Activities

1. Name a situation and narrator and/or characters that can be developed as a narrative piece of writing.
   
   
2. List an event sequence that can be developed as a piece of narrative writing.
   
   
3. Identify the writer’s purpose in developing a piece of narrative writing.
   
   
4. Write dialogue and description to include in narrative writing.
   
   
5. Recognize elements within the narrative in writing that could be linked using a logical connection.
   
   
6. Identify concrete words, phrases, and sensory details that convey experiences and events in the narrative.
   
   
7. Identify key information that wraps up the writing and should be included in a narrative’s conclusion.

8. Determine how the sequence of events will unfold naturally to tell the story.
   
   
9. Organize and group information logically to support the writer’s purpose.
   
   
10. Construct meaningful, rich dialogue that works to develop the narrative’s experiences and or events or shows the character’s responses to the situation.
    
    
11. Construct descriptions that incorporate other elements of the narrative such as characters, pacing, and plot line to improve the narrative.
    
    
12. Modify pacing of the narrative to most effectively foster the narrative.
    
    
13. Add additional narrative techniques such as dialogue, description, and pacing based on predictions of what readers might need upon reading the narrative writing.
    
    
14. Construct sentences within the narrative that manage the sequence of events by linking ideas using an appropriate connecting word or phrase.
    
    
15. Determine where concrete words, phrases, and sensory details need to be used and how they should best be used in the writing.
    
    
16. Show character's thoughts and feelings as well as their interactions through dialogue that employs precise language.
    
    
17. Construct a concluding section that includes appropriate wrap up of the narrative organized in a logical manner. 

18. Develop the narrator and/or characters in the story to match the situation and events.
    
    
19. Evaluate the sequence of events in the narrative writing and revise as needed to assure that they effectively develop a storyline.
    
    
20. Analyze descriptions used in narrative writing and revise to add to narrative’s overall effectiveness.
    
    
21. Determine if pacing might be accelerated or slowed to more richly develop the narrative.
    
    
22. Critique and adjust order of events to assure most logical order.
    
    
23. Revise writing to demonstrate use of connecting words, phrases, and clauses to effectively manage the sequence of events to assist the reader.
    
    
24. Evaluate the effectiveness of the overall goal of creating a narrative and/or conveying an experience and events to the reader and how the inclusion of specific vocabulary assists in this goal.
    
    
25. Analyze concluding section for effectiveness in following the narrated experiences or events.
    
    
26. Revise concluding section as needed to provide additional information or a more logical organization.

Answer Key/Rubric

1. Student names a situation and narrator and/or characters that can be developed as a narrative piece.  A situation that would be appropriate for development as a narrative piece has a storyline to it.  Characters should fit naturally into the situation. Some type of conflict is present.
   
   
2. The event sequence stated should have a beginning, middle, and end.  The sequence of events should unfold naturally, not in a forced manner.
   
   
3. Student is able to provide a purpose for the stated writing.  A purpose further provides a focused scope for the writing .
   
   
4. Student writes dialogue and description that fit appropriately in the narrative.  Dialogue should contribute in a meaningful way to the narrative.  Descriptions of events and situations in the narrative are constructed.
   
   
5. Student finds elements within his/her narrative writing that could be linked.  Ideal locations for words are at places within the narrative that they would serve to benefit the reader to help explain the sequence of events or other types of connections.
   
   
6. Student lists words that will be used in the narrative writing that are “perfect” words for the writing.  These words are carefully selected and will be used in the writing to give the narrative the exact meaning that it should have.
   
   
7. Using his/her own narrative writing piece, the student identifies the elements from the writing that should be included in the concluding section.  The concluding section should wrap up what has already been introduced in the narrative.  Generally new information is not presented in the conclusion.
   
   
8. Student determines how the sequence of will best unfold to tell the story.  Some events may be omitted or other may be added to best support the storyline.
   
   
9. Student is able to logically organize the information to support the purpose of the narrative writing.  In a narrative, the order is most often chronological.  If another order is used, it should be intentionally chosen and purposeful.
   
   
10. Student includes dialogue that is meaningful, rich, and true to character.  When dialogue is included it is a meaningful addition.  What the characters say in the dialogue contributes meaningfully to the narrative.
    
    
11. Student includes descriptions that contribute to developing experiences and events in significant ways.  They might further develop a character, work with the pacing, or improve the storyline.
    
    
12. Student paces the narrative to contribute to the overall effectiveness of the writing.  A pace that is too fast and leaves the reader confused should be slowed down and more details need to be provided.  Similarly, a pace that is too slow is revised to move the story along faster.
    
    
13. Student predicts what the reader of the narrative might need to further tell the story and adds additional dialogue or description to adjust pacing. This provides the writer a chance to consider another’s point of view, and adjust/react accordingly.
    
    
14. Student constructs sentences that manage the sequence of events using a connecting word that fittingly shows the appropriate relationship between the elements.
    
    
15. Student carefully considers vocabulary used throughout the writing and how it works to create an interesting narrative.  Using concrete words, phrases and sensory details is best.  When doing that, the writer needs to consider how those words might need to be defined and used for the reader to understand.
    
    
16. Student crafts dialogue that works to show characters’ thoughts and feelings as well as how they interact with others.  Dialogue is intentional and always used with purpose.  Characters do not talk just to talk.
    
    
17. Writer constructs a concluding section that includes the elements from the narrative and concluding, wrap-up information.  Appropriate material for a conclusion may be repeated elements of the narrative that have already been stated, or summarizing information from the narrative. Likely, the order of the information is the same as it is presented throughout the piece of writing followed by a summarizing conclusion.  If the order is different or if new information is given, the student can state and defend a logical reason for the change.
    
    
18. Student compares the characters with the situation and event sequence and revises them accordingly.  Characters should most often react in a natural manner in their given situations and when faced with the events of the narrative writing.
    
    
19. Student evaluates the sequence of events in the narrative writing and revises them as needed to assure that they effectively develop a storyline.  Students may find that they need to add or remove events from the storyline to create focus.
    
    
20. Writer analyzes descriptive passages used in the narrative and how they contribute to the overall effectiveness of the narrative.  The writer may choose to revise or remove current descriptive passages, or add additional description to develop the narrative.
    
    
21. Writer determines if the pacing of the story is effective in the development of the narrative.  The writer may decide to accelerate, or slow down the pacing to more effectively develop the narrative.  Some events may be omitted, or some may be added to make the pacing more effective.
    
    
22. Writer considers other possible orders of events for the writing and continues using same order or adjusts order of events to best develop the narrative.  This might be a “what if” exercise that encourages the writer to try out other orders.
    
    
23. Student revises narrative writing piece to effectively manage the sequence of events.  Student links elements of the narrative with appropriate words, phrases, and clauses that show an accurate connection.  Student critically evaluates the elements in the writing that are connected and those that aren’t connected and make revisions when necessary to further strengthen the writing.  Connecting words/phrases should be used accurately and meaningfully.
    
    
24. Student evaluates his/her writing and how it meets the goal of engaging the reader in the narrative.  The student considers if the concrete words and phrases and sensory details that are chosen contribute to the intended focus and goal constructing an interesting, engaging narrative.  Adjustments are made to the writing based on the findings.
    
    
25. Student analyzes the concluding section to assure that the information included appropriately follows the narrative.  Logical reasoning should be employed.  Information should be appropriate for the intended audience.  The conclusion of a narrative wraps up the story and brings conclusion for the reader.
    
    
26. Based on analyzing and critiquing the narrative writing, the student revises the concluding section to include additional necessary information or be more logically organized.  Additional reasons may be added to the conclusion if stronger support of the narrative is needed.  Reasons may be omitted if they are unneeded, or repetitive reasons are included. Most likely, the order of information follows the same order it was presented in the writing piece.