Creative Writing: Setting

Introduction

One of the main parts of writing a story is to create a setting that creates a picture for the reader where the story is taking place. Most renowned writers are able to immediately set a story within the first few paragraphs. When you are finished with this webquest, you, too, will be able to create a setting that paints a picture for the reader.

Task

Using internet and library resources, you will read some excerpts from famous writers that capture settings. Once you've read some examples of good, descriptive settings, you'll choose one of the authors you've read and gather research about that author. Since setting includes both time and place, you'll use the author's home town and era in which that author lived to create a memorable setting. You will want to use vivid verbs and concrete nouns to "paint" a descriptive picture of your author's home town during the time in which s/he lived there.

Process and Resources

1. Click on three of the links below and read the first three paragraphs of the excerpts contained in those links.
   
   Ethan Frome via Litrix.com
   A Jury of Her Peers via Learner.org
   The Good Anna via Bartleby.com
   Winesburg, Ohio via Litrix.com
   The Interlopers via Litrix.com
   The Bean Trees excerpt
   The High King via Amazon.com
   Call Me Francis via Amazon.com
   
   
2. Download and print worksheet 1(word). Complete the questions on the worksheet pertaining to setting. Turn in worksheet.
   
   
3. Choose one of the three authors of the exerpts you read in step 1. Click on the links listed under that author's name below. On a word document, record information about the author including his/her home town and the time period that s/he live there. You will also find historical links in which you will gather information about the time period your author lived in that town.
   
   Edith Wharton
   • Edith Wharton overview by Dolores Shidler
   • National Portrait Gallery
   • Online Literature

   Susan Glaspell

   • Spartacus Educational
   • Learner.org
   • Bedford/St. Martins

   Gertrude Stein

   • University of Pennsylvania
   • Bartleby
   • Ellens Place

   Sherwood Anderson

   • Sherwood Anderson his life
   • Books and Writers
   • GradeSaver

   Saki

   • Books and Writers
   • Bartleby
   • Guardian Unlimited

   Barbara Kingsolver

   • Kingsolver
   • BookReporter.com
   • BookBrowse

   Lloyd Alexander

   • University of Southern Florida
   • Penguin Putnam
   • Children's Book Council

   Gary Paulsen

   • Randomhouse
   • Internet Public Library
   • BookReporter.com
     
     
4. Once you've gathered at least one page of information, write a rough draft of a setting from the information you've gathered about the author. The rough draft will consist of the first three paragraphs of a short story in which you establish the setting of the story based on your research. These paragraphs must include time and place. It should be descriptive enough so the reader can "picture" the setting. You may include characters, either fictional or factual, that can add to your story. This is creative writing, have fun with it.
   
   
5. Download and print out two peer review worksheets (word). Find two other students to peer edit your rough draft using the peer review worksheets you've printed. Click on the following link for tips on peer review. Tips for Peer Review
    
6. Peer edit two classmate's rough draft using the peer rubric worksheet they've printed out. 
   
   
7. After you've completed the peer editing steps, rewrite your rough draft in a word document. Add a picture to your document that best represents the setting you've described in words. Attach this document to your digital portfolio. Turn in your rough draft, two peer review worksheets, and your notes about the author. top

Evaluation

Describe to the learners how their performance will be evaluated. Specify whether there will be a common grade for group work vs. individual grades. You may want to have separate rubrics for individual and group work.

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
Setting elements	Neither time nor place evident.	Contains only time or place	Time and place are evident but inconsistent	Contains both time and place that are consistent with each other
Accuracy of setting elements	Setting facts are completely inaccurate	Most facts in setting are inaccurate	Setting uses some accurate facts, some facts are inaccurate.	Setting uses accurate facts about author
Illustrations	No illustration	Illustration exists, but does not reflect setting	Illustration does not clearly reflect the setting.	Illustration clearly reflects the setting described
Word Choice	Words were bland and used incorrectly.	Words used correctly, but not very colorful and descriptive.	Colorful, descriptive, words, but not all used correctly.	Colorful, descriptive, vivid words all used correctly
Peer Reviews provided	Provided 0 peer review.	Provided 1 peer review.	Provided 2 peer reviews, but responses not thorough.	Provided 2 peer reviews with thorough responses.
Use of Peer Reviews	No Peer reviews.	Did not make changes based on peer review and did not explain why.	Made some changes based on peer review.	Made changes based on peer review or explained why not.
Digital Portfolio	Final Draft not located on Digital Portfolio within 3 days of due date.	Final Draft located on Digital Portfolio 2 days past due date	Final Draft located on Digital Portfolio 1 day past due date	Final Draft attached to digital portfolio on due date.

Conclusion

As we've discussed throughout this WebQuest, the setting of a story is very important to establish a time and a place in which your story takes place. A setting is often the catalyst that grabs the reader's attention and ropes them in to your story.

Setting, however, is just one part. Think of the stories that you love and think about what it was that "roped you in" as a reader. Was it the setting? A character? The dialogue? The title? The adventure? As you continue writing in this class, try to evaluate what it is that attracts you to a story.

On your own paper, write a short reflection about this WebQuest noting 2 things you liked about it and two things you think could be improved.

Credits & References

Clipart from Microsoft.com

I would like thank Dr. Alice Christie for all her help, encouragement and support in completing this assignment. Her knowledge and expertise were superb.

WebQuest Design Patterns from Bernie Dodge, UCSD. To acquire the latest version of this template and training materials link to:

http://webquest.sdsu.edu/designpatterns/all.htm

We all benefit by being generous with our work. Permission is hereby granted for other educators to copy this WebQuest, update or otherwise modify it, and post it elsewhere provided that the original author's name is retained along with a link back to the original URL of this WebQuest. On the line after the original author's name, you may add Modified by (your name) on (date). If you do modify it, please let me know and provide the new URL.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last updated on July 2, 2004. Based on a template from The WebQuest Page