Books Used in Recent Lessons

Not Quite What I Was Planning, Revised and Expanded Deluxe Edition Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure
The 8th grade class was asked to create a six-word memoir that would describe them best and the results were brilliantly creative.

Workshops & Worksheets

All Summer - Writing Using the Senses

This lesson uses the short story All Summer In A Day by Ray Bradbury (included here) to discuss descriptive writing, or writing that uses the senses. As an excercise the student is asked to write about a beloved home object and how it makes him or her feel.

Google doc -- Writing Using the Senses

Miriam - the elements of story

Discusses conflict, characterization, setting, narrative structure (beginning, middle, and end), and exposition in Truman Capote's Miriam (attached). Provides brainstorming exercises for outlining a new student story.

Google doc -- The Elements of Story

Miriam - Complex Antagonists (8th-9th grade)

This lesson analyzes the role of the antagonist in Miriam by Truman Capote (attached). Why did Capote leave the story open-ended? How is Miriam an embodiment of the protagonist's fears? Brainstorm a plot in which a character must face an embodiment of his or her worst fear.

Google doc -- Complex Antagonists (8th-9th grade)


Concept Editing and Copy Editing

Lesson teaches the difference between concept and copyediting
and guides students in editing each other's works

Google doc -- Concept Editing and Copyediting

What's At Stake

Building Tension    

Google Doc -- What's At Stake?

Books We're Using in Our Classes

A growing list of books that we're using in our classes.
 

Hero of the Day

Creating a scene from the POV of the hero and playing with their success and failure.
 

Publishing Boot Camp

This lesson highlights the individual roles in publishing and leads a mock auction where two teams bid on the same project.
 

Six-Word Memoirs

Talks about crafting a six-word bio and provides illustrations from the book the lesson was based on.
 

Villainous Writing

Writing Exercise that highlights the villain in fiction; includes Edgar Allen Poe/Tell-Tale Heart quote