Stanhope Public Schools
24 Valley Rd.
Stanhope, NJ 07874
973-347-0008
www.stanhopeschools.org
STANHOPE SCHOOL
CREATIVE WRITING CURRICULUM
2012
STANHOPE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Gina Thomas, President
Gil Moscatello, Vice President
Jennifer Russell
Gene Wronko
Michael Stiner
Donna Kali
Erin Maiello
ADMINISTRATION
Dr. Maria Cleary, Chief School Administrator
Nadia Inskeep, Assistant Principal
CREATOR
Sherry Fehir
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Preface
Both legislative mandates and societal demands have driven the increased necessity for
an integrated approach to language arts skills. To that end, this curriculum strives to
address all of the identified skill areas targeted in the New Jersey Core Curriculum
Content Standards (CCCS), the federal requirements established under No Child Left
Behind (NCLB), and the needs of everyday, reality-based communication.
It must be understood that the purpose of this curriculum is to be a general guide to
both the specific reading and writing skills as well as the other curricula in which those
skills should be implemented.
This curriculum is based on a choice class, created for a single grade level but can be
modified to fit the needs of various levels. It is designed to be executed in a 10 week
session or the length of one marking period.
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GENERAL GOALS
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Speaking- Students should be able to express their thoughts verbally in a clear,
concise, animated manner before a variety of audiences and for a variety of
purposes.
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Listening- Students should be able to demonstrate actively that they can
interpret, evaluate, and appropriately respond to information given orally in a
variety of settings.
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Writing- Students should be able to write in a clear, concise, and organized style
that reflects an awareness of a specific audience and a specific purpose.
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Reading-Students should be able to comprehend a variety of materials utilizing
various reading skills including but not limited to word attack skills, context clues,
and phonics.
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Thinking-Students should be able to demonstrate progressive use of critical
thinking skills through their growing sophistication in speaking, listening, writing,
and reading.
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GRADE 7
COURSE
Creative Writing
Time frame
One Marking Period/10 weeks
http://www.p21.org/documents/P21_Framework_Definitions.pdf
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21st Century Themes
Interdisciplinary focus and
technology integration
Communication and Collaboration
Media Literacy
Creativity and Innovation
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Social Studies, Science, Technology
Big Ideas
Essential Questions
 The ability to write a variety of genres requires
independence, comprehension, and fluency.
 What are the important story elements of each
genre?
 Different genres contain various story elements
to be recognized and analyzed.
 How can reading and analyzing quality fiction transfer
into strong writing?
 Discussions are vital to student learning by
promoting higher level thinking and making
outside connections.
 How does fluency affect comprehension?
 Why do readers need to pay attention to a writer’s
choice of words?
 A story’s genre influences character motivation.
 How do writers construct a solid, meaningful piece of
 Creativity of writing can be attained by
familiarizing oneself with different genres and
styles of writing.
fiction?
 What is the nature of creative thinking?
 Writing has grade level potential when grade
appropriate vocabulary is included.
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Learning Targets-students will be able to
READING TARGETS
 Read aloud with fluency and accuracy
 Recall, analyze, and compare/ contrast story elements (e.g. setting, plot(major/minor details),
characterization, conflict, climax, resolution, theme, point of view, suspense)
 Recall, analyze, and compare and contrast literary devices (e.g. irony, euphemism, flashback,
foreshadowing)
 Identify successful writing techniques through reading literary works.
 Hold a mature discussion on fictional pieces of writing
WRITING TARGETS
 Collaborate and interact with other writers as a means of mutual support.
 Demonstrate an adequate level of competency in the area of writing mechanics.
 Produce final drafts suitable for publication.
 Constructively critique the work of fellow students
 Incorporate figurative language in her/his writing
 Search the Internet to locate creative works of literature
 Identify and successfully create specific poetic forms
 Utilize varied sentence structure and vocabulary
 Develop characters imaginatively and effectively
 Incorporate dialogue in works of short fiction
 Transform story ideas into effective plots
 Cultivate the art of revision as part of the writing process.
Content Standards
Reading: Literature
1. Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
3. Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).
5. Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning.
6. Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
9. Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of
understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history.
10.By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6–8 text complexity band
proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Writing
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and
analysis of relevant content.
 Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition,
classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia
when useful to aiding comprehension.
 Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
 Use appropriate transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
 Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
 Establish and maintain a formal style.
 Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.
3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured
event sequences.
 Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event
sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.
 Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
 Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.
 Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and
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events.
 Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Gradespecific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
5. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or
trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.
6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with
others, including linking to and citing sources.
8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each
source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two)
for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Speaking & Listening
1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts,
and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
 Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to
evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
 Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
 Pose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant observations and ideas that bring the
discussion back on topic as needed.
 Acknowledge new information expressed by others and, when warranted, modify their own views.
Language
2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
 Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives (e.g., It was a fascinating, enjoyable movie but not He wore an old[,] green shirt).
 Spell correctly.
3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
 Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy.*
4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly
from a range of strategies.
 Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning
of a word or phrase.
 Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the
pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.
 Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a
dictionary).
5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
 Interpret figures of speech (e.g., literary, biblical, and mythological allusions) in context.
 Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonym/antonym, analogy) to better understand each of the words.
6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when
considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Teaching Strategies/Procedures
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Direct Instruction
Differentiated Instruction
Reinforcement and Remediation
Scaffolding
Modeling
Teacher circulation
Group discussions
Use of technological tools
Learning Activities
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Multisensory activities (Outdoor experiences, flavor writing)
Writer’s workshop (brainstorming, prewriting, organizing,
drafting, proofreading, editing, critiquing)
Cooperative Learning Activities (e.g. student round table
critiques, pair writing games)
Writing multiple genres (sci-fi, fantasy, historical fiction,
adventure, realistic fiction, poetry, screenplay, comics)
Class discussions
Word processing
Interactive whiteboard activities
Study Island
Homework
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Differentiation
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Cooperative Learning (Flexible Grouping/Pairing)
Peer tutoring
Tiered activities, assignments, and assessments
Hands-on activities
Re-teach and enrichment activities
Study Guides
Assessment
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Formal and informal teacher observation
Writing pieces/Tests/Quizzes
Projects
Class discussions/participation
Homework/class work
Discussion List
Notebooks
Rubrics
Student self-evaluation
Suggested Resources
Books
Seize the Story: A Handbook for Teens Who Like to Write by Victoria Hanley
Teaching the Story: Fiction Writing in Grades 4-8 by Carol Baldwin
Prompts/Ideas
http://creativewritingprompts.com/
http://pages.uoregon.edu/leslieob/pizzaz.html
http://www.tengrrl.com/tens/017.shtml
http://www.storyarts.org/lessonplans/lessonideas/#proverbs
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/creative.html
Writing Tips
http://www.dailywritingtips.com/creative-writing-101/
http://www.creative-writing-now.com/index.html
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/creative1/shortstory/
http://blog.reallygoodstuff.com/?p=2230
Tools
http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/
http://www.tv411.org/reading/understanding-what-you-read/truth-advertising
www.discoveryeducation.com
www.studyisland.com
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APPENDIX A
CREATIVE WRITING
Glossary of Terms
1. Adjective (modifier)- A part of speech modifying or describing nouns, pronouns
2. Adverb (modifier)- A part of speech modifying or describing verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. In
general, it answers the questions: How? Why? When? Where?
3. Allegory- a work in which the story, characters, or events have symbolic meanings assigned to them. You
may compose an allegory, and you may interpret a work as allegorical.
4. Antagonist-main character in a story offering opposition to the protagonist
5. Back story- The wider context or background, which sheds light on the current story.
6. Characters-see literary elements
7. Cliché- see figurative language
8. Climax- see literary elements
9. Compositional risks- elements of style or structure (e.g. dialogue, inversion, high-level vocabulary, and
hyperbole) that elevate the overall quality of a piece of writing.
10. Conflict- see literary elements
11. Connotation-The set of associations implied by a word in addition to its literal meaning.
12. Crime- Related to mystery or murder mystery genres, ‘crime’ presents a story involving crime, the
police and the law.
13. Denotation-The most specific or direct meaning of a word, in contrast to its figurative or associated
meanings
14. Dialogue-see literary device
15. Enigma- A riddle, puzzling person or thing; something that cannot absolutely be known or resolved.
16. Euphemism- see figurative language
17. Fairytale- Often drawing on myths handed down orally through the world’s various different cultures,
fairy tales feature a number of recognisable formulae and character ‘types’. A ‘fairy-tale’ ending is
meant to imply a happy ending to a story, however this isn’t always the case, and often a fairy tale
evokes a complex moral lesson.
18. Fantasy- a type of genre fiction that uses fantastic mythical elements as primary components of the story
(vampires, witches, ghosts, elves, etc.)
19. Figurative language- contains images. The writer describes something through the use of unusual
comparisons, for effect, interest, and to make things clearer.
Types:
a) Metaphor-a direct comparison not using like or as. (The clouds were marshmallow fluff floating
in the sky.)
b) Simile-a comparison using like or as (The clouds are like marshmallow fluff.)
c) Hyperbole-the use of extreme exaggeration, usually with humor
d) Alliteration- The repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words
or syllables
e) Onomatopoeia- Naming a thing or an action by imitating the sound associated with it.
f) Oxymoron- Two opposite words coming together to make a new idea (jumbo shrimp)
g) Personification-giving human-like qualities to inanimate objects.
h) Cliché-an overly used phrase
i) Idiom- a saying that does not imply its literal meaning
j) Euphemism- The substitution of a mild or less negative word or phrase for a harsh or blunt one
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20. Genre- A literary or artistic type or style, e.g. thriller or romance.
21. Hook sentence- usually first sentence of an essay. Grabs the reader’s attention.
22. Humor- a type of genre fiction where the primary goal is comedy.
23. Hyperbole-see figurative language
24. Idiom- see figurative language
25. Inspirational- a type of genre fiction where the primary goal is to provide uplifting, inspirational feelings
to the reader. May be set in any time period, and may be based upon some set of religious beliefs or not.
26. Literary Device-a tool to enhance, embellish, or illuminate language
Types:
a) Dialogue-conversation between characters in a story
b) Figurative language-see #19
c) Foreshadowing- Where future events in a story, or perhaps the outcome, are suggested by the
author before they happen
d) Irony- expression of something that is contrary to the intended meaning; the words say one thing
but mean another
e) Mood- The atmosphere or emotional condition created by the piece, within the setting.
f) Oxymoron- A contradiction in terms.
27. Mystery- a type of genre fiction where the reader does not know, or at least is not told outright, the
identity of the “villain” until the end or near the end of the story.
28. Narrative- A written or spoken account of a series of events. The part of a literary work that deals
with events and action, rather than dialogue.
29. Novel- A length of fictitious prose, over approximately 45,000 words in length, presenting
character(s), place(s) and time(s), usually within the context of a story.
30. Point-of-view- The identity of the narrative voice; the person or entity through whom the reader
experiences the story.
a) First person-the speaker
b) Second person-the person spoken to
c) Third person-the person spoken about
31. Short story- A length of prose up to approximately 20,000 words in length, most usually of
between 1,000 and 5,000 words.
32. Symbolism- The use of specific objects or images to represent abstract ideas.
33. Theme- Main idea or message conveyed by the piece.
34. Tone- The apparent emotional state, or “attitude,” of the speaker’s voice, as conveyed through
the language of the piece.
35. Style-The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed
36. Literary Elements-the various parts of a story that produce a unified effect.
a) Plot-main idea of story
b) Setting-time and place
c) Characters-(major/minor, protagonist/antagonist)
d) Conflict-the problem which creates the plot
e) Climax-the highest point of the story
f) Resolution-the result of the conflict
37. Metaphor-see figurative language
38. Mood-see literary device
39. Noun- a name of a person, place, thing, or idea.
40. Onomatopoeia- see figurative language
41. Oxymoron- see literary device
42. Paragraph-a group of sentences that tell about one main idea
43. Parts of Speech- Names for the ways words are used in sentences The parts of speech are: noun,
pronoun, adjective, adverb, verb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection.
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44. Personification- see figurative language
45. Plot-see literary elements
46. Poetry-language of emotion, usually written in some sort of form
Types:
ACROSTIC:
In Acrostic poems, the first letters of each line are aligned vertically to form a word.
The word often is the subject of the poem.
ALPHABET:
Each line begins with the letters of the alphabet in order.
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL:
A poem about oneself using any poetic form.
BALLAD:
Retell an event in history, in the news, or in your life as a ballad.
You will want the ballad to rhyme. You may copy the style of other poets.
CINQUAIN:
Cinquains have five lines
Line 1: Title (noun) - 1 word
Line 2: Description - 2 words
Line 3: Action - 3 words
Line 4: Feeling (phrase) - 4 words
Line 5: Title (synonym for the title) - 1 word
COLOR:
A poem about your favorite color. Express your feelings about a single color with analogies or similes or
list nouns which are (or remind you of) that color. Another easy form is to use the 5 senses-looks like,
sounds like, smells like, tastes like, feels like.
DIAMANTE:
The Diamante is a form similar to the Cinquain. The text forms the shape of a diamond.
Line 1: Noun or subject - one word
Line 2: Two Adjectives that describe line 1
Line 3: Three 'ing words that describe line 1
Line 4: Four nouns - the first two are connected with line 1; the last two are connected with line 7
Line 5: Three 'ing words that describe line 7
Line 6: Two adjectives that describe line 7
Line 7: Noun Synonym for the subject
EPITAPH:
Usually rhymed lines used to describe a death
HAIKU:
Haiku is Japanese poetry that reflects on nature and feelings. There are three lines with five syllables in
the first line, seven syllables in the second, and five syllables in the third.
LIMERICK:
A limerick has five lines. They are often silly.
The last words of lines one, two, and five rhyme.
The last words of lines three and four rhyme.
A limerick has to have a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.
RHYMING:
Couplets are made up of two lines whose last words rhyme.
Triplets are made up of three lines. The rhyming pattern can be AAA or ABA.
Quatrains are made up of four lines. The rhyming pattern can be AABB or ABAB.
SONNET:
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A fourteen line poem that has rhyme scheme a-b-a-b, c-d-c-d, e-f-e-f, g-g Made famous by
Shakespeare
TANKA:
Similar to a Haiku with seven-lines rhyming and syllables 5, 7, 5, 7, 7
47. Point-of-view- see literary device
48. Protagonist-the principal/lead character of a story
49. Resolution-see literary elements
50. Rubric-a scoring guide used in subjective assessments
51. Science Fiction- a type of genre fiction where imagined but not-yet-real human achievement (interstellar
flight, invisibility, etc.) creates the situation or tension of the
52. Sentence- a group of words expressing a complete thought. Must contain a subject and a predicate.
Types:
a) Declarative-States a fact or opinion (The store is located around the corner.
b) Exclamatory-Expresses a strong feeling or emotion. (The teacher is failing us!)
c) Imperative-Gives a command. (Johnny, take out the trash.)
d) Interrogative-Asks a question. (What time does school end today?)
53. Setting-see literary elements
54. Simile-see figurative language
55. Style-see literary device
56. Symbolism- see literary device
57. Theme-see literary device
58. Thesis statement (topic sentence)-states main idea of an essay
59. Thriller- Where the dramatic mood and pace is punctuated by a rapid series of high-tension
events and actions.
60. Tone-see literary device
61. Verb- part of speech that expresses action or state of being.
62. Voice-a verb has two voices, active and passive
63. Western- a type of genre fiction primarily set in America’s old west, from about 1830 to
around 1900. Can be set in a more modern time if the character types are retained and the setting
of horses, cows, etc., is retained.
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APPENDIX B
Creative Writing Genres
1. Action/Adventure: A story where the main character finds himself/herself in tricky
situations, has a mission and faces obstacles to reach his/her destination.
2. Comedy: A story written to make the audience laugh.
3. Creative Non-fiction: A stylistic twist on informative topics such as
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Blogging
Documentary
Memoir and biography
Food and travel writing
Personal essays
Literary journalism
Interviewing
4. Crime Novel: A story about a crime that is being committed or was committed. It can
also be an account of a criminal's life. It often falls into the Action or Adventure genres.
Court room drama’s/legal thrillers, murder mystery, detective stories, gangsters,
normally come under this genre.
5. Documentary: a story that tells the truth about events.
6. Fiction: a made up story, with made up characters and places; some fictional stories
are based on fact therefore some of the characters maybe based on real people and
real places.
7. Fantasy: A story about magic and supernatural forces. Usually featuring royalty,
wizards, witches, sorcerers, trolls, creatures, monsters, and/or fairies.
8. Graphic novel/comic: is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader
using sequential art, either in an experimental design or in a traditional comics format
and including various genres across the board.
9. Historical: A story based on past events and people.
10. Horror: A story that is told to deliberately scare or frighten the audience, through
suspense, violence or shock. Genres within this genre include ghost stories, stories
about monsters, the occult, vampires, etc.
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11. Legends and Myths: a traditional or legendary story, typically including a hero or
event.
12. Memoir: similar to an autobiography, focusing rather on the development of the
author’s personality and life changes.
13. Mystery: usually associated with crime and/or supernatural fiction; solving a
problem or strange occurrence.
14. Philosophical fiction: a normal story to explain difficult and/or dark parts of human
life.
15. Romance: stories set in present day and aimed at female readers where the
characters fall in and out of love and eventually have a happy ending.
16. Saga: prose, stanzas or whole poems that use alliteration to tell stories. A family
saga is a story that tells about the lives of a particular family often used to explain
particular events.
17. Satire: uses wit, irony and sarcasm to attack something that the author
disapproves of and is meant to be funny.
18. Science Fiction: stories set in outer space or the future featuring aliens, time
travel, scientific experiments, etc.
19.
Screenplay: the dialog and instructions for a film
20.
Script: the dialogue and instructions for a play, musical, or other performance work
21.
Slice of Life: a day in the life of ……
22. Speculative fiction: overlaps with science fiction, fantasy fiction, horror fiction,
supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and
post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history.
23.
Spy / Espionage : Classic spy genre deals with the CIA against the KGB
24. Thriller: A story that is filled with suspense and action, adventure, mystery or
horror depending on the level of terror. Usually dark or serious drama and includes
disaster; psychological; crime and techno.
25.
War: Adventure fiction based on usually set around real battles.
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