigmyth.com/myths/english/2_navajo_full.htm

The Zulu

0http://www.bigmyth.com/myths/english/2_zulu_full.htm

The Egyptian

0http://www.bigmyth.com/myths/english/2_egyptian_full.htm

The Aboriginals

0http://www.bigmyth.com/myths/english/2_aboriginal_full.htm

Walk and Talk

0Partner 1: Which myth was your favorite?

0Partner 2: What was the weirdest thing you heard in a myth?

0Partner 3: What is one part of the myth that you will use?

Ticket to Leave

0Begin writing your myth. Due Friday. Can be illustrated. Should be re-checked for spelling / grammar.

Game!

02 truths and a lie

Please move the desks back to rows

Thursday, September 10, 2015

0Welcome to class!0Today our desks should look like this

(groups of 4)

Do Now

0Find a partner. Tell them what your favorite word is and why.

0Some words don’t exist in EnglishMencolek (Indonesian): You know that old trick where you tap someone lightly on the opposite shoulder from behind to fool them? The Indonesians have a word for it.

What’s up this week?0Homework: By tomorrow, finish writing

and revising creation myths

0Tuesday: Setting Goals0Wednesday: Creation Myths0Thursday: Slam Poetry and Found Poems0Friday: Poems and Vocab Quiz

What’s up today?0Listen to slam poems and write a found

poem based on your favorite0Questions on myths?0Free Write0Vocabulary0Slam Poems0Ticket to Leave

Questions on myths?

Free WritingFREEWRITING RULES0 1. Write without stopping (don’t let inner editor catch up.)0 2. Write for the whole time (after you have written everything you

know, you write what you don’t know).0 3. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar (until the final draft).0 4. Follow the dog. (Follow those odd smells, sounds, images at the

corner of your mind.)

FREEWRITING HINTS (if you are slow getting started) 0 1. Start in the present moment with what you are thinking and feeling0 2. Describe your surroundings using all your senses. Describe how

your body feels.0 3. If you start to feel self-conscious or stiff in your writing, write about

it! 

Free WriteWrite a creative response to this picture.

Today’s Vocabulary: Alternative

0 referring to a different choice or possibility

Slam Poem #1

0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuAbGJBvIVY

0Hands – Sarah Kay

0Why does Kay focus only on hands?

0What is the power in focusing on a single object?

Slam Poem #2

0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9ZRyZcW_ac

0What Teachers Make- by Taylor Mali

0What is Mali’s message?

0What meaning does this poem have for you?

Slam Poem #3

0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVPJz8CWE-M

0Falling in Like- Big Poppa E

0Why does Big Poppa E focus on like and not love?

0How can you connect with this poem? Or not?

Found Poems

0Choose one poem

0Using only words from that poem, create a new poem

0You may use words more than once. You may not use words that do not appear in the poem.

0Your goal is to provide your audience with a feel of the poem without reading the actual poem.

Ticket to Leave

0Praise

0Praise another classmate’s poem or contribution to class. Be specific! What did you like about what they did?

Please move the desks back to rows

Friday, September 11, 2015

0Welcome to class!0Today our desks should look like this

(groups of 2)

Do Now

0Vocabulary quiz. Use each of the three words in a sentence.

0Alleviate0Absolve

0Alternative

What’s up this week?0Homework: Enjoy your weekend

0Tuesday: Setting Goals0Wednesday: Creation Myths0Thursday: Slam Poetry and Found Poems0Friday: Poems and Vocab Quiz

What’s up today?0Write a poem based on reading the first

line0Hand in myths (sharing?!!)0Writing poem0Reading Poem0Ticket to Leave

Poem Writing

0 Independently, you are going to write a poem based on the first line of a famous poem. If you would rather work with a partner, just ask.

“You’re seventeen and tunnel-vision drunk”

Reading

0Deer Hit by Jon Loomis

Ticket to Leave

Please move the desks back to rows