English Program Scholarship Project

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Teaching Creative Writing to ESL Students: A Unit Plan
Madison Overly
Dr. Karen Knudson
Department of English, Olivet Nazarene University
ENGL 477: Senior Seminar
October 26th, 2022

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Abstract
Writing instruction within current ELA and ESL classrooms focuses heavily on research
based, informational writing that utilizes highly structured claim/evidence writing models due to
the CCSS standards. With this form of instruction, students view writing as a task and the model
as an input formula rather than focusing on individual expression and discovery of writing style.
This results in a lack of writer identity, lowered motivation, and less student engagement,
especially for ESL students who often struggle with writer anxiety due to language barriers and
an internalized notion that they aren’t ‘good’ writers. In order to combat ESL writer anxiety and
lack of motivation, yet adhere to current state standards, an ESL-specific creative writing unit
plan based in the CCSS standards was created. The unit plan contains three weeks of lesson
plans and a fourth week dedicated to the summative project. The lesson activities, assessments,
and other instructional choices are rooted in the research presented in the literature review of this
study which examines the effects of current writing instruction, explains creativity’s place in the
classroom, defines the ESL classroom model, merges SLA theories with effective writing
instruction practices, examines how creative writing reduces the affective filter and fosters
identity formation, demonstrates the use of creative writing to improve other language skills, and
surveys a recent best practices within ESL and creative writing instruction.
Teaching Creative Writing to ESL Students: A Unit Plan
In recent years, many states have continued to adopt the Common Core State Standards
which has resulted in a perceived notion that “creative writing has been devalued in ELA
standards” (Drew, 2016, p. 2). It is no doubt that the standards are centered around STEM
concepts and information-based research writing; however, current research is indicating that
through careful interpretation and adaptation of the standards, creative writing can be
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successfully integrated into ELA curricula (Drew, 2016, p. 3). Within ELA instruction and
standards lies the ever-increasing need for ESL specific writing instruction. During my
observations of middle and high school level ESL classrooms, it became evident to me that the
same concerns about the lack of opportunities for creative, self-reflective writing are prevalent
within ESL classrooms that are closely aligned with the CCSS-based general ELA curriculum. I
also noticed a lack of connection between students’ personal lives, cultural backgrounds, first
languages, and their work within their ESL/ELA classroom.
Considering these general concerns, my research is focused on the processes of creating
an effective ESL-specific creative writing unit plan that is based on second language acquisition
(SLA) theoretical foundations and works to reduce the affective filter while allowing students to
explore and express their cultural identities. In preparation for the planning and writing the
secondary ESL creative writing unit plan, part of my research focused on the correlation between
learning to write creatively, improved language skills, such as reading, and an increase in student
engagement/motivation. A major aspect of my research was examining the nuances of teaching
and assessing creativity. And so, through this preparatory process, I reviewed current and past
creative writing ESL and secondary ELA instruction methods to ensure that my unit plan
included relevant, practiced activities. I based the research that I surveyed on the following
questions: What are the current best practices for teaching creative writing in the secondary ESL
setting? How might a creative writing unit plan remain aligned with the current CCSS and ESL
standards? Is this alignment possible? What are the possible benefits of teaching creative
writing? Does writing creatively reduce the affective filter, and/or anxiety revolving around
writing in a second language? What creative writing activities allow students to explore their
cultural identities? Why is identity formation important for second language acquisition? How
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should a creative writing unit plan be structured? Should students be allowed to utilize their
native languages within their writing? What does assessment of creative writing skills look like?
The answers to these questions serve not only as a foundation for the format and structure of my
unit plan, but as evidence for the need of its inclusion in ESL secondary curricula.
Review of Literature
Common Core Writing Instruction: The Current Climate
With the current ELA and ESL practices that are rooted in standards, much writing
instruction is based on what will be expected of students when they take standardized tests. This
has resulted in a general student lack of interest and investment in writing, as they blindly mimic
the exact writing structures that they have been taught. However, research has indicated that
“teaching to the test ingrains in students the necessity of form and structure to the detriment of
communication” (Herrera & Murry, 2011, p. 51). In other words, students—more specifically
ESL students, are quick to regurgitate the forms they are taught without paying attention to what
they are communicating and how they are communicating. More of a focus is on the form than
the language itself. Furthermore, when writing activities are created for standardized tests, it
appears as if the majority of writing is based on high-stakes assessments, rather than low-stakes,
enjoyable practice. This is potentially detrimental to the growth of writing skills, as well as other
language skills because “when students experience an activity as more ‘test-like,’ they are less
likely to take the types of intellectual risks that are supportive of meaningful learning and
creativity” (Wood, 2016, p. 133). Without a need to take intellectual risks, creativity which leads
towards innovation is bound to be lost.
The consequential robotic approach to learning has frequently lowered student engagement
and motivation. For example, the case study mentioned previously that was conducted by Wood
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(2016) featured student responses to several research questions. Many students explained how
while they previously enjoyed writing in primary grades, at the secondary level they no longer
enjoy it because much of what they write is for a distinct, academic purpose (p. 134). Another
study describes current writing practices in the secondary school setting as gravitating towards
“limited purpose, audience and form,” and while students may read creative works such as
fictional short stories, when writing, they usually focus on expository models (Glenn, 2007, p.
11). Yet, the same study reveals that it is through writing fiction students demonstrate more
powerful skills than they ever would through writing informational works (p. 11).
Defining Creativity in Education
In order to understand the need for a creative writing unit plan within an ESL curriculum,
one must be aware of what creativity is and its place in an educational setting. Creativity by
nature is something that everyone has the ability to exhibit, yet few people are given the tools to
tap into their creative capacities according to leading researcher Sir Ken Robinson (Azzam,
2009, p. 23). This perspective suggests that within many school systems that highly value
standardized testing, students are given little opportunities to engage in the creative processes
which involve “critical thinking as well as imaginative insights and fresh ideas” (Azzam, 2009,
p. 23). Contrary to the popular view of creativity as being reserved for the arts, the creative
process has the ability to be applied to various fields of study and interests. This approach alters
curricula by allowing students to discover their passions as it is known that students are fully
engaged in lessons in which they are given “an opportunity to do things that invigorate [them]”
(p. 25). Furthermore, according to Sir Robinson, creativity is social by nature as most original
thoughts are produced through meaningful collaboration with peers such as ‘bouncing ideas off
of one another’ (p. 25). And so, based on these insights, the implementation of the creative
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process in an educational setting may be characterized by allowing student choice, utilizing
project-based or discovery-based learning, focusing on peer-collaboration, and assuming the role
of a facilitator. In this manner, creativity can be taught and therefore has a rightful place within
an ELA or ESL classroom.
Providing Context: The ESL Classroom Model
The proper creation of an ESL-specific unit plan involves understanding the goals of the
classroom that it is created for. The ESL classroom varies in structure from school to school, but
the foundational instruction methods remain consistent. Some ESL programs involve pulling
students out of the classroom for periods of time, others require students to be grouped into a
separate classroom, or they act as a separate subject often replacing an elective (Herrera &
Murry, 2011, p. 115). The ESL classroom often utilizes grade-level, content-based instruction
and is grounded in instructional support such as “scaffolding, guarded vocabulary,
conceptualization, [and] hands-on cooperative learning” (p. 116). In their book that discusses
current methods of ESL instruction, Herrerra & Murry (2011) explain that this extra support is
necessary within an ESL classroom because of the minimal use of students’ first languages. This
is due largely to the fact that within this model, the teacher does not typically need to be fluent in
the students’ native languages.
Theoretical Foundations of Second Language Acquisition
An article written by Shulz (1991) discusses several of the commonly known theories
within second language acquisition (SLA). These theories include the affective filter, discourse
theory, the interlanguage theory, and theories revolving around grammar within the ESL
classroom. The affective filter is described as a mental block, and so a language learner with a
high affective filter experiences an increase in anxiety and low self-esteem which may negatively
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affect their effort and motivation within the ESL classroom (Shulz, 1991, p. 21). Writer anxiety,
which is an aspect of the affective filter, directly correlates to student achievement in written
works such as essays, meaning that higher writing anxiety leads towards lower achievement
(Fakeye & Ohia, 2016, p. 84). Emphasizing the need to reduce the affective filter, it also directly
influences a student’s motivation which often determines successful second language. One way
to reduce the affective filter may be to include interesting, relevant, and authentic activities that
are enjoyable for students since “enjoyment is synonymous with the perception of success, which
leads to increased confidence” (Wood, 2016, 143).
Another foundational theory of SLA is the discourse theory which supports the idea that
language is acquired through frequent “communicative interaction” (Shulz, 1991, p. 20). This
may involve role playing, whole group discussions, or other activities that allow students to
interact with one another. Thirdly, the interlanguage theory implies that the transfer of language
involves a distinct mixing of both a student’s first language (L1) and second language (L2)
which may lead to repetitive errors (Shulz, 1991, p. 19). These errors may persist if the student is
consistently exposed to inaccurate input or is often in situations in which the lack of perfection
does not hinder communication. However, the mixing of language is not always negative as it is
also known that a student’s knowledge of their L1 may help with the acquisition of their L2
through the use of cognates and codeswitching (Herrera & Murry, 2011, p. 67). Furthermore,
through the process of learning a second language, students begin to acquire a greater knowledge
of language learning strategies (p. 67).
While theories on the affective filter, discourse, and interlanguage have remained
consistently agreed upon within the ESL teaching community, discussions about grammar, its
importance in SLA, and the way that it should be taught have undergone much debate. Early
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research within SLA advocated for a prescriptive teaching model, in which it was the main focus
of ESL teaching; however, research within the past 30 years pushed grammar to a “supportive
role” and advocated for limiting the amount of time allocated to directly teaching grammar and
usage rules (Shulz, 1991, p. 24). Recent research supports this claim and argues that it is more
productive to teach grammar “in context of student writing,” by focusing on the grammar
problems within a student’s individual work, rather than utilizing lectures on grammar rules that
are disconnected from the students’ immediate needs (Webb, 2015, p. 177). This research is
deeply rooted in the widely accepted view of language acquisition being reflected through
effective communication in the target language group. By basing grammar instruction on
individual needs as they arise, the focus is on “helping students formulate effective
communication strategies rather than the eradication of errors” (p. 177). The red pen is put down
and the teacher focuses on overarching, common error patterns rather than attempting to ‘fix’ all
errors within a student’s work. This is productive in nature because it prevents the student from
becoming overwhelmed and shutting down during the revision process—a process in which most
learning takes place.
Reducing the Affective Filter and Fostering Identity Formation Through Creative Writing
In recent years, research regarding the effects of creative writing within the secondary
ESL classroom has revealed that it not only “exposes learners to language play as a part of the
language acquisition process,” but it also reduces the affective filter by improving writer
confidence (Avramenko, Davydova, & Burikova, 2018, p. 60). Through personal experience, I
have found that creative writing activities are often low-stakes and contain less structural
demands than the traditional argumentative paper that has become a staple of secondary ELA
and ESL. Creative writing assignments also allow for the exploration of adolescent students’
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identities during a time in which they are most egocentric. Through specific creative writing
activities, students may have an opportunity to “draw on positive examples from their home
cultures and multilingual knowledges [which] has been endorsed as a pedagogy of student
engagement and validation” (Ivanova, 2019, p. 2). When assignments relate to their experiences
and interests, students are more likely to be involved in their learning. When students are
encouraged to write about subjects that are raw, personal, and self-reflective, they are more
emotionally invested. This emotional response allows students to better retain the skills that they
are learning (Herrera & Murry, 2011, p. 39).
One form of creative writing that helps to foster identity formation and discovery is the
genre of poetry. Research reveals that writing poems in general “increase[s] emotional awareness
and motivate[s] learners not only emotionally but also cognitively to communicate creatively in
[their] L2” (Kirkgoz, 2014, p. 395). By writing poetry, students are able to draw upon their
personal experiences and to express their emotions which directly relate to their perception of
their identity. Poetry also heavily revolves around “universal themes and human concerns”
which “fosters personal involvement in writing tasks (Kirkgoz, 2014, p. 395). Being personally
involved in a writing task as previously stated leads towards increased motivation and a decrease
in the affective filter. A specific activity that uses poetry for its self-reflective process involves
instructing students to write a “Where I’m From Poem” (Ivanova, 2019). In their research on
using “Where I’m From” poems in the university ESL setting, Ivanova (2019) explains that this
activity allows students to write about objects, practices, locations, etc. that reflect their cultural
backgrounds and identity. Anxiety associated with writing is lowered through this project as it
does not require students to adhere to grammar rules or a specific form other than the use of the
repeated phrase, “I am from [blank]” (Ivanova, 2019). Lastly, along with the “Where I’m from”
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poem, teachers may wish to ask students to bring an artifact/object that represents an aspect of
their identity. This allows students to brainstorm for their poems and creates an opportunity for
meaningful interaction with their peers as they verbally explain why they chose their particular
artifact.
Creative Writing as a Means for Improving Language Skills
An examination of recent research demonstrates that learning and practicing creative
writing improves language skills other than those specific to creative writing itself. Research on
teaching creative writing skills to high school ESL students conducted by Avramenko,
Davydova, & Burikova (2018) reveals that creative writing involves using “cognitive, affective,
social, and psychomotor skills” (p. 58). These skills are not only necessary for improving
language skills besides writing, but one might also argue that they are universally useful.
Research on the use of creative writing to improve reading skills conducted by Glenn (2007)
demonstrates that when reading with “a writer’s eye” students are able to better comprehend and
interpret texts that they are reading (p. 15). As students learn techniques to use within their own
writing, they will become more aware of the techniques that authors use, which will in turn lead
them to better understanding why the author used those specific techniques to convey a particular
message. Similarly, as students read more creative works by professional authors, they may be
introduced to new techniques that they could apply to not only their creative writing, but other
academic writing as well. Furthermore, through writing students develop “awareness of the
structures of language, the organization of text, and spelling patterns which in turn contributes to
reading proficiency” (Doubet & Southall, 2018, p. 25). So, not only are reading comprehension
skills improved as a result of learning to write creatively, but also the rate at which students are
able to read. Lastly, a study that examined how creative writing exercises improve narrative
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writing skills and advanced reading awareness found that creative writing activities did in fact
improve pre, during, and post-reading skills and also increased “verbal creativity” (Eser & Ayaz,
2021, pp. 648, 653). The improvement of language skills such as reading, writing, speaking, and
listening is a primary goal of ESL education. The use of creative writing as a means of
improving these skills advocates for its relevance within ESL curricula.
Best Practices in Secondary and ESL Creative Writing Instruction
Process Based Writing Instruction
Recent research on writing instruction emphasizes the use of a process writing model
which emphasizes the process of writing rather than following the “traditional evaluation and
assessment practices in which a teacher collects a student’s essay, reads the essay, comments on
errors, assigns a grade, and returns the essay to the student who will file it away” (Webb, 2015,
p. 176). In this process model, a creative writing class may be approached as a workshop that
walks students through the four stages of writing which are “planning, drafting, revising, and
editing” (Avramenko, Davydova, & Burikova. 2018, p. 59). Within this model, the teacher acts
as “either a workshop facilitator or lecturer of rhetorical and grammatical conventions” (Webb,
2015, 194). Through this approach, the view of revisions shifts from being primarily negative to
being necessary. With emphasis placed on the process, students focus on fine tuning their work,
rather than making it ‘perfect’ right away. As a result, with the use of this model, students may
have an overall more positive attitude towards their writing and more specifically their final
product.
Structure of Creative Writing Curricula
As outlined by educator Detwiler (2022), there are two different approaches to the
structure of creative writing curricula, including skills-based organization and a medium-based

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model (p. 23). On the other hand, medium-based model organizes the content by the various
types of creative writing (p. 24). For example, in a full curriculum, one unit might focus on
poetry, another drama, and another would discuss the short story. With this model, the skills
learned are related to each type of writing and implemented as necessary; they are contextual.
Wood (2016) advocates for the use of a medium-based model within a creative writing unit,
describing the structure as “a series of lessons that ran over four weeks which would result in
students’ having completed three different types of creative writing: flash fiction, sonnets and a
creative modification of a children’s story” (p. 132). Due to the shorter amount of time allocated
to creative writing when it is implemented as a unit rather than a course, the medium-based
model allows for an educator to survey several creative writing genres. On the other hand, skills-
based organization focuses on particular sets of skills and students are given the opportunity to
practice those skills using their preferred form of creative writing (Detwiler, 2022, p. 28). Due to
this, the skills-based model requires students to already know their preferred genre as they would
be given more choice in the type of writing they use to practice the certain skills (Detwiler, 2022,
p. 25). In an introductory unit to creative writing in an ESL classroom, an overview of various
types of creative writing is necessary, as the student likely do not have a substantial amount of
experience with creative writing.
The best practice of beginning a creative writing unit by allowing students to reflect on
who they perceive themselves to be as writers allows students to think about what they write on a
daily basis and to establish their identity as writers (Wood, 2016, p. 134). The teacher is also able
to better understand where each student is, and what their past educational experiences have
been. Detwiler (2022), a seasoned secondary creative writing teacher starts their creative writing
course with a “free choice writing at the beginning, tasking students with the duty of letting [the
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class] know who they are as writers” (p. 19). In an ESL setting, a free writing activity may be
daunting at the beginning of a creative writing unit. Yet, the same reflection process may be
completed through a guided survey in which students answer specific questions related to their
writer identity. To then continue the reflection process throughout the unit, one might follow the
practice of Wood (2016) who poses questions for students to respond to after each larger work or
activity is completed (p. 132). The act of reflection allows students to continue to develop their
personal writer identity and directly involves them in the learning experience.
Assessment of Creative Works
When discussing creative writing in an educational setting, questions about assessment
are sure to arise. Creativity seems to be something that cannot be assessed, yet the processes
involved in the production of a creative work and the originality of a creative work may be
assessed (Azzam, 2009, p. 26). Research on the assessment of creative works, including creative
writing stress the use of checklists, rubrics, and discussions as a means of assessment rather than
utilizing tests that have “one-size-fits-all answers” (Coil, 2014, p. 50). Creativity is assessed on a
subjective level rather than for ‘correctness.’ In order to assess understanding of a specific type
of creative work or genre of creative writing, a teacher should use specific criteria. Coil (2014)
suggests the use of criteria cards which include “short, easily understood lists of criteria
(generally four to six)” (p. 50). These criteria cards provide guidelines that students will rely on
without hindering creativity and individual expression. Within a creative writing setting, the
assignments leading up to larger projects are most often graded for completion.
Model
Overview of the Unit

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CONTEXT
This unit may be used within a secondary ESL classroom (grades 9-12). The lessons are
designed for a class of 15-18 students at proficiency levels ranging from high intermediate to
advanced. However, the lessons can be easily altered for smaller or larger class sizes. There are
also additional accommodations included within each lesson that serve as a suggestion for
students who may fall slightly below the proficiency level. Although it is possible that the
hypothetical class could have students of all four grade levels, this unit applies grade 10 CCSS
standards. The unit has been planned with the standard high school schedule in mind, meaning
that each lesson is roughly 50 minutes and there are five lessons per week. While there are many
minute details included within the unit, the contents are merely suggestions and should be
adapted according to specific student needs.
Regarding the ESL framework’s five levels of language proficiency, this unit is best for Level 4
(Expanding) and Level 5 (Bridging) learners. Yet, as previously stated, the activities and lectures
can be adapted with increased scaffolding to meet the needs of a Level 3 (Developing) learner.
The characteristics of different levels go as follows:
Level 3-Developing
At L3, students understand more complex speech but still may require some repetition.
They use English spontaneously but may have difficulty expressing all their thoughts due
to a restricted vocabulary and a limited command of language structure. Students at this
level speak in simple sentences, which are comprehensible and appropriate, but which are
frequently marked by grammatical errors. Proficiency in reading may vary considerably.
Students are most successful constructing meaning from texts for which they have
background knowledge upon which to build.
Level 4-Expanding
At L4, students’ language skills are adequate for most day-to-day communication needs.
They communicate in English in new or unfamiliar settings but have occasional difficulty
with complex structures and abstract academic concepts.
Students at this level may read with considerable fluency and are able to locate and
identify the specific facts within the text. However, they may not understand texts in
which the concepts are presented in a decontextualized manner, the sentence structure is
complex, or the vocabulary is abstract or has multiple meanings. They can read
independently but may have occasional comprehension problems, especially when
processing grade-level information.
Level 5-Bridging
At L5, students can express themselves fluently and spontaneously on a wide range of
personal, general, academic, or social topics in a variety of contexts. They are poised to
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function in an environment with native speaking peers with minimal language support or
guidance.
Students have a good command of technical and academic vocabulary as well of

idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms. They can produce clear, smoothly flowing,
well-structured texts of differing lengths and degrees of linguistic complexity. Errors are
minimal, difficult to spot, and generally corrected when they occur. (TESOL, INC, p. 3-
4)
OUTLINE
The unit plan spans over roughly 4 weeks and includes 15 days of planned lessons/activities with
the remaining five days being dedicated to drafting and revising the final summative project.
1. Week 1- What is Writer Identity?

a. Day 1: Finding your identity
i. Writer Identity Survey
ii. Set up field journals
iii. 6-word autobiography (related to writer identity)
iv. Students will read “Where I’m From” poems and discuss
v. Exit slip: reflection question in journal
b. Day 2: Creativity and writing prompts
i. Teacher and students will discuss the importance of creative writing,
working to answer the question, “why should we write creatively?”
ii. “Would you rather” prompt activity
iii. Exit slip
c. Day 3: Cultural artifact show and tell
i. Students will bring in an artifact that represents a part of their culture and
who they are. Each student will share with the class by explaining why
they chose the particular artifact.
ii. Teacher will also read his/her personal “where I’m from” poem based on
the artifact that he/she brought in.
iii. If there is time, students will begin writing their own “where I’m from”
poems.
iv. Exit slip: reflection question
d. Day 4: “Where I’m From” poem workday
i. Students will have the entire period to work on their poems. They may use
one another or the teacher for guidance.
e. Day 5: “Where I’m From” poem share day
i. Student will have the first half of the period to finalize their poems.
ii. For the second half of the period, teacher will walk the students through
the share day procedure. Students will be split into groups of 3-4 as the
teacher instructs them throughout the sharing/feedback process.
iii. Exit slip (submit to teacher)
2. Week 2- We Are Poets
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a. Day 6: Direct Instruction- Poetry/Figurative language

i. Bellringer
ii. Direct Instruction on Poetry: What makes a poem a poem? And Prose vs.
Poetry Activity
iii. Define several types of figurative language and share examples
iv. As a whole group, students will create their own examples. The teacher
will write them on the board and the students will write them in their
journals.
v. Exit slip
b. Day 7: Haikus About You
i. Bellringer
ii. Brief lecture on poetic forms (not complex)à teacher will explain and
define rhyme scheme, syllables, stanzas and provide examples of haikus,
sonnets, limericks, and free verse
iii. Haiku Activityà Teacher will first discuss code switching and then will
read examples of a haiku from the novel, Poet X and discuss their
characteristics and count the syllables.
iv. Partner Activity: Students will interview one another using questions
provided by the teacher. They will then each create a haiku about the other
person which they will read to one another.
v. Exit slip
c. Day 8: Got Rhythm?
i. View slam poetry video and discuss
ii. Briefly define and explain poetic rhythm
iii. Rhythm activityà Students and teacher will first read the lyrics of a song
and will discuss its tone. Students will then listen to the song, reevaluate
the tone, and discuss what was emphasized or absent in each version.
iv. Exit Slip
d. Day 9: Spider Map Poems
i. Spider map poem activityà Teacher will put a word up on the board and
students will make a web of words associated to that word. As a whole
group, the class will write a poem using the words from their maps. The
teacher will then put up a few more words and students will choose which
word to independently create a map, a poem, and then a visual of sorts
(PowerPoint slide, poster, etc.)
ii. Exit slip
e. Day 10: Share Day/Independent workday
3. Week 3- We Are Storytellers
a. Day 11: Parts of a Story
i. Teacher will lecture on the parts of a story
ii. Modeling Activity: Teacher will lead students through filling out a story
map based on a Pixar Short
iii. Group Activity: Teacher will read “Snow” by Julia Alvarez and students
will work as a group to fill out a blank story/plot map.
iv. Exit slip
b. Day 12: The Story Next Door (Day 1)
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i. Bellringer
ii. Brief lecture on point of viewà Define the different types and examine
excerpts with examples; examine the way that point of view influences a
story.
iii. Pre-Writing Activity: Students will draw a map of their street and write
anecdotes about different neighbors
iv. Explain next steps and ask students to choose an anecdote that they could
turn into a story.
c. Day 13: The Story Next Door (Day 2)
i. Students will brainstorm and begin developing their stories.
ii. Students will either use a plot map to plan their story before writing or
they will free write the story and use a plot map to check their use of plot
elements.
d. Day 14: Flash Fiction
i. Bellringer: includes a brief lecture on how to format dialogue
ii. Explain and define the flash fiction genre
iii. Read two examples of flash fiction from The House on Mango Street
iv. Discuss the characteristics of flash fiction
v. Flash Fiction Images Activityà students will look at an image and write a
brief scene based on their observations.
e. Day 15: Independent workday
4. Week 4- Summative Project
a. Day 21: Introduce Summative Project/Brainstorming
b. Day 22: Independent Workday/Peer Review
c. Day 23: Independent Workday/Teacher Conferences
d. Day 24: Independent Workday/Teacher Conferences
e. Day 25: Unit Reflectionsà Option: Begin presentations of summative project OR
host a separate showcase event with family and friends
Week 1 Lessons: What is Writer Identity?
Key: Blue text signifies that individual teacher choice will be needed as each classroom will
have different needs and different methods/practices that work best for the individual students.
Those elements are left vague as to leave room for adaptation and individual teaching style.
DAY 1
Title of Lesson Finding Your Identity
Text Used George Ella Lyon’s “Where I’m From” poem:

http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html
Student examples of “Where I’m From” poems: https://iamfromproject.com/poems-

thru-8-2020/
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CCSS: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1
Standards Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one,
in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and
issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
ESL/TESOL: Standard 1- English language learners communicate for social,

intercultural, and instructional purposes within the school setting.
Content:
Objectives 1. Students will think critically about their identity as a writer.
2. Students will discover the purpose and explain a simple outline of the “where
I’m from” poem model
Language:
1. Students will be able to express their personal experiences with writing in an
academic setting through reading (comprehending) and responding to a
survey.
2. Students will be able to communicate effectively with their peers to share
their reactions to the “where I’m from” poems.
Teacher:
Materials Needed - Writer identity survey: either online through google or printed on paper
- Packet with printed copies of George Ella Lyon’s “Where I’m From” poem
and two student examples (1 per student)
- New journal style notebooks (1 per student): Cheap journal pack from
Amazon
Students:
- Pencil/pen
- School issued laptop
Content Specific Writer Identity

Vocab Autobiography
1. Introduce the unit and either pass out the writer identity surveys or direct
Lesson students to an online google form. Once students are viewing the survey,
Engagement define writer identity and read through each question in the survey to ensure
that students have a clear understanding of what is expected of them.
Students will answer the questions as the teacher reads each one and provides
adequate wait time.
- Writer Identity Survey Sample:
https://forms.gle/ciFejMWfADfYmkim8
2. Explain the purpose of the activity as a means of defining writer identity.
- The purpose of this survey was to allow you to reflect over who you
are as a writer and to tell me a little bit about your experience with
writing in an academic setting.
3. Lead students through a hand-raising activity in which they will raise their
hand if they relate to the following statements (based on the survey):
- Raise your hand if you think of yourself as a writer.
- Raise your hand if you write every day (texting counts).
- Raise your hand if writing makes you nervous.
- Raise your hand if writing at school is difficult.
4. Transition. Pass out the blank field journals and explain to the students
Instructional what they will be doing with these journals.
Sequence - Every day when you walk into class you will get your journal from
the bin. All in-class writing activities and exit slip entries will be
written in your journal. This will allow you to see how you have
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grown as a writer and to look at all of your work in one space.

Certain activities will be typed before they are submitted, but the
drafting process will take place in your journal. Messy is OK!!
5. Pass out sharpies and instruct students to write their names on the inside of
the book. Model what should be written on the header for each entry and ask
students to copy.
- Example: Week, Date, Entry Titleà Week 1, 10/31, 6-Word
Autobiography
6. Explain the first entry which is the Writer Identity Autobiography and use
teacher example as a model. Instruct students to try their best to create their
own 6-word autobiography and either ask 3 students to share or turn and
share with a neighbor.
- Within explanation define writer identity and autobiography.
- Teacher example: I am a poet, I think. OR Write in journal / just for
me
7. Transition. Pass out the printed copies of the “where I’m from” poem
examples. Read each poem out loud to the students as they follow along.
Take the time to define any potentially unknown words or cultural
references.
8. After reading the original, discuss student reactions and allow for students to
ask questions. Repeat this process after reading the student examples.
If there is time, transition into the exit slip activity that students may complete in their
Lesson Closure journal. The exit slip question should act as a reflection of the lesson and their
feelings about the content: How are you feeling about this unit? Are you excited?
Nervous? Overwhelmed?
*Potential procedure: Require students to turn in their journals after each class period
by placing it in a designated bin on their way out the door.
Writer Identity survey: graded for completion (5pts)
Assessment 6-word autobiography: graded for completion (5 pts)
Exit slip: graded for completion (5 pts)
- Reading the survey questions out loud while students are answering the
ESL Specific questions acts as scaffolding likely needed within an ESL classroom.
Accommodations Reading the worksheets out loud also is an important scaffolding tool.
- Often ESL students have a more limited vocabulary. With that in mind, the
teacher should anticipate certain words or cultural references being unknown
to some students. While reading out loud, pause and define words that you
anticipate to be unknown or simply ask students if they know the word or are
familiar with the cultural reference.
Explanation of Purpose
Rationale Since this is the first lesson of the unit, the activities included are meant to introduce
the unit topic and to help the teacher gain an understanding of the students’ previous
knowledge of the topics. The purpose of the Writer Identity survey is to allow
students to think about the ways that they write each day, their past experiences with
writing in school, and how they view their writing. The purpose of the hand raising
activity that followed the survey was to allow the class to visually see that they are
not alone in their feelings and to provide the teacher with instant student feedback
before beginning the lesson.
Research Insights
- Allowing students to think about their writer identity before beginning a
creative writing unit: Wood (2016), Detwiler (2022).
- Use of “exercise book” to track writing progress: Wood (2016)
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DAY 2
Title of Lesson Creativity and Writing Prompts
Standards Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one,
in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and
issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Content:
Objectives 1. Students will define creativity and determine its importance.
2. Students will recognize understand how to respond to creative writing
prompts.
Language:
1. Speaking: Students will use verbal communications skills to share their
personal opinions regarding creativity.
2. Listening: Students will engage in active listening during whole group
discussions.
Teacher:
Materials Needed - Potential material: supplemental PowerPoint to guide discussion on creativity
- Prepared list of student-friendly and appropriate “would you rather”
questions to choose from along with guiding questions to help students form
a story based on their choice:
- Would you rather fight a group of tiny elephants or a large bunny?
§ Where would this battle take place?
§ Who would win? How would they win?
- Would you rather sail around the world or backpack through
Europe?
§ Where would you stop first?
§ What possible difficulties might arise?
Students:
- Pencil/pen
- Field journal
Content Specific Creativity

Vocab Artifact
1. At the start of class teacher will remind students to pick up their field journal
Lesson from the bin on their way to their seats.
Engagement
2. Transition. Lead the whole class in a discussion about creativity and its
Instructional importance in the academic setting.
Sequence - Offer a few definitions of creativity and explain how everyone has
the ability to be creative in their own way.
21
- Ask students: What types of creative writing are you familiar with?
As students answer, teacher will write their responses on the board.
- Think-Pair-Share: Ask students “Why should we write creatively?”,
students will think about their responses then share their thoughts
with the person next to them. Finally, they will share what they
talked about with the class.
- Teacher will offer personal insight
3. Transition. Guide students through a fun prompt activity. After the activity
reflect over potential takeaways.
- Would You Rather Activity: Teacher will use the prepared list to
ask two different questions and follow the same procedure.: 1)
Students will turn and tell their neighbor which choice they would
choose and why they would choose it. 2) Teacher will ask guiding
questions. 3) Students will turn and verbally tell their neighbor a
story based on their choice.
4. Make students aware of the fact that the activities such as the one completed
during this lesson could be used for the final project which will allow them to
continue to work on one writing. In other words, their work now will help
them out later! This reminder should be given during each lesson throughout
the remainder of the unit.
Exit Slipà Students will be asked to write the story that they told to their partner
Lesson Closure using any format. They will not be required to adhere to standard grammar and usage
rules.
Preparation for next lessonà Ask students to bring in a cultural artifact (something
that represents a part of their culture and who they are) for the next lesson. Define
cultural identity.
General Informal Assessment for In-Class Activities:
Assessment - Provide students with verbal feedback (positive and corrective)
- Frequently ask guiding questions as a form or redirecting
- Ask oneself: Are students demonstrating an understanding of the content
through their participation in the activity? Do the products they create (oral
story or written poem/story) accurately demonstrate that understanding?
- Observe: Are students on task? Are students participating in group/partner
discussions? Are they contributing to the product (oral story or written
poem/story)?
- Provide written feedback when necessary (i.e., in response to an exit slip or
other journal entries)
- Think-pair-share activity: This activity allows the students to engage in
ESL Specific discourse with their peers which will allow them to practice speaking and
Accommodations listening skills. These interactions will also allow them to practice
negotiating for meaning in which they may have the chance to learn specific
language skills from their peers.
- The storytelling activity is completed orally at first to allow students to think
through their thoughts out loud before being asked to put them on paper. This
will likely be more comfortable for them, reducing stress that may usually be
associated with writing.
Rationale The purpose of this lesson was to not only ponder the place of creativity within the
classroom, but to also allow students to think about what the purpose of creative
writing might be for them. This form of critical thinking encourages the students to be
connected to the unit itself. The specific questions about creativity are included to
22
foster critical/metacognitive thinking. The Would You Rather Activity is included as

a brainstorming, prompt exercise that is low stakes.
Relation to Previous/Upcoming Lesson

The Would You Rather Activity will prepare students for the other short story
activities included in Week 3.
Research Insights
- Would You Rather Activity adapted from Detwiler’s (2022) activity of the
same name (p. 67).
- This unit plan vaguely follow the process writing model in which there is
heavy focus on the process of writing. According to Webb (2015), within
this approach “error correction is set aside until the final proofreading and
editing stages of the re-visioning process” (p. 176). This research inspired the
absences of grammatical correctness until the final summative project.
DAY 3
Title of Lesson Cultural Artifact Show and Tell
CCSS: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4
Standards Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style
are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Content:
Objectives 1. Students will explain how their artifact represents who they are.
2. Students will examine the structure and style of a “Where I’m From” poem
3. Students will re-create their own “Where I’m From” poem by writing about
their cultural artifact.
Language:
1. Speaking: Students will verbally present their cultural artifact, explaining
how it represents them and why it is important to them.
2. Listening: Students will actively listen to each student’s presentation.
Students will actively listen and follow along as the teacher reads his/her
poem, being sure to pay attention to the structure and stylistic components.
3. Writing: Students will begin writing their poem, paying attention to content
and structure rather than grammatical correctness.
Teacher:
Materials Needed - “Where I’m From” poem (1 printed copy per student)
- Cultural artifact
- “Where I’m From” criteria card (1 printed copy per student)
Students:
- Pencil/pen
- Field journal
- Cultural artifact
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1. Cultural Artifact Show and Tell: This period will begin right away with
Lesson student presentations of their cultural artifacts.
Engagement - Remind students of the expectations for audience members. Share
teacher artifact first.
- Each student will stand up (either in their seat or at the front of the
room) and explain why they chose their artifact and how it reflects
their cultural identity.
- Provide verbal feedback after each student presents.
2. Transition. “Where I’m From” Poemsà Ask students to think back to the
Instructional poem examples that they read and their reactions to it/what they noticed.
Sequence - Pass out printed copy of teacher poem.
- Read the poem out loud, pausing to point out structure and content.
- Annotate the poem with students as reading.
3. Transition. Pass out criteria cards. Project card on the screen and explain the
expectations.
4. Allow students to begin brainstorming and writing their poems using the
teacher copy and other examples as models. Encourage students to mimic the
structure but using their own experiences.
Exit Slip (reflection questions)
Lesson Closure - Is correct grammar needed in poetry to communicate effectively? Yes/No
- How do you feel about the “Where I’m From” poem assignment?
- How confident do you feel when writing creatively? Circle one.
- Very confident
- Somewhat confident
- Less confident
- Not confident at all
Cultural Artifact Presentation: graded according to the following criteria (15pts)
Assessment - Student spoke clearly and with an appropriate volume
- Student used direct eye contact with audience
- Student’s artifact represents their personal view of their identity/culture.
- Student was able to fully explain why their artifact represents who they are
*Teacher may wish to use a formal rubric such as this:
https://www.readwritethink.org/sites/default/files/30700_rubric.pdf
Audience Participation: (5pts)
- Student was engaged and focused on the speaker
- Student put away all distractions including their cellphone
- Student provided meaningful feedback to the speaker
Exit Slip (5pts)
- Some students may struggle with having freedom to decide the structure and
ESL Specific content within this poem, especially if they are used to extremely structured
Accommodations writing. While this unit seeks to combat that structure, it may benefit some
students to utilize a template when writing this poem. Some teachers may
prefer to use a fill in the blank template such as this:
https://www.wsuu.org/wp-
content/uploads/2020/07/I_Am_From_Poem(2).pdf
- Grading of speaking is focused more so on the presentation itself rather than
the correctness of the language used. The main goal is for the student to fully
explain their reasoning for choosing the artifact.
Rationale This lesson serves as a brainstorming activity for the “Where I’m From” poem since
the poem will include an explanation and description of the artifact that they show to
their peers. This lesson also serves as a low stake, nostalgic practice for speaking in
front of their peers. This will be something that they will continue to do throughout
24
the unit and for the summative project, and so it was important to share the
expectations and practice during Week 1.
Research Insights
- Cultural Show and Tell & “Where I’m From” Poem Activity adapted from
the teaching strategies outlined by Ivanova (2019). Specific strategies
adapted from this research include: the show and tell activity, the teacher
sharing their own example, and using student models as a guide (pp. 4-9).
- The “Where I’m From” poem is inspired by George Ella Lyon’s original
poem by the same name. The poem model is frequently used in mainstream
education and student examples can be found on the project’s website:
https://iamfromproject.com
- Writing-Using-Model: This model involves using an original poem as
inspiration by first reading it out loud, finding the meaning of the poem to
“understand the concepts, emotions, the grammatical structure, vocabulary,
figurative language,” then producing a poem of their own (Kirkgoz, 2014, p.
396). **This model is used frequently in this unit plan.
DAY 4
Independent Students will have the entire period to work on their “Where I’m From” poems. They
Workday may use one another or the teacher for guidance. Teacher may play music or allow
Procedure students to listen to music using headphones.
The independent workday allows students to have the chance to use their peers or
Rationale teacher while continuing to work on the activity. Having this support as they write
will work to prevent any anxiousness or frustration while writing. These workdays
are also in place to prevent the need to bring schoolwork home, as they may not have
the same supports available.
DAY 5
Standards Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal
English when indicated or appropriate.
ESL/TESOL: Standard 1: English language learners communicate for social,

1. Students will have 15 minutes to make any final touches to their “Where I’m
From” poems.
Share Day 2. During the rest of the period, walk students through the share day procedure.
Procedure - Each student will sit in a designated share day chair and will read
their poem out loud
- Take notes/fill out the criteria card as students present
- Ask audience to share strengths that they noticed and ask clarifying
questions. Model this by offering teacher comments.
- Model and ask audience to offer advice/critique
3. Depending on class size, students will either present to the entire class or in
groups of 3-4.
25
4. Exit Slip (reflection question): How do you think share day went? How do
you feel about your work?
**It will be important to pre-teach the expectations and process as to ensure that the
period runs smoothly.
“Where I’m From” Poem (25 pts): CRITERIA CARD *Students will not need to
Assessment fulfill the length requirement until the summative project
Audience Participation (5 pts)
- Student is engaged and focused on the speaker
- Student has put away all distractions including their cellphone
- Student provides meaningful feedback to the speaker
- The CCSS standard that guides the share day procedure, mentions “command
ESL Specific of formal English,” and while the teacher will be listening for that, the
Accommodations students will not be graded for that due to that fact that they will be reading
their “Where I’m From” poems which do not require perfect command of
formal English. The genre of poetry in general does not require perfect
usage, which is why this particular activity is being used.
- This may be difficult for some students who aren’t particularly fond of
speaking in front of others. It is also likely that students who are at a lower
proficiency level may have a more difficult time speaking. In either case,
provide students with the option to read their poem to the teacher only after
class or after school. Inform them that you believe in them and that their
peers would enjoy hearing their work. Set a plan together so that next
presentation they might feel comfortable enough to speak. The teacher may
also choose to give them a second chance to present in front of their peers.
They will not be penalized either way.
Rationale The purpose of this assignment and presentation is to once again allow students to
practice reading their work in front of their peers. This assignment also allows them
to share about their culture, think about how their culture has affected who they are
and how they perceive themselves. The goal of the assignment was to create a
welcoming environment in which students feel comfortable sharing their personal
experiences with the teacher and their peers. A sense of community is important in all
classrooms, but it is especially vital within the ESL classroom due to the commonly
shared struggles and goals. It is a highly collaborative space and relationships/trust
must be built in order for productive collaboration.
Research Insights
**Same as Day 3
Week 2 Lessons: We Are Poets
DAY 6
Title of Lesson Poetry and Figurative Language
Examples to describe what makes a poem a poem:

Text Used - “I’m Nobody! Who are you?” by Emily Dickinson:
https://poets.org/poem/im-nobody-who-are-you-260
- “I, Too” by Langston Hughes:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47558/i-too
26
-
Example of Metaphor:
- “tribute for when i’m quiet” by Kara Jackson:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/155513/tribute-
for-when-im-quiet
Example of Simile:
- “Harlem” by Langston Hughes:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46548/harlem
Example of Personification:
- “Because I could not stop for Death—” by Emily Dickinson:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47652/because-i-could-not-stop-
for-death-479
Example of Alliteration:
- First stanza of “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48860/the-raven
CCSS: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative
Standards language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.5.A Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism,

oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in the text.
ESL/TESOL: Standard 2: English language learners communicate information,

ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the area of language arts.
Content:
Objectives 1. Students will recognize common characteristics of poetry and prose.
2. Students will label various types of figurative language.
3. Students will illustrate their knowledge of figurative language by writing
their own examples.
Language:
1. Reading: Students will read several poems in order to gain an understanding
of figurative language and its role in each text.
2. Writing: Students will write examples of figurative language (either simple
or complex depending on the ability of the student)
3. Speaking/Discourse: Students will work collaboratively with a group to
write the figurative language examples.
Teacher:
Materials Needed - Optional figurative language PowerPoint/Handout to aid the lecture
- Document and/or slides with each poem example
- Printed copies with poems for figurative language examples
Students:
- Pencil/pen
- Field journal
Poetry/Verse
Content Specific Line
Vocab Stanza
Prose
Rhyme
Figurative Language
Metaphor
Simile
Personification
Alliteration
27
Onomatopoeia
1. Bellringer: Students will answer the following questions in their field
Lesson journals.
Engagement - How familiar are you with poetry? Choose one of the following.
§ (1) Very familiar—I read or write it all the time!
§ (2) Fairly familiar—I have read it before and can recognize
it.
§ (3) Not familiar—I have never read poetry
2. Bellringer Discussion: In order to gain and understanding of students’
previous knowledge. Ask students to close their eyes and put up 1, 2, or 3
fingers based on their response to the bellringer.
3. Transition. Introduce the week’s topic/genre and provide a brief outline of
Instructional the week.
Sequence - Monday: What is a Poem? /Figurative Language
- Tuesday: Haikus About You
- Wednesday: Got Rhythm?
- Thursday: Spider Map Poems
- Friday: Share Day/Independent Workday
4. Direct Instruction on Poetry: At the start of the lecture, ask the rhetorical
question, what makes a poem a poem?
- Continue in the lecture by showing several examples of poems
(listed in materials section of this lesson). Teacher may either read
them out loud briefly or simply pay attention to the visual cues of
poetry. After showing example of poetry, show an example of prose
and briefly define the genre in student friendly terms.
- While there are side-by-side examples of poetry and prose on the
screen, instruct students to draw a t-chart in their journals, labeling
one side as poetry and the other side as prose. As a whole group
write down characteristics of both (these may be more simple than
complex). **Use this activity to introduce concepts and definitions
such as rhyme, rhythm, lines/stanzas. Students will share what they
notice about each genre, but teacher will have content prepared to
add to the t-chart. This will act as an overview of content that will be
further developed in the next few lessons.
§ Prose:
• Written in grammatically correct sentences and
paragraphs
• Common language (the way that we all speak)
• Novels, emails, magazine articles
• May be creative or factual
§ Poetry:
• Written in lines and stanzas
• Is not always grammatically correct
• Creative, artistic, and expressive (we may not speak
this way everyday)
• Utilizes rhyme and rhythm
5. Transition from instruction on poetry vs. prose to instruction on figurative
language by defining it and explaining that it is used heavily in poetry. Pass
out copies of poems (in materials).
- In lecture, define and provide simple examples of metaphor, simile,
personification, alliteration, and onomatopoeia.
28
- Interactive Lecture Activity: Project an example poem and as a

class, determine which type of figurative language is being used.
Encourage student participation.
6. Transition. Group practice with writing figurative language: Place students
into groups of 4 groups (this may be with their table if the classroom layout
and size permits).
- Assign each group a type of figurative language (metaphor, simile,
personification, alliteration, or onomatopoeia).
- Each group will work together to write 1-2 examples of their
assigned figurative language.
- Each group will share their examples with the class. Provide each
group with verbal feedback.
Exit Slip (content): Write an example of either a metaphor, simile, personification,
Lesson Closure or alliteration.

poem/story)?
Exit Slip: graded for completion (5pts)
- Copies of examples are printed so that students are able to read the words
ESL Specific clearly and they may mark up the text. In my observations, I found that ESL
Accommodations students benefit from experiencing literature and writing in a tangible
manner.
- This is not an accommodation, but while choosing the example poems, the
interests, vocabulary, and possible background of students is considered. I
attempted to find diverse poems on topics that students could relate to.
However, not all choices are perfect, and these choices may be easily
changed once this is applied to a live classroom context.
Rationale Figurative language is a major component of most poetry and so it is vital that
students are given direct instruction on identifying and writing various forms of
figurative language. This skill will help them complete the remainder of the activities
within the unit. This lesson involves direct instruction as well as group work to
provide students with the necessary scaffolding before they are asked to use the skills
independently. Within the direct instruction section, the teacher reads several
examples of figurative language. However, rather than reading random sentences,
these examples come from well-known poems. This not only establishes credibility
but allows students to simultaneously practice meaningful reading skills as they
analyze the use of figurative language in each poem.
Research Insights
- In support of teaching figurative language as a means for language
acquisitionà According to Herrera & Murry (2011), creative writing, by
nature, is comprised of almost entirely abstract and complex language, and
29
according to theories in SLA, “academic language proficiency in L2 involves

the capacity to understand and produce [such language]” (p. 54).
- “This is the primary task of the creative writing educator: on the way to self-
awareness, the manipulation of language is indeed no less than a humanizing
value” (Disney, 2014, p. 6).
DAY 7
Title of Lesson Haikus About You/Poetic Structure
Optional Texts:
Text Used Haiku Example (Lecture):
Limerick Example (Lecture):
Sonnet Example (Lecture):
Excerpts from Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo:

1. Free Verse: (Choice to choose 1 or 2 examples)
- “What I Didn’t Say to Caridad” (p. 107)
- Repetition: “Father Sean” (p. 123)
- Extreme Free Verse: “Ants” (pp. 198-201) OR “I Am No Ant” (pp.
202-203)
2. Code Switching: (Modeling)
- “The First Words” (p. 9)
3. Haikus: (Modeling)
- “Haiku” (p. 27)
- “Haiku: The Best Part About Thanksgiving Was When Mami:” (p.
243)
- “Haikus” (pp. 265-266) **If teacher only chooses one, this is the
best one to use
CCSS: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.3
Standards Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different
contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more
fully when reading or listening.

Content:
Objectives 1. Students will demonstrate their understanding of poetic structure, syllables,
and code switching by composing a haiku.
2. Students will annotate various types of poems, noting structural elements
such as rhyme scheme and figurative language.
Language:
1. Reading: Students will read for the purpose of analyzing poetic structure
2. Writing: Students will write following structural guidelines for a haiku. They
will use examples as models and mimic the structure and style.
Teacher:
Materials Needed - Optional supplemental PowerPoint for lecture/whole group discussion about
poetic structureà use content specific vocab
- Packet with printed copies of excerpts from Poet X
Students:
30
- Pencil/pen
- Field journal
Code Switching
Content Specific Haiku
Vocab Stanza
Rhyme Scheme
Syllable
Poetic Forms
Lesson Bellringer: Free Writeà Students will answer the following prompt and may write
Engagement in any format or genre. They do not need to adhere to grammar or structural rules.
- Write about the feeling you get when riding a roller coaster
OR
- Write about where you feel most at home
1. Transition. Instruct students to take notes in their field journals. Briefly
Instructional lecture on poetic forms and structure. Use the following questions to guide
Sequence potential lecture content:
- How are poems structured? (Lines, stanzas, rhyme scheme,
syllables, etc.)
- What are a few poetic forms? (Haikus, sonnets, limericks, free
verse)
§ Include examples of each type. *There are many on the
poetry foundations website
- What makes these poetic forms different? (Rhyme scheme, no
rhyme, specific line length)
2. Transition to modeling. Pass out printed copies of poems.
- Provide context on the novel Poet X, as the examples will be coming
from this book.
- Read the code-switching example poem from the book. Define code
switching and its purpose in the example poems.
- Allow students to share their reactions and remind them that this is
something they might want to use in their writing.
- Ask students to point out what they notice about the structure.
- Annotate as students respond and include personal noticings
- Read the haiku examples from the poem once through. Read them a
second time, and ask students to join you in using fingers to count
syllables
3. Transition. Explain partner activity and instruct students to work with a
classmate that they don’t know very well.
- Students will interview their partner using the question provided by
the teacher.
§ What do you like to do in your free time and why? Be
specific.
- Model writing a haiku using a teacher response to the interview
question. Demonstrate the process authentically by reworking
phrases and using fingers to count the syllables.
§ Example: I like to write in my free time because it allows
me to me to put my thoughts on to paper in order to make
sense of them. Sometimes it feels like they get lost
otherwise à Ms. Overly writes / To make sense of her
thoughts / that often get lost
31
- Students will use their partner’s responses to independently write a

haiku about that person.
- Students will share the haikus they wrote with their partner and
provide one another with feedback on the application of structure
(including counting the syllables).
Exit Slip (reflection questions)
Lesson Closure - How difficult was writing a haiku?
a) Not at all difficult
b) Somewhat difficult
c) Very difficult
- If you answered b or c, what was difficult about it?
- Do you prefer this type of poetry to free verse/free writing? OR Which poem
that you have written so far (“where I’m from,” spider map, haiku) did you
enjoy writing the most? Why?
poem/story)?
Bellringer: graded for completion (5pts)
Haiku Partner Activity: graded for participation/completion (5pts)
Exit Slip: graded for completion (5 pts)
- Examples from Poet-X were specifically chosen due to their possible
ESL Specific connection to the narrator. The poems are in the point of view of a 15-year-
Accommodations old girl who is the daughter of Dominican immigrants. While this may not be
the experience of all students, the feelings and experiences she has may relate
to the students. This book also utilizes code switching which is a skill that
this lesson encourages students to utilize as it is proven that it can help with
language acquisition.
- In some classes, these elements of poetry may be taught in one single lecture.
However, within an ESL classroom (and most classrooms) there is value in
chunking and breaking down skills to examine them fully.
Rationale This lesson focused mainly on poetic structure, although to complete the previous
activities, vague knowledge of the structure of a poem is necessary. This lesson was
included later though to ease students into having to adhere to specific structural
guidelines. I want students to first practice playing with language without any rules
constraining them before they put their feet in different poetic forms. This lesson
focuses primarily on the Haiku form as it is simple in nature, does not adhere to
specific grammar rules or language patterns. The beauty of a haiku is its fragmented
nature. The partner activity is included once again to allow students to get to know
one another even more, working towards building the classroom community.

Focusing on poet structure and its effect will help students analyze example poems
within the next few lessons. These lessons are designed to build upon one another.
32
Research Insights
- Code switching as an important factor of language acquisition: (in lit review)
- The use of code switching within this lesson was inspired by Gloria
Anzadula’s chapter “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”. The chapter itself is a
fairly complex for the context of this classroom, but it offers the perspective
of Anzaldua who finds that she struggles to fit in with both of cultures she is
a part of. This would be a chapter that I would suggest to students for
personal reading. Here are a few quotes that may be used as a guide during
class discussions:
- “Attacks on one’s form of expression with the intent to censor are a
violation of the First Amendment. El Anglo con cara de inocente
nose arranco la lengua. Wild tongues can’t be tamed, they can only
be cut out” (Anzaldua, 1987, p. 54).
- “Pachuco is a language of rebellion, both against standard Spanish
and standard English” (p. 56).
- “Until I take pride in my language, I cannot take pride in myself” (p.
59).
DAY 8
Title of Lesson Got Rhythm?
“Hair” by Elizabeth Acevedo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0svS78Nw_yY

Text Used “Bad Blood” by Taylor Swift: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXKEdnasDto
“all my ghosts” by Lizzy McAlpine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKIlGh-Bs2E
“Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRHzWrWIXog
CCSS: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.4
Standards Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including
figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word
choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and
place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.7
Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic
mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment

Content:
Objectives 1. Students will identify rhythm in poetry.
2. Students will describe the tone of written song lyrics by analyzing specific
word choices.
3. Students will compare the elements of a song to its written lyrics.
Language:
1. Reading: Students will read song lyrics as if it is poetry. Students will read
to determine the tone.
2. Listening: Students will listen to the spoken/rapped/sung version of a song
in order to understand poetic rhythm.
Teacher:
Materials Needed - Printed copies of song lyrics
33
- Optional supplemental PowerPoint for brief lecture

Students:
- Pencil/pen
- Field journal
Content Specific Poetic Rhythm

Vocab Tone
*ESL Specific wordà Enhance: to improve the quality of something
1. Begin lesson by playing the video of Elizabeth Acevedo performing “Hair”.
Lesson 2. In response to the video, discuss the following questions with students:
Engagement - What is she doing with her voice?
- What is she doing?
- How does this performance enhance the poem? Does it add a
particular emotion that couldn’t be portrayed in written form?
3. Transition. Using presentation style of choice, define and explain poetic
Instructional rhythm and tone using examples from the video played during lesson
Sequence engagement.
4. Rhythm Activityà Pass out printed copies of song lyrics.
- Instruct students to silently read the “poem” then read them again
out loud to the whole class.
- As a whole group, discuss the tone of the “poem”à Circle words
that stand out to you. What is topic of the poem? How do you think
the poet feels about the topic? How do the words you circled relate
to the tone?
- Listen to the song while looking at the lyrics.
- As a whole group, discuss the way that the tone was affected by the
performance of the song; discuss what was emphasized or absent in
both the written and performed versionà Did listening to the song
change the tone? Did it enhance it? If so, how? What did you notice
about the rhythm?
5. Repeat step 4 with 2-3 other songs depending on time
Exit Slipà Choose one.
Lesson Closure - Application: List 2-3 songs that remind you of poems. Why do they remind
you of a poem? What is the tone of the written lyrics? The performed song?
- Sentence starters:
§ Two songs that remind me of a poem are…
§ They remind me of a poem because…
§ The tone of written lyrics is [insert emotion/attitude]
§ The tone of the performed version is…
- Reflection: Has your understanding of poetry changed after today’s lesson?
Would you ever consider performing your poetry like Acevedo did?
- Sentence starters:
§ My understanding of poetry has changed after today’s
lesson. I now…. because….
§ My understanding of poetry has not changed after today’s
lesson. I still….
§ I would/would not consider performing poetry like Acevedo
because…
34

poem/story)?
- It is a deliberate choice to require students to read the lyrics of a song as if
ESL Specific they are a poem before listening. By reading first, students are given
Accommodations adequate time to determine the meaning of the poem and to ask for clarifying
definitions of unknown word. This extra time is often helpful for ESL
students who as previously mentioned, benefit from increased scaffolding.
Rationale This lesson focuses on the poetic element of rhythm which nicely follows the haiku
lesson due to the fact that the author of Poet X happens to be a slam poet. By
examining songs and slam poetry, students are exposed to the performance of poetry.
These differences in cadences sets poetry apart from prose and creates particular
emotion and effects which students will discuss. In this manner, these discussions
model higher level discussion on rhetoric and stylistic choices. This lesson also
provides examples of performance choices that students may possibly like to mimic
when they present their summative projects.
The particular songs were chosen because of the presence of notable rhyme schemes,
tones, and a distinguished difference in rhythm when spoken verses performed/sung.
They were also chosen with student interest and knowledge in mind. Most of the
songs are fairly familiar, but a student that doesn’t know the song may actually get
more out of the activity because when they first read the lyrics they will not know
what the rhythm of the song sounds like.
Research Insights
The use of songs to teach poetry was inspired a lesson from a resource book titled
“Word Karaoke” (826, 2011, p. 63).
DAY 9
Title of Lesson Spider Map Poems
CCSS: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative

Standards language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.5 Make strategic use of digital media (e.g.,

textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance
understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

35
Content:
Objectives 1. Students will generate a list of words/phrases/concepts associated to a topic.
2. Students will construct a poem using the list of words they brainstormed.
3. Students will utilize digital media and/or other art forms to visually
accompany their poem.
Language:
1. Writing: Students will use the pre-writing skill of brainstorming. Students
will write according to a poetic style through unique manipulation of
language.
Teacher:
Materials Needed - List of spider map words/prompts each written on a slip of paper
- The color blue
- Autumn/Fall
- Sunday mornings
- The dinner table
- Computer paper, crayons, markers, and other craft supplies
- Spider Map Poem Criteria Card (1 copy per student)
Students:
- Pencil/pen
- Field journal
*ESL specific possible unknown words
Content Specific Associated
Vocab Brainstorming
*Teacher may take attendance, ask about student’s days so far, or a bellringer rather
Lesson than diving straight into the lesson.
Engagement 1. At the start of class take a small bucket/cup with the slips of paper and have
one student choose a slip. Whatever word/phrase is written on the paper that
is chosen will be used for the modeling activity.
2. Spider Map Poem Modeling: Write the chosen word on the center of the
Instructional board and draw a circle around it.
Sequence - Define the word associated and write 1-2 things that are associated
to the chosen word. (i.e., Autumn: pumpkins, sweaters)
- Instruct students to shout out other words or concepts associated
with the word and write branches of the map as they share (max 10
branches).
- Explain how this activity involved brainstorming which is an
essential part of the creative writing process.
- Transition. As a whole group write a short poem using words from
the spider map, using the center word as the title. Teacher may wish
to start the poem and ask students to shout out ideas that they have.
This will be a collaborative process as the teacher and students
bounce ideas off of one another.
3. Independent Spider Map Poem: Explain expectations by sharing the
criteria card for both the poem and the visual aid. Student will repeat the
modeled process, choosing from the three remaining words to create a map
for. They will then create a poem of any format using the words from their
map.
4. Visual Aid: Students will create either a PowerPoint slide or poster that is
related to their poem.
**All activities will be written in their journals
36
Lesson Closure Exit Slip (reflection question): Why is it important to brainstorm?

- Sentence starter: It is important to brainstorm because…
Assessment Exit Slip: graded for completion (5pts)
- A helpful scaffolding tool to help ESL students develop their thoughts is

ESL Specific creating sentence starters for written responses such as those for exit slips or
Accommodations bellringer activities. It teaches students to create a position statement based
on the prompt, while using language directly from the prompt.
- Much of the ESL setting involves discourse and whole group interaction, and
so practicing brainstorming as a group allows students to practice those
discourse skills in a purposeful context. This also once again allows students
to bounce ideas off of one another. They then may be encouraged to discuss
their future writing topics with their peers in this same collaborative manner.
Rationale This lesson involved brainstorming which is an important part of the writing process.
Just like within any type of writing, it is easy to lose focus, but losing focus could
hinder the reader’s understanding. By listing concepts and words that are associated
to a single topic, students learn to remain focused in their poetry and in their creative
work in general. This activity also encourages students to use all the skills
(descriptions, figurative language, rhythm, rhyme scheme) that they used and learned
this week to create a well-developed poem that displays their ability to play with
language. The topics allow for detailed descriptions and imagery. There are vague
guidelines on the structure of the poem, which will allow students to decide what type
of structure they would like. This lesson also incorporates the use of visuals to
enhance a creative work. Visuals tell a story and allow the viewer to have a deeper
understanding of the author’s writing. Using appropriate visuals is a presentation skill
that is not only necessary in future academic settings (due to CCSS standards), but in
the workforce as well.
Relation to Upcoming Lessons

This activity and lesson will help students prepare for the summative activity that
requires students to create a visual or audio component.
Research Insights
- The brainstorming process for the Spider Map Poem was inspired by
Avramenko, Davydova, & Burikova’s (2018) word association activity
outlined on page 66 of their article titled “Developing creative writing skills
in a high school ESL classroom”.
DAY 10
Sharing Spider Map Poems: *Follow share day procedure from Day 5
- Each student will read their poems out loud with their visual aid on the
Independent board/screen.
Workday - Audience will share praises and critiques.
Procedure
Students will have the last 30 minutes to work independently. They will have three
options to choose from:
37
1. Free write poetry of any style or form

2. Finish or extend any poem written during class activities
Exit slip: reflection question in journal (submit to teacher): After the activities this
week, has your perspective of poetry changed? If so, how?
Spider Map Poem (25 pts): Criteria Card *Students will not need to fulfill the length
Assessment requirement until the summative project.
Audience Participation (5 pts):
- Student is engaged and focused on the speaker
- Student has put away all distractions including their cellphone
- Student provides meaningful feedback to the speaker
Week 3 Lessons: We Are Storytellers
DAY 11
Title of Lesson Parts of a Story
“Lava” (2011) Pixar Short: Watch with Disney+ Subscription OR another Pixar Short
Text Used “Snow” from How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez:
https://engl210spring.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/snow.pdf
CCSS: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.5 Analyze how an author's choices
Standards concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and
manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or
surprise.
ESL/TESOL: Standard 2: English language learners communicate information, ideas,

and concepts necessary for academic success in the area of language arts.
Content:
Objectives 1. Students will be able to define the parts of a story/plot.
2. Students will identify the parts of a story/plot based on a short video and short
story.
3. Students will vaguely analyze how the plot creates mystery or surprise.
Language:
1. Listening: Students will listen to a short video, paying close attention to the
plot details.
2. Reading: Students will read a short story for the purpose of analyzing the plot.
3. Students will engage in discourse when collaborating with peers.
Teacher:
Materials - Blank story/plot map diagram (1 printed copy per student):
Needed https://stathanasiusacademy.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/plotdiagram3.pdf
- Strips of paper for group plotting activity with a description of each part of the
plot of the chosen Pixar Short.
- Optional PowerPoint for story/plot map lecture. Here is a slideshow I created
for a lesson I created in the past:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1dmyyt23r357dzYxCXr_VbWQFkYSEF_kH6BQSHmFBl6s/edit?usp=sharin
g
Students:
- Pencil/pen
- Field journal
38
Exposition
Content Specific Rising Action
Vocab Climax
Falling Action
Resolution
Suspense
Tension
1. Introduce the week’s topic/genre and provide a brief outline of the week:
Lesson - Monday: Parts of a Story Lecture/Group Activity
Engagement - Tuesday: Brief Lecture on Point of View and Dialogue/The Story
Next Door Activity
- Wednesday: The Story Next Door Activity
- Thursday: Flash Fiction Activity
- Friday: Independent Workday
2. Transition. In a lecture style review the parts of story (exposition, rising
Instructional action, climax, falling action, resolution). Teacher may wish to show students
Sequence a story/plot map and ask them to raise their hands if they are familiar with it in
order to gain an understanding of what they may already know.
3. Transition. Watch “Lava” video and ask students to be thinking about the parts
of the story as they watch.
4. Transition. Modeling activity: project a blank story/plot map on to the board.
- As a whole group, read pre-written descriptions of each element of the
story’s plot in a different order. These may be written on note cards.
After reading each description, students will point to where they think
it should be taped and teacher will place it there. During the process,
students and teacher may decide to move previously taped note cards
until it is correct.
- Ask students: How do you think the plot helped build suspense,
mystery, or tension?
5. Transition. Group activity: Pass out printed copies of “Snow” by Julia
Alvarez and blank story/plot maps. Leave the modeling example on the board.
Briefly summarize of the book that the story comes from to provide students
with context. Read the story out loud as students follow along and pause to
define any unknown words or cultural/historical concepts.
- In groups (may be their table groups), Instruct students to fill out each
part of the map. Remind them that they do not need to use complete
sentences, but their descriptions should make sense.
Exit Slip (content question): How does the plot build suspense?
Lesson Closure - Sentence starter: The plot builds suspense by…

poem/story)?
Exit Slip: graded for completion (5pts)
39
- Intentional text selection of “Snow”: This text was selected not only for its
ESL Specific short length, which benefits the ESL reader, but also due to the main character
Accommodation being an immigrant/refugee from the Dominican Republic. The story is a part
s of a larger novel, yet the experiences of the character may relate to the lives of
students within this setting.
Rationale This lesson focuses on a foundational skill of writing a creative, fictional story—
understanding the parts of a story. In order to write a well-developed story, students
must be able to identify the elements that make a story “well-developed”. While the
task of labeling a plot map may seem elementary, it is an easy way for students to first
practice the analysis of a story and then use as an outline as they draft and create their
own stories.
By using a video at the beginning of the lesson rather than a short story, students are
immediately engaged, and it provides them with a chance to practice their listening
skills. By using strips of paper that are taped to each part of the story/plot map, the
lesson is interactive and catered towards the visual and kinesthetic learner. By leaving
the model on the board as students are working in their groups, they are able to
reference it as a guide.
Research Insights
- A seasoned creative writing teacher, who has created her own curriculum,
suggested the “use of technology, movies, and books to mix up [one’s]
classroom learning” (Detwiler, 2022, p. 42).
DAY 12-13
Title of Lesson The Story Next Door
1st person point of view example:

Text Used - Choose a short excerpt from The House on Mango Street by Sandra
Cisneros
3rd person point of view (narrator not a part of the story, but rather a faraway
observer):
- Choose a short excerpt from “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson
3rd person point of view (narrator not a part of the story, yet knows the thoughts of
characters)
- Choose an excerpt from “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry
CCSS:
Standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined
experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-
structured event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.C Use a variety of techniques to
sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent
whole.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.D Use precise words and phrases,
telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the
experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
40

Content:
Objectives 1. Students will recognize the markers of 1st and 3rd person point of view.
2. Students will explain how the point of view influences a story.
3. Students will apply their understanding of narrative techniques such as
intentional sequencing of events and a consistent point of view to personal
writing.
Language:
1. Reading: Students use reading skills involving comprehension and
inferencing to determine the point of view of a text and the way that it
influences the story.
2. Writing: Students model the beginning stages of writing process by
brainstorming, planning, and pre-writing. Students demonstrate their
understanding of point of view through writing consistently in either 1st or
3rd person.
3. Speaking/Listening (Discourse): Students engage in meaningful
discussions with peers and teacher during lecture and planning activities.
Teacher:
Materials Needed - Bellringer worksheet (details included in “lesson engagement”)
- Optional PowerPoint for Point of View Lecture
- Include definitions, examples, and excerpts explained in
“instructional sequence”
- Blank sheet of computer paper
- Blank story/plot map
Students:
- Pencil/pen
- Field journal
Point of View
Content Specific 1st point of view
Vocab 3rd point of view objective
3rd point of view omniscient
Anecdote
**Rather than using the words objective and omniscient, simply describe the two
different types. Those words may be too confusing for some language learners.
Day 12
Lesson 1. Bellringer: Students will take a piece of paper from the teacher as they walk
Engagement into the classroom. The worksheet will include the following:
- A story/plot map with a blank box near each section
- A word bank with the definitions of each part of a story, labeled A-
E
2. Instruct students to match the correct definition with the part of the story
map by writing the letter in the blank box.
3. Transition (may include agenda). Briefly lecture on point of view.
Instructional - Define point of view (see definitions above) and describe its
Sequence influence on a story.
§ Example: Point of view determines what is revealed in the
story and what is told. The reader is only told as much as
the narrator knows. And so, if it is told in first person, we
are told things only from one perspective which means the
41
story could be different than if it were told from another

character’s perspective. When the story is told in 3rd
person, we are sometimes given more information, yet at
times it may feel less personal. The point of view that an
author chooses to write in though, is usually purposefully
chosen. As writers, you will have the freedom to choose
which point of view you would like to write in, and
therefore how much information you would like your
reader to know.
- Project excerpts on the front board and read them out loud (should
be no more than a paragraph). Explain how we know that each
excerpt is written in either first or third person.
§ Example: Reading the excerpt from The House on Mango
Street, we can tell that it is in first person point of view
because the narrator uses “I” and “me”. The narrator is a
main character, and we are able to know their thoughts
and observations. On the other hand, reading the excerpt
from “The Lottery” the narrator is simply describing what
is going on as if they are viewing it from above. In this
example though, the narrator simply states their
observations rather than sharing the thoughts of individual
characters—any thoughts are revealed through dialogue.
- Ask the students: How does the point of view change a story? Do
you get more information from one point of view over the other?
4. Transition. The Story Next Door Pre-Writing Activity: Give each student
a blank piece of computer paper. Instruct students to draw a map of their
street or the apartment complex they live in. Explain that the map doesn’t
have to be extremely detailed or perfect because the purpose of the activity
is to help the students visualize their neighborhood. (Provide about 5-10
minutes for them to draw)
- After students have drawn their map, instruct them to write short
descriptions or anecdotes (will need to define this word) of the
neighbors that they know without writing the names as that should
remain confidential. Explain that these descriptions will help them
write a story. Guide their thinking by asking the following
questions:
§ Is there something crazy or weird that your neighbors do
consistently or have done?
§ Was there a particular incident that was memorable for
you?
- Provide students with examples of anecdotes to guide their thinking
further:
§ Maybe the guy next door always wears extravagant hats,
and you see him wearing them when he goes out to get his
mail.
§ Maybe the family next door has screaming matches almost
every evening
§ Maybe there was a crazy incident that became the talk of
the neighborhood.
- Advise students to only write stories or descriptions that are school
appropriate.
- Give students time to write and think, then once it seems as if all
students have written a few ‘blurbs’ on their maps, instruct them to
42
put a star next to the anecdote that is most interesting or could

easily be made into a story.
5. Explain the next steps for the activity that will complete the following day.
- The purpose of this activity was to allow you to brainstorm and
prepare for your next steps which are to write a short story based
on the personal anecdotes. Tomorrow you will have the chance to
begin writing. Teacher may wish to give students an option: Would
you rather use a story map to organize your story before writing
OR would you prefer to free write (simply begin writing the story
with little guidelines) and then use a story map to check your
organization? **Teacher may know what their students prefer or
what they would benefit from and in that case, the choice would be
made by the teacher ahead of time.
Day 13
6. Begin class right away by providing students with a list of questions to ask
themselves as they write their stories.
- How could you dramatize or exaggerate the story? What fictional
(made up) things can you add to do this?
- What do you want to happen in the beginning, middle, and end?
- Who are your characters?
- Relating to the lecture from the previous lesson, what point of view
will you tell the story from? Your point of view? Your neighbor’s
point of view? From the point of view of a neighborhood dog
observing.
7. Depending on what was chosen, the next part of the activity could go as
follows:
a. Option 1: Pass out a blank story/plot map and instruct students to
use it to plan the structure/organization of their story. They would
then use that map as a guide as they write the story in their journals.
b. Option 2: Begin by allowing students to free write the story in their
journals. They would then check their organization by filling out
the story map based on what they have written.
8. Walk around as students are writing independently. Allow them to use their
peers to bounce ideas off of as they write. Offer assistance and answer any
questions.
9. Remind students that a draft (doesn’t have to be fully complete) is due at
For this lesson, because it was planning and writing heavy, the students will be able
Lesson Closure to work up until the bell rings. With that being said, there will be no formal lesson
closure or exit slip.
The Story Next Door Writing (25 pts): Criteria Card *Students will not need to
Assessment meet the 4th requirement of dialogue until the summative project.
The Story Next Door Story/Plot Map (5 points): Graded for completion (as it is
simply a planning tool)
- It may be helpful to provide students with a list of transitions to use within a
ESL Specific story. This can be in the form of a reference sheet that they hold on to and
Accommodations use when needed or it could be digitally uploaded to the classroom
website/google classroom. There are many examples lists and reference
sheets on teacher resource websites!
Rationale This lesson allows students to think about the stories that are all around them. The
activity is based in the fact that many writers are inspired by personal experiences or
the lives of those around them. This demonstrates that when writing creatively, one
does not have to come up with a concept or topic completely on their own, but rather
43
can add fictional elements to it. This also relates to the overarching theme of
discovering one’s identity and drawing from personal experiences. The skills of
point of view lent itself to this activity since the student’s stories will likely stem
from rumors, personal interactions, or observations. This activity will allow students
to think like writers, making decisions that will determine the type of information
they reveal to their readers. This will then enhance their reading skills, as they may
now analyze an author’s use of point of view from the eyes of a writer.

The lesson content builds upon the lesson on parts of a story (more specifically plot),
and prepares students for the next lesson on flash fiction which will rely heavily on
point of view rather than plot.
Research Insights
The Story Next Door Activity was inspired by a lesson from a resource book, titled
“Suburban Epic” (826, 2011, p. 10).
DAY 14
Title of Lesson Flash Fiction
Text Used “Laughter” from House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (pp.17-18)
“Gil’s Furniture Bought and Sold” from House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
(pp.19-20)
CCSS: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.B Use narrative techniques, such as

Standards dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop
experiences, events, and/or characters.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined

experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-
structured event sequences.

Content:
Objectives 1. Students will explain the characteristics of flash fiction
2. Students will use vivid descriptions to describe a single fictional scene.
3. Students will identify the correct formatting of dialogue.
4. Optional: Students will use dialogue to develop the story.
Language:
1. Reading: Students will read flash fiction for the purpose of mimicking its
style and noticing specific characteristics.
2. Writing: Students will write their own example of flash fiction, focusing on
the details.
Teacher:
44
Materials Needed - Printed copies of The House on Mango Street excerpts (1 copy per student)
- Printed images that look like they could tell a story (there are several on
google!)
Students:
- Pencil/pen
- Field journal
Content Specific Dialogue

Vocab Flash Fiction
1. Bellringer: Examine the example of dialogue projected on the board.

Lesson Answer the following questions based on the example:
Engagement - Where are the quotation marks?
- Where is the period?
- Where are the commas? Inside or outside of the quotation marks?
- How is the speaker introduced?
2. Discuss the bellringer. Go through each question and ask one student to share
their answer. Point to the example on the board and explain the correct
dialogue format. Explain the importance of dialogue within stories.
3. Transition to brief explanation of flash fiction: Think of a time when you
Instructional ran up to your friend to tell them the crazy story that you’ve been dying to
Sequence tell them all day. You might say something like, “The craziest thing happened
to me, I was in the mall shopping for my homecoming dress when all of the
sudden….” You probably then dramatically retell the event, describing who
was around, what was going on, etc. Did you know that in that moment you
were a storyteller, retelling a single scene? That single scene is flash fiction.
You might also think of when you take a picture of something using flash.
Within that single picture, there might be an entire story.
4. Share the technical definition of flash fiction and transition to reading
examples from The House on Mango Street. Provide an overview of the
story and begin reading the excerpts out loud as students follow along.
- After reading one excerpt, discuss student reactions and ask students
to explain something that stood out to them about the way that it was
written.
- Ask the following questions to guide thinking: Are all the parts of a
story included? What types of details are included?
5. Transition to whole group discussion. Create a t chart on the white board.
One side is labeled “characteristic of flash fiction” and the other is labeled
“not necessary in flash fiction”. Ask students to raise their hand and to share
characteristics that they could include on either side.
- Example for (+) side: describes the setting and appearances of
characters
- Example for (–) side: complete sentences; they may be fragmented
or shorter
6. Transition to individual activity: Pass out a printed images that could tell a
story to each table. Each table will have a different image, although each
student will get their own copy of the image. Instruct students to write a flash
fiction scene based on the photo. Remind them to describe what they are
seeing by including visual details. Challenge them to include one
correspondence of dialogue between two characters.
45
7. Students will get into groups made up of exactly one student from each table
and they will share their flash fiction scene while their peers look at the
image.
This activity will likely go until the bell rings and so the informal sharing of flash
Lesson Closure fiction stories will end the lesson.
Assessment Flash Fiction Story (5 pts): graded for completion.
- Intentional Text Selection: The text for this lesson was chosen with ESL
ESL Specific students in mind as the main character is an adolescent Chicana girl living in
Accommodations a Hispanic neighborhood in Chicago. The experiences and issues presented
in the book are likely relatable for students. Not to mention that the entire
book is written in flash fiction!
Rationale This lesson focuses on a unique form of storytelling that is short, low stakes, and yet
highly descriptive. The skills needed to write Flash Fiction have already been taught
during this week, and so students will be prepared. This lesson will demonstrate that a
story can be powerful in few words if certain descriptions and words are included.
This activity will also allow students to forgo typical grammar conventions, as the
focus will be on formulating the story and thinking critically about the possible
meaning of the images they receive for the individual activity.
Research Insights
- In a case study conducted by Wood (2016), students responded positively to
writing flash fiction which involves writing a very short story, often just one
scene that could be written in 200 words or less (p. 141). Flash fiction often
incorporates modern, authentic writing models such as creating twitter feeds,
which students may relate to more so than other forms of writing (p. 132).
DAY 15
Students will have the entire period to work independently. They will have three
options to choose from:
1. Free write flash fiction about any topic (school appropriate)
Independent 2. Finish or extend a short story written during class activities
Workday 3. Write a short story using a fun prompt provided by the teacher.
Procedure Exit slip: reflection question in journal (submit to teacher)à Was it more
challenging to write poetry or flash fiction? Why?
Week 4: Summative Project
DAYS 16-20
CCSS: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.5 Develop and strengthen writing as

Standards needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing
on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing
for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1-3 up to and
including grades 9-10 here.)
46
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to

produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage
of technology's capacity to link to other information and to display information
flexibly and dynamically.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of

standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Creative Writing Summative Project Description
Project Materials Criteria Cards Document
& Assessment Creative Writing Summative Project Rubricà This should be created based on the
particular group of students, their known skills, and language proficiency.
Philosophies regarding what rubrics should look like vary from teacher to teacher,
and so the creation of said rubric is left for the individual teacher to determine based
on the provided criteria cards. Here are a few general guidelines:
- Approach the project wholistically. Does the student include the
requirements on the criteria card? Does the visual relate/correspond to the
written work? Is the visual component visually appealing? Was there effort
put into the creation of the visual or audio component? Is the work original?
Is the grammar usage appropriate for the type of writing (i.e., not prevalent in
certain styles of poetry)? Does the student use punctuation correctly?
Capitalization? (these minor prescriptive details may hinder comprehension
if not used correctly).
Day 16: Introduce Summative Project/Brainstorming
Project Schedule 8. Give each student a printed copy of the assignment description.
9. Read and breakdown the assignment description, encouraging students to
annotate along with you.
10. Once explaining the project, examining the criteria cards, reviewing the
rubric, and answering any questions, students will have the remainder of the
period to begin brainstorming in their journals.
11. As an exit slip, students will write down which project they chose to
revise/add to and which type of visual/audio component they will be
creating. They will write this in their journal for teacher review.
Day 17: Independent Workday
12. Students will have the entire period to work on revisions and their
visual/audio component.
13. The original work will already be in written in their journal and their
revisions will take place in a word or google document.
Day 18: Independent Workday/Peer Review
14. Students will have the first half of the period to work independently on their
project.
15. During the second half of the period, students will be assigned to a peer who
is doing a similar project. They will follow the peer review procedure
explained below.
Day 19: Independent Workday/Teacher Conferences
16. Students will have the entire period to work on their projects.
17. Each student will briefly meet with the teacher for an individual conference
(about 5 minutes per student). See procedure below. Teacher will be
available to also meet after school or during lunch if students need.
Day 20: Unit Reflections/Independent Workday/ Teacher Conferences (cont.)
47
18. As a bellringer, students will answer reflection questions based on their

experiences during the unit. This will be completed in their journals.
19. Students will then have the remainder of the period to independently work
while the teacher continues to conference with students individually.
**The final project will be due at the beginning of the following week
1) With a partner (predetermined by the teacher), students will either (1) share a
Peer Review printed copy of their current draft, or (2) they will swap field journals.
Procedure 2) Each student will come prepared with questions that they would like the peer
reviewing their work to answer (This may be completed as a bellringer
activity)
3) If teacher chooses the second option, one student will read their draft out
loud before swapping journals. If the teacher chose the first option, one
student will read their draft out loud at a time while the peer follows along.
4) Next, the peer who is reviewing will verbally share their thoughts, praises,
and critiques (which was modeled during the share days throughout the unit).
5) This process will be repeated for each peer.
Teacher will focus on the following:
Teacher 20. The student’s purpose and goals for their workàthis will help the teacher
Conferences evaluate if the work is meeting those goals
Procedure 21. The student’s perceptions of their work, including specific things that the
student would like the teacher to focus on.
22. Overarching error patternà this should not be the main focus unless the
errors are hindering understanding
During each individual conference, teacher will ask the following questions:
23. “What do you think of what you have written? What do you want to work
on? Where are the draft’s strengths? Weaknesses? What do you think will be
the hardest part of your paper for your audience to follow? Where do you
think you should add more detail? How can I help you make your paper
better?” (Christenbury & Lindbloom, 2016, p. 314).
Teacher may choose from the following presentation situations…
Presentation of Option 1
Project 24. Students will have showcase days during class. The teacher will act as the
MC, there will be snacks, and the classroom will be set up to model a slam
poetry stage. The audience will be made up of their peers. Unlike a share
day, the audience will not provide any feedback.
Option 2
25. On an evening or day that would work best for parents/family members/close
friends, students will showcase their work to a larger audience. This
presentation could take place in a multipurpose room that is set up to model a
slam poetry stage or even in the school’s auditorium if available (depending
on what students would be comfortable with). There could be snacks
provided, a program created, and once again the teacher would act as the
MC. This would be a larger scale presentation and allow students to share
their hard work with their family, friends, and peers.
The following are intentional scaffolding strategies designed to aid ESL students:
ESL Specific 26. Take time during project introduction to thoroughly break down the
Accommodations assignment description.
27. Include information on the audience and purpose to enhance the authenticity
of the writing assignment. This will help students understand what type of
language they should be using and what kind of information they would like
to include in order to capture their audience’s attention.
48
28. Include definitions on the assignment description for potentially unknown

words. This will ensure that students fully understand what is expected of
them.
29. Use clear and concise criteriaà fewer criteria and simple language
30. Focus on grammar conventions at the end of the process rather than the
beginning. This allows students to focus on the content and style of their
writing before fine tuning their work.
Rationale The purpose of the summative project is to allow students to showcase the skills that
they have learned throughout the unit, while going through the writing process. This
project allows them to focus on the genre/type of creative writing that they enjoyed
most, allowing them to be fully invested and engaged in their work (which will
increase the affective filter).
Research Insights
31. Peer Review Procedure adapted from the model presented by Christenburg
& Lindbloom (2016) on pages 309-10 of their research-based book Making
the Journey: Being and Becoming a Teacher of English Language Arts.
32. The focuses outlined in the Teacher Conferences Procedure are inspired by
the research-based guidelines presented by Christenburg & Lindbloom
(2016) on pages 313-14 of the book mentioned above.
33. Criteria Cards and Rubric based in research conducted by Coil (2014).
**See further discussions on assessment practices within “Literature Review” Section
of this paper.
Conclusion
In the field of education, professionals are constantly finding ways to merge varying
theories together in order to meet the diverse needs of students. Within this struggle lies the
tension between an educator’s goal of personally engaging students within their own learning
experience and properly preparing them for standardized tests. The unit plan created within this
study serves as a guide for educators wishing to merge creative writing pedagogies and second
language acquisition theories with current state standards. It also serves as proof that the
standards may be adapted within many different contexts, as their original intention suggests.
This shifts the sometimes-negative view of the CCSS to a more complacent one. In preparation
for the creation of this unit plan, I noticed a lack of studies discussing creative writing in an ESL
setting. Due to this, I had to examine ESL and creative writing instruction practices separately
and attempt to effectively merge them. I found that the practices of creative writing instruction
49
directly meet the emotional needs and language needs of ESL students. With that being said,
there proves to be a need for continued research within joint ESL creative writing pedagogy, in
which specific accommodations for ESL students are directly applied to creative writing
activities.
50
References
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Avramenko, A.P., Davydova, M.A., & Burikova, S.A. (2018). Developing creative writing skills
in a high school ESL classroom. TLC Journal, 2(4), 55-69.
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http://www.ala.org/aasl/kq/v42no5
Detwiler, L.A. (2022). Teaching high school creative writing (1st ed.). L.A. Detwiler.
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D. Disney (Ed.), Exploring second language creative writing: Beyond babel (pp. 1-10).
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standards, and the secondary creative writing movement. Journal of Creative Writing
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1

Teaching Creative Writing to ESL Students: A Unit Plan

Dr. Karen Knudson

Department of English, Olivet Nazarene University

ENGL 477: Senior Seminar

October 26th, 2022

Teaching Creative Writing to ESL Students: A Unit Plan

languages, and their work within their ESL/ELA classroom.

Considering these general concerns, my research is focused on the processes of creating

engagement/motivation. A major aspect of my research was examining the nuances of teaching

Common Core Writing Instruction: The Current Climate

towards innovation is bound to be lost.

Defining Creativity in Education

process in an educational setting may be characterized by allowing student choice, utilizing

project-based or discovery-based learning, focusing on peer-collaboration, and assuming the role

an ELA or ESL classroom.

Providing Context: The ESL Classroom Model

and is grounded in instructional support such as “scaffolding, guarded vocabulary,

the students’ native languages.

Theoretical Foundations of Second Language Acquisition

leads to increased confidence” (Wood, 2016, 143).

of language learning strategies (p. 67).

effective communication in the target language group. By basing grammar instruction on

learning takes place.

are learning (Herrera & Murry, 2011, p. 39).

Creative Writing as a Means for Improving Language Skills

An examination of recent research demonstrates that learning and practicing creative

Best Practices in Secondary and ESL Creative Writing Instruction

Process Based Writing Instruction

as “either a workshop facilitator or lecturer of rhetorical and grammatical conventions” (Webb,

Structure of Creative Writing Curricula

structure of creative writing curricula, including skills-based organization and a medium-based

p. 25). In an introductory unit to creative writing in an ESL classroom, an overview of various

experience with creative writing.

Assessment of Creative Works

When discussing creative writing in an educational setting, questions about assessment

Overview of the Unit

Students have a good command of technical and academic vocabulary as well of

1. Week 1- What is Writer Identity?

a. Day 6: Direct Instruction- Poetry/Figurative language

Title of Lesson Finding Your Identity

Text Used George Ella Lyon’s “Where I’m From” poem:

Student examples of “Where I’m From” poems: https://iamfromproject.com/poems-

ESL/TESOL: Standard 1- English language learners communicate for social,

Content Specific Writer Identity

grown as a writer and to look at all of your work in one space.

Title of Lesson Creativity and Writing Prompts

ESL/TESOL: Standard 1- English language learners communicate for social,

Content Specific Creativity

foster critical/metacognitive thinking. The Would You Rather Activity is included as

Relation to Previous/Upcoming Lesson

Title of Lesson Cultural Artifact Show and Tell

ESL/TESOL: Standard 1- English language learners communicate for social,

ESL/TESOL: Standard 1: English language learners communicate for social,

Week 2 Lessons: We Are Poets

Title of Lesson Poetry and Figurative Language

Examples to describe what makes a poem a poem:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.5.A Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism,

CCSS: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.5 Make strategic use of digital media (e.g.,

CCSS: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.B Use narrative techniques, such as

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined

CCSS: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.5 Develop and strengthen writing as

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of