Lesson 1: Beginning narrative prompt writing
Objective:
Students will be able to restate the prompt and begin writing their story
Rationale
: Students, according to curriculum standards, must be able to write an organized, cohesive piece that contains a beginning, middle and an ending. Students must be able to write under timed, examination conditions for the CMT. Learning to write is a process; students must take one step at a time.
Prewriting:
The teacher will read
Where the Wild Things Are
and any other highly illustrated books that will help the children use their imagination in creating a story. Then, the teacher will lead the children in a discussion of the book(s) paying special attention to how good story beginnings are written.
Procedure: I used the example of a monster appearing unexpectedly in the classroom.
This is the prompt that was used:
You go back to your classroom to get your pencil case. As you are looking in your desk, you hear a sound. It gets louder. You look up.
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What is it?
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What do you do?
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How do you feel?
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Write prompt on chart paper or on the board--somewhere where the children can refer to it repeatedly.
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The teacher leads the class in a discussion about the prompt, using role play, if possible.
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Emphasize that “you” changes to “I” when writing.
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Model the writing, talking out loud, telling the children you don’t want to use the word monster.
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Underline or highlight the “restatement of the prompt” sentence.
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Elicit and help children with vocabulary for sound words and action words, asking them how they’d feel if they heard huge thumps getting closer and closer. Would they hide in a closet? Would they start shaking?
Sample Beginning
I went back to my classroom to get my pencil case. I was looking inside my desk when I heard it. It sounded like a huge thump. Then I heard another thump. It was getting louder. It was getting closer. It was getting closer to my classroom. I looked up.
To extend the lesson, similar writing prompts follow:
You are out walking in the woods with your friend when you turn around and he/she isn’t there. You look around. You see nothing. It is quiet but you hear a sound behind you. You turn around. What happens next?
You are walking home from school when you stop to tie your shoelace. As you are bent over, you hear a whisper. There is no one behind you, no one near you. You hear it again. What does it say? What does it look like? What do you do?
Your teacher sends you to the principal’s office to give her a note. You are walking down the hall and you glance into a classroom. It is empty. Then you see a shadow near the door. The shadow is speaking in a soft voice. What does it say? What do you do? What happens?
Lesson 2: Creating suspense beginning
Objective:
Students will be able to use sound and/or action to create suspense in the beginning of the story
Rationale
: Learning to write is a process; students must take one step at a time.
Prewriting:
The teacher will lead a discussion about suspense and what it is, giving examples of good and poor story beginnings.
Example of poor beginning:
I went back to my classroom to get my pencil case. I saw a monster. It was scary. I was afraid.
Procedure:
Use the same example, that of the monster appearing in the classroom door.
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The teacher leads the class in a discussion about the prompt, using role play.
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Role play creating suspense by having first one claw appear and then another claw followed by, perhaps, the muzzle of the dragon. The teacher can model this first, at the doorway to the classroom. Use a monster hand if you’ve got one--it will be a real surprise for the students.
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Again, emphasize that “you” changes to “I” when writing.
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Elicit from the children what happens to them physically when they are afraid.
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Write these examples of “what fear looks like” on chart paper for the children to use later. They can include examples similar to these given by my students:
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My hands stopped moving.
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My hands froze.
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I thought I was going to throw up.
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My heart starting moving in my chest.
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My hair stood up.
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Elicit “sound” vocabulary from the children and create a word wall for use by the students as they continue to work on the stories.
Lesson 3: Art Component of Narrative Writing
Objective:
Students will be able to use their illustration of a monster when writing, especially in describing the monster.
Rationale
: Students will better understand the connection between a visual image and describing that image in writing if they can create and write about their own monster--thus taking the role of author-illustrator.
Prewriting:
The teacher will have read the children stories rife with interesting and thrilling illustrations of monsters of all kinds.
Procedure:
The teacher can have a monster template ready for those children who find it more difficult to draw from scratch, otherwise, with drawing paper and crayons, markers or paints, students can design and use color to illustrate a monster.
The authors of
Easy Art Activities That Spark Super Writing
, advise having children cut out their drawings and mounting them on construction paper so they stand out clearly.
Be sure to urge children to complete the art component in a timely manner (setting a timer is advisable), and to put in specific details for use later in their writing.