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Create Your Own World
Jeremy Smith, M.T., M.Ed.
Average rating:4.7Number of reviews:(193)
Students will create and share their own fantasy or science fiction setting for stories they will write or for a tabletop roleplaying game (such as Dungeons & Dragons) they will play.
Class experience
US Grade 6 - 9
Beginner - Intermediate Level
In this class, students will develop a setting for their own fantasy or science fiction stories. This setting could be for stories the student will write on their own, or it could be a setting for a tabletop roleplaying game such as Dungeons & Dragons. We will take a structured, purpose-driven approach to building settings for stories. We will build settings at three levels: world-as-a-whole, region, and locality. At each level, I will ask students a set of questions about their settings...
6 lessons//2 Weeks
Week 1Lesson 1Introduction and Narrative PurposeWe will introduce the class and class expectations and discuss the golden rules of world building: 1) Have fun! and 2) Build with a purpose. The teacher will also share the presentation template for the final class. Students will then discuss and decide on what types of stories they would like to tell in their world. Finally, we will discuss the importance of world building for the world as a whole, for the region where stories are set, and for the locality where stories are set.Lesson 2World as a WholeStudents will develop the backdrop for their world as a whole. This includes deciding on the name that people in the world use for the world, how the physical laws in their world might be different from the physical laws in our world, whether the world has any large empires or other groups that affect people everywhere, how interconnected different parts of the world are, and whether any global events have happened recently.Lesson 3RegionStudents will develop the region of their world where their stories will be set. Students will decide on a name for their region, develop the region's geography, decide on important nations or groups for the region, identify the major beliefs and philosophies of the people in the region, and make a rough map of the region.Week 2Lesson 4Locality (Part 1)Students will begin to develop the locality where their stories will be set. The locality could be a kingdom, town, school, or other primary setting for stories. Students will decide on the name of their locality, important historical events for their locality, how their locality relates to the region around it, how words and languages sound in their locality, and on how their locality is governed.Lesson 5Locality (Part 2)Students will continue to develop the locality where their stories will be set. Students will develop antagonists for their locality, develop cultural groups within their locality, consider problems their locality faces, and sketch a rough map of the locality.Lesson 6PresentationsStudents will present their settings to each other using the template provided in the first class. Students will be encouraged to suggest ideas and supportive feedback for their classmates' settings. The teacher might also suggest future steps for students' settings.
Students will learn how to create fantasy and science fiction settings for a story.
My greatest experience in creating worlds has been through running tabletop roleplaying games such as Dungeons & Dragons, which I have been doing for about 35 years. I value imagination and creativity as things we need to lead fulfilling lives and to make our own world a better place to live in.
Homework Offered
Assessments Offered
I will continuously assess student progress by asking them to share their ideas in class. During the last class, each student will give a formal presentation of their setting, and I will give written feedback.Grades Offered
A template will be provided for student presentations in the final class.
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Average rating:4.7Number of reviews:(193)
I tutor math and run roleplaying games on Outschool. I have 11 years of classroom teaching experience plus 6 years experience developing content for McGraw-Hill and other education publishers. I have been playing, writing, and running roleplaying...
Group Class
$110
for 6 classes3x per week, 2 weeks
55 min
Completed by 1 learner
Live video meetings
Ages: 12-15
3-6 learners per class
Financial Assistance
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