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Course Profile The Writer’s Craft (EWC4U), Grade 12,
University Preparation, Public
Course Overview
Prerequisite: English, EWC3U Grade 11, University Preparation
This
course emphasizes knowledge and skills related to the craft of writing.
Students analyse models of effective writing; use a workshop approach to
produce a range of works; identify and use techniques required for specialized
forms of writing; and identify effective ways to improve the quality of their
writing. They also complete a major paper as part of a creative or analytical
independent study project and investigate opportunities for publication and for
writing careers.
Writing
is a both an analytical and a creative act. The Writer’s Craft Course Profile assumes
a highly integrative teaching/learning classroom in which the teacher works as
coach and mentor to apprentice writers in a range of writing contexts. The
course is divided into six separate units; however, like the writing process
itself, the units are integrative and recursive in processes and development.
Unit 1, Words, Words, Words, provides foundational concepts, skills and
writers’ tools from which students will build a repertoire of skills,
knowledge, and understandings specific to the craft of writing. While each unit
has a core content focus, students should also have the opportunity to
demonstrate achievement of expectations through a range of writing forms.
Consistent with the course expectations, particular attention is to be directed
toward opportunities for independent study and the investigation of publishing
and writing careers. Within any given unit, students should find opportunity to
focus on particular areas of personal or career interest. A student
introduction to the Writer’s Craft course (Appendix 0.1) can be found in the
overview appendices.
A
strong workshop environment should be established early in the course: writer’s
journals, work logs, and reading groups provide ongoing development tools for
the students and important tracking implements for the mentor-teacher. Students
should be encouraged to maintain a journal, both in and out of class, to record
inspirations, observations, fragments of ideas, quotes from readings, images
and any additional artifacts which may contribute to their personal development
as writers. An explanation of the writer’s journal, Keeping a Writer’s Journal
(Appendix 0.2), has been included as an appendix to this Course Overview.
Considerable time must be set aside for in-class writing, idea building, peer
conferencing, and small group investigation as well as for whole class and
independent learning. A process portfolio, which compiles both in process and
completed work, is an excellent learning and assessment tool that should be
established early in the course and maintained throughout the course of study.
The
Magnum Opus portfolio, suggested as the culminating activity for this
course, allows students to demonstrate both the achievement of course
expectations and individual development of the craft over time. It is expected
that research and writing conducted during each unit will help students to make
decisions regarding their Magnum Opus and build a range of writing
samples in their process portfolio. An evaluation rubric for the Magnum Opus
has been included with the course overview (Appendix 0.3).
Teachers
should be sensitive to the personal nature of writing and support students in
avoiding disclosure and discussion of sensitive issues. It is important to
outline acceptable parameters for writing including avoidance of sexist,
racist, violent and inappropriate topics and language.
Remind
students of teachers’ legal obligation to report illegal activities disclosed
in writing.
Teachers
should discuss safe and acceptable Internet use policies as they apply to the
school and the school board with the class.
|
Unit 1 |
Words,
Words, Words |
16
hours |
|
Unit 2 |
The
Writer and the Craft |
15
hours |
|
Unit 3 |
Writing
for Media |
17
hours |
|
Unit 4 |
Writing
for Young Adults |
23
hours |
|
* Unit
5 |
Writing
for Specialized Audiences |
20
hours |
|
Unit 6 |
The
Magnum Opus |
19
hours |
* This
unit is fully developed in the Course Profile.
Time: 16 hours
Unit
Description
This
introductory unit establishes foundational course components and key writing
skills in order to build a reflective community of writers and foster
constructive dialogue in the classroom. Following from the assumption that
words are the writer’s primary tools, students analyse forms and effects of
language and diction. Samples from a range of passages are examined while
students respond to and experiment with language for effect and purpose. For example,
students can practise identifying and using persuasive language, reading for
bias, using figurative language, extended metaphor or allegory, and changing
register. Dialect, colloquial language, issues of language and gender, as well
as the dynamic nature of English should be considered with attention to their
importance to the writer and reader.
Unit
Overview Chart
|
Activity/Time |
Learning Expectations |
Assessment Categories |
Focus |
|
1.1 |
PW1.05 |
Knowledge/
Understanding |
Students
establish course components and management tools: writer’s journal, work
diary, conference procedures, editing/reading group structures. |
|
1.2 |
PW1.02 |
Knowledge/
Understanding |
Students
write a creative response to the opening line: “Writing is _____” to explain
the writing process through an extended metaphor, e.g., “Writing is a Contact
Sport”; “ Writing is a Dance.” |
|
1.3 |
PW1.06 |
Thinking/
Inquiry |
Students
compile a glossary of pop culture vocabulary and phrases and investigate
their origins and meanings. |
|
1.4 |
IWV.02 |
Thinking/
Inquiry |
Students
read and respond to samples of standard and non-standard usage to assess
purpose and effectiveness in context. |
|
1.5 |
IW1.01 |
Thinking/ Inquiry |
Students compare two passages of famous
texts, one modern and one at least 100 years old, e.g., Frankenstein,
and a recently written novel award winner or two poems; in groups students
compare and contrast use of language, purposes, audience expectations. |
|
1.6 |
IW1.03 |
Knowledge/
Understanding |
Students
critique selected reading for bias and/or persuasive purposes. |
|
1.7 |
IW1.01 |
Knowledge/
Understanding |
Students
write responses to selected samples of at least three “classic” poems: e.g.,
a Shakespearean sonnet, a ballad, an ode. Students
write in one of the forms studied. |
Time: 15 hours
Unit
Description
Students
examine models and practise writing strategies using a range of selected
published samples. This activity helps students to establish a personal “idea
bank”, process portfolio, journal, and peer conferencing skills which will
continue to develop throughout the course. A range of short, highly focused
writing opportunities as well as carefully selected reading samples should
provide students with clear reference points for further study. Applications of
writer’s guides, styles manuals, dictionaries and thesauri should be included
in the teaching of this unit.
Unit
Overview Chart
|
Activity/Time |
Learning Expectations |
Assessment Categories |
Focus |
|
2.1 |
IWV.01 |
Communication |
Students
write monologues using: a) personal voice; b) created voice. |
|
2.2 |
IWV.01 |
Knowledge/
Understanding |
Students
write in a variety of forms from picture prompts and organizational
frameworks, e.g., a chronological story, a news report pyramid, a description
spatially organized from left to right. |
|
2.3 |
IWV.01 |
Thinking/Inquiry |
Students
interpret a poem through performance emphasizing diction, tone and technique. |
|
2.4 |
IWV.01 |
Knowledge/
Understanding |
Students
select and assess various techniques as they are used in print
advertisements. |
|
2.5 |
IWV.02 |
Knowledge/ Understanding |
Students read selected “notes on the craft”
from published writers and apply advice to generate ideas for writing and
reflection/response. |
|
2.6 |
IW2.02 |
Knowledge/
Understanding |
Students
read and respond to selected non-fiction writings from writers around the
world. |
Time:
17 hours
Unit
Description
In this
unit, students select and examine one current political event or social issue
as presented in various media forms. Students produce a variety of pieces of
writing, e.g., newspaper editorial, radio interview script, newscast, and
magazine article, focusing on their chosen issue. Students select one piece for
final publication and prepare a rationale of why the particular publication
medium chosen is the most suitable for the chosen topic. In addition, students
examine how poetry is represented in music lyrics for media production.
Unit Overview Chart
|
Activity/ Time |
Learning Expectations |
Assessment Categories |
Focus |
|
3.1 |
IW1.01 |
Thinking/
Inquiry |
The
class discusses the similarities and differences between poetry written for
print media and music lyrics. Students examine how purpose and audience
impact form. Students critique one particular song or poem in terms of its
adaptability and suitability to another form, e.g., a poem into a song, a
song into a printed poem. |
|
3.2 |
PW1.03 |
Thinking/
Inquiry |
Students
analyse three different newspapers’ coverage of a similar story. Students
create an editorial or news article based on individual student’s selected
topic. |
|
3.3 |
PW1.05 |
Communication |
Students
create a 2-minute single speaker newscast to address their chosen issue. |
|
3.4 |
PW1.05 |
Knowledge/
Understanding |
Students
write an in-depth magazine article on a selected issue, either informational
or interpretive. |
|
3.5 |
IW2.01 |
Thinking/ Inquiry |
The class listens to a panel discussion of
media writers. Students prepare a rationale and piece for final publication. |
Time: 23 hours
Unit
Description
This
unit emphasizes research skills and the application of a range of writing
techniques in frequent, brief activities. A survey of genre is provided with
specific application to writing for young people. Students are encouraged to
research their own favourite texts and authors with a view to close examination
of writing techniques, skills and process for a specific market audience. It is
expected that research conducted during this unit will help students to make
decisions regarding their Magnum Opus (Unit 6) and build a range of
writing samples in their developing course portfolio.
The
research components of the activities listed may be integrated throughout the
unit in order to provide time for students to conduct thorough research and to
share their findings with their classmates.
Unit
Overview Chart
|
Activity/Time |
Learning
Expectations |
Assessment
Categories |
Focus |
|
4.1 |
PW1.06 |
Knowledge/
Understanding |
Groups
present a specific strategy/convention for young people’s literature. |
|
4.2 |
IW1.02 |
Application |
Students
apply their knowledge of poetry from Unit 2 to the writing of a poem for a
teen audience. |
|
4.3 |
IWV.02 |
Thinking/Inquiry |
Students
research basic elements of humour and analyse samples from selected comic
authors for teens. |
|
4.4 |
IWV.02 |
Thinking/Inquiry |
Students
research elements of drama writing using selected samples. Students write and
perform a short sketch, dialogue, or cartoon script. |
|
4.5 |
IWV.02 |
Knowledge/
Understanding |
Students
research basic elements of structuring narrative with specific attention to
conventions for the selected audience. Students write a critique of one
selected text. |
* Note: While this outline addresses a particular form, teachers may wish to
consider alternatives using a similar organizational structure.
Time: 20 hours
Unit
Description
A variety
of writing tasks include both assigned and student-selected topics for a range
of specialized audiences including academic, business/technical, and creative
communities. Particular attention is paid to the application of research in
careers in writing and publishing. The written speech and its related
conventions as well as the conventions for a business or technical audience are
also examined. Students investigate emerging conventions of web-based writing,
and work in collaborative groups to investigate the writing of one emerging
writer or form, e.g., the hypertext novel, multimedia text. Since this unit
involves the use of technology and the Internet, teachers are reminded to
review school- and board-based guidelines for safe Internet use.
Unit
Overview Chart
|
Cluster |
Learning Expectations |
Assessment Categories |
Focus |
|
5.1 |
IW2.01 |
Knowledge/Understanding |
Based
on prior research/investigation, students write a short essay to young
writers outlining “key advice” for the field. |
|
5.2 |
PW1.11 |
Knowledge/Understanding |
Students
design a business proposal to attract potential investors for a local publishing
company. |
|
5.3 |
PWV.01 |
Communication |
Students
write a speech for a social advocacy group. |
|
5.4 |
PW1.05 |
Knowledge/Understanding |
Students,
in groups, develop evaluation criteria and assess a website. |
|
5.5 |
PW1.12 |
Knowledge/Understanding |
In
groups, students investigate the work of one non-traditional author, either
in print or via a web-based environment. Groups “jigsaw” and report results
of inquiry. |
Time: 19 hours
Unit
Description
In the independent study, the Magnum
Opus, will be developed from the students’ process portfolio and selections
representing at least three writing forms from assigned and self-selected
tasks. The Magnum Opus might be: a collection of poetry, a major short
story, a series of essays, a magazine/set of journalistic pieces, a stage play,
an outline for a screenplay, or a novel in progress. The Magnum Opus
will emphasize students’ assessment of their “best work” as accumulated near
the end of the course and will culminate in an independent study paper.
Particular attention to revising, editing, and publishing to wider audiences is
expected during this unit. Collaborative workshops emphasizing peer and
self-assessment as well as refining correct and effective language structures
and conventions are included. The final portfolio presentation is designed to
be used as part of the final assessment for this course.
Unit
Overview Chart
|
Cluster |
Learning Expectations |
Assessment Categories |
Focus |
|
6.1 |
PW1.01 |
Knowledge/
Understanding |
Students
use research and reflection criteria to identify from their process portfolio
“best pieces” representing at least three writing forms for final
publication. Students defend selections to collaborative writing
groups/teacher and generate questions, issues for development of pieces. |
|
6.2 |
PW1.02 |
Knowledge/
Understanding |
Students
use research criteria, identify audience(s), select genre, “target” market/
publishing/career opportunities. Students reflect/self-assess and participate
in peer and teacher conferences |
|
6.3 |
PW1.07 |
Knowledge/
Understanding |
In
small groups and in pairs, students revise and edit selected pieces and
design and present “hot spots” language and grammar sessions to peers. |
|
6.4 |
PWV.02 |
Thinking/Inquiry |
Students
publish selected pieces for a defined target audience. Students include final
written self-assessment of the writer’s journey and final products. Students
produce a major polished work such as a one-act play, a “first issue”
magazine proposal, a technical writing product or another related major work
developed as an independent study. |
|
6.5 |
PW1.01 |
Communication |
Students
present their portfolio and independent study with reference to at least
three forms. |
Students enrolled in the Grade 12
University Writer’s Craft (EWC4U) course have successfully completed Grade 11
University English (ENG3U). The teacher needs to select materials and resources
which challenge students and reflect the students’ interests and needs. The
writing workshop provides the foundational structure which informs the course:
the teacher must build into all assignments and activities opportunities for a
range of expressions of the craft.
As
much as possible, the classroom environment of a writer’s craft course should
reflect the concepts of a guild or craft community that fosters dialogue and
collaboration among members of the class as important components of the
learning environment. Early in the course, the teacher should provide frequent
and varied opportunities for low-risk writing, speaking and listening,
freewriting, timed writing, response writing, collaborative writing, individual
and whole class brainstorming or idea generating. An idea bank or folder should
be established by all students in the class and maintained throughout the year.
The teacher should provide opportunities for ideas to be shared, exchanged, and
assessed in a safe and encouraging environment. The teacher should write
frequently with and for students. One of the exciting things about writer’s
craft as a form is that it is an equal opportunity learning environment.
Students may indeed surpass both the expectations and the skill level of their
mentors.
A process
portfolio must be established early in the course in order to help students
organize and maintain their ideas and their works in progress.
In
whole class activities such as direct instruction, Socratic lessons, and
review, the teacher should explicitly teach and model the required skills for
writing. For example, the teacher should establish standards for analysis of
text and use of critical evidence to support interpretations. The teacher
should model clear, coherent, and organized communication as well as exemplary
application of language conventions. In Writers’ Craft, in particular, the
teacher should also model works in progress, personal strategies for generating
ideas, asking questions, and self-evaluation.
Other
whole class activities such as field trips, guest speakers, and video
presentations provide opportunities for students to relate the concepts and
skills they develop in the course to life beyond the classroom. Readings by
local authors and field trips to local theatres and to the settings of literary
works nourish the imagination and contribute to the appreciation of both
literature in general and the various contributions of writers in the
community.
Students
need to gain knowledge of and respect for diverse points of view, to understand
the influence of culture and experience on perspective and thought, and to
write for a wide range of purposes and audiences.
Students
should work regularly with writing partners and in small collaborative groups.
Students explore ideas, clarify their thinking, and gain insight and knowledge
when they work together to solve a real problem or to reach a mutual goal. Most
teachers find that the best number of students in a small group is between two
and five. Students may work in groups for the purposes of:
·
pre-writing
activities, such as brainstorming, webbing, or listing;
·
drafting;
·
conference
partners;
·
revision
and editing groups;
·
co-authoring;
·
dramatic
readings and performances;
·
research
partners or workstation groups;
·
focus
groups for analysis;
·
panels,
debates, and round table discussions;
·
oral
reports and presentations;
·
reading
conferences and book talks;
·
portfolio
presentations;
·
oral
reading groups for poetry and drama;
·
response
groups for informal discussion.
While
collaboration and guild community dialogue are essential for the developing
writer, it is understood that extended periods of time will be spent by the
students engaged in individual writing activities. The teacher should provide
opportunities for both private and shared reflective writing using formats such
as writer’s journals, and work logs. These, combined with the process
portfolio, will form the core of the student’s work and will reflect the
individual student’s progress over time. The activities in this Course Profile
provide opportunities for students to demonstrate learning in diverse ways
while meeting the course expectations.
The
teacher plays an important role in supporting these activities through the
provision of ongoing feedback to the students, both orally and in writing. This
individual support provides opportunities for remediation, consolidation, and
enrichment.
Teachers are encouraged to include individual activities,
such as the following, in the course:
·
Thought
webs, idea mapping, brainstorming;
·
Freewriting
and timed writing;
·
Skeletal
plans and frameworks for writing pieces;
·
Unfinished
pieces;
·
Notes
and reflections on personal reading;
·
Formal
critiques of professional writers’ works;
·
Independent
research assignments;
·
Portfolios;
·
Oral
presentations;
·
Dramatic
monologues;
·
Tests,
quizzes;
·
Homework
assignments;
·
Student-teacher
conferences;
·
Study
of professional writers’ work copies;
·
Peer
conferences.
Seventy
per cent of the grade will be based on assessments and evaluations conducted
throughout the course. Thirty per cent of the grade will be based on a final
evaluation in the form of an examination, performance, essay and/or other
methods of evaluation.
The
process portfolio will track student growth during the course. Self-assessment
is an important learning skill for students in the senior division and will be
used frequently along with peer and teacher assessment throughout the course.
For the completed unit provided with
this profile, a rubric is included for the major task. Additional assessments
should be selected to ensure consistency with the requirements outlined in the Grades
9
to 12, Program Planning and Assessment, 2000 policy document. Assessment
tasks should cluster relevant and meaningful expectations; assessment tools and
strategies should inform curriculum planning as well as student progress.
In order to ensure that assessment and evaluation are
valid, reliable, and lead to the improvement of student learning, English
teachers must use assessment and evaluation strategies that:
·
address
both what students learn and how well they learn;
·
are
based on the four broad categories and descriptions in the Achievement Chart
for English;
·
are
varied in nature, administered over a period of time, and designed to provide
students with the opportunity to demonstrate the full range of their learning;
·
maintain
a balance among all four categories of the Achievement Chart;
·
are
appropriate for the learning activities used, the purpose of instruction, and
the needs and experiences of students;
·
are
fair to all students;
·
accommodate
the needs of exceptional students, consistent with the strategies outlined in
their Individual Education Plans;
·
ensure
that students are given clear directions for improvement;
·
promote
students’ ability to assess their own learning and to set specific goals;
·
include
the use of samples of students’ work that provide evidence of their
achievement;
·
are
communicated clearly to students and parents at the beginning of the course and
at other appropriate points throughout the course.
Teachers of Writer’s Craft should employ a wide
variety of assessment strategies including: teacher observations, oral
presentations, interviews, essays, reports, letters, tests and quizzes,
performance tasks, portfolios, self-assessment, peer assessment, journals,
media works, and checklists. Many of these assessments can be used for
formative assessment by providing students with opportunities for resubmission
after they have worked to improve their product, by using self- and peer
assessment to help them improve their work, and by using group tasks. However,
summative evaluation is the responsibility of the teacher and should be based
on individual student performance. Group tasks should allow for individual
accountability.
Each unit
provides opportunities for students to write in a range of forms for various
purposes and audiences. At the end of each unit, students use self-, peer and
teacher assessment to select one piece of writing to be submitted in final
polished form. As much as possible, teachers of writer’s craft should design
major tasks to reflect real-life applications such as publishers, writers’
markets, postsecondary audiences, and members of the reading public.
Teachers
should consult individual student’s IEPs for specific direction on
accommodation for individuals.
Teachers may make the following accommodations as needed:
·
providing
audio/Braille versions of print resources;
·
informal
and formal partnerships with university writing centers
·
in-school
publishing
·
community
writing for service organizations and newspapers
·
writer’s
markets
·
on-line
publishing
·
mentoring
with local writers
Appendix
0.1 – Welcome to the Writer’s Craft
Appendix
0.2 – Keeping a Writer’s Journal
Appendix
0.3 – Evaluation Rubric for the Magnum Opus
The
URLs for the websites were verified by the writers prior to publication. Given
the frequency with which these designations change, teachers should always
verify the websites prior to assigning them for student use.
Units in
this Course Profile make reference to the use of specific texts, magazines,
films, videos, and websites. Teachers need to consult their board policies
regarding use of any copyrighted materials. Before reproducing materials for
students’ use from printed publications, teachers need to ensure that their
board has a CANCOPY licence and that this licence covers the resources they
wish to use. Before screening videos/films with their students, teachers need
to ensure that their board/school has obtained the appropriate public
performance videocassette licence form an authorized distributor, e.g., Audio
Cine Films Inc. Teachers are also reminded that much of the material on the
Internet is protected by copyright. The copyright is usually owned by the
person or organization that created the work. Reproduction of any work or
substantial part of any work on the Internet is not allowed without the
permission of the owner.
Bailey,
R, W. Burns, L. Denstaedt, C. Needham, and N. Ryan. The Creative Writer’s
Craft. Lincolnwood, ILL.: NTC, 1999. ISBN 844257168
Barclay,
S., J. Coghill, and P. Weeks. Canadian Students’ Guide to Language,
Literature, and Media. Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 2001. ISBN
0195416759
Bonime,
A. and K. Pohlmann. Writing for New Media: the essential guide to writing
for interactive media, CD-ROMs and the Web. New York: John Wiley and Sons
Press, 1998. ISBN 0471170305
Cohen,
R. Writer’s Mind: crafting fiction. Lincolnwood: NTC Publishing, 1995.
ISBN 0844258644
Flackmann,
K., M. Flackmann, A. MacLennan, and S. Winstanley. Reader’s Choice: essays
for thinking, reading, and writing, 2nd Canadian ed. Toronto:
Prentice-Hall, 1997. ISBN 0130209317
Gardner,
John. The Art of Fiction: notes on craft for young writers. New York,
Toronto: Random House, 1991. ISBN 0679734031
Goldberg,
Bonni. Room to Write. New York: Tarcher Putnam, 1996. ISBN 0874778255
Goldberg,
Natalie. Writing Down the Bones: freeing the writer within. New York:
Bantam.
ISBN 055334776
Goldberg,
Natalie. Wild Mind: living the writer’s life. New York: Bantam, 1990.
ISBN 0553347756
Hacker,
Diana. A Canadian Writer’s Reference, 2nd ed. Toronto: Nelson, 2000.
ISBN 0176169245
Hayakawa,
S.I. Language in Thought and Action, 4th ed. New York: Harcourt Brace
Jovanich, Inc., 1978. ISBN 0155501194.
Hemley,
Robin. Turning Life into Fiction: finding character, plot setting, and other
elements of novel and short story writing in the everyday world.
Cincinnati: Story Press, 1994. ISBN 1884910009
Hodgins,
Jack. A Passion for Narrative: a guide for writing fiction, 2nd ed.
Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 2001. ISBN 0312110421
Ireland,
R. The Poet’s Craft. Toronto: Harcourt Brace Canada, 1987.
ISBN0774712155
King,
Stephen. On Writing: a memoir of the craft. New York: Pocket Books,
2000. ISBN 0671024256
LeGuin,
U. Steering the Craft: exercises and discussion on story writing for the
long navigator or the mutinous crew. Portland Oregon: Eighth Mountain
Press, 1998. ISBN 0933377460
MacCauley,
R. and G. Lanning. Technique in Fiction, 2nd ed. New York: St. Martin’s
Griffin, 1987.
ISBN 0312051689
Neubauer,
Alexander. Conversations on Writing Fiction: interviews with 13
distinguished teachers of fiction writing in America. New York: Harper
Perennial, 1994. ISBN 0062732234
New
York Times. Writers on Writing: collected essays from The New York Times.
New York: Times Books, 2001. ISBN 0805067418
Sandbrook,
J., ed. Essays Patterns and Perspectives. Don Mills: Oxford University Press,
1992.
ISBN 019540839X
Saltzman,
Joel. If you can Talk, you can Write. New York: Time Warner, 1993. ISBN
078044639576
Smith,
M. and S. Greenberg. Everyday Creative Writing: panning for gold in the
kitchen sink. Chicago: NTC Publishing, 1996. ISBN 0844259004
Soutar-Hynes,
M. and M. Wood. The Writer Within: dialogue and discovery. Toronto:
Harcourt-Brace Jovanovich, 1989. ISBN 077471266X
Van
Itallie, Jean-Claude. The Playwright’s Workbook. New York: Applause
Books, 1997.
ISBN 1557833028
Welty,
Eudora. One Writer’s Beginnings. New York: Warner Books, 1983. ISBN
0446343013
Zinsser,
W. On Writing Well: the classic guide to writing non fiction, 6th ed.
New York: Harper Collins, 1998. ISBN 0965647625
Art
of Writing – http://www.artofwritingzine.com/
Barteleby’s
Quotations – http://www.bartleby.com
English
Language Arts Network – http://www.elan.on.ca/
League
of Canadian Poets – http://www.poets.ca
Voice
of the Shuttle – http://vos.ucsb.edu/
Writer’s
Digest – http://www.writersdigest.com
Writer’s
Guild of Canada – http://www.writersguildofcanada.com/
Writers
in Electronic Residence Cool Tools Online –
http://edu.yorku.ca/~WIER/WIERtools.html
The
Writer’s Craft course provides many unique opportunities to create links with
the community. Local writing guilds, local writers, contests, and organizations
provide meaningful connections for students in order to demonstrate the many
personal and professional purposes for writing. Similarly, students may find
wide avenues for publishing their work locally and within the wider writing
community.
This
course may count as an optional credit or additional compulsory credit for
diploma purposes.
Writing
is both an art and a science, both a logical and a creative act. Writing is
hard work. But writing is also deeply rewarding and is important for thinking,
learning, communicating, and creating. Below are quotes from a few famous
writers about the act of writing. Which one is closest to your own experience
with writing?
“When
I’m not writing, I don’t think.” /E.L. Doctorow
“Words
are loaded pistols.” /Jean-Paul Sartre
“The
wastepaper basket is the writer’s best friend.” /Isaac Bashevis Singer
“The
poet is a liar who always speaks the truth.” /Jean Cocteau
“Writing…keeps
me from believing everything I read.” /Gloria Steinem
“It’s
not wise to violate the rules until you know how to observe them.” /T.S. Eliot
“If…it
makes my whole body so cold no fire can warm me. I know that is poetry.” /Emily
Dickinson
The
writer’s craft classroom works on the concept of guild or craft community. If
you are unfamiliar with the term “guild”, you should take a few moments and
look the term up in a dictionary or discuss it with a friend. When you join a
guild or a craft community, you come to that community prepared to present your
work in progress, to collaborate with other workers in the craft, to discuss,
to challenge, to refine, and to assess your own work in order to make it
exceptional. As your teacher, I will work as your coach and guide; but you will
also learn a great deal from your classmates, and you will act as a support and
encourager to them as they work on their own skills. You will write regularly,
you will read widely, and you will share with a partner, in small groups, and
in the class. Sometimes, you will work on common, assigned topics. Other times,
you will explore your own fields of interest. Some of you will be particularly
interested in creative writing; others will have chosen this course in order to
pursue a career in journalism or technical writing after graduation. All of you
will have come to this course with specific skills and experiences which will
enrich the writers’ craft community.
In-class
time will be set aside for individual and small group writing, conferencing,
and independent study. This workshop approach may be somewhat different from
what you are used to in other courses. At times, you may find that you are
working on something very different from someone else in your writing group.
You will need to exercise good independent work skills and time management
skills. You will need to come to class prepared to participate in small group
and whole-class writers’ discussions. You may be asked to comment on someone
else’s work in a genre with which you have had little experience. This is good.
I will work as your teacher, coach, and writer’s guide. You can count on me for
assistance and specific support throughout the course. Your classmates will
count on you to bring your own skills and writer’s “voice” to the craft
community. A rich and rewarding experience for all of us will result.
For
your introductory assignment, please complete the following personal writing
inventory and be prepared to share your responses with a partner.
5 –
Strongly Agree
4 – Agree
3 –
Sometimes/Not Sure
2 –
Mildly Agree
1 –
Strongly Disagree
1. _____I only write when I have to.
2. _____I only feel comfortable when other
people won’t see my writing.
3. _____When I have to write, I find I
have too much to say.
4. _____I prefer solitude when I write.
5. _____I have difficulty selecting a
topic.
6. _____I write to relieve stress.
7. _____I like to show my writing to
others.
8. _____I only like to write certain
things, e.g., poetry, short stories, essays.
9. _____I would like to consider a career
that involves writing.
10. _____I need regular encouragement to
write.
11. _____I often write from my own
experience.
12. _____I like to write about what I’m
reading.
13. _____I like to keep the things I write.
14. _____I am confident in my ability to
write.
15. _____I like to try new forms of writing.
16. _____I like to read online (hypertext,
serial novels, online web writing).
17. _____I like to read.
18. _____I don’t feel confident in my
editing skills (grammar, spelling, punctuation).
19. _____I like to write things I never
intend to show to anybody.
20. _____I find that writing helps me to think
more clearly.
Most
professional writers keep writer’s journals. Some report that they keep them by
their bedsides so that they can scribble down ideas from dreams or thoughts
from reading. Others force themselves to “free-write” every day. Others are
professional eavesdroppers; they collect snatches of conversations and ideas
from others which attract their attention and which might help them later to
create or develop character and situation.
The
writer’s journal is an important basic tool for your writing process. Your
journal provides a place for you to record ideas, reflections, writing topics,
and reactions to readings. You can collect scraps of overheard conversation,
news clippings or photographs, items of interest or surprise, or ideas sparked
by media or through conversations with other writers. In your journal, you can
express your personal reactions, work out problems, and play with words and
concepts discussed in class. Your journal is not a “place for perfection”; it
is a “space” in which you can collect thoughts and use writing-as-thinking.
Spelling and grammar do not “count” in your grade for a journal. Fluency and
regular contributions are most important.
As the
course progresses, sometimes you will select ideas to share with your writing
partner, group, or class. Or, you may decide to develop ideas from your journal
for more formal writing purposes. Some ideas, however, will remain “as they
are”; you will not use them again. But all your ideas “count” because they are
an important part of your personal growth and development as a reader, writer,
and thinker.
A
journal is not a diary. A diary is entirely personal and private. It
records an individual’s responses and reflections to life events. Although many
diaries have later become historical artifacts, a diary is not a written
document to be shared.
A
journal is not a notebook. A notebook is an academic summary of
information. It records important learning, references, and reminders to be
used for study purposes and for future learning.
A
journal is not a work log. You may be asked to maintain a work log for
reading records, independent studies, or portfolio assignments. A work log is
an account of time or quantity of work. It works in much the same way as an
employer’s time sheet for employees.
A journal
is a “middle ground” between a notebook and a diary. While it will contribute
information (“idea bank”, notes to yourself, text references or questions to
yourself), it will also contain personal reflections and responses to a range
of experiences going on in class.
You
are marked on honest thinking-through-writing, and thoughtful personal
response. Write what you really think; if you change your mind on something,
say so. That’s what good thinkers do all the time. From time to time, I will
ask you to “tag” your “choice entries” that you want me to read closely and
offer responses and suggestions. Your journal will be given a mark periodically
for the following criteria: Completeness (did you respond regularly as assigned
and selected?) Development (does the journal length and development show
thought reasonable for your age and grade level?) Insight (Does your journal
show genuine thinking about the topics and reading discussed in class? Do you
ask good questions? Do you make suggestions or extensions? Do you relate
readings/discussion to relevant topics in life or in other literature? Do you
THINK for yourself?) You will also be asked to provide self and peer assessment
periodically throughout the course.
We will
be discussing as a class what makes a “good” journal entry for this grade level
and collaboratively developing clear criteria to guide you through your journal
process. You may use one of a variety of different types of physical journal;
the choice is yours. Just make sure you select something durable so that you
will be able to keep your ideas and maintain your journal throughout your
studies in this course.
Try including these and other ideas to help you to develop
a rich collection of writing sources:
·
Memories
from past events, a personal life “map”;
·
Plans
for the future;
·
Records
of overheard conversation, observations, “great lines”, images, or mind
pictures;
·
Quotations
from reading, memorable phrases;
·
Clippings
of news events or striking photographs. Include questions or your own captions
for later reference;
·
Literature
responses;
·
Responses
and reactions to film, music, television, reading, artwork, posters, and
architecture or landscape;
·
Reflections
on your school, sports, job, or other daily activities;
·
Metacognitive
writing: thinking about the writing process, about problems and concerns
related to writing, analyses of workshops and new learning strategies;
·
“What
if” questions, notes from interviews, lists of ideas, powerful vocabulary,
phrases, talking to yourself, idea freewrites.
|
Criteria |
Level 1 |
Level 2 |
Level 3 |
Level 4 |
|
Knowledge/
Understanding |
-
demonstrates limited understanding of the themes and content |
-
demonstrates some understanding of the themes and content |
-
demonstrates considerable understanding of the themes and content |
-
demonstrates an insightful understanding of the themes and content |
|
Thinking/Inquiry |
-
demonstrates a limited synthesis of content, language, and form |
-
demonstrates some synthesis of content, language, and form |
-
demonstrates considerable synthesis of content, language, and form |
-
demonstrates a thorough synthesis of content, language, and form |
|
Communication |
-
demonstrates a limited awareness of audience, voice, and purpose |
-
demonstrates some awareness of audience, voice, and purpose |
-
demonstrates considerable awareness of audience, voice, and purpose |
-
demonstrates a thorough awareness of audience, voice, and purpose |
|
Application |
- uses
the writing process with limited competence |
- uses
the writing process with moderate competence |
- uses
the writing process with considerable competence |
- uses
the writing process with a high degree of competence |
Note: A student whose achievement is below
Level 1 (50%) has not met the expectations for this activity or assignment.
Coded
Expectations, The Writer’s Craft, Grade 12, University Preparation, EWC4U
IWV.01 · analyse and assess how
techniques, diction, voice, and style are used in a range of forms of writing
to communicate effectively;
IWV.02 · demonstrate an understanding of
how various writers think about and practise the craft of writing.
Analysing
Models of Writing
IW1.01 – analyse a variety of forms of
writing, including poems, personal essays, narratives, stories, plays, and
specialized informational texts, to evaluate their effectiveness;
IW1.02 – describe the distinctive elements
and conventions of a range of forms within specific genres (e.g., compare the
conventions of different poetic forms, such as the sonnet and the dramatic
monologue; explain the use of headings, table of contents, indexes, glossary,
and appendices in a scientific report; analyse the content and journalistic
style found in national, local, and community newspapers);
IW1.03 – assess the relationships among
the ideas in a passage, its purpose and audience, and the writer’s choices of
techniques, diction, voice, and style (e.g., discuss the author’s choice of
voice and style to address a business-related issue in a persuasive article;
assess the use of specialized vocabulary, plain-language style, and
illustrations in informational texts for a general audience; evaluate the
extent to which style and structure influence the content of a literary work
for an independent study project).
Understanding
the Writer’s Craft
IW2.01 – analyse interviews with and
articles by a variety of writers about the craft and practice of writing to
increase knowledge of the techniques, skills, and processes of writing;
IW2.02 – analyse selected works and
articles by writers from around the world to assess their practices and beliefs
about writing;
IW2.03 – conduct research to learn about a
variety of careers in writing and communications and the skills needed to
pursue them (e.g., contact authors and publishers electronically; submit
writing for assessment on the Internet; research writers’ trade magazines for
publication opportunities; interview professional writers in a variety of
specialized fields).
PWV.01 · produce writing for a range of
purposes and audiences with an emphasis on well-developed content and the
effective use of appropriate forms, techniques, diction, voice, and style;
PWV.02 · assess the effectiveness of their
own and others’ written work.
Producing
Effective Writing
PW1.01 – write frequently to develop and
practise writing skills, including incorporating vivid words and phrases,
expressing ideas precisely, and experimenting with diction, syntax, sentence
patterns, imagery, voice, and style, and maintain a portfolio containing their
writing experiments throughout the course;
PW1.02 – write frequently for various
purposes, including exploring ideas, feelings, and experiences; responding to
the writing of others; and making inferences about the craft of writing (e.g.,
regularly compare their written explorations to identify imaginative approaches
and to improve written work);
PW1.03 – write on both assigned topics and
topics of their choice, with and without time constraints, for various purposes
and audiences (e.g., produce a 200-word account of an incident as an in-class
assignment; write a sonnet on a theme of their choice; write a 600-word
personal human-interest essay for submission to a newspaper);
PW1.04 – produce written work for various
purposes and audiences, including a major creative or analytical independent
study paper, with emphasis on at least three forms selected from the following:
poems, novels, stories, plays, media scripts, critical reviews, essays, opinion
pieces, and reports;
PW1.05 – use information and ideas
generated by research, discussion, reflection, reading, viewing, and
exploratory writing to develop the content of written work;
PW1.06 – use an inquiry process to
elaborate and refine the content of written work by reviewing what is already
known, posing inquiry questions, analysing information, making inferences,
thinking divergently, and testing hypotheses;
PW1.07 – organize information and ideas
effectively to suit the form, purpose for writing, and intended audience;
PW1.08 – select appropriate techniques,
diction, voice, and style and use them effectively to communicate ideas and
experiences (e.g., use a reflective tone in an ode; use analogy to explain a
complex idea in an essay or report; use a personal voice and style to write narratives
based on personal knowledge and experience; use an interior monologue or
stream-of-consciousness style to reveal character; use an authoritative voice
in a critical review; consciously and consistently use anti-discriminatory and
inclusive language);
PW1.09 – revise drafts to produce
effective written work by refining content, form, technique, diction, voice,
and style;
PW1.10 – edit and proofread written work,
applying correctly the grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation conventions
specified for the compulsory Grade 12 University Preparation English course;
PW1.11 – produce thoughtful, effective
publications and prepare them for distribution to wider audiences (e.g., apply
desktop publishing techniques to enhance text for a school publication, using
columns, graphics, pictures, design, colour, and borders; submit work to
writing contests and celebrations; publish a poem or short story on an
appropriate Internet website; format a major piece of original writing as an
independent study project);
PW1.12 – use group skills effectively
during the production of written work (e.g., participate in collaborative
writing projects; share responses to works in progress).
Assessing
Their Own and Others’ Written Work
PW2.01 – assess the creative choices made
in producing their written work (e.g., the choice of content, form, techniques,
diction, voice, and style in relation to the purpose and audience);
PW2.02 – assess the content, organization,
style, and impact of drafts and final versions of informational and literary
written work produced by peers, providing objective and constructive
suggestions (e.g., discuss in a group the content and impact of a narrative;
work with a partner to identify strengths and weaknesses in a draft of a poem;
participate in a peer conference to provide feedback on a script in progress;
assess the organization of the argument in an editorial; develop criteria to
assess various forms of writing);
PW2.03 – demonstrate an understanding of
the writing skills and knowledge required for success in various university
programs and careers (e.g., use guest speakers, field trips, interviews, and
print and electronic resources to investigate the types of writing required in
university programs; research and report on the opportunities for publication
for particular forms of writing; set goals for personal improvement in
writing);
PW2.04 – use group skills effectively during the assessment of written work (e.g., make critical and constructive suggestions for revision; use feedback to improve their own and peers’ writing).
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