Lesson Summary
This lesson is the first in a series of creative writing lessons for gifted and talented students, providing challenges that allow students to write like real-world professionals while using digital tools for inspiration. Students will be guided to write long-form, text-based fiction after using visual and digital tools to create viable ideas for stories others want to read. This lesson addresses plot and theme, and subsequent lessons in this series will address characterization, setting, and plot.
This lesson was part of a Duke TIP presentation at NCTE18 with Tara Ray of Ozark High School in Ozark, Missouri.
How do you teach creative writing using digital tools? How do you teach real-world skills that authors, screenwriters, and other professionals use daily?
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Lesson Content
- Time: 2-4 days
- Duke TIP Creative Writing, Theme & Plot: Start a Great Story Lesson Plan
- Duke TIP Bingeworthy Show Pitch Rubric
- Other Duke TIP handouts and rubrics, found here
- Find Lesson 2: Create a Compelling Character, and other Duke TIP handouts and rubrics here
- Find Lesson 3, Create a Page-Turning Plot, and other Duke TIP handouts and rubrics here
Student Models of Work
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Alyssa & Lauren, Ozark High School -
Nathan & Katie, Ozark High School -
Jeremiah, Ozark High School
[…] For a lesson that does an extensive exploration of the “So What?” and “What If?” that is a crucial formula for great stories–and a secret that professional authors know when crafting a pitch to agents and editors–check out this lesson, Digital Tools + Creative Writing: Differentiated Lessons for Gifted Students. […]