Help high school Creative Writing students better understand the conventions of science fiction and prepare for the drafting of original sci-fi short stories with this comprehensive, low-prep, standards-aligned unit plan. All supporting materials are provided in both Word Document and PDF formats. (Alternatively, a Google Drive option is available.) More specifically, the following are included:
A detailed, standards-based unit plan articulating the unit's transfer goal(s), essential question(s), enduring understanding(s), learning target(s), academic vocabulary, formative assessment(s), summative performance task(s), and learning plan(s).
A PowerPoint presentation addressing the conventions of the science fiction genre.
Representative science fiction narratives.
Worksheets to facilitate analysis of representative literature.
Detailed directions.
A comprehensive outline for student planning.
A document to facilitate the editing process.
A comprehensive rubric for evaluating student writing.
Develop greater understanding of the conventions of the sci-fi genre
Analyze how Ray Bradbury used descriptive language, characterization, setting, and various literary devices to establish an eerie mood in "The Fog Horn" that is consistent with the science fiction genre.
Analyze how Ray Bradbury used figurative language (personification, onomatopoeia, metaphor, and simile) and direct description to develop a compelling work of science fiction in "There Will Come Soft Rains."
Organize initial ideas in a coherent manner.
Engage the reader with a compelling exposition that establishes a futuristic setting, characters, and conflicts
Use many appropriate narrative techniques (dialogue, dialect, description, pacing, etc.) to enhance a science-fiction plot
Draft a coherent, cohesive, and appropriate narrative that builds toward a particular tone and outcome (a sense of mystery, suspense, etc.)
Use precise words and phrases, active verbs, and sensory language to convey a compelling story
Draft a reasonable and unrushed conclusion that resolves conflicts and conveys a theme
Show mastery of the conventions of standard English grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
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