Short Story Guidelines

Bell Work: Write down 3-5 sentences describing the conflict or problem in your first story. Keep in mind that you should be using the character and setting that you worked on last week.

 

Agenda

• We are going to begin writing our short stories today.
• You should have a well developed protagonist, setting and conflict! It is now your job to put this all together and design the plot! (In other words, you are going to write the story.)

Here are the guidelines to help you get an A.

Short Story Guidelines

• Stories must be 3-5 pages typed and double spaced.
• You must use a 12 point, Times New Roman or Arial font.
• Rough Draft is due
• Final copies are due

Reminder

 

*Your planning pages will be graded. Please have them completed so you can turn them in! Finish them for homework if they are not done. All of the assignments given are posted to the blog!

 

 

Happy writing!

Designing Characters and Setting

Bell Work: What is a setting? Why is it important for characters to have a setting in a story?

Essential Question: How do I write a creative short story using complex characters?

Whole Group Time

 

1. Discuss setting

2. Essential Question

4. Arts standards

*Note: If you missed yesterdays's character profile lesson, you must complete at least 20 of the questions provided to be prepared for class tomorrow.

Arts Standards

 

Standard 1: Creating, Performing and Participating in the Arts

Students will actively engage in the processes that constitute creation and performance in the arts (in this case, theater) and participate in various roles in the arts. 

Standard 2: Knowing and Using Arts Materials and Resources

Students will be knowledgeable about and make use of the materials and resources available for participating in the arts in various roles. 

Work Time

 

1. Choose a setting and describe it on an index card.

2. Discuss with classmates.

3. Decide if we want to swap with a partner or not.

Closure 

1. Write down homework if you do not finish today's task.

2. Clean up your space, log off your computers and push in your chairs. 

Homework

Finish your character profiles and/or setting descriptions to be prepared for tomorrow's lesson.

Have a great day!

Exploring Character

Good Morning/Afternoon!


We are going to start class by reviewing your course criteria sheets. Then we will finish up yesterday's assignment. Once we take care of these items we will begin our first mini unit: Exploring Character.


Bell Work: What is a character? Why are characters important to have in stories?

Essential Question: How do I write a creative short story using complex characters?

Arts Standards

 

Standard 1: Creating, Performing and Participating in the Arts

Students will actively engage in the processes that constitute creation and performance in the arts (in this case, theater) and participate in various roles in the arts. 

Standard 2: Knowing and Using Arts Materials and Resources

Students will be knowledgeable about and make use of the materials and resources available for participating in the arts in various roles. 

Agenda:

1. Discuss characterization and why it is important to write good, complex characters with back stories.

2. Design our own characters.

3. Use this questionnaire to design a character for your (or a classmate's) next story:


Assignment: Answer at least 20 character profile questions. Use questions from the link below:
http://www.creative-writing-now.com/writing-character-profiles.html

Welcome to Our Blog!

Welcome to middle school creative writing! I will post a great deal of information for the class right here, so be sure to check the blog often!

You are welcome to comment and ask questions on the blog, but please make sure that your posts are school related and appropriate. Thank you!

Here is today's agenda: 

Bell Work: Find and bookmark the class blog!

Essential Question: Am I prepared to start the new marking period?

1. In your notebooks, brainstorm about the following:

• Goals
• Expectations
• Feelings about starting a new marking period.

2. Task: Write a Dear Me Letter
Here are some guidelines on how to get an A: 

• Write yourself a letter discussing your feelings about starting a new marking period.
• How has the year gone so far? Different from what you expected?
• What are your goals and expectations for this marking period? Any changes you would like to make?
• How do you feel about being at SOTA?

*Note: These guidelines are here to get you started. You may add to the them as well!

* If you type your letter, please use Microsoft Word and SAVE YOUR WORK! Don't know how? ASK!

8th Grade Alternative Writing Assignment: Since I know most of you from last year, you may write an All About Me writing assignment. Write about yourself! What would I not know about you right away? Has anything changed in your life from last year? What's different? What's the same? This writing task is about self-discovery, so write about something meaningful!

Prompt #5 (All About ME!)

Today's prompt is more open! Write about you! You can write anything you want (how the marking period went, how you've changed, etc., etc.) HAVE FUN!


When you are done with all 5 prompts, staple them together and turn them in. Do not turn in your folder again. Those are for you to take home and show off to your families!

Prompt #4: (Switching Places)

If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be, and why? If that seems too easy, try this one: who would you like to have spend a day as you and what do you hope they’d learn from the experience?


REMINDER: ALL PROMPTS SHOULD BE 3 PARAGRAPHS AND WILL BE GRADED TOGETHER.

Prompt #3 (Charitable)

Charitable!

You’ve inherited $5 million, with instructions that you must give it all away — but you can choose any organizations you like to be the beneficiaries. Where does the money go? Why? As always, please write three paragraphs.

Prompt #2 (The New School)

The New School

 

You get to redesign school as we know it from the ground up. Will you do away with reading, writing, and math? What skills and knowledge will your school focus on teaching young minds?

 

Prompt #1 (Avoiding Disaster)

By the Skin of Your Teeth


Write about a time when you narrowly avoided disaster. This means that something terrible could have happened, but you were able get away from it. Please write a minimum of three paragraphs for this assignment.