Lesson Plan Title:

Concepts ( Topic To Teach):

Standards Addressed:

Creative Writing: Elements of a Mystery

Writing process, story structure, genres, editing

1.0 - Writing Strategies

Students write clear, coherent, and focused essays. The writing exhibits
students awareness of the audience and purpose. Essays contain formal
introductions, supporting evidence, and conclusions. Students progress
through the stages of the writing process as needed.

Organization and Focus

1.1
Choose the form of writing (e.g., personal letter, letter to the editor,
review, poem, report, narrative) that best suits the intended purpose.

1.3
Use a variety of effective and coherent organizational patterns,
including comparison and contrast; organization by categories; and
arrangement by spatial order, order of importance, or climactic order.

Research and Technology

1.4
Use organizational features of electronic text (e.g., bulletin boards,
databases, keyword searches, e-mail addresses) to locate information.

1.5
Compose documents with appropriate formatting by using wordprocessing skills and principles of design (e.g., margins, tabs, spacing, columns,
page orientation).

Evaluation and Revision

1.6
Revise writing to improve the organization and consistency of ideas
within and between paragraphs.

STATE STANDARDS

COMMON CORE

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined

experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details,
and well-structured event sequences.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3a Engage and orient the reader by establishing a

context and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event
sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3b Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing,

and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3c Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and

clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to
another.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3d Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive

details, and sensory language to convey experiences and events.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3e Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated

experiences or events.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the

development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in
standards 13 above.)

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.5 With some guidance and support from peers and

adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach. (Editing for conventions should

COMMON CORE (cont.)

demonstrate command of Language standards 13 up to and including grade

6.)

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce

and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others;
demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of
three pages in a single sitting.

General Goal(s):

Specific Objectives:

Students will (SW) write a mystery story inspired by images in

the book The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, by Chris Van
Allsburg
SW compose a creative writing assignment in the mystery genre.
SW engage in the multi-step writing process (pre-writing,
drafting, revising, editing, publishing).
SW adhere to language conventions and story structure.
SW identify art as a source of inspiration for writers.

Required Materials:
Anticipatory Set (Lead-In):

Direct Instruction:

SW demonstrate an understanding of the peer editing process by

providing meaningful feedback for their peers and adjusting their
own work in accordance with feedback provided during the
editing/revising portion of the lesson.
Harris Burdick book, iPads, Edmodo account, Pages app, Vimeo
video
Read introduction of The Mysteries of Harris Burdick
encourage questions and discussion: approx. 10 minutes
DAY 1: Approx. 20 min.

Review of Mummy 1770 as a mystery

Remind class that qualities of a good archaeologist are
also the qualities of a good detective
Refer students to Harris Burdicks images on Edmodo and
tell them about the Harris Burdick Project
Ask them to choose an image that strikes them. What
story do they want to tell about this image? Who is this
story about? What is the mystery? (show Vimeo clip)
Go over the elements of a good story: strong protagonist
and voice, descriptive setting, dialogue ask them what
they think makes a story great.
What can we include to make our story mysterious? A
puzzle to solve? A question to answer?

DAY 2: Approx. 15 min.

Review editing/revising portion of the writing process

GO over editing symbols and revising shorthand (prior
knowledge)
After peer editing, return to whole group instruction and
go over how we respond to edits/revisions.

DAY 3: Approx. 20 min.

Plan for Guided Practice:

Review story structure (Freytags pyramid) and elements

of a story.
Discuss the importance of organization (exposition, rising
action, climax, resolution)
After authors chair, ask students what they think
worked in their classmates stories. Ask them what they
found distracting.

DAY 1: Approx. 10 min.

Distribute and complete story maps. Reinforce the importance of
this step in the writing process: prewriting! Its only about ideas,
not structure or organization.
DAY 2: Approx. 10 min.
Call students to SmartBoard to complete editing example.
Day 3: Approx. 10 min.

Plan For Independent Practice:

Mrs. McGeough and I model Authors Chair procedures and

take student questions/suggestions.
DAY 1 FOCUS, Drafting: Approx 20 min.
SW begin the drafting portion of the writing process.
SW refer to the story map and the images for inspiration during
the drafting process.
DAY 2 FOCUS, Revising and Editing: Approx. 40 min.
SW separate into editing groups for revisions and writing
conferences (+ what theyd like to see more of, ? fuzzy
details, * favorite elements, - in need of editing).
SW will return to independent work after conferencing, making
necessary edits and revisions to story.

DAY 3 FOCUS, Story Structure and Organization: Approx. 40 min.

SW participate in authors chair reading groups. They will
gather feedback for further revisions.
SW focus on word choice (sensory descriptors) and organizational
structure of story (paragraphs and sentences beginning, middle,
and end).
SW have final conference with teachers (if necessary).

Assessment:

Adjustments for students with

L.D.:
Challenge or Enrichment Level
Activities:

SW publish!
Published story will be the final assessment. Informal
assessments will occur during the drafting and editing process as I
conference with students over the three day lesson.
Modify the formatting and length requirements for the story.
Conference more frequently with struggling students.
Students who complete a well-constructed story and publish
ahead of schedule can create a podcast or animation to
accompany their story. They may use iMovie to record a reading
of their story and add illustrations and images to accompany their
work of fiction.