English Level: Intermediate to Advance

Course Description: This course will focus on building the elements to write a short story. Students’ will use their creative powers in constructing their story line and by choosing their own genre. This will be achieved by students developing a short story idea and plot through the creation and establishment of setting, character descriptions, conflict and dialogue.

Course Skills: The writing process, descriptive writing of: vivid imagery, show, not tell and precise language and plot development.

Course Objectives:

• Students will learn to write a short story appropriate to audience and purpose.
• Students will use prewriting strategies to generate ideas and plan.
• Students will develop and revise drafts in terms of structure, paragraphs, sentence and word choice.

Method of Instructions: An introduction to creative writing will be presented in lecture. Classes will be interactive where students will explore the different elements of plot development through group discussion, activities, and group and individual presentations. Assignments will be done individually as well as in groups. Students will be expected to complete the homework outside of class.

Resources:

• Writers Choice, Book 10 Glencoe; Units: 3 & 4
• National Geographic Great Writers Books 3 & 4
• Prentice Hall Writing and Grammar, Book 11 Pearson; Chapter: 5

Assessments/Major Assignments:

• Development of all the stages of short story writing: setting, character descriptions, conflict and plot.
• Students will write a final draft on their short story development and present the story to the class.

Instructor:

Sarah Jones is the Team Leader of the Writing Department at the HSEFZ International Department. She has taught writing and literature at this school for 5 years and is a certified American teacher.