Creative Writing 101: A Full Semester of Plans (Bundle Version)

Written by an award-winning teacher with an MFA in Creative Writing. Student tested and beloved! Detailed daily lesson plans, ready-to-print materials, a focus on contemporary writers -- this puppy's got it all!

This purchase includes:

1. POETRY: A Creative Writing Unit Plan

-A unit plan doc with daily lesson plans (and essential questions, CCSS, and all daily materials conveniently linked in document)

- A ready-to-print poetry packet containing the following poems:

• “O Captain, My Captain!” by Walt Whitman
• “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath
• Excerpts from a critical analysis of Sylvia Plath’s “Daddy”
• “Morning” by Billy Collins
• “Ode to the Belt Sander & This Cocobolo Wood” by Matthew Nienow
• “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
• Sonnet for the Bicycle Rider’s Leg by Jack Agueros
• When Romeo & Juliet meet
• “The Sword Swallower's Valentine” by Sandra Beasley
• “A sestina for a black girl who does not know how to braid hair” by Raych Jackson
• Article: “For this poet, community, hair and self-worth are interwoven” by Corinne Segal
• “Sestina” by Ciara Shuttleworth
• “This Is Just to Say” by William Carlos Williams
• “He Remembered Her” by Argus Paul
• “Form N-400 Erasures” by Niina Pollari
• “Dover Beach” by Matthew Arnold
• “The Dover Bitch” by Anthony Hecht
• “This Is Just to Say” by Laura Creste
• “Musee de Beaux Arts” by WH Auden
• “The Fall of Icarus” by WCW

-Instructions for 4 assignments written in clear, student-friendly language:

• Poem #1: Elegy or Ode
• Poem #2: Sonnet or Sestina
• Poem #3: Found Poem or Erasure Poem
• Poem #4: Poem Inspired by Another Poem or Poem Inspired by an Image

- Detailed, original poem rubric

- Poetry analysis graphic organizer

- Handout on how to workshop poetry

- Handout on Prose Poetry vs. Microfiction

2. FICTION: A Creative Writing Unit Plan

-A unit plan doc with daily lesson plans (and essential questions, CCSS, and all daily materials conveniently linked in document)

-Ready-to-print handouts on how to discuss fiction, the parts of a metaphor, and how to spice up the verbs in your writing, and point of view

- Interactive lessons on point of view and setting

- Slides for mini-lessons on character, setting, and plot/story structure-

- Slides of targeted journal prompts for each lesson

- Original activity using the New Yorker Fiction podcast that encourages independent listening and small-group discussion

- Links to creative writing games to play with students

- All texts provided:

• - “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid
• - “The School” by David Barthelme
• - “Self-Reliance” by Edith Pearlman
• - Student's choice: “You Are Now Entering the Human Heart” by Janet Frame, “My Life is a Joke” by Sheila Heiti , or “Roy Spivey” by Miranda July

3. ZINE-MAKING: A Creative Writing Unit Plan

-A unit plan doc with daily lesson plans (and essential questions, CCSS, and all daily materials conveniently linked in document)

- The following ready-to-print materials for students:

• Instructions for booklet construction
• Assignment instructions and rubric
• A fun letter inviting them to "Zinefest" so they can share their zines
• Bonus: instructions for long-arm stapler and lettering examples to have available

Students have loved this course in the past! These lessons make room for them to express themselves, help them get over any fear of poetry, and get them to write poems they're proud of.

What my customers are saying:

• "This is a great unit and it has served me well with my students... it took a load of work off my shoulders in preparing for this unit. Thank you so much for putting this together."
• "I felt prepared to answer questions... because of the complexity of the docs and slides provided."
• "What's not to love?"
• "The heavy lifting is already done. The Zine Project is the perfect, creative way to end the school year! Thank you for all of your work!"

You may also be interested in:

• My U.S. Indigenous Poet packet
• Contemporary Black Poet booklet in full-color!
• Latinx Poet Packet
• Materials for National Poem in Your Pocket Day
• Poems about Gratitude
• American Lit: A Full Year of Unit Plans in One Drive Folder

...Yes, my students do tell me I'm "extra." And yes... I take it as a compliment.

Check out my other lesson plans and materials! I'm an award-winning English and creative writing teacher and a serious perfectionist. My lessons are both high-interest AND rigorous, and my materials are meant to be plug-and-play.