Writer's Workshop
In 4th grade we focus on 3 text types and will write meaningful essays, publish books, website articles and digital videos within those text types...
Narrative Text: Personal Narrative & Realistic Fiction
Informational Text: Nonfiction Essays, Books & Informtional Websites
Opinion Text: Opinion Essays, Letters & Newspaper Articles
Personal Narrative Overview:
Time for Kids.com offers wonderful support for students learning to write personal narrative. Click here www.timeforkids.com/homework-helper/a-plus-papers/personal-narrative for support, or click here to see a sample www.timeforkids.com/files/2011-07/personalnarrativesampler.pdf (image from TimeForKids.com also shown below).
This is a very basic example of personal narrative essay. In fourth grade we will expand on this. See lessons below for more information.
The Writing Process:
Now we will go through the writing process and learn tips and tricks on how to be great narrative writers!
#1 Brainstorming:
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(Video credits and thanks to Teaching Without Frills)
(Video credits and thanks to Michael Gueltig)
#2 Pre-Writing:
Brainstorming helps writers select and choose an idea. After the author decides on an idea to write about, it is time to plan out the whole story. Who are the characters? What is the setting? What happens in the plot of the story? Is there a conflict? Does something outrageous happen? Is the problem solved? Is there a lesson learned?
As authors, all of these ideas are zipping around in our brains. To help us get organized, we can do what we call pre-writing. Pre-writing can take on many forms, but in our class, we will use a story mountain map. The mountain map will help us stretch out our story. The mountain map shows the plot of a story, from beginning to end.
Plot includes: Exposition (exposing the characters and setting), rising action, climax, falling action, and the resolution/conclusion.
Before we move one and start our mountain maps, we should probably review story elements and plot. Here are some videos to help refresh our memories...
(Image credit for plot mountain map above: http://chalkboxtales.blogspot.com)
You'll find two completed mountain maps below from real student authors in Miss Bupp's class!
#3 Drafting:
Hooking the Reader!
After writers have planned their stories across mountain maps, they are ready to start drafting. One of the first steps in drafting is to create an amazing story lead or "hook."
Here are several videos that explain how writers can draft narrative leads.
(Video credits and thanks to Teaching Without Frills and Michael Gueltig)
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As you can see, there are many ways that we can hook readers into our personal narrative stories.
Here are 5 different leads that we can try:
Here are 5 different leads that we can try:
- Inner thoughts lead (Also known as Flashback Lead):
- The author is reflecting back on the memory and describing their emotions and memories in an intriguing way.
- Dialogue Lead:
- The story begins with an exchange of dialogue between two new characters. This lead is very entertaining, engaging, and introduces the reader to the new characters in a not boring way.
- Sound Effects Lead (also known as onomatopoeia):
- Begins with a heavy sound effect
- "SMASH! The window cracked, the wind howled, and the door flung open."
- Action Lead:
- The story begins with an action scene, and the author uses many juicy verbs to show the characters actions.
- I gulped my milk, pushed away from the table, and bolted out of the kitchen, slamming the broken screen door behind me. I ran down to our dock as fast as my legs could carry me. My feet pounded on the old wood, hurrying me toward my dad’s voice.
- Description Lead (A.k.a Imagery Lead or Snapshot Lead):
- Describes the setting or characters using description language and adjectives
- Includes sensory imagery ( 5 senses: sight, touch, taste, sound, or smell)
- Includes figurative language: simile, metaphor, personification
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Drafting continued:
Now that we have great story hooks and have engaged our readers, we want to make sure to keep them! We need to continue writing the beginning of our drafts, making sure to expose our reader to the characters and setting. This relates to the first box of our story mountain maps, and its called "exposition" (although you may also know this as an "introduction" from 3rd grade).
Now that we have great story hooks and have engaged our readers, we want to make sure to keep them! We need to continue writing the beginning of our drafts, making sure to expose our reader to the characters and setting. This relates to the first box of our story mountain maps, and its called "exposition" (although you may also know this as an "introduction" from 3rd grade).
Describing Setting:
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Show-Don't-Tell:
It is important for writers to use their creative words to help the reader make mental images. In Writer's Workshop, we can learn to do this by using the "Show-Don't Tell Strategy."
These videos below by mskraushaar and Mariefe Bouwman teach us the show-don't tell strategy in great detail:
Figurative Language:
As we continue to draft our personal narrative stories, (using our mountain maps as guides) we want to make sure that we are being creative authors who use figurative language. We can do this by using simile, metaphor, personification and by using idioms to express characters' emotions.
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Rising Action:
Rising action is the part of the plot that builds up to the climax. In this part of the story, the author should create suspense to keep their reader hooked!
SUSPENSE!!! What is suspense and how do I write it?
Suspense is the intense feeling that an audience goes through while waiting for the outcome of certain events. It basically leaves the reader holding their breath and wanting more information. The amount of intensity in a suspenseful moment is why it is hard to put a book down. Without suspense, a reader would lose interest quickly in any story because there is nothing that is making the reader ask, “What’s going to happen next?” In writing, there has to be a series of events that leads to a climax that captivates the audience and makes them tense and anxious to know what is going to happen.
(credit to: http://literary-devices.com/content/suspense)
Rising action is the part of the plot that builds up to the climax. In this part of the story, the author should create suspense to keep their reader hooked!
SUSPENSE!!! What is suspense and how do I write it?
Suspense is the intense feeling that an audience goes through while waiting for the outcome of certain events. It basically leaves the reader holding their breath and wanting more information. The amount of intensity in a suspenseful moment is why it is hard to put a book down. Without suspense, a reader would lose interest quickly in any story because there is nothing that is making the reader ask, “What’s going to happen next?” In writing, there has to be a series of events that leads to a climax that captivates the audience and makes them tense and anxious to know what is going to happen.
(credit to: http://literary-devices.com/content/suspense)
Here is a wonderful video that explains suspense...
Video Credit and huge thanks to Help Teaching
Video Credit and huge thanks to Help Teaching
Transitional Words and Phrases:
Fourth graders are expected to use transitional words in every piece of writing they create, whether its is narrative text, information text , or opinion piece. However, we are becoming more advanced writers who can branch out from using the typical sequencing words in our narrative writing. The video below is a great resource in helping us use creative transitions.
Writing Dialogue:
(credit to: http://www.education.com/lesson-plan/narrative-writing-adding-dialogue - by Emily Wakabi)
Which story is better?
Story 1: I was walking through the grocery store one day with my mom. She saw a cart coming straight toward me, but I didn’t see it. I ran right into the cart and landed in a heap on the floor. It was such a disaster.
Story 2: I was walking through the grocery store one day with my mom. All of a sudden she yelled out, “Watch out for that cart!” I was starting to turn around to see what she was talking about but the cart was coming too quickly. I yelled out, “Oh no! Stop!” as the cart came crashing into me. As I landed on the heap on the floor I screamed, “Ouch, watch out next time!” It was such a disaster.
The second story was much better because the dialogue that was added helped you imagine the story as if you had been there, helped you understand what the characters were feeling, and captured your attention more because of the added details the dialogue provided. That is why it’s so important to add dialogue when writing personal narratives.
(credit to: http://www.education.com/lesson-plan/narrative-writing-adding-dialogue - by Emily Wakabi)
Which story is better?
Story 1: I was walking through the grocery store one day with my mom. She saw a cart coming straight toward me, but I didn’t see it. I ran right into the cart and landed in a heap on the floor. It was such a disaster.
Story 2: I was walking through the grocery store one day with my mom. All of a sudden she yelled out, “Watch out for that cart!” I was starting to turn around to see what she was talking about but the cart was coming too quickly. I yelled out, “Oh no! Stop!” as the cart came crashing into me. As I landed on the heap on the floor I screamed, “Ouch, watch out next time!” It was such a disaster.
The second story was much better because the dialogue that was added helped you imagine the story as if you had been there, helped you understand what the characters were feeling, and captured your attention more because of the added details the dialogue provided. That is why it’s so important to add dialogue when writing personal narratives.
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Verbs!
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Resolution/Conclusion:
Theme:
Theme:
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