Students will learn: 
How to map out their story idea
How to "write through" writer's block 
Create dynamic characters 
Self-Edit techniques 
Proper Story Structure 
How to prepare a second draft 
How to present their story to a group of people (if they would like) 

There are also many other skills a child learns when writing, such as confidence, self-expression, and bravery for sharing their work. 

Homework will mainly be to work on their short story outside of class. They will be given a short writing assignment each week to make sure they are writing and asked to send me a copy of their writing every week, so I can monitor their story's progress. Homework should take between 30 min - 1 hour each week depending on how long of a story they choose to write. 

Student's writing will be assessed if they are using the skills and techniques they learn in class. For example, do they have a story with a beginning, middle, and end; do the characters have names, descriptions, and a purpose; did the student create a proper story map? 

55 minutes per week in class, and an estimated 0 - 1 hours per week outside of class.

There will be some storybooks read in order to discuss story structure and characters, but nothing more.