grade 4, unit of study 1 - rtmsd.org€¦ · web viewvaried sentences, appropriate word choice....

Writing Homework PacketNarrative Craft

Bends 1 & 2

Name ____________________________

from Units of Study © 2013 by L. Calkins (Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH).

1 2 3 4

Focus this is not a storythis is a

watermelon story

story is a small moment

story is on topic

story is a small moment,embodies a theme

Content incomplete story undeveloped story

somebody,wanted,

but,so,

narrative elements:effective lead,

exposition (background),rising action,

climax,falling action,

conclusion

Organizationmissing more than one feature from

three column

missing one thing from the three

column

beginning,middle,

end,transitional words

Beginning,middle,

end,events logically lead to

climax,transitional words

Style basic and ineffective

your word choice confuses readers

varied sentence length & beginning, appropriate word

choicefigurative language

varied sentences, appropriate word choice

figurative language, should include dialogue

(internal or external, interesting speaker tags)

Conventions This piece contains "non-negotiables"

missing some of the conventions that we noticed,

3-6 errors in conventions

used all of the conventions dialogue

(proper use of quotation marks, new paragraphs for each

new speaker, )

Same as 3, but you tried to use cool tricks (semi-colons,

end-dashes, ellipses, dialogue cutoffs, etc...)


Francesca’s final draftRunning Away from Life

| stepped out on Riverside Park's biggest hill. Today was the first snow of the year and I looked down and made a perfect boot print with my new, blue boots. I felt big standing at the top of the hill. I grasped my purple sled and Camilla, my little sister, climbed onto the sled with me. Camilia was following my lead and I felt like a grown up, like 13 or 14, or even older. I could feel the snowy fog sweep my hair like a cloud pushing me up high. "Ready, Camilia?" I asked excitedly.

I was not scared because had sledded on other hills that were bigger. She didn't answer but I felt her arms tighten around my waist.

My sled started to move an inch and then faster, I noticed a human shape on the hill. It was a man and his kid. I tried to control my sled but I couldn't because I was moving so fast.

"Watch out!" my parents shouted. But it was too late. I lost all my excitement. I was getting closer to the man. Then felt my sled rub against his coat as I came to a complete stop. I felt like a bird that had just missed hitting a tree.

The man's half-angry, half-alarmed face stared at me. The little kid looked scared."Who's watching you!?" he shouted as I felt Camilla's little warm hand touch my cold

neck. I ran as fast as I could to my mother."It's O.K.," she said. But I did not feel okay. curled up on the blanket with hot

chocolate. I felt like a little kid, like I was 3 years old.I lay in the cold snow and could hear distant voices yelling and playing. I felt like had

gone backward in life. I didn't feel 14 anymore.I know that not only one event in your life makes you grownup but this even was

going to change the way that I thought of myself. I felt so grown up and now I was just a scared little kid running away from life.


Zora's final personal narrative

Something Special"Jingle, Jingle, Jingle' the door chimes bang against each other as I pushed open the wooden door to

Starbucks. My mom and I walk up to the counter."Nice to see you back here again Julie," said Paul. He looked down at me, "Hi, Zora." "Hi Paul." I moaned back. I shifted my eyes to the clock, 8:27. I'm not a morning person.Paul hands us our drinks and smiles at me. "Chin up Zora." The he turns and walks off to the

'Employees Only' room. As soon as he left, my mom took a few deep breaths and said, "Zora, why are you in such a dull mood?" I jump up and stare at my mom like she is a three headed donkey that talks. I never noticed but my mom just doesn't understand. I have a lot of things on my mind. There's a lot to do when you're 9 and 3 and a half quarters.

"I've been very busy lately mother." I finally respond in a highly sophisticated voice."Busy, huh?" my mom rolls her eyes and stares out at the watery gray sky. She squints her eyes and

looks at the bright lipstick red off in the distance, the sun."No really," I say trying to regain her attention. "Tours for middle school, afterschool, homework and

school, mother, there are simply not enough hours in the day..." My mom looks at me, like she is not quite believing what she is hearing. Her big brown eyes getting wider and wider with every word that comes hopping out my mouth. She looks completely amazed by the time I'm finishing my lecture. "That's why I'm feeling moody toda-..."

"You,... moody? Every day I go to work, pay bills, pay mortgage every month, come home, help with homework, cook dinner, and your... your... you're moody?" Her average spiel.

"Ha, Ha, Ha, He, He, Ho" the woman behind us in line obviously can't take it anymore, because she starts cracking up. She taps her palm up and down on the glass counter, laughing like she's at def-comedy-jam. She stomps her feet and nods her head, "You two are hilarious. You would be great on stage, my daughter is in highschool and is always moody-" I can't believe this woman had been listening to our conversation. "I never spend time with my daughter, you two have it all, you have something special." She smiles, bangs her hand against the glass tabletop a couple more times and her bracelets jingle and jump. "Ha, not enough hours in the days" Then I got to thinking. I don't spend much time with my mom. She works 5 days a week, She gets home really late, and sometimes, I'm already in bed. But I push myself to stay up late, just to kiss her goodnight. I have never seen that lady in Starbucks before, never. But still out of nowhere she compliments me and my mom. She calls us special, and for a quick second, I don't believe her. How can a relationship be special if you barely see her? Half the kids in the world have 1 parent, no parents, or parents who can't afford them. Yeah it is great to have a mom that sees you all the time, but I don't have that type of mom. But I'm not complaining. I consider myself lucky, I have a mom, that's enough for me.

I wrap my arm around my mom's waist and squeeze, and she squeezes me back. I'm sure my mom doesn't know why I'm squeezing her, but the feeling is so warm, she doesn't care. What I have is special. She squeezes me tighter. Special.


Narrative Craft

SESSION 1 HOMEWORK: MAKING RESOLUTIONS

Tonight, continue to think about times when writing has been the best it can be. Begin an entry with the line: “To make writing the best it can be, I will . . .” and then write about your resolutions for the new year. After thinking a bit about your past and your future as a writer, live this one evening as a writer. Look for stories from this day that you could later develop into full pieces. Make a list of these potential stories. See if you can come to school tomorrow bursting with ideas and ready to write.

In other words…

-make a list of resolutions (~7 minutes)

-make a second list of potential stories (~7 minutes)

Example of what your homework should look like:


Narrative Craft

SESSION 2 HOMEWORK: Living Like a Writer

Tonight, continue to collect entries in your notebook. As you try to imagine the stories you might write, remember that writers see the potential for stories everywhere. Give yourself the eyes to find them! When there is an interaction between family members, watch it as a writer. Notice how people talk, move, and act. Think about the meaning and significance behind the small things, and see if you can let your life prompt your writing. We added this to our chart as a strategy for generating narrative writing.

This was the whole chart that we used to guide us in our room for today’s lesson after adding today’s lesson:

In

other words…

-write some new entries about small moments that happened tonight (~15 minutes)

Example of what your homework should look like:Entry 1-

I sat at the dining room table doing my homework. I tapped the pencil against my head as I tried to solve a math problem. My younger brother sat at the table next to me “working” on his homework. I looked over at his paper and realized that he had spelled a word incorrectly. “Hey, dude, check that word,” I said pointing to word in question. He looked at it for a moment. Then, he scribbled it out and spelled it again. “Use your eraser!” I told him. He looked at me and rolled his eyes. He flipped his pencil over and began erasing so hard that he put a hole in his paper. “Have a little pride in your work! You can’t turn that in!”Entry 2-

My mom was in the kitchen cooking dinner. I could hear the pans being pulled out of the cabinets and the sink being turned on and off. Moments went by, but then I heard the sizzling of the frying pan. Could it be true? Was my mom making Rice-A-Roni again? She knows it’s my favorite! I walk into the kitchen and see that it’s true. She must really love me!


Strategies for Generating Personal Narrative Writing• Think of a person who matters to you, list Small Moment stories connected to him/her

and write one.• Think of first times, last times, or times you realized something, list stories you

could tell about each and write one.• Think about a place that matters, list small moments that occurred in that place and

write one.• Think of a strong feeling. List stories of particular times you felt it and write one.• Live differently because you are a writer. Notice small moments and capture them in

entries.

Narrative CraftSESSION 3 HOMEWORK: Editing As You Write

Tonight, take some time to step back and ask yourself, “Have I used everything I know about spelling, punctuation, and grammar to make my writing clear?”. This doesn’t mean this is all the writing you will do—I imagine you’ll also have time to collect another entry or two—but spend a bit of time looking over your past entries and doing some editing. The list below will help you get started.


In other words…

-go back and edit an entry (~5 minutes)

-work on more new entries (~10 minutes)

Example of what your homework should look like:I sat at the dining room table doing my homework. I tapped the pencil against my head as I tried to

solve a math problem. My younger brother sat at the table next to me “working” on his homework. I looked over at his paper and realized that he had spelled a word incorrectly. “Hey, dude,! cCheck that word,” I said pointing to the word in question. He looked at it for a moment. Then, he scribbled it out and spelled it again. “Use your eraser!” I told him. He looked at me and rolled his eyes. He flipped his pencil over and began erasing so hard that he put a hole in his paper. “Have a little pride in your work! You can’t turn that in!”New Entry-

I looked out the window at the rain and was sad that we’d have to have softball practice indoors. It just wasn’t the same inside. I went to the locker room to change and then started stretching in gym with my team. After practicing inside for a while, our coach called us together. “Ladies, it stopped raining outside!” He paused for a moment and let us all have the same thought, “So what, the field is too muddy.”

“I know what you’re thinking! BUT it’s just muddy enough for us to practice sliding! Leave your gear here and let’s head out to the field!” He turned to the door and started jogging out with us following behind him.Narrative Craft

SESSION 4 HOMEWORK: MAKING & USING TOPIC LISTSTonight, gather a list of possible stories on a special page of your writer’s notebook. That way, if you ever finish an entry, and for a moment can’t think of something to write about, you can draw from your very own well of ideas. One way to develop a topic list is by free writing using a recurring phrase ‘I remember’, but be sure to remember very specific moments.


Questions to Ask Yourself as You Edit

1. Does this make sense? Are any words or parts missing?

2. Are all my sentences complete? Have I checked for run-ons and fragments?

3. Have I used correct capitalization (for names and the beginning of sentences)?

4. Have I used commas and quotation marks for dialogue?

5. Have I checked to see that all my verbs and subjects agree? Are my verbs in the right tense (past, present, future)?

6. Do the words all seem to be spelled right? Do they look right? Have I checked any I’m uncertain of?

7. Have I checked for frequently confused words (to, too, two; there, their)?

8. Have I paragraphed and indented?

Techniques for Raising the Level of Narrative Writing

In other words…

-make list of possible stories using the phrase ‘I remember’ (~5 minutes)

-use the chart and your list to make a new entry (~10 minutes)



Techniques for Raising the Level of Narrative Writing

Narrative Craft

SESSION 5 HOMEWORK YOUR LAST CHANCE TO WRITE A DROP-DEAD POWERFUL ENTRY

Tonight, set yourself up to write the most powerful entry you’ve written yet—gather some final entries to choose from next week, when you will choose one entry to work on for a very long time. Use our classroom chart of “Strategies for Generating Personal Narrative Writing”.

In other words…

-write a final powerful entry (~15 minutes)



Strategies for Generating Personal Narrative Writing• Think of a person who matters to you, list Small Moment stories connected to him/her

and write one.• Think of first times, last times, or times you realized something, list stories you could

tell about each and write one.• Think about a place that matters, list small moments that occurred in that place and write

one.• Think of a strong feeling. List stories of particular times you felt it and write one.• Live differently because you are a writer. Notice small moments and capture them in

entries.•

Narrative Craft

SESSION 7 HOMEWORK: ANGLING YOUR WRITING AS YOU DRAFT

Tonight, take a look at two versions of the same event. Highlight or underline places where the author does something to bring out the ‘big idea’. Then work on your draft, making revisions that bring out your ‘big idea’.

Entry #1: Yesterday, I was reading aloud and for a moment, everything was okay. But it was so hot that with our air conditioner broken, the sweat was rolling down my cheeks. I stopped and went over to the open window. I pushed but it was stuck. I pushed again, and it was still stuck. I thought, ‘things never work in this school’. I pushed again and little paint chips flew down form the window frame all over my hair.

Big Idea: The school is falling apart.

Entry #2: Yesterday, as I read aloud, I could see sweat rolling down the cheeks of all of my students. So I walked to the window, while still reading, and with one hand, tried to open it. The window didn’t budge. Even after I put the book down and heaved, the window remained stuck. Then Gary jumped up, joined me at the window, saying “I’ll help.” Soon for others were behind him, and together we heaved at the heavy window… The class cheered as the window rose, and we felt like a victorious team.

Big Idea: We work as a team.

In other words…

-read each entry above and highlight places where you see the ‘big idea’ (~5 minutes)

-revise your draft to include details that bring out your ‘big idea’ (~9 minutes)

-note your ‘big idea’ after your piece like above (~1 minute)

Example of what your homework should look like:More rain. More lightning. More thunder. Pooh bear wasn’t going to save me; I needed my mom! With each flash

of lightning, I could see my bedroom door, my only hope of escape. To get to the door, I’d have to go past the window. I could get struck by lightning!

Was I brave enough to stay in this corner of my room? Was I brave enough to try to get to my mom’s room? I looked at Pooh. He looked at me. We were going to have to make a break for it! “Don’t worry, Pooh. I won’t leave you behind.”

I clutched Pooh close with one hand while I pulled the covers off with the other. I sat crunched up in a ball at the head of my bed and tried to figure out the pattern of lightning. I was sure that any brightness coming in the window could hurt me. I counted from lightning to thunder and back to lightning again.

Big Idea – You have to push yourself to be brave.


Narrative Craft

SESSION 8 HOMEWORK

PLANNING REVISION WITH STORY ARCSTonight you’ll be revising—writing at least a page and a half of writing in total, but this may be new endings, new beginnings, drafts of parts you are tinkering with . . . anything that makes your writing better. You may want to start your work by deciding which of your many drafts feels to you to be the best, then start to work on it.

Look specifically at the heart of your story. Think about the story arc for each of the characters in the draft you like the best, revising to bring out the rising tension.

In other words…

-rewrite parts of your story to bring out the tension (~15 minutes)



Narrative Craft

SESSION 9 HOMEWORK: USING MENTOR TEXTSTonight, select a few mentor texts to study for five minutes. I’ve given you copies of a few texts, but really, you can take any narrative that you love and use it. Look for craft techniques that you could try. Then, revise a part of your draft using the craft technique.

In other words…

-look at an example of a personal narrative and notice some craft techniques that the author used that you could try (~5 minutes)

-revise a part of your draft using the same craft techniques (~10 minutes)

Example of what your homework should look like:First I read a book by Patricia Polocco and found a craft technique I could try. I noticed that she used a lot of description to capture emotion, so I tried to do the same thing.

Here is the passage I used as my guide.

Revised Entry:

Was I brave enough to stay in this corner of my room? Was I brave enough to try to get to my mom’s room? I looked at Pooh. As always, his arms were held out to his sides and his nose was squished up into face. Today, though, his knobby yellow fur seemed to be trembling. He looked at me his glassy, black, beaded eyes pleading at me to save him. We were going to have to make a break for it! “Don’t worry, Pooh. I won’t leave you behind.”


Narrative Craft

SESSION 10 HOMEWORK: USING PAST MEMORIES TO EMPHASIZE MEANING

Tonight, please work some more on your draft, you might add a scene from the past or future to emphasize the significant part of your writing.

In other words…

-add a flash-back or flash-forward to your draft (~15 minutes)

Example of what your homework should look like:I thought back to a time my mom had told me to get away from the windows during a lightning storm. I was

looking out the window marveling at the light show in front of me. A lightning bolt shot down out of the sky and made its way to the earth somewhere off in the distance. “Get away from that window!” my mom yelled. “Don’t you remember that story I told you my uncle getting struck by lightning while he was doing the dishes?” Before I could answer, she grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the window.


Narrative Craft

SESSION 11 HOMEWORK: WRITING AND REWRITING LEADS AND ENDINGS

Tonight, continue to explore a few different ways your ending might go, even if you feel you’ve already found the “right” one. You might also spend some time thinking about your lead. Does it set readers up to understand what is going to be most important in your story? Does it grab your reader’s attention and begin right at the start of the action? Use this copy of our chart, “Strategies for Elaborating on Important Parts,” to help strengthen your lead and ending.

In other words…

-revise your lead and ending, use the class chart (~15 minutes)



Strategies for Elaborating on Important Parts• Slow down the action, telling it bit-by-bit• Add dialogue• Give details• Show small actions• Add internal thinking

grade 4, unit of study 1 - rtmsd.org€¦ · web viewvaried sentences, appropriate word choice....

Documents