This seven week unit will center on the use of research in creative writing. It is part of a larger concept for teaching writing that I call “Something to Write About.” The “Something to Write About” model will use a variety of experiences such as service learning, field trips, and artistic expression to aid in student learning of a variety of writing styles and purposes.
The following unit called “Adding Details: Using Research in Short Fiction” is designed in two parts: the first provides a framework using the elements of a short story, and the second utilizes research, the “something to write about,” to create detailed and descriptive language in that short story. Many students struggle with creative writing because they neglect the basic elements of a short story (usually ending up with character sketches) and because they “don’t know what to write about.” This unit will help them by providing the necessary structure and direction that they need to succeed. Too often writing becomes a dull, yet painful experience in a student’s secondary career. However, providing the necessary scaffolding can lead to successful creative expression and can revitalize a student’s interest in the writing process.
Choice in the selection of subject matter is an important aspect of this unit. Because of the abundant past, present, or futuristic research material available, students’ interests relating to their socioeconomic status, gender, race, or ethnicity may be addressed. Students are also encouraged in the web quest that introduces the unit to consider different aspects of social awareness – providing the students with expanded personal and world views. They will be able to utilize what they learn about other people, places, and times in the creative writing process and, ultimately, make it their own.
This unit is designed for the eleventh or twelfth grade level. Because of the intensive research elements in the web quest and the final short story, this unit may not be suitable for younger students. However, with modifications to the research required this unit could be successfully used in the middle school, ninth, or tenth grade language arts class.
○ Students have grade level reading/writing/grammar skills
○ Students have experience reading a variety of short stories and responding to them.
○ Students know the elements of short story fiction.
○ Students have already experimented with copy change (the use of the plot structure of a work of fiction) in writing a short story writing.
○ Students have prior experience in doing research for expository writing.
○ Students have experience with editing and using word processing.
○ Students have prior experience taking notes and drawing in journals and logs.
○ Students are familiar with the protocols for working in small group discussions.
○ Students know class rules for peer editing.
○ Students are capable of reading the material and following the web quest links.
○ Students will have multiple intelligences and will do better with some aspects of the unit than others.
○ Students will display a variety of developmental levels and skills.
○ Some students may need extra time for constructivist methods of teaching and learning.
○ Some students will need accommodations to get the most from this unit.
○ Some students will have trouble staying on track if they do not have periodic deadlines.
○ Few students will have experience in writing short stories without copy changing first.
○ Few students will be accomplished artists and draftspersons.
Literature
Standard: The student will actively
engage in the reading process and read, understand, respond to, analyze,
interpret, evaluate and appreciate a wide variety of fiction, poetic and
nonfiction texts.
■ Analyze
and evaluate the relationship between and among elements of literature:
character, setting, plot, tone, symbolism, rising action, climax, falling
action, point of view, theme and conflict/resolution.
Standard:
The student will engage in a writing process with attention to audience,
organization, focus, quality of ideas, and a purpose.
■ Revise writing
for clarity, coherence, smooth transitions and unity.
■ Apply available technology to develop,
revise and edit writing.
Spelling,
Grammar and Usage
Standard:
The student will apply Standard English conventions when writing.
■ Use an extensive variety of correctly
punctuated sentences for meaning and stylistic effect.
■ Edit writing for correct grammar,
capitalization, punctuation, spelling, verb tense, sentence structure, and paragraphing
to enhance clarity and readability.
Research
Standard:
The student will locate and use information in reference materials.
■ Use print, electronic databases and online
resources to access information, organize ideas, and develop writing.
* From
Objectives: Students will have learned:
► To use the elements and structure of short fiction in their writing.
► To research material to use in an original short story.
► To analyze short stories and synthesize the information into their own writing.
► To imagine and write the setting of their short story through directed visualization.
► To use visual symbols to create descriptive and metaphoric language.
► To use graphic organizers such as mapping to aid in the structuring of plot.
► To use sentence combining and sentence patterns in their writing.
► To consider their audience when writing short fiction.
► To give feedback and constructive criticism to their peers.
○ Class will read along in class while instructor reads short stories aloud.
○ Teacher directed, guided visualization for setting (students write individually) see Week Three Day Three.
○ Whole class discussions about:
● WebQuest
● Research for fiction
● Author interview
● Characterization
● Figurative language
● Plot diagrams and graphic maps
● Sentence stretching, combing, and patterning
○ WebQuest will be in small groups of three students.
○ Peer discussions
and peer editing for various projects throughout the unit.
○ Research a variety of materials both online and in print media to use in the writing of a short story
○ Research worksheet that will aid in their short story
○ Create character mandala and generated writing
○ Create plot mapping
○ Write short story that makes use of research
○ Students will keep an ongoing journal or log to aid in the writing of the short story.
○ Periodic writing prompts pertaining to unit for students to record in journal/log.
○ Peer groups will meet regularity to revise and edit various individual activities.
○ Students
will turn in journal/logs and drafts at set stages of the writing process.
□ Notebook (for journal/logs)
□ Folder or three-ring binder (for loose handouts and art work handed in with journal/log)
□ Art paper and art materials (basic supplies provided; students may supplement)
□ Access to internet and electronic databases
□ Access to library for research
□ Access to word processing
This set induction is designed to help the students understand that they too can write short fiction with the help of a structure to follow and “something to write about” using research. Activating their prior knowledge of the elements of short fiction is a start. Have students write in a journal about their favorite aspects of past short stories and why they felt those elements may have been more effective than others. Have students share their journaling in class. Then have students brainstorm about what places or time or people would interest them enough to want to incorporate the information into a short story. Have students get into small groups to share their thoughts. Briefly discuss the real purpose for the writing in the possibility to publish their work. Get them excited without scaring them.
Week One Rehearsal
Day One: Start with the set induction (previously mentioned) and then introduce the different parts of the unit including the WebQuest. Tell them that the WebQuest will work as a rehearsal for the larger unit and that they will be able to work on it in small groups. Get the students into groups of three for the WebQuest.
Days Two and Three: Have students work on the WebQuest in the resources center. Be available to answer questions and help students generate ideas.
Day Four: Give researching for fiction lesson in which the teacher introduces the students to concept that many authors research material when they write fiction. Discuss the different possibilities and remind them of the first day of the unit launch when they thought about the possibilities. Tell them that they could research the past, present, or even the future (innovative research for those interested in sci-fi) for their short stories. Go to resource center to work on WebQuest.
Day Five: Give two short lessons on this day. The first lesson is the review of journals and logs and how to use them, what is included, and when to turn them in for in this unit. The second includes an interview clip from NPR, which has the author Russell Banks talking about using research in his writing. Again, discuss with the class what topic for research they may be interested in if there is time in class have them go to the resource center and start looking for books.
Week
Two Getting Students Started
Day One: Students continue to look for reading materials and search online in the resources center for research. For those that have found materials they can use in class time to read.
Day Two: Students get into their groups and discuss their ideas for using the research that they have been finding and how they might be able to use it in their short story.
Day Three: Introduce characterization lesson using examples from short fiction and movies to review and discuss how can use in up coming short story. Hand out character worksheet to record their ideas. Near the end of class form groups for peer editing and small group discussion through out the unit. (See detailed characterization lesson plan.)
Day Four: Give quick quiz on character types and characterization. Then give character mandala lesson. Use remaining time to work on creating visual symbols. (See detailed character mandala lesson plan.)
Day Five: Students get into groups to discuss using their research to enhance the characters in their short stories. Give time in class for students to start writing story concentrating on the characters. Students who still need more research can go to the resources center.
Week
Three Putting
the Elements Together
Day One: Continue the lesson on character mandalas by introducing the generated writing portion of the lesson. Using the visual symbols that the students created for their characters have students write metaphoric language that may be used in their short stories.
Day Two: Give figurative language lesson. Use works of literature in small groups to find examples of figurative language. Introduce the concept of guided visualization and give warm up exercises to prepare students for the next class period when they will be doing a more extensive visualization exercise.
Day Three: Give visualizing the setting lesson. Tell students about the use of guided visualization and how to use their imaginations for the setting in their short stories. Have them shut their eyes and guide them through the setting of their short story. When through, have them draw pictures and images of what they encountered.
Day Four: Give the plot diagram lesson and the graphic organizers lesson that focuses on mapping the plot of the students’ short stories. The plot diagram will be in the form of a hand out that contains the setting, the set-up, rising actions, turning point, climax, and resolution. The graphic plot map is a non-linear organizer to aid the students in the structure of their short stories.
Day Five: Group discussion and work on plot and mapping for their short stories.
Week
Four Starting
the Writing
Day One: Give the Stretch-A-Sentence lesson and have students practice using technique on sentences for their short stories.
Day Two: Peer editing and multiple drafting review lesson on the protocols for listening and helping revise each others writing. Groups get together and review the stretched sentences from the day before.
Day Three: Have students get into peer editing groups and read first drafts to each other for critique. Give time for students to make revisions in class. Return to groups to review revisions if time permits.
Day Four: Give sentence combining lesson. Have class writing in their journals about sentence combining and how they will use it in their short stories.
Day Five: Have them combine some of the sentences that they have already written from the first draft for the second draft. If time permits, have them read combined sentences in peer editing groups.
Week
Five Making
it Better
Day One: Peer editing of second draft. This draft will be handed into teacher for comments and formative assessment.
Day Two: Writing dialogue and using quotation marks lesson. This lesson is designed to be of actual use to the students in the writing process. Giving this lesson at this time in the writing process helps them to write dialogue in their short stories if they so wish.
Day Three: Sentence patterns lesson. This lesson will help make the students aware of the style and variety of the sentences that they will write in the stories. These patterns will be formatively assessed in the third draft of their short stories. Have the students get into small groups to discuss the implications of sentence patterns in their stories and how they might be able to make use of them.
Day Four: This is an in class writing day with the emphasis on using different sentence patterns. Students who are ready can use the word processing lab to compose.
Day Five: Word processing lab day where students
word process their third draft.
Week Six Getting it Done
Day One: Publishing student work lesson where all of the publishing possibilities are discussed again in greater detail. This was first mentioned in the set induction. Students will have time to work on word processing.
Day Two: Peer review and editing day. This is where the almost finished short story
is refined. Put an emphasis on reviewing
the different sentence patterns that have been written for short story. If there is time, students can go to the word
processing lab to work on revisions.
Days Three – Five: More time allowed for word processing or on
extra credit projects linked to the short story such as illustrations for the
story, a book cover design, an opening poem, or a song.
Week
Seven Presentations
Days One – Five: Have the students hang their art work on
the walls and read their stories to the whole class. Have a party with snacks on the final
day. (Depending on class size, a whole
week may not be necessary.) To
make it fair, all work is handed into teacher on Monday, and students are
randomly selected to give presentations.
Accommodations for students
unable to read work in class can be made.
Volunteer readers or an electronic recording of the story are possible
options. After the stories are assessed
publish student work in school outlets and online.
|
Week Number |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
|
One |
Unit launch WebQuest introduction Students into small web groups |
Work on WebQuest in resources center |
Work on WebQuest in resources center |
Researching for fiction lesson Work on WebQuest in resources center
|
Research and writing log lesson Author interview WebQuest
Due |
|
Two |
Library and resources center Read research materials |
Group work on ideas for story using research writing in class |
Character-ization lesson Form groups for peer review and editing |
Character mandala lesson Quiz on char.
Log Due |
Group work on using research to enhance characters Character traits Due |
|
Three |
Mandala generated writing lesson |
Figurative language lesson Visualization warm up |
Visualizing the setting lesson Character mandala/ Writing Due |
The plot diagram &
Graphic maps lesson |
Group work on plot and mapping Setting drawing and writing Due |
|
Four |
Stretch-A-Sentence lesson Plot mapping
Due |
Peer editing and multiple drafting lesson Review stretched sentences |
Peer editing and review 1st Draft Due |
Sentence combining lesson Log Due |
In class writing using sentence combining |
|
Five |
Peer editing Review sentence combining 2nd Draft Due
|
Writing dialogue and using quotation marks lesson |
Sentence patterns lesson Group discussions |
In class writing using sentence patterns |
Word Processing In Lab |
|
Six |
Publishing student work lesson Word Processing in Lab or extra credit |
Peer editing Review sentence patterns 3rd Draft Due
|
Word Processing and Extra Credit |
Word Processing and Extra Credit |
Word Processing and Extra Credit
Log Due
|
|
Seven |
Student presentations hang art and read work Final Project Due |
Student presentations hang art and read work |
Student presentations hang art and read work |
Student presentations hang art and read work |
Party Student presentations hang art and read work |
Week Two / Day Two Lesson Plan
Week Two / Day Four Lesson
plan
Character
Mandala (first part of two-part lesson plan)
Projects that have checklists:
♦ Plot mapping
♦ Imagined setting drawing and writing
♦ Research worksheet
♦ Research and writing log/journal
♦ Group work and self evaluation
Projects that have rubrics:
♦ WebQuest (see Evaluation page of WebQuest)
♦ Character mandala and writing
♦ Short story using research
(Rubrics, and Grading found under Supporting Materials.)