Strand/Content Area: Language Arts

Grade: 6th
Essential Standard: 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.
Clarifying Object: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3.a
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.
Materials: Diamond handout for each student, day books,
Review: Review that the short story is not the same as your five paragraph essay. It is meant to
flow from one thing to the other slowly unfolding your story with detail.
Focus: Give the students the beginning of a story on the board One day youre walking
through the forest. Its a dark winding trail leading you into a black hole. All of a sudden, boom,
you get sucked into the black hole. Its cold and your skin has more goosebumps than a frog,
when suddenly, you see the light
Have the students explain briefly in their day books for 5 minutes what they saw in the light.
Teacher Input: Teach children the parts of narrative writing through the diamond effect.
#1- top tier of diamond- Entertaining beginning
#2- Elaborate detail- stories critical characters, setting, object
#3- The Main Event- Show action in slow motion, frame by frame, stretch it out! Include
description and main characters thoughts and feelings!
#4- Action- Leading to solution of problem or conclusion of adventure
#5- Extended ending- Memory, Decision, Feeling, or Wish
Guided Practice: Now have your students look over their version of their story to see if they have
this criteria met. Discuss with them how they can meet the criteria and have them get into groups
to share what they wrote or their ideas.
Independent Practice: Have the students go home and do an outline based on their story.
Closure: Explain to students that this is not necessarily the way that their short stories have to be
played out, its just an outline or a guide on what to include. You will be looking for each of
these in their final paper.

Strand/Content Area: Language Arts

Grade: 6th
Essential Standard: 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
Clarifying Object: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3.a
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.
Materials:
Review: Review what you went over yesterday. Tell the students that in their story they have ran
into another person. For five minutes have the students get out their day books and write about
this character. They can write about what happens with the character, jot down ideas of who the
person is, or describe who the person is.
Focus:
Techer Input: Character Development
Explain to the students that they can either keep their idea from last class or they can come up
with a new idea for their final short stories.
What does a character do for the story?
The character adds detail and makes your story interesting.
How to develop a character?
We develop characters by thinking about their personality traits, feelings, and emotions.
Someone who has an influence on the story and makes the story interesting or personal. The
character can be the center of the story or it can be an accessory to the story.
What to include about the character?
Elaborate about the character. Include what your character is seeing, what your character
is smelling, what your characters emotions are, what your character is touching/feeling, and what
your character is hearing.
Show the students an example of a character from a short story. Spiderman.
What does Spiderman do for the comics?
The main character. He adds action and suspense to the story. He makes it come alive.
Guided Practice: They pass their daybook to the student beside of them. And fill out the
worksheet for their partner. Seeing if the student has met all the elaborative characteristics for
their story. Then pass it back to the student.

Independent Practice: Now they will rewrite/edit what they had earlier to elaborate on their
character.
Closure: Tell students that you will be looking for detailed characters in their final narrative.

Strand/Content Area: Language Arts

Grade: 6th
Essential Standard: 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
Clarifying Object: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3.b
Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences,
events, and/or characters.
Materials: Markers, Paper, White Board
Review: Review characters as a class and see if students want to share what they came up with.
Allow students time to work on their narrative for about 5 minutes I their day books.
Focus: Show the students a comic of spiderman. Connecting to yesterdays episode and
connecting to todays
Teacher Input: Dialog
Transition into dialog by explaining to the students that to make their characters more real and
add to their story. Show them example of comics, like Spiderman. Explain the dialog in the
comic makes the story flow and gives the character a voice.
Guided Practice: Have the students get into pairs. Have them create a comic strip based off of a
small story. Using bubbles to indicate what the character is saying.
Independent Practice: For homework have students take the dialogue in the conversation bubbles
and rewrite it as a conversation using quotation marks. Direct them to write the dialogue so that
someone could understand what was happening in the comic without viewing it. Then post each
students conversation and its comic strip on a display titled Comical Conversations.
Closure: Tell students you will be looking for dialog in their final narrative.

Mini-lesson on hooks- Strand/Content Area: Language Arts

Grade: 6th
Essential Standard: 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.
Clarifying Object: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3.a
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.
Hooks: A hook is something that you use to pull the reader in. it catches the readers attention,
makes a promise of whats to come, sets the tone of the piece, or gives the reader a reason to
continue reading. There are different types of leads that include opening with a
Imagine youre writing a short story narrative about your character being late for their very first
day of school. You could use these as opening hooks
Dialog: Wake up my mom shouted
Sound Effect Brrrring! rang the alarm.
Question: Have you ever been late on the first day of school?
Action Lead: I jumped out of bed, raced to the closet and threw on an outfit.
Snapshot of a small moment: My eyelids slowly opened and I was wondering why it was so
bright. I gasped as I reached for my clock.
Flashback: I have only slept in once, but it turned out to be one of the worst mistakes of my life!
Guided Practice: Divide the students up into groups of four students. Give them each a different
story line and have them come up with a hook.
Independent Practice: For homework have them come up with a hook for their narrative
including one of the examples.
For the rest of class have the students go to a comfortable place in the room and work on their
narratives. Allow time for optional teacher conferences during this time
Closing: Tell the students you will be looking for hooks in their final draft.

Strand/Content Area: Language Arts

Grade: 6th
Essential Standard: 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
Clarifying Object: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3.c
Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from
one time frame or setting to another.
Materials: Construction Paper, Scissors, Markers,
Review: Go over the character descriptions from yesterday.
Focus: Have the students for 5 minutes write what they did yesterday from beginning to end.
Have students share in a group what they did. Show them an example of what you did on the
board (in detail with transition words)
Teacher Input: Transition Words
What is a transition word? Transition words are words that are used to go from one event to
another
Why do we use them? To make your narrative flow more smoothly.
How they can enhance and connect you story:
Examples of Transition words:
Guided Practice: Have the students make a four way foldable for the words First, Next, Then,
and Finally. Under the flaps they will put different transition words underneath each word that
can be used instead of that word.
Independent Practice: For homework have the students do a story with pictures using their
transition words. They can either explain how to make a sandwich, how to tie their shoes, or how
to write a letter.
Closure : Explain to students that you will be looking for smooth transitions in the final paper.

Strand/Content Area: Language Arts

Grade: 6th
Essential Standard: 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.
Clarifying Object: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3.d
Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to convey
experiences and events.
Materials: Hersheys Kisses, Peppermints, Index Cards, Tinfoil, Projector, Computer, Board,
Markers
Review: Review how you need to use transition words from the last lesion.
Focus: Show a picture of the mountains and ask the students what stands out about the
mountains. Have them write in their day books for a few minute. Then come up with a
descriptive sentence of what you think describes the mountains the best (based on students
response).
Teacher Input: Show the kids a video of a dog and have them as a class come up with descriptive
words to describe the dog. Display these on the board.
Power point on Descriptive words and Smiles/Metaphors. Go through the power point with the
students explaining to them why you use them in your writing.
Guided Practice: Hersheys and peppermint

You are an alien who has landed in a deserted forest.. On the ground is a single, lonely
UFO your task is to describe this UFO. Remember, you have never seen or heard of
Hersheys kisses before!
Students will choose one partner to work with. Each student will receive a Hersheys kiss
and note card.
Each person fills out their note card with words that describe sigh, touch, sound, smell,
taste

Class will share their best words/phrases

Independent Practice: Students will independently write a story about how the UFO got to the
forest. They will then transfer it onto an index card. They will then make a Hershey kiss out of
paper cutout of Hershey kiss and tinfoil.
Dependent Practice: Have the student work on their narratives for homework.
Closure: Tell the class you will be looking for descriptive language in their final draft.

Essential Standard: 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.
Clarifying Object:CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3.e
Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.
Materials: Paper, Pencil, white board, and markers
Review: Go over what should be included in their final draft. Including an outline, a hook,
characters, descriptive details, and dialog.
Focus: Now that its time to finish up the draft and write the final conclusion. Show them an
example of a conclusion:
Teacher Input:
Talk to the students about
The conclusion is the time to wrap up their story and put their final thoughts into words.
It should include a smooth transition to the end of the story.
It should flow easily and describe ay last feelings or thoughts.
It should not end abruptly or quickly.
Dependent Practice: Group the students into groups of 3. Give them an unfinished story and have
them write a conclusion. After that within their group have them share each others papers and
discuss ways to conclude their paper.
Independent Practice: Finish the final draft of paper.
Closure: Tell the students to bring their final paper to class tomorrow. Make sure they revise and
go over the rubric before turning in.