What's included
8 live meetings
6 hrs 40 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
US Grade 7 - 10
𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗗&𝗗 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻! In this eight-week class we'll go through all the steps of creating an amazing, gripping, and fun D&D campaign. Each week, learners will tackle a different element of campaign creation; at the end of the eight weeks, learners will have the knowledge to DM a totally original campaign their players will love. 🐲 Week one: World-building We'll discuss conceptualizing the world, magic systems, and various cultures and societies within the world. 🐲 Week two: Starting Areas We'll discuss creating a "starting area"-- a small village or location, to allow the world to expand organically. We'll also discuss creating a small-scale "local" problem for players to get to know one another and launch into a larger quest. 🐲 Week three: The Big Bad We'll discuss crafting the core problem of the campaign-- the big bad main quest! 🐲 Week four: Planning Key Events We'll discuss how and where to lay out breadcrumbs to guide players through the quest without giving too much away. 🐲 Week five: Subplots It wouldn't be D&D without a side quest! We'll discuss creating side quests to advance the story, add depth to the world, and add variety to your game. 🐲 Week six: Creating NPCs We'll discuss how to make interesting and exciting NPCs (non-player characters) to populate your world. 🐲 Week seven: Connecting the World We'll discuss how to connect the world you've created with your players' character backstories, as well as how to make quests more personal for your players. 🐲 Week eight: Flexibility We'll discuss how to stay flexible when your players do the exact opposite of what you'd planned (and they will, at some point!).
Learning Goals
Learners will leave class able to confidently write their own D&D campaign.
Syllabus
8 Lessons
over 8 WeeksLesson 1:
World-building
50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Starting Areas
50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
The Big Bad
50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Planning Key Events
50 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Parental Guidance
D&D is a fantasy-adventure roleplaying game that can, at times, have violent elements. While no particularly graphic elements will be described in detail, they may be mentioned in passing as we discuss campaign strategies. We strictly do not allow or discuss sexual assault being used as a campaign element.
Below are my general classroom rules and policies. These will also be explained to students when we begin class!
-For everyone's safety, and to ensure an engaging and social experience, students are required to have working microphones and video for the entirety of this class, positioned such that we can both hear and see them. Please be sure to prepare your student for this requirement before class begins!
-Students are asked not to use filters or virtual backgrounds-- though if there is an important reason to use a virtual background, please just let me know ahead of time that your student will be using one (no questions asked!).
-Students will be asked to introduce themselves by sharing their name, pronoun, and a favorite book.
-The Zoom text chat is set to "host only", meaning students can chat with me, but not to one another or the entire classroom.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Teacher expertise and credentials
1 teacher has a teaching certificate
Georgia Teaching Certificate in Secondary Education
1 teacher has a Graduate degree
Master's Degree in Education from Lehigh University
3 teachers have a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's Degree in English Language and Literature from Davidson College
Bachelor's Degree in English from The University of Georgia
Bachelor's Degree in English from Agnes Scott College
Hello! My name is Jackson Pearce, and I'm the founder of WordPlay Writing Co.-- an organization that connects real authors with kids and teens in amazing creative writing classes.
After teaching on Outschool by myself for three years, I decided to bring in some amazing teachers to teach alongside me! 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱-𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀-- 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘀. Information about each teacher is below; when you go to sign up for a class, you’ll see the teacher clearly labeled on the schedule so you know just who your learner will be with!
At a glance info:
-All classes are taught by award-winning published authors.
-We do not use AI to generate lessons or content-- ever!
-We offer classes for reluctant writers, casual writers, pre-professional writers, and everything in-between!
-We strive to create an inclusive, welcoming, and supportive learning environment.
-We pride ourselves on classroom management and ensuring all voices are heard.
-Between us, our teachers have over 55 published books, 9 advanced degrees, and 10,000 students taught!
𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗲:
I'm the author of sixteen books for tweens and teens, including the 𝘗𝘪𝘱 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵'𝘴 𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 series (Scholastic), the 𝘌𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘦, 𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘳 series (Bloomsbury), and the 𝘋𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 series (Bloomsbury). My books are published in twenty-three languages around the world, and have won multiple state and national awards. I have taught creative writing classes across the country at schools, libraries, colleges, and camps, and have taught over 7000 students here on Outschool! I also have a bachelor's in English from the University of Georgia.
I have taught creative writing classes, camps, and seminars for kids for over ten years. My approach is to teach creative writing as play— something that is to be enjoyed, experimented with, and shared. Too often I find that students are their own worst critics; I aim to remind them that there’s value and fun to be had in everything you write, whether it’s good, bad, or in-between.
My classes are fun, informative, and engaging, and I genuinely love helping students uncover or hone their writing talents. Students are encouraged to speak and ask questions during class, and I do my best to relate the material to their likes, dislikes, and interests so they connect better with the coursework. I love teaching Wings of Fire classes, as well as book club classes!
𝗧𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗶𝗱𝘁:
In addition to spending seven years as a sixth grade teacher, I’ve taught kindergarten, preschool, and worked extensively with middle and high school writers as a tutor. I have a Master’s in Elementary Education and a B.A. in English, both from Lehigh University.
Oh yeah, and I’m the author of nine novels for teens and tweens, as well as the momma of three impish Schmidtlets. I’m looking forward to connecting with young writers and readers on Outschool. My goal for my students is always for them to Grow and Glow—knowing it’s safe to try hard and take risks, while feeling good about what they accomplish. My teaching style is dynamic optimism and I can’t wait to write together!
𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁:
Hi! I'm the author of several young adult books, including the Grace and Fury series (Little, Brown), and the forthcoming Perfect Girl (Feiwel & Friends). I also write picture books, including the forthcoming Love Like Chocolate (Little, Brown).
I have a BA in English from Davidson College and an MA in Publishing from Oxford Brookes University. I love creative writing and can't wait to share with you all that I've learned over the years.
I'm also an avid journal writer, traveler, Girl Scout leader, Army wife, knitter, stained glass artist, and mom to two kiddos and three pets. I'm looking forward to writing with you!
𝗦𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮 𝗠𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹:
Saundra Mitchell is an award-winning and critically-acclaimed author of twelve novels and two non-fiction history books, and an editor of four anthologies—all for young people. She primarily writes for tweens and teens, and has spent the last fifteen years of her career fighting for the reading rights of young people, especially those from marginalized groups and backgrounds. For almost twenty years, Mitchell was also the head screenwriter and an executive producer for Fresh Films, the largest filmmaking program for teens in the world. During her tenure, she wrote more than four hundred short films, half of which competed at film festivals all around the world. Ten earned Academy Award eligibility. Mitchell also teaches creative writing and screenwriting to students of all ages, and enjoys reading, studying history, playing ttrpgs and video games, and spending time with her wife and daughters. After a lifetime in the midwest, she now resides in Maryland. Her pronouns are she/they.
𝗘𝗺𝗺𝗮 𝗞. 𝗢𝗵𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱
Emma K. Ohland has been telling stories since before she knew how to write them down. She grew up in the middle of a cornfield in Indiana, but her imagination often carried her away to other worlds. When she’s not writing, reading, or smelling books, she enjoys traveling, crocheting, D&D, and snuggling with her rescue greyhound. She is the award-winning author of FUNERAL GIRL as well as her upcoming novel HERE GOES NOTHING, and her work is featured in the short story anthology OUT THERE. Before publishing, she was an admissions officer of a top 50 university where she read and made decisions on over 5,000 student applications. Along with writing, she is also a private college counselor where she helps students gain admission by crafting strong personal narratives utilizing storytelling techniques. Her students have been accepted into top schools such as the UCs, Columbia, Johns Hopkins, University of Michigan, UT Austin, Northeastern, and more.
𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗗𝗼𝗱𝗱𝘀:
Anna Dodds is a published media scholar and award-winning creative writer with a bachelor's degree in Creative Writing and Film Studies. She has spent her whole life telling stories, and has experience with a variety of storytelling mediums, including but not limited to: prose, screenplays, Dungeons and Dragons campaigns, YouTube Videos, essays, and stop-motion animation.
𝗡𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗻:
I have been a high school music teacher for fifteen years, and a high school history and English teacher for the last eleven years. In that time, I have taught a wide variety of classes including Percussion Methods, Geography, U.S. History, AP World History, AP European History, AP Art History, and AP English Language. I also serve as a College Board reader in AP European History, so the arts and humanities are a passion as well as my professional field of expertise. During the last decade, I have been my school's teacher of the year and a semi-finalist for county teacher of the year as well. I hold a B.A. in History with a minor in French and a Master of Education degree, all from the University of Georgia.
As an educator, I love to cultivate curiosity, and focus on educating in a way that is both entertaining and connective to other learning and life experiences we have - learning does us much more good when it is something that we can use and share with others! For that reason, I really believe in making learning a dialogue, and something that is shared.
In addition to teaching language arts classes in Jackson’s organization, I also teach a variety of history classes on Outschool! Find more information on those here: https://outschool.com/teachers/Nelson-Dean
Reviews
Live Group Course
$25
weekly or $197 for 8 classes1x per week, 8 weeks
50 min
Completed by 8 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 11-16
4-10 learners per class