Beechwood High School

Transcription

1 Beechwood High School Dual Credit Creative Writing Course Syllabus Instructor: Michael Piergalski Room Number: Office hours: 7:00-8:00am Course Description: This course is meant to be an introduction into the many facets of creative writing. We will cover short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry in the fall, and scriptwriting for radio and writing for film and television in the spring. The course will require you to perform in-depth critical readings of exemplary pieces of fiction and nonfiction and well as offer your peers constructive critique in a workshop setting. You will write both inside and outside of class. Other primary goals include experimenting and taking risks as a writer. It probably goes without saying, but class participation, buy-in, and attendance are vital. The cost to take Creative Writing as a dual credit course is $200. If you receive a C or higher in the course, you will receive 3 hours of college credit, which will be acceptable at most universities. You may elect to not pay the fee you will still be able to take the class, you just will not receive any college credit. Course Outline: Unit 1: Short Fiction Goals: Students will understand the following: How to create a sense of character How point of view affects story The craft of plot, style, dialogue, and pacing. Readings: A Perfect Day for Bananafish by J.D. Salinger A Dead Issue by Charles M. Flandrau What Was It? by Fitz-James O Brien To Build a Fire by Jack London

2 The Resting Place by Oliver La Farge Black Box by Jennifer Egan Happy Trails by Sherman Alexie Selections from Teaching Creative Writing by Graeme Harper Selections from The Cambridge Introduction to Creative Writing by David Morely Exercises from Now Write! edited by Sherry Ellis Aug. Week 1 Introduction to Creative Writing Chapter 1 The Cambridge Introduction to Creative Writing Aug. Week 2 Chapter 5: Processes of Creative Writing The Cambridge Introduction to Creative Writing Black Box by Jennifer Egan Writing Exercise: Beginning a Story in an Hour or Less (from Now Write) Sept. Week 3 Point of View Happy Trails by Sherman Alexie Writing Exercise: First-Person Point of View: Imagining and Inhabiting a Character (from Now Write) Writing Exercise: Third Person Narration and Psychic Distance (from Now Write) Sept. Week 4 Chapter 6: The Practice of Fiction (p ) The Cambridge Introduction to Creative Writing First short story (about 5-7 pages) due Workshop (bring 5 copies of your story for your workshop members) Sept. Week 5 Character Development A Dead Issue by Charles M. Flandrau Chapter 6: The Practice of Fiction (p ) The Cambridge Introduction to Creative Writing Writing Exercise: Language Portrait (from Now Write; Chris Abani) Writing Exercise: Why I Stole It (from Now Write; Robert Anthony Siegel) Sept. Week 6 Writing Exercise: Paw through Their Pockets, Rife through Their Drawers (from Now Write; Rachel Basch) Oct. Week 7 Setting and Description What Was It? by Fitz-James O Brien Writing Exercise: Learning to Layer (from Now Write; Venise Berry) Workshop Field trip to Contemporary Arts Center to see Titus Kaphar exhibit Oct. Week 8 Second short story due (about 5-7 pages)

3 UNIT 2: Creative Non-fiction & Poetry *Note: According to David Foster Wallace, creative non-fiction denotes a broad category of prose works such as personal essays and memoirs, profiles, nature and travel writing, narrative essays, observational or descriptive essays, general-interest technical writing, argumentative or idea-based essays, general-interest criticism, literary journalism, and so on. Goals: Explore a variety of poetic forms and styles Craft a collection of refined, high-quality poems Understand the genre of creative nonfiction and some of its greatest practitioners Produce several interesting works of creative nonfiction Readings: Roger Federer as Religious Experience by David Foster Wallace Is the Fastest Human Ever Already Alive? by Chuck Klosterman A Visit to Val Kilmer s New Mexico Ranch by Chuck Klosterman Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace Pearls Before Breakfast by Gene Weingarten Learning to Surf by David Gessner Poems: What Teachers Make Taylor Mali Hands Sarah Kay Beethoven Shane Koyczan Knock Knock Daniel Beaty Scratch and Dent Dreams Eric Darby To His Coy Mistress Andrew Marvell To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time Robert Herrick Daddy and Mad Girl s Love Song Sylvia Plath Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night Dylan Thomas Ozymandias Percy Bysshe Shelley Sonnet with Vengeance and Crazy Horse Boulevard Sherman Alexie Sonnet 18, Sonnet 130, and Sonnet 29 William Shakespeare Oct. Week 9 Roger Federer as Religious Experience by David Foster Wallace Is the Fastest Human Ever Already Alive? by Chuck Klosterman Chapter 7: Creative Nonfiction from The Cambridge Introduction to Creative Writing Writing Exercise: Write about an event you ve experienced which has changed the way you view an aspect of the world Oct. Week 10 Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace Workshop: First creative non-fiction piece Nov. Week 11 Pearls Before Breakfast by Gene Weingarten A Visit to Val Kilmer s New Mexico Ranch by Chuck Klosterman Writing Exercise: Writing about Real People: Character sketches

4 Nov. Week 12 Learning to Surf by David Gessner Nov. Week 13 Chapter 8: Writing Poetry from The Cambridge Introduction to Creative Writing Writing Exercise: Wishes and Curses What Teachers Make Taylor Mali Hands Sarah Kay Beethoven Shane Koyczan Knock Knock Daniel Beaty Scratch and Dent Dreams Eric Darby Nov. Week 14 Form 1 Sonnet with Vengeance and Crazy Horse Boulevard Sherman Alexie Sonnet 18, Sonnet 130, and Sonnet 29 William Shakespeare Dec. Week 15 Form 2 Mad Girl s Love Song Sylvia Plath Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night Dylan Thomas Ozymandias Percy Bysshe Shelley Writing Exercise: Dark Side Limericks Dec. Week 16 Workshop (poetry collection) Dec. Week 17 Poetry collection (4 poems) due UNIT 3: Script-writing for Radio Goals: Appreciate the somewhat antiquated art of the radio drama Produce a polished script for the radio Learn to record and edit the aforementioned script Refine skill in producing believable dialogue Refine skill is pacing a storyline Readings: Scriptwriting for Radio by Steve May Three Skeleton Key by George Toudouze and James Poe War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells (adapted for radio by Orson Welles) Various radio dramas from The Truth Jan. Week 1 Scriptwriting for Radio by Steve May Jan. Week 2 Dialogue I Three Skeleton Key script

5 Writing Exercise: Hearing Voices by Lon Otto Jan. Week 3 Dialogue II War of the Worlds script Writing Exercise: The Non-Apology by Thomas Fox Averill Jan. Week 4 Time to work on radio drama script Instructor consults with groups Feb. Week 5 Time to work on radio drama script Instructor consults with groups Feb. Week 6 Workshop radio drama scripts Begin recording radio dramas using Audacity software Feb. Week 7 Finish recording and editing radio dramas Feb. Week 8 Present finished radio dramas to the class. UNIT 4: Writing for Film and Television Goals: Understand the format of basic screenplay writing Appreciate the quality of several acclaimed screenplays Collaborate to produce an original screenplay Understand the basics of film and television critique Readings: Moonrise Kingdom screenplay by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola The Office The Carpet screenplay by Paul Lieberstein Writing for Film and Television by Jack Epps, Jr. March Week 9 Writing for Film and Television by Jack Epps, Jr. Writing Exercise: Essential Story Questions (p.111) March Week 10 Moonrise Kingdom film Moonrise Kingdom screenplay March Week 11 The Carpet screenplay Writing Exercise: Current Events March Week 12 Work on original screenplay

6 Conference with students April Week 13 Work on original screenplay Conference with students April Week 14 Workshop script April Week 15 Work on original screenplay Conference with students April Week 16 Final draft of script due Course Materials: All texts will be provided to the students by the instructor *Please contact me if you have misgivings about your student reading any of the above texts, and I can locate an alternate text for your student* General Supplies: Pens/pencils/writing utensils Several notebooks of good quality USB stick Course Policies: As the course content is cumulative, students should avoid unexcused absences. When a student is absent, he or she must check the class website to make up the work (tests, quizzes, in-class assignments, homework) missed. All makeup work is due the next day to not be counted as late. For example, if a student is absent Monday and arrives at school Tuesday, the work is due Wednesday. Late Work: homework 1 day late will be penalized 25%. Work 2 days late will be penalized 50%. I will not accept work submitted more than 2 days late. Plagiarized work will receive a zero without a chance to make up any points. In addition, parents/guardians and the administration will be notified. If a student is caught cheating, copying, or allowing someone to cheat or copy, the student will receive a zero on the assignment. All tardiness will be reported to the administration as per school policy. Behavior Successful students will attend class regularly and on time and will demonstrate skills indicative of quality workers by bringing required materials, completing homework assignments, participating in class discussions, and respecting the opinions of others. Students will follow the BHS code of conduct, and I have a zero tolerance policy concerning cruelty, harassment, excessive teasing, discrimination, violence, and intimidation. Foul language, derogatory remarks, and disrespect towards classmates, teachers, and staff have no place in this course or in the school Cell Phones

7 Cell phones are excellent education tools which can be used for interactive discussions, locating key bits of information, and reading e-texts. I will give students specific instructions to use their phones in this manner. Students are not to use their phones unless I explicitly grant permission. Unacceptable cell phone behaviors: texting, gaming, engaging in any form of social media. On the first offense, I will confiscate the student s phone for the day. After the second offense, the student must turn in the cell phone to me at the start of every class (returned at the end of the class). Grading Policy/Assessment The grading scale conforms to Beechwood s standard policy: A+ (100-99), A (98-94), A- (93-92), B+(91-90), B (89-86), B-(5-84), C+(83-82), C (81-78), C-(77-76), D+(75-74), D (73-71), D-(70-69) In the gradebook, all graded work will fall into five different categories, each with a specific weight: o Tests(final drafts of works of writing) (30%) o Writing (planning, drafting, mini-writes) (20%) o Quizzes (20%) o Homework: (10%) o Reading: (10%) o Speaking & Listening (10%) Final Grade Calculation: o Quarter 1: 20% o Quarter 2: 20% o Semester 1 Exam: 10% o Quarter 3: 20% o Quarter 4: 20% o Final Exam: 10% One to two small extra credit assignments will be given each quarter. Course Procedures: All typed essays/papers must conform to the following standards: 12-point, Times New Roman font Double-spaced Stapled The paper must be printed and stapled before class begins. If this is not the case, the assignment will be counted as late (-25%). We will use a wiki website called PBWorks to distribute and submit assignments. A wiki is a website that any user can edit the most famous wiki in the world is Wikipedia, which everyone is familiar with. I will explain how to use the wiki on the first day of class. You will catch on very quickly.

8 Personal Statement: This course is for dual credit, meaning if you pass with a C or higher, you will receive 3 hours of college credit. The equivalent college course is ENG 270, which is taught at Thomas More College. Naturally, I will expect you to work with the diligence of a collegiate student, not a high school one. I will hold you to the highest standard of any class I ve taught at Beechwood, so please take your writing seriously. Contact Information: mike.piergalski@beechwood.kyschools.us Website: Phone: Ext: 6409 Office Hours: 7:00am - 8:00am Planning Period: 8:05-9:10 Please sign the following sheet and return to me by 8/27/2015. It is a required document for student files. Thank you, Mike Piergalski

9 We, the parent/guardian(s) and the student, have fully read, understood, and agree to the above expectations put forth in the syllabus. Additionally, by signing this, I give my student permission to use Prezi, an online presentation technology, over the course of the year. Student name (printed) Student signature Date Student Parent/guardian name (printed) Parent/guardian signature Date Parent/guardian Parent/guardian contact number: