Creative Writing Syllabus

Ms. Lawrence
Cedar Grove Middle School

Contact Information:
Phone: 205.871.3516
Email: sachet_lawrence@dekalbschoolsga.org

Course Description:
This course is designed to give students the opportunity to
think and write creatively. My goal as the teacher of this
course is to encourage you to love writing and to guide you as you hone your craft. It is through writing
that life becomes more meaningful to me, and I hope to inspire the same instincts in you, that writing
brings to me. Writing can clarify, heal, excite, encourage, remind, inspire, and make the world a better
place. This class is the beginning for you to be a poet, a free- lance writer, a story teller, an essayist, a
non-fiction writer, or whatever you choose to become as a writer. There will be many options
presented to you. If you make the effort to write in this class you are assured a very good grade. This
class is about exploring the different writing genres.

Projected Units of Study:

Autobiography
Poetry
Creative nonfiction
Short stories
Narrative fiction
Personal Narrative
Expository essay
Persuasive essay
Descriptive writing
Biographical writing
Novel writing
Restaurant reviews
Movie and music reviews
Projects- posted on Ms. Lawrence class website
Readers Theatre script writing
Poetry and music

Course materials:
Binder with dividers
Loose-leaf paper
Flash drive
Hard back Journal
Pens/pencils

Journal:
The purpose of the journal is to give you the opportunity to write every day. It is a place for you to
write and create dont worry about spelling, grammar, or flow. Just write. You will be responsible for
writing in your journal. Sometimes you will free-write in your journals while other days you will
Creative Writing Syllabus
respond to a provided prompt. I just want you to write! Journals will be collected periodically as a
means of accountability. I will let you know in advance when they will be collected.

Class Blog:
You will also publish polished pieces on our class blog to share with the world. You will be responsible
for maintaining your page, uploading your finished pieces, and following the guidelines weve
discussed for being a smart and safe digital citizen. In order to receive an A grade in the course you
must upload your finished, revised pieces to the blog once they have been approved by the teacher.
Our class blog is www.kidblog.org/beenkenscreativewritingclassblog

Portfolio:
You will keep a folder in the classroom that will serve as your portfolio for this class. In it you will place
your completed writing so that at the end of the semester we can choose to publish it if you want to.

Autobiography: You will be writing a 10 chapter autobiography of your life up to this time. We will
publish this writing by spring break and also hold an author reading before the end of the year. Parents
will be invited to attend this reading.

Intuition List:
As you begin your writing journey, keep a list of ideas that pop into your head, interesting word
combinations, story lines that are interesting that you see, or vocabulary you might want to use in your
writing. These lists you can keep in the back of your journal.

Conferences:
We will conference regularly together on your pieces of writing. Revision and excellence go hand in
hand.

Tardies:
You must be in your seat when the bell rings to be considered on time.

Grading:
You will be graded on your journals (completing entries), written assignments, participation, peer
editing, writing projects, and personal progress. The grading scale is based on a points system, and
you will be given points for your work. If you hand in all assignments and have made an effort to
fulfill the assignments to your best ability, you are guaranteed to get an excellent grade in this class.
Doing your best work assures a good grade. Not handing in assignments takes away from your overall
grade.

Absences:
You must see me after youve been absent or a classmate. I will make sure you have the handouts that
you have missed and any assignments you need. You can also check our class website at
mslawrencenglishclass.weebly.com
Creative Writing Syllabus

Expectations:
Be punctual
Be respectful of people and property
Be prepared
Be on task
Be kind

Writing Project:
The writing project will be a student choice project. This project is above and beyond our class work
and writing. Half of the extended period will be allotted for students to work independently or in
groups on their chosen project. I will spend a few days introducing various options to the students
before they begin working on a project. Topics may range from a large biographical study of an
ancestor with a photo story attached, a readers theatre presentation (group work), a few chapters of a
novel, or a childrens book with illustrations. Also, a student may wish to work on an essay and refine
and finish it in order to submit it to competitions in the future such as Art Forms, ASFA, or other online
and national competitions. There are many options for the Writing Project and there are several
project ideas students can check out on my web page.

After reading over this syllabus on your own and signing below, please share the
information with your parent(s) and have him/her sign below. Return the signed
portion to me tomorrow.
Creative Writing Syllabus
I, _________________________________, have read the course syllabus and understand what is expected of me and I agree to uphold
them.

Student Signature: _____________________________________________________________

Parent Section:

Dear Parents-

I am excited to get to know your child this semester and to share with them my love for writing. Thank you for reviewing
the course syllabus. Please contact me if you have questions or concerns.

Best,

Ms. Lawrence

Parents Name (Printed): _____________________________________________

Parents Signature: _____________________________ Date: ________________

Parents email: ___________________________________________________