Creative and Critical Thinking

Introduction

Creative Thinking involves...

1. Novelty and value
2. Generating ideas
3. Developing ideas

Critical Thinking involves...

1. Analyze and Critique
2. Question and Investigate
3. Develop and Design

Consider all of these elements as you work through the assignments in this section.

Writing Exercises

Each of these writing exercises is meant to stretch your imagination and develop new areas of writing muscle.

Professional writers use these kinds of writing prompts or exercises in a variety of ways: to warm up before they write to help them "mine" for new writing ideas (sometimes the piece that emerges is brilliant and gets published as is, sometimes a line, a character, a novel writing idea is birthed from these kinds of writing exercises...) to connect and collaborate with other writers (writers take workshops, classes or partner with other writers and write on a given topic).

It is important to try new formats, structures and learn new strategies to communicate your creative and critical thinking.

Summary Explanation of Assignments

Here is a quick overview of the assignments for this unit.  However, be sure you read over the specific assignment instructions that follow for each one.  Review the marking rubrics for the assignments before you start.

ASSIGNMENT 1:  A Starting Point:  Self Reflection.

     What do you hope to achieve in this course?  Consider how you will assess your growth as a writer.  This is why we examine the starting point.

ASSIGNMENT 2:  "I Remember"

     Let's start with something easy.  We all remember things.  This is a sample of another writer's memories to spark your own.

ASSIGNMENT 3:  365 Writing Prompts

     Here is a year's supply of prompts to build your writing muscle.  You only need to do one here to get an idea of how to build your skills.

ASSIGNMENT 4:  Famous Person Revisited:  Dialogue

     Learn how to creatively write dialogue.  Practice starting it on its own line, punctuating correctly, and developing voice.

ASSIGNMENT  5:  Found Poetry

    This is one of many structures of poetry available to writers.  It's a good starting point to generate ideas for your own poetry writing.

ASSIGNMENT  6:  Writing Sonnets

     You had practice in the found poetry with free verse and creative freedom.  Now you learn what it is like to write one of the forms of poetry that has specific rules for creation.

ASSIGNMENT 7:  Editing FORUM:  Dialogue

Practice your editing skills by re-writing the paragraph prompt in dialogue format.

ASSIGNMENT 8:  PROJECT:  Formal Literary Response

     Writers should read a lot.  Writers should also be able to discuss literary work in a formal manner.  Be sure to review formal literary paragraph writing and the ACE it writing strategy before completing this assignment.

ASSIGNMENT 1: A Starting Point: Self Reflection

Task:

Let's figure out where we are.  In this first assignment, please introduce your interest in creative writing.  Your goal here is to identify where you are starting from and where you want to end up.  What do you hope to accomplish in this module?  The following is a list of questions you can use to guide your response.  Be very thorough and clear in this personal response.

1. What interests you about creative writing?  Why did you choose this module of work?
2. What are your experiences?  Have you written much creative work?
3. What medium do you most enjoy?  poetry, short stories, non-fiction, drama, movies, graphic novels, songs
4. Do you prefer written expression or do you want to perform your creative work?
5. What are your strengths in your writing?
6. Where do you get your ideas?
7. What do you need from your teacher to advance your creative writing skills?

Assessment:  Below you will find the exemplary criteria used to assess the assignment.  

Learning Target: (Exemplary 6/6): Exemplary comprehension of the task and clear accomplishment of the objective. Answers show evidence of careful thought in a thorough personal response. 

Submission

Use the "1.1 A Starting Point: Self Reflection" link on the main page of this section of the course to upload your assignment to your teacher for marking.

ASSIGNMENT 2: "I Remember"

Task:

Using the prompt, "I Remember", write a poem or short story. 

Joe Brainard, a famous poet who wrote most of his life in New York City, pioneered this famous writing prompt. In fact, Brainard wrote an entire book of "I Remember". Click here to read his book of recollections.

Look at Brainard's examples as a guide and write what you remember.

Assessment:  Below you will find the exemplary criteria used to assess the assignment.  

Learning Target: (Exemplary 6/6): Exemplary comprehension of the task and clear accomplishment of the objective.  Student demonstrates critical, creative, and reflective thinking to transform ideas and information into original text recognizing how different features and forms of texts enhance and shape meaning and impact.

Written Expression:  (Exemplary (6/6):  Sentence structure and vocabulary are varied, skillfully written, and carefully chosen.  Work has been proofread and there are few or no errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar.  Content contributes to the central idea and makes insightful connections with logical organization.

Submission:

Use the "1.2 I Remember" link on the main page of this section of the course to upload your assignment to your teacher for marking.

ASSIGNMENT 3: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Task:

So, we all know creative writing is intensely personal.  I wanted to give you a chance to express yourself without any structured prompt. Here are 365 prompts.  Choose one and respond whether it's in poetic form or prose.  Just clearly indicate which prompt you've selected.

Feel free to incorporate these daily prompts into your life.  They should fill a year's worth :)

Assessment:  Below you will find the exemplary criteria used to assess the assignment.  

Learning Target: (Exemplary 6/6): Exemplary comprehension of the task and clear accomplishment of the objective.  Student demonstrates critical, creative, and reflective thinking to construct meaningful personal connections between self, text, and world.  Exemplary ability to develop and respond to text in creative ways.

Written Expression:  (Exemplary (6/6):  Sentence structure and vocabulary are varied, skillfully written, and carefully chosen.  Work has been proofread and there are few or no errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar.  Content contributes to the central idea and makes insightful connections with logical organization.

Submission:

Use the "1.3 365 Creative Writing Prompts" link on the main page of this section of the course to upload your assignment to your teacher for marking.

ASSIGNMENT 4: Famous Person Revisited: Dialogue

Task:

Think of a famous person -- alive or dead --- you'd like to meet. Imagine an unusual circumstance where this person enters your life. Perhaps Beethoven and your uncle Gus collected pop bottles together, or Tarzan taught you how to swing. Maybe you were Mona Lisa and Leonardo cooked you pasta primavera...

Exaggerate. Stretch the boundaries of what is possible. Go to the edge of what might be or have been. Then develop a dialogue between the 2 of you.

Here is some help in generating, punctuating, formatting dialogue.

Source: https://www.novel-writing-help.com/writing-dialogue.html

Assessment:  Below you will find the exemplary criteria used to assess the assignment.  

Learning Target: (Exemplary 6/6): Exemplary comprehension of the task and clear accomplishment of the objective.  Student demonstrates exemplary ability to develop and punctuate dialogue in personal, creative, and critical ways.  Accomplishes the purpose with originality, individuality, and maturity and sophistication. 

Written Expression:  (Exemplary (6/6):  Sentence structure and vocabulary are varied, skillfully written, and carefully chosen.  Work has been proofread and there are few or no errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar.  Content contributes to the central idea and makes insightful connections with logical organization.

Submission:

Use the "1.4 Famous Person Revisited:  Dialogue" link on the main page of this section of the course to upload your assignment to your teacher for marking.

ASSIGNMENT 5: Found Poetry

Task:

Found poems take existing texts and refashion them, reorder them, and present them as poems. The literary equivalent of a collage, found poetry is often made from newspaper articles, street signs, graffiti, speeches, letters, or even other poems.  Follow the instructions below to create your own found poem.

1. Cut words or phrases from magazines, newspapers, or flyers.
2. Arrange the words in some kind of "poem sense".
3. Then paste your words onto the page.
4. Include graphics, music or pictures to enhance your presentation.
5. Include bibliographic details of your sources.

Click here for full details on writing FOUND poetry.  Examples of FOUND poetry.

You can also do a Google IMAGE search for examples of found poetry.

Assessment:  Below you will find the exemplary criteria used to assess the assignment.  

Learning Target: (Exemplary 6/6): Exemplary comprehension of the task and clear accomplishment of the objective.  Student demonstrates critical, creative, and reflective thinking to apply appropriate strategies to create and comprehend text recognizing how different features and forms of texts enhance and shape meaning and impact.  Student demonstrates exemplary ability to use acknowledgements and citations to recognize intellectual property rights.

Visual Design:  (Exemplary (6/6):   Exemplary use of significant and relevant details from source.  Layout of poem is balanced and logically organized.  Exemplary use of visuals and structure to create an engaging and unique poem.

Submission:

Use the "1.5 Found Poetry" link on the main page of this section of the course to upload your assignment to your teacher for marking.

ASSIGNMENT 6: Writing Sonnets

Task:

It's time to try your hand at a more structured approach to creative writing.  That almost seems like an oxymoron, doesn't it?

However, the sonnet is a beautiful medium to communicate your thoughts on a particular subject.  But it has some specific requirements.

1. A sonnet maintains a single main idea, whether it is about love, power, or the state of mankind.  It is long enough so that the idea can be explored (14 lines).  Since the structure of a sonnet has to conform to certain rules, great skill is needed to craft a sonnet.
2. The main idea is developed with clear and descriptive figurative language.
3. The sonnet deals with serious thought. It is always a poem of 14 lines. There is a specific rhythm and rhyme scheme depending on the type of sonnet.  The rhyme scheme of a sonnet refers to the pattern formed by the rhyming words at the end of each line. Each end-rhyme is assigned a letter, and the fourteen letters assigned to the sonnet describe the rhyme scheme.
4. All sonnets should be written in iambic pentameter with independent rhyming schemes for the two parts. Each line in a sonnet always has 10 syllables.

In one type of sonnet a natural division occurs between the first eight lines, called the octave, which contain the story or idea, and the last six lines, the sestet, which contain a reflection or application growing out of the octave. This form is called the regular sonnet, but it is more commonly known as the Italian sonnet or a Petrarchan sonnet, from the Italian poet Francesco Petrarch. The rhyme scheme follows this pattern: ABBAABBA CDECDE. Perhaps the best known example of an Italian or Petrarchan sonnet is "How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43)", by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861). 

The second form of sonnet is a Shakespearean sonnet or English sonnet, and it has the division occurring at the end of the 12th line (3 quatrains); the closing couplet (rhyming couplet) is a climax of the main part. The rhyme scheme follows this pattern: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. A well-known example of a Shakespearean sonnet is William Shakespeare's own "Sonnet 18", which is more commonly referred to under the title "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"

If you're still struggling with iambic pentameter, this is a good tutorial.

Don't stress (pun intended) too much about the exactness of your iambic pentameter; focus instead on the development of your main idea in the structure of the rhyme scheme.

Source: https://www.youngwriters.co.uk/types-sonnet

Assessment:  Below you will find the exemplary criteria used to assess the assignment.  

Learning Target: (Exemplary 6/6): Exemplary comprehension of the task and clear accomplishment of the objective.  Student demonstrates critical, creative, and reflective thinking to apply appropriate strategies to create and comprehend text recognizing how different features and forms of texts enhance and shape meaning and impact.  The sonnet has a clearly developed main idea with exemplary use of figurative language

Structural Design:  Exemplary (6/6):   Exemplary comprehension of the task and clear accomplishment of the objective.  Student demonstrates exemplary use of sonnet rhyme and rhythm structure in 14 lines.  Layout of poem is balanced and logically organized.  

Submission:

Use the "1.6 Writing Sonnets" link on the main page of this section of the course to upload your assignment to your teacher for marking.

ASSIGNMENT 7: Editing Forum

Task:

Dialogue is a conversation between two or more people.  You've practiced it in this unit.  Now demonstrate your editing skills.

• Dialogue is essential to fiction writing.
• Dialogue brings characters to life and adds interest.
• Dialogue must do more than just duplicate real speech.
• Writing dialogue consists of the most exciting, most interesting, most emotional, and most dramatic words.

Re-format the following paragraph into a dialogue.  Focus on the starting each new conversation on its own line, using the correction punctuation, developing an appropriate voice.  Use dialogue tags for each speaker. Feel free to embellish and change things, if you'd like.  You could come up with your own scenario, too.  Perhaps you've had a similar experience.

Sharing a room with her sister wasn't always fun. Madeline was tired of always cleaning up after her sister Charlotte. Just because they shared a room, that doesn't mean they had to share the mess! Charlotte was always leaving dirty dishes on her desk, and there were always dirty clothes under the bed. Madeline had tried to talk to Charlotte about cleaning up the mess, but somehow talking didn't help.

There are TWO activities in a FORUM:

1. Go to the main page of the course and click on 1.7 Editing Forum.  Start a new discussion topic by clicking on Add a New Discussion Topic.
2. Reply/Respond to someone else's discussion topic by clicking on their topic and selecting Reply.  Comment thoughtfully. Make an observation. Ask a question. Try using the following prompts to guide your response to another post.  "I wonder…"  "I know…"  "I can…"  Don't just agree or disagree.

Assessment:  Below you will find the exemplary criteria used to assess the assignment.  

Learning Target: (Exemplary 6/6): Exemplary comprehension of the task and clear accomplishment of the objective.  Student demonstrates exemplary ability to develop and punctuate dialogue in personal, creative, and critical ways.  Accomplishes the purpose with originality, individuality, and maturity and sophistication.

Response/Reply:  Exemplary (6/6):  The response/reply is thoughtful, insightful and respectfully exchanges ideas and viewpoints.  Student demonstrates an exceptional level of understanding and communication of shared information.

Submission:

Use the "1.7 Editing Forum" link on the main page of this section of the course to post your forum response to your teacher for marking.

ASSIGNMENT 8: PROJECT - Writing a Formal Literary Paragraph

Task:

In this assignment, you are going to respond to another author's writing and write a formal literary response.  Discuss theme in a clear and coherent paragraph of 200-300 words. Make reference to the selected text in your paragraph.  Use the ACE-it paragraph writing strategy which is explained on the next page.

Here is an explanation for formal literary responses with an accompanying graphic organizer.

Here is a Literary Analysis Guide with some example paragraphs.

Select one of the assignments below. There are 2 different readings.

A. Read the poem "Here in Katmandu."  Only do this choice if you have not done it already.

Write a 200-300 word discussion addressing the following:

1. • What is this poem's theme? State it in a single sentence. What evidence leads you to this conclusion?
   • Be sure to refer directly to the poem in your comments.

B. And here is a 2nd option. Only do this choice if you have not done it already.

The Night Chanter by Navarre Scott Momaday (born February 27, 1934) — known as N. Scott Momaday — is a Kiowa novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. During the 35-plus years of Momaday's academic career, he built up a reputation specializing in American Indian oral traditions and sacred concepts of the culture itself.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._Scott_Momaday

Read Momaday's story and respond to ONE of the following questions:

In paragraph form and with reference to the story...

a) Discuss the relationship between the grandson and Sam Charley.

OR

b) Identify and explain the effect of the point of view used in the story.

OR

c) Explain how the title is appropriate to the story.

Be sure to use the ACE-it paragraph writing strategy you can read about in the next page of this book.

Assessment:  Below you will find the exemplary criteria used to assess the assignment.  

Learning Target: (Exemplary 6/6): Exemplary comprehension of the task and clear accomplishment of the objective. The assignment shows evidence of critical thinking in a thorough literary response.  Student clearly communicates creative, critical, and reflective thought.  Complex connections and original ideas with specific and relevant references to the text clearly demonstrate the student's ability to respond to literature.

Ideas/Content:  (Exemplary 6/6):  Content contributes to the central idea and makes insightful connections following logical organization.  Ideas generated are thoughtful and unique.   Exemplary development of literary response.  Content is clear, concise and true.  Accomplishes the purpose with originality, individuality, maturity, and sophistication.

Organization/Structure:  (Exemplary 6/6):There is a clear assertion and identifiable main idea in response to the selected topic.  Exemplary explanation of the citation used to support the assertion.  Response follows the ACE-it paragraph writing format leading to a logical conclusion.

Written Expression:  (Exemplary (6/6):  Sentence structure and vocabulary are varied, skillfully written, and carefully chosen.  Work has been proofread and there are few or no errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar.  Composition shows maturity in vocabulary, structure, and editing.

Submission:

Use the "1.8 PROJECT:  Writing a Literary Response" link on the main page of this section of the course to upload your assignment to your teacher for marking.

ACE it Paragraph Writing

Make an Assertion – This is your topic sentence, or the overall point you are making in this paragraph.

Use Citation – This is a quotation or reference from the selection you’ve read that proves or provides an example of your assertion.

Explanation – Explain your quote.  How does it support, or prove, your assertion?  You can't just insert a quotation without explaining why it's being used.

Offer your Interpretation – state your own opinion (don’t use I)

Transition – This is a statement that ties the paragraph together.  It links everything together.

Here is a Prezi that offers an analysis on a mockumentary of Miley Cyrus overuse in the ACE format.  The 2nd video is locked, but you don't need it to get the idea.  They also call it AEC here.

This is a link to a