Building Brave Writers: Observation is a prompt-based writing course where students explore original writing outside of strict formats and heavy revision requirements. Students use Brave Writer® foundational approaches including freewriting and word play to write original narratives on topics of interest.
Students discover the joy and power of their writing voices by focusing on content exclusively. This approach allows students to overcome writing resistance as they explore and play with language in a relaxed atmosphere.
Syllabus
Week One
Students build observation skills by using a variety of senses to explore an object. The writing activity has students connect that household object to an experience or memory.
Week Two
This week, students dive into the process of uncovering topics they care to write about. Once the topic is uncovered, they use vivid detail to compel readers to care about the topic, too!
Week Three
It’s time to adopt another view! Students practice writing a narrative with "opposite" facts and recasting a known scene from the villain's perspective.
Common Core and Academic Standards Support
What follows is a word bank and set of skills associated with this class. Use them to craft your own learning narrative for use in year-end evaluations, charter school reports, or any other accountability source.
Word Bank
- Character
- Creative writing
- Description
- Notebooking
- Observation
- Perspective
- Plot
- Point of view
- Rhyme
- Sensory writing
- Vivid detail
- Vocabulary development
- Writing craft
- Writing voice
Core Skills
- Describe an object using multiple senses
- Explore different points of view and writing from that perspective
- Engage in narrative writing to bring a memory to life
- Engage in freewriting to move ideas to the page
- Keenly observe an object and develop vivid descriptive details
- Practice narrowing topic choice to a manageable size for writing
- Utilize distinct writer’s voice
- Utilize vivid detail and in-the-moment description to compel readers
- Write detailed, organized, structured original narratives
