Appendix: W. Item: Curriculum Course Guide - New High School Course/Honors Creative Writing Department: Instructional Services

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1 Appendix: W Item: Curriculum Course Guide - New High School Course/Honors Creative Writing Department: Instructional Services Background/Historical Context: Creative Writing has been offered in our school district for several years and New Hanover High School would like to design an honors level version for Creative Writing. An honors level standard course of study has been written for this new developed course (attached). Rationale: Adding this course will allow students who are interested and talented writers to take an elective to improve their craft. There are several universities who offer Creative Writing as a degree choice (including UNCW). Well-developed writing skills improve students career marketability. Recommendation: Instructional Services recommends the addition of Honors Creative Writing to our high school curriculum offerings for the school year. Supporting Documentation: Attached Board Action: Recommendation Accepted Recommendation Rejected, Tabled for Further Study Other

2 Appendix: W Honors Creative Writing Elective English Language Arts Course According to the New Hanover Schools Curriculum Guide, Creative Writing develops skills required in analyzing and creating imaginative prose, poetry, drama and short stories utilizing observation, past experience, and sensory perception. Through the completion of varied writings, the student perfects the writing process from pre-writing to presentation. Honors Creative Writing extends this instruction by demanding more challenging and varied reading assignments, as well as a film studies component and research of career opportunities (both writing & publication). However, the true distinction between the two courses lies in the level of complexity of the additional supplemental texts and of the sophistication (in structure, theme(s), figurative language, character development, and overall creativity/ingenuity) of the student produced work. Honors students should also exhibit a mastery of grammar and mechanics by the final draft. Honors Creative Writing students must submit a final E-portfolio (with reflections) of all major pieces of work and complete a capstone project of their choice that requires additional research (to be approved by instructor) with publishing requirements. The instructor will adapt and differentiate instruction per each piece of writing (i.e. poetry, personal narrative, creative nonfiction, short story, young adult fiction, and movie/television scripts), but most specifically for the capstone project (represented by wildly varying topics and genres). Honors Creative Writing focuses on reading, writing, listening, and speaking at its core. This course vertically aligns with UNCW s Bachelor s of Creative Writing degree program and with career readiness in the fields of contemporary television, film, or young adult fiction. Therefore, the need for this honors course at the county level opens opportunities for students to strengthen their language arts skills and for collaboration and continued support within our educational community. Goal # 1 Improve critical thinking skills both in written work and class discussion. Objective Analyze both the features and the literary devices of different types of fiction and the way in which authors use those features and devices. Poetry Short story Peer writing Literary Analysis Objective Analyze the way in which meaning is affected by patterns of organization, repetition of the main ideas, syntax, and word choice in the text. Outlining of published and self-written works Diction exercises Analysis of writing Objective Make reasonable assertions about the author s main ideas/themes by using elements of the text to defend and clarify interpretations. quotations and analysis of texts Objective Make informed connections between personal experience and texts. Class discussion of texts and film adaptations, self-reflection and written analysis

3 Goal # 2 Write in a variety of genres and for a variety of purposes while attending to audience, structure and composition. Objective Analyze the way in which the theme or meaning of a selection, represents a view or comment on life, using textual evidence to support the claim. Written analysis essay(s) Research-based report(s) Reflective response(s) Objective Analyze the ways in which irony, tone, mood, the author s style, and the sound of language achieve specific rhetorical or aesthetic purposes or both. Mirror specific qualities in their own writing Group work and discussion of qualities Written analysis of published and student-produced works Whole class analysis Objective Analyze ways in which poets use imagery, personification, figures of speech, and sounds. Mirror specific qualities in their own writing Group work and discussion of qualities Written analysis of published and student-produced Whole class analysis Goal # 3 Explore a variety of post-secondary opportunities in fields related to the course. Objective Demonstrate an understanding of the elements of discourse when completing narrative, expository, persuasive, or descriptive writing assignments. Writes to fulfill specific genre requirements Uses imagery and other devices to make writing descriptive Explores elements of fiction and applies to narrative assignments Objective Enhance meaning by employing rhetorical devices. Employs concession in research driven writing Exposes bias in published writing Writes proposal letters & cover sheets for publication submission Objective Demonstrate control of grammar, diction, and paragraph and sentence structure and an understanding of English usage. Reviews grammar rules as needed by individual writers Review of quotation methods and punctuation rules especially as they apply to creative writing and citing research sources Objective Revise text to highlight the individual voice, improve sentence variety and style, and enhances subtlety of meaning and tone in ways that are consistent with the purpose, audience, and genre. Employs a variety of revision methods including: writing workshops, peer editing and selfdirected revision Objective Understand personal writing strengths and weaknesses and uses strategies to enhance strengths and overcome weaknesses. Reflects on and analyzes own writing in writing Writing workshop discussion

4 Goal # 4 Improve writing fluency and facility with revision while focusing on writing as a process. Objective Write responses to fiction literature. Written analyses of plot, tone, setting, character, etc. Analyzes writer s craft Writes creative work modeled on various published texts Objective Write reflective responses to non-fiction text.. Students reflect on both published texts and self-produced texts Students respond to peer s writing in a workshop setting Goal # 5 Increase ability to validate sources and to analyze bias in resources. Objective Makes a variety of well-informed and well organized formal and informal presentations to the class. Literary terms presentations Poetry recitations Media Studies Final Project presentation Market and publication composite presentation Objective 5.2 Use appropriate word choice, pacing and tone during formal oral presentations. Review elements of successful oral presentation Objective Incorporate material from a variety of sources into presentations. Creative Writing Studies Research Project presentation Final E-Portfolio presentation Objective Contributes constructively to class discussions; responds to and builds upon ideas of previous speakers; cites evidence for ideas. Writer s workshop Fishbowl discussions & Online Blogs Response to and questions for outside speakers program Daily discussion of current events

5 21 st Century Learners 21 st Century Themes Global Awareness Career Readiness 21 st Century Learning & Innovation Skills Creativity & Innovation Critical Thinking & Problem Solving Communication & Collaboration 21 st Century Information, Media, & Technology Skills Media Literacy Information, Communication, and Technology Literacy 21 st Century Life & Career Skills Flexibility & Adaptability Initiative & Self-Direction Social & Cross-Cultural Skills Productivity & Accountability Leadership & Responsibility NC will produce Globally Competitive students Every student uses technology to access and demonstrate new knowledge and skills that will be needed as life-long learners to be competitive in a constantly changing international environment. NC public schools students will be healthy & responsible Every school focuses on developing strong student character, personal responsibility, and community/world involvement.