Activities

1. Write four different ideas for stories/narratives and explain which you would most like to develop.
   
   
2. Given a song that tells a story, identify the plot.  
   
   
3. Using one-page from a narrative graphic novel or a narrative comic strip that has been cut into individual panels, rearrange the story into the correct order.

4. Rewrite a favorite fairytale and give it a new ending.
   
   
5. Using one or two pages, explain how you would spend an unexpected day-off from school.

6. Write a true story about an event or experience that taught you something.
   
   
7. Write a fictional story in which you are the hero.

Answer Key/Rubric

1. Student writes four narrative prompts.  Student explains which prompt he would like to respond to the most.  Student understands a narrative is a story or part of a story that follows some type of logical sequence.  Student understands the narrative can be fiction or non-fiction.  Student correctly writes four narrative ideas.  Student explains which prompt he would most like to respond to.  Student can identify why he would most like to develop the selected prompt.  Student understands it is easier to write about a topic he is familiar with.  Questions to help students generate ideas may include:

• If you could go back in time and change something, what would it be?
• Describe a time you felt proud of yourself.  Explain what happened and why you felt proud.
• Tell about a time when you learned something that you will never forget.

2. Given a song that tells a story, student identifies the plot.  Student listens closely to the lyrics.  Student correctly identifies the events that make up the storyline or plot.  Student understands narrative songs tell a story and follow some type of logical sequence.   

3. Using one-page from a narrative graphic novel or a narrative comic strip that has been cut into individual panels, student rearranges the story into the correct order.  Student closely reads each panel.  Student arranges the panel in the correct sequence, so narrative makes sense.  Student understands a narrative tells a story and follows some type of logical sequence.
   
   
4. Student rewrites a favorite fairytale and gives it a new ending.  Student chooses a fairytale to rewrite.  Student’s narrative is grade appropriate and makes sense.  Student chooses an appropriate place within the story to begin making changes to the story.  Student understands the basic structure of a story, introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.  Student understands the climax is the turning point of the story and the point in which a character makes a decision that changes the outcome of the story. Student begins making changes at the climax.  Changes make sense.  Resulting falling action works out the decision made at climax.  Falling action events make sense.   Story contains adequate description, dialogue and action to move story along and toward completion.  The resolution makes sense and wraps up the story.  Reader has a sense of closure and feels nothing more need happen.
   
   
5. Using one or two pages, student explains how he would spend an unexpected day-off from school.  Student’s narrative is grade appropriate and makes sense.  Student clearly explains how he would spend an unexpected day-off from school.  Student uses transitions to help clarify relationships between ideas.  Ideas are presented in a logical sequence.  Student lists several things he would do and develops these ideas fully.  If student uses fewer ideas, he develops one or two ideas fully.
   
   
6. Student writes a true story about an event or experience that taught him something.   Student’s narrative is grade appropriate, written in 1^st person and makes sense.  Narrative is non-fiction.  Narrative is about one event or experience.  Student engages or orients the reader by establishing a setting and context.  Student fully describes the experience or event.  Events are in a logical sequence.   Student uses dialogue, description, precise words and phrases and sensory language to develop and convey the experience.  Student uses transition words that assist the reader in following the ideas or events.   Student includes what they were taught or what they learned.  Student provides a conclusion.  Conclusion includes what the student learned or it may contain a broader message to fit most people while being related to the lesson learned.  Student relays this message directly or through a quote, vivid image, dialogue or final action.  Conclusion gives reader a sense of closure.
   
   
7. Student writes a fictional story in which he is the hero.  Student’s narrative is grade appropriate and makes sense.  Student writes an introduction which contains the setting.  Introduction introduces the reader to the characters and contains background information.  Student chooses a point of view that works well for the story and consistently writes in this point of view.  Student writes an introduction that is realistic and fictional.  Introduction makes sense and contains good description.  Student conveys introduction in a succinct manner so there is room for the plot to develop.  Student understands that the introduction can be conveyed through dialogue, flashback, character's thoughts and actions, background details, or the narrator telling a back-story.  Student provides rising action or events that lead up to the climax.  Student uses dialogue, description, precise words and phrases and sensory language to develop and convey the story.  Student uses transition words that assist the reader in following the ideas or events.  Story contains a climax or turning point in which the main character must make a decision that changes the outcome of the story.  Student includes falling action or events that work out the decision made at climax.  Student includes a resolution that gives the reader a sense of closure.  The reader feels that all questions have been answered and nothing more needs to happen.