Narrative Writing

Canned Lesson Narrative Writing

Step 1: Read the prompt carefully before you begin. Writing Situation:Your teacher is unexpectedly out sick for one day. Some students in the class decide to misbehave. What do you decide to do? Think about what you might do that day. Directions for Writing: Writea story about what you would do in this situation.

Step 2: Address the prompt. Think about whether you will behave or misbehave and what will happen that day.

Step 3:Prepare the graphic organizer. Now fold your paper into 4 squares.

Step 4: Complete the graphic organizer. Unfold the paper and draw a box in the center. In the center box write a sentence to start your story. One day when my teacher was out my class was bad, but I was good.

Write about one way that you were good when the others were not. Example: They wouldn’t do their work. Example: They caused a food fight in the cafeteria. Write about another thing that happened that day that showed you were good. Step 3: Complete the graphic organizer. One day when my teacher was out my class was bad, but I was good. Example: I raised my hand when I had a question about the assignment. Write another way that you did not misbehave. When our teacher gets back tomorrow, there are going to be some things that he won’t be happy about. I think the whole class is going to get lectured about doing our work, behaving in the cafeteria and being respectful. I wonder if the sub will tell our teacher that I was good all day? End your story and give your feelings.

Event: They started a food fight in the cafeteria. • Why behave? • Join in fun • No control Write 3 details about this. • Event: The class didn’t do their work. • Didn’t want homework • Wanted to learn • Know punishment Write 3 details about this. Step 3: Complete the graphic organizer. One day when my teacher was out my class was bad, but I was good. • Event: I raised my hand when I had a question. • disrespectful to teacher • Getting frustrated • Mom would be mad When our teacher gets back tomorrow, there are going to be some things that he won’t be happy about. I think the whole class is going to get lectured about doing our work, behaving in the cafeteria and being respectful. I wonder if the sub will tell our teacher that I was good all day? Summarize and end. Write 3 details about this.

Elaborate on one detail. • Event: The class didn’t do their work. • Didn’t want homework • Wanted to learn • Yes, I’m a geek! • Know punishment Step 3: Complete the graphic organizer. ELABORATE One day when my teacher was out my class was bad, but I was good.

Event: The class didn’t do their work. • Didn’t want homework • Wanted to learn • Yes, I’m a geek! • Know punishment • Event: They started a food fight in the cafeteria. • Why behave? • Everyone else is doing it, so why not? Talk about peer pressure!! Mom would say something about jumping off bridges. • Join in fun • No control Step 3: Complete the graphic organizer. ELABORATE One day when my teacher was out my class was bad, but I was good.

Event: The class didn’t do their work. • Didn’t want homework • Wanted to learn • Yes, I’m a geek! • Know punishment • Event: They started a food fight in the cafeteria. • Why behave? • Everyone else is doing it, so why not? Talk about peer pressure!! Mom would say something about jumping off bridges. • Join in fun • No control Step 3: Complete the graphic organizer. One day when my teacher was out my class was bad, but I was good. • Event: I raised my hand when I had a question. • disrespectful to teacher • Getting frustrated • My mom gets that little vein throbbing on her forehead, too. • Mom would be mad ELABORATE

Step 5: Add transitions. For example, Next, • Event: They started a food fight in the cafeteria. • Why behave? • Everyone else is doing it, so why not? Talk about peer pressure!! Mom would say something about jumping off bridges. • Join in fun • No control A list of transition words is online! • Event: The class didn’t do their work. • Didn’t want homework • Wanted to learn • Yes, I’m a geek! • Know punishment Later on, All in all, One day when my teacher was out my class was bad, but I was good. When our teacher gets back tomorrow, there are going to be some things that he won’t be happy about. I think the whole class is going to get lectured about doing our work, behaving in the cafeteria and being respectful. I wonder if the sub will tell our teacher that I was good all day? • Event: I raised my hand when I had a question. • disrespectful to teacher • Getting frustrated • My mom gets that little vein throbbing on her forehead, too. • Mom would be mad

Step 6: From the graphic organizer to the paper. For example, Next, • Event: They started a food fight in the cafeteria. • Why behave? • Everyone else is doing it, so why not? Talk about peer pressure!! Mom would say something about jumping off bridges. • Join in fun • No control • Event: The class didn’t do their work. • Didn’t want homework • Wanted to learn • Yes, I’m a geek! • Know punishment Each square will become a paragraph. Later on, All in all, One day when my teacher was out my class was bad, but I was good. When our teacher gets back tomorrow, there are going to be some things that he won’t be happy about. I think the whole class is going to get lectured about doing our work, behaving in the cafeteria and being respectful. I wonder if the sub will tell our teacher that I was good all day? • Event: I raised my hand when I had a question. • disrespectful to teacher • Getting frustrated • My mom gets that little vein throbbing on her forehead, too. • Mom would be mad

Step 6: From the graphic organizer to the paper. One day when my teacher was out, the whole class, except for me, was really bad. Whether in the classroom or in other places, my classmates acted terribly. I guess they thought that since our teacher was gone and would never find out, it would be okay to act up. • Expand the Topic sentence (the center box) to answer the questions: • Who is in the story? • What’s it about? • When did it take place? • Where did it take place? • Why did it happen?

Step 6: From the graphic organizer to the paper. Have you ever actually seen a bunch of wild banshees? One day when my teacher was out, the whole class, except for me, was really bad. Whether in the classroom or in other places, my classmates acted terribly. I guess they thought that since our teacher was gone and would never find out, it would be okay to act up. • Begin the introductory paragraph with a hook. Samples of hooks can be found online.

For example, Next, Event: They started a food fight in the cafeteria. Why behave? Everyone else is doing it, so why not? Talk about peer pressure!! Mom would say something about jumping off bridges. Join in fun No control Event: The class didn’t do their work. Didn’t want homework Wanted to learn Yes, I’m a geek! Know punishment Later on, All in all, It is unfair to punish the entire class for the misbehavior of one student. Event: I raised my hand when I had a question. disrespectful to teacher Getting frustrated My mom gets that little vein throbbing on her forehead, too. Mom would be mad When our teacher gets back tomorrow, there are going to be some things that he won’t be happy about. I think the whole class is going to get lectured about doing our work, behaving in the cafeteria and being respectful. I wonder if the sub will tell our teacher that I was good all day? Step 6: From the graphic organizer to the paper. Next Paragraph

Step 6: From the graphic organizer to the paper. Next Paragraph For example, when we come into the room first thing, we know we have Mountain Language to do. My classmates didn’t want to do their work, but I actually like learning those things. Yes, I know, I’m a geek. Then again, I also knew that work not done during the day became homework and other punishment would be given.

Step 6: From the graphic organizer to the paper. Next Paragraph Next, the class continued to misbehave when we got to the cafeteria. They actually started a food fight. I began wondering to myself whether or not I should continue to behave. After all, everyone else was doing it, so why not? Talk about peer pressure!! My mom would say something about jumping off bridges, but I wanted to join in fun. There was no control in the cafeteria that day!

Step 6: From the graphic organizer to the paper. Next Paragraph Later on, even I was starting to lose my cool. I was raising my hand to ask questions when I had one over the assignment, but everyone else was being really disrespectful to the teacher. I could tell she was getting really frustrated because she got that same throbbing vein in her forehead that my mom gets. I can imagine how angry my mom would be if she found out I was rude to a teacher.

Step 6: From the graphic organizer to the paper. Summary Paragraph All in all, when our teacher gets back tomorrow, there are going to be some things that he won’t be happy about. I think the whole class is going to get lectured about doing our work, behaving in the cafeteria and being respectful. I wonder if the sub will tell our teacher that I was good all day? If not, I guess the piper will have to be paid!! Ending PUNCH

Step 7: Vocabulary Review your paragraphs. Can you add adjectives (describing words) and interesting adverbs (describing action words)? ADJECTIVES ADVERBS

Step 7: Vocabulary BEFORE: The sub was getting mad. AFTER: Our sub was getting as angry as a nest of hornets!

Step 7: Vocabulary BEFORE: They started a food fight in the cafeteria. AFTER: The next thing I knew, food was flying in every direction. It was pure chaos!

Step 7: Vocabulary Remember: The more sophisticated vocabulary you use…the higher your score. bad dreadful

Step 8: Visual Expression Use metaphors and similes to give your essay more visual expression. At this point the teacher has no control over the class. At this point the teacher has no more control over the class than a blind race car driver would in a NASCAR race.

Step 9: Reread Your Work REREAD your work to make sure you have: • Addressed the prompt and stayed on the topic • Answered 5 W questions in the introductory paragraph • Have paragraphs that describe each event • Elaborate on a detail in each paragraph • Have a summary paragraph that restates your prompt. • Begin each paragraph with a transition word • Include sophisticated vocabulary: adjectives, adverbs, similes, and metaphors

Narrative Writing