Syllabus
- 1. Name__________________________ Ms. Barto Creative Writing (1 / 2) (circle one) Summer 2015 Creative Writing and Self Expression Syllabus Course Description A great artist once said, "Rap is poetry." Jay Z was right. There is poetry in rap lyrics, pop songs, and good old rock n' roll. Poetry is a form of creativity and selfexpression that allows songwriters like Jay Z to reach new heights in their music. There are other forms of selfexpression that make an impact on the world as well. Great books are read for generations, short stories become TV shows, and the narratives of individuals' lives become movies. It all comes back to writing, and the creativity behind these great works. In this class we will explore this world of creative writing, examining the genres of _____________, __________ __________, ____________, and ________ _________ that best assist the art of selfexpression. While learning from the works of great artists in these genres, you will create a portfolio of pieces from each genre, which will be shared and performed in the last week of class. Course Policies and Expectations 1. Be _____________________ 2. Be _______ _____________ 3. Be _____________________ 4. ________________________ 5. ________________________ 6. ________________________ After first offense, you will receive a _________________. After the second offense, you will lose ______ minutes of rec time. After the third offense, you will lose your _____ rec time. Course Grades and Assignments This is a creative class. There is no ____________ or ____________ way to be creative, but it is important to keep your writing: class appropriate (no swearing or other inappropriate content), and free of grammatical mistakes (use correct punctuation and spelling). Also, each assignment should follow the assigned guidelines, and _____________________ counts! If you meet these guidelines and your writing shows that you made a good effort, you will receive full points on your assignments. The major assignments in this class will include: ● Narrative (20 points) ○ First draft (5 points) ○ Peer review comments (5 points) ○ Revised draft (10 points)
- 2. ● Short Story (25 points) ○ Plot chart and outline (5 points) ○ First draft (5 points) ○ Peer review comments (5 points) ○ Revised draft (10 points) ● Poetry (30 points) ○ 6 Poems (15 points) ○ Peer review comments (5 points) ○ Performance (10 points) ● Song Lyrics (20 points) ○ First draft (5 points) ○ Peer review comments (5 points) ○ Revised draft (10 points) ● Final Portfolio (50 points) ○ Revised narrative (10 points) ○ New narrative (10 points) ○ Revised short story (10 points) ○ Revised poems (10 points) ○ Revised song (5 points) ○ New song (5 points) Course Schedule (subject to change) Week 1: June 1519 ● Monday: Introduction to creative writing ○ Homework: Fill out About You info sheet and sign this Syllabus (due Tuesday) ● Tuesday: Introduction to narrative ○ Homework: Practice writing introductory paragraphs (due Wednesday) ● Wednesday: Continuing narrative ○ Homework: write your own narrative (due Thursday) ● Thursday: Narrative revision/peer workshop ○ Homework: revise work (due Friday) ● Friday: Intro to short story ○ Homework: plot chart and outline (due Monday) Week 2: June 2226 ● Monday: Continuing short story ○ Homework: write first 3 paragraphs of short story (due Tuesday) ● Tuesday: Continuing short story ○ Homework: finish writing short story (due Wednesday) ● Wednesday: Continuing short story/peer review ○ Homework: revise short story for final draft (due Thursday)
- 3. ● Thursday: Intro to poetry ○ Homework: write a poem (due Friday) ● Friday: Continuing poetry ○ Homework: pick 2 poetry forms and write a poem in each (due Monday) Week 3: June 29July 2 ● Monday: Continuing poetry/peer review ○ Homework: pick two more forms, and write a poem in each (due Tuesday) ■ Also, bring in a printed picture for Tuesday ● Tuesday: Continuing poetry ○ Homework: write a freeverse poem (due Wednesday) ● Wednesday: Intro to song lyrics ○ Homework: write verse and chorus (due Wednesday) ● Thursday: Continuing song lyrics ○ Homework: finish writing song (due Monday) ● Friday: No school! Week 4: July 68 ● Monday: Continuing song lyrics/peer review ○ Homework: revise song for final draft (due Tuesday) ● Tuesday: Final portfolio ○ Homework: select poem to memorize (due Wednesday) ● Wednesday: Final portfolio ○ Homework: memorize poem (due Monday) ■ Also work on final portfolio first draft (due Tuesday) ● Thursday: Field trips, no classes! ● Friday: Field trips, no classes! Week 5: July 1315 ● Monday: Performance ○ Homework: work on final portfolio first draft (due Tuesday) ● Tuesday: Final portfolio/peer review ○ Homework: revised final portfolio and performance (due Wednesday) ● Wednesday: Final portfolio performances ○ Turn in portfolio at end of class. No homework! ● Thursday: Fun day! ● Friday: Closing ceremony, no classes! Signature of Student_________________________________________ Signature of Parent/Guardian_____________________________________________