Narrative writing is usually quite a popular unit with most students. It is here that they can put together everything they have learned about writing. Ideas, word choice, using connections, and developing a voice are all part of the narrative writing scaffolding.
If you used last month’s unit on author studies and the introduction to “voice” your students will have spent some time learning about voice. They practiced by mimicking that author. You can check out that post here. Even if you did not use the previous unit to teach voice, your students will learn more in-depth about voice and how it can relate to a mood and tone.
Narrative Writing Mentor Texts
These books are so different yet 3 out of 4 have an emotion/friendship and bravery theme. Students will begin to pick out mood and tone in a book and use some of the techniques such as word choice to create a mood.
In My Heart has the best describing words for feelings! Students will harvest some new words and then choose an emotion to write about in detail with a tone to showcase that feeling.
The Story of Diva and Flea gives students a look into a chapter book and the voice that is present in a longer story. Students will go in-depth with story elements – beginning, middle, and end and create a lap book to present those elements from the story. Students will then carry the story on and write about “The Next Story of Diva and Flea”.
If you haven’t read one of the Mad Scientist books, you are in for a treat. The Mad Scientist: The Weather Disaster is like a graphic novel in picture book form. Students love this book! It’s also the perfect time to introduce it to your weather lessons. (Not to mention kids love monsters!) Using this book, voice is integrated into other curricular areas like Science and Social Studies.
Our last story, The Lion Inside, is a beautiful story about the perception of bravery. Students will write their own “unlikely friendship” story and go through the whole writing process including student feedback, editing, and sharing aloud in a presentation.
Click here to see the full year-long writing unit.
There is also a year-long overview you can view here.
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