Unleash Your Creative Writing Magic (Summer Camp): Create Your Epic Fantasy World, Characters & Plot
In this 4 day camp, learners will create a map of their fantasy world, populate their world, discuss The Elements of A Story, and plan their epic fantasy plot.
Amal J.
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(75)
What's included
4 live meetings
3 hrs 40 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
In this four day camp, learners will gain an understanding of fantastical world building, character creating, and plot planning. We will engage in exciting group discussions as we build our worlds and draw artistic maps, and as we create our characters and plan our plots. Learners will have the chance to ask for ideas from classmates and myself, allowing for lively creative social time. When learners complete this camp, they will have everything they need (characters, worlds, populations, and planned plots) to spend their summer writing their epic fantasy story. Day 1: Building our Worlds We will discuss what is involved in world building. Learners will engage their imaginations in an exciting world building activity that includes creating an artistic map of their fantasy world. They will sketch their continents, landforms and waterways, and use a fantastic website to discover excellent fantasy names for their locations. I will have examples of symbols they might want to include to further detail their maps that will also begin to spark their imaginations and inspire their plots. Day 2: Populating our Worlds & Creating our Protagonist and Antagonist We will begin by learning about various fantastical species and their purposes according to folklore and mythology. Learners will then decide which species they would like to populate their worlds with (and even add those populations to their maps). They will choose what species their main character will be. We will use drawing to deepen our understanding of our protagonist and his or her complex characteristics (both physical and emotional). We will then do the same for our Antagonist. Day 3: Understanding the Elements of a Story: Part 1 & Planning our Fantasy Plots: Part 1 We will begin by learning about the Elements of a Story and learners will begin to plan their own stories. We will discuss different ways people outline their plots (either visually with images or with written notes) and I will have a template for them to use to take notes or create thumbnail sketches for their outlines. Day 4: Understanding the Elements of a Story: Part 2 & Planning our Fantasy Plots: Part 2 We will begin by reviewing what we learned regarding the Elements of a Story and learners will begin to plan the second half of their stories. Learners will go into breakout rooms to share their plots with their peers. This is a great time for students to ask their peers for ideas if they find themselves stuck on a plot point. As a class, we will also discuss plots and learners will be able to ask the class as a whole (including myself) for ideas if needed. Note: This class involves a great deal of discussion and creative sharing and conversation. Because of this, I require a minimum of 6 learners. *For learners enrolled in my Year of Language Arts course, this will be included in Session 3. I strongly believe in equity and inclusion. All students are welcome in my classes and I am devoted to bringing out and inspiring the inherent creativity and intelligence in every student of all backgrounds, as well as all learning styles and learning differences. In order to welcome learners of all learning styles as well as neurodiverse learners, my classes are always accompanied by visual powerpoint slides with notes and engaging imagery.
Learning Goals
Learners will gain a deep understanding of the elements of a strong plot and what is takes to build an epic fantasy story!
Other Details
Supply List
- 11 X 14 sheet of paper for the map art - A bag of dry kidney beans (Yes, that isn't a typo. These will be used in an interesting way, but I promise they won't be wasted. You will still be able to cook them after!) -A black pen -Colored pencils or markers
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Teacher expertise and credentials
My sparks in life are studying and teaching writing, literature, and history.
For the past six years, I have taught classes such as World History, American History , Language Arts, and Creative Writing to upper elementary and middle grade students. In addition, I have also tutored high school students struggling with essay writing.
My love of history has been with me all my life. It is my understanding that we learn history not only to memorize events and dates, but also to reflect and learn from those who came before us. I enjoy bringing history to life through discussion, activity, and projects.
Language Arts is a subject I love teaching and I truly believe that language is indeed an art. I put just as much heart into essay writing as I do creative writing. I believe creative writing is a journey and it has been a great joy to take youth of all ages on that journey.
Other things you should know about me? I have been a voracious reader my entire life. My one and only obsessive collection is my book collection. I have travelled widely, studying the local history of various regions, working with local historians, and writing. I am involved in social justice and equity work in my local area. It is my feeling that we study, we read, and we accrue knowledge to gain a deeper understanding of our world and to expand our capacity for empathy for others.
One last note: I strongly believe in equity and inclusion, and therefore ALL are welcome in my classes, and that includes students with learning differences. All my classes have been created with the intention of being accessible to all. My classes will always have visuals and notes to follow to accompany my teaching.
As I am a new teacher on Outschool, it was recommended that I post reviews written by families I previously taught.
"Last year our tweens took Amal’s US History class. The boys loved it. Amal is unbelievably passionate about history, and is well prepared with materials and research - way beyond a typical middle school level class. Amal uses a variety of media … lectures, videos, pictures and discussions, is very funny, and knows how to engage the kids and get them hooked on history. We also liked her perspective on history. If history is written by the winners, Amal’s class goes the extra mile to include the lesser told story of the other side as well."
Eva - parent of 12 year old triplet boys
"I have been fortunate to have Amal Jamal as my daughter’s homeschool teacher for the past several years. I knew that Amal would be the perfect person to help my daughter find a love and appreciation for writing and history, which was previously lacking. No matter the subject matter Amal is teaching, whether it be history, language arts, civics, or poetry, she always comes to class extremely organized and prepared. Amal is very passionate about teaching. She puts a lot of effort into planning rich, engaging, meaningful, and fun lessons. She is very supportive, and has a unique ability to motivate students and nurture their intrinsic desire to learn. Over the years, Amal has consistently encouraged my daughter to do her best. She saw her potential and knew how to spark her passion. I am thankful that my daughter now loves to read and write and that she is thriving."
Teresa Walker - parent of 13 year old
Amal has been my teacher for about five years and I have enjoyed every moment of it. She finds a way to make learning fun, even if the subject is not my favorite. In the past, I did not enjoy language arts nearly as much as I do now. Amal manages to make more complex topics understandable. She has helped broaden my use of sentence openers, creative language, grammar, and more that has enhanced my writing. Before I had her classes, I never sat down and wrote, but now I find myself freely writing stories regularly. Amal has recently also become my history teacher. She adds creativity to even the darkest topics. We have completed slideshow presentations, photo essays, and dioramas. Covid has been a drastic change in everyone’s life, but Amal has managed to work around the quarantine and keep learning fun and interactive, even on zoom. I would recommend Amal to anyone who asked.
Kacia - 14 year old
"Amal is a truly gifted and passionate teacher with an excitement that is contagious. Her lesson plans are thoughtful, inclusive, and hands on. My daughter has had classes with Amal for many years and is always excited for any of her offerings. Amal's understanding of neurodiversity and inclusion is rare and she is attuned to the needs of the class and individuals, supporting both. I could not more highly recommend Amal's classes - anyone would be lucky to have her offerings for their child."
Cara- parent of 12 year oldReviews
Live Group Class
$90
for 4 classes4x per week, 1 week
55 min
Completed by 14 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 8-12
6-15 learners per class
