Being A Writer: Unit 3, Week 3 – “Personal Narrative”
Week of
November 26
Common Core
Language
Objective
Materials
Writing
Writing
Writing
RI.4.1, SL.4.1, SL.4.1a,
SL.4.1b, SL.4.1c, W.4.3,
SW.4.3b, W.4.3d, W.4.3e,
W.4.4, W.4.5, W.4.7, W.4.10
RI.4.1, SL.4.1, SL.4.1a, SL.4.1b,
SL.4.1c, W.4.3, SW.4.3b,
W.4.3d, W.4.3e, W.4.4, W.4.5,
W.4.7, W.4.10
RI.4.1, SL.4.1, SL.4.1a, SL.4.1b,
SL.4.1c, W.4.3, SW.4.3b,
W.4.3d, W.4.3e, W.4.4, W.4.5,
W.4.7, W.4.10
RI.4.1, SL.4.1, SL.4.1a, SL.4.1b,
SL.4.1c, W.4.3, SW.4.3b, W.4.3d,
W.4.3e, W.4.4, W.4.5, W.4.7,
W.4.10
TSW write and/or participate in
writing behaviors, hearing, and
discussing personal narratives.
“Being a Writer” TM-Volume 1
Unit 3 Week 3 Day 1 (pgs. 190192) Selecting Drafts
TSW write and/or participate in
writing behaviors, hearing, and
discussing personal narratives.
“Being a Writer” TM-Volume 1
Unit 3 Week 3 Day 2 (pgs. 193196) Analyzing, Completing,
and Revising Drafts
TSW write and/or participate in
writing behaviors, hearing, and
discussing personal narratives.
“Being a Writer” TM-Volume 1
Unit 3 Week 3 Day 3 (pgs. 197199) Analyzing and Revising
Drafts
TSW write and/or participate in
writing behaviors, hearing and
discussing personal narratives.
“Being a Writer” TM-Volume 1 Unit
3 Week 3 Day 4 (pgs. 200-203)
Analyzing and Revising Drafts
Pad of self-stick notes for each
student
Pad of self-stick notes for each
student
Sample Personal Narrative
Sample Personal Narrative from
Day 2 (revised)
“Notes About Personal
Narratives” Chart
Writing
“Opening Sentences from Three
Personal Narratives” (BLM9)
Student Writing Handbook page 9
Link to Prior
Learning
TW review:
That S have been writing drafts
of personal narratives.
Assessment Resource Book
TW review drafts of personal
narratives S selected yesterday
to develop and publish.
TW review revised drafts of
personal narratives S chose to
add sensory details to.
The items on the “Personal
Narratives” chart.
TW read the three opening
sentences from several narratives
read earlier in this unit (BLM9). S
will think about how the author get
the reader interested with the
opening sentences.
TW ask: What do you think about
or imagine when you hear this
opening? Turn to your partner.
Lesson
Input/Modeling
TW explain that this week S will
select one of their drafts and
begin to develop it for
publication.
TW distribute a pad of self-stick
notes to each student.
TW facilitate guided rereading of
drafts.
Say the following prompts:
Find a place where you
describe, or could describe, what
something sounds like. Put a
self-stick note in the margin next
to that place and write “sounds”
on it.
Find one place in your draft that
you really like. This might be a
place where you used words that
you like or where you like a
TW instruct S to open their SWH to
pg. 9. Together reread the first
passage, from “Hot Rolls.”
Underline the words and phrases S
mention that may get them
interested in reading the piece.
Have S read the remaining
opening sentence in pairs and
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Being A Writer: Unit 3, Week 3 – “Personal Narrative”
sentence you wrote. Put a selfstick note in the margin next to
that place and write: “I like” on it.
Find a place in your dragt where
you describe, or could describe,
what something looks like. Put a
self-stck note in the margin next
to it and write “looks” on it.
Key Question(s)
Guided Practice
What have you learned about
personal narrative, compared to
other kinds of writing?
TW explain to S that they will
reread all the personal narrative
drafts they have written so far.
They will select a draft they can
imagine making changes to.
What sensory details might you
add to help the reader imagine
what’s happening?
TW model step 2, page 194:
“Model Developing a Marked
Section of the Draft”
Find a place where you describe
what something feels like. Put a
self-stick note in the margin and
write “feels like” on it.
Find a place where you
describe, or could describe, how
something smells or tastes. Put
a self-stick note in the margin
and write “smells” or “tastes” on
it.
What words could you add to
help your reader
[see/hear/smell/taste/feel] what’s
happening?
TW model adding the following
sensory details to the sample
writing from yesterday: “sounds”,
“smells”, or “tastes”.
Display the writing sample you
will revise on the board.
Ask: As you’re looking through
your drafts, what might you
want to look for to help you
decide which one to develop?
Independent
Practice
TS will:
1. Select a draft to
develop and publish.
TW circulate and ask the
following of individuals:
Why did you choose this piece
to revise?
underline the words and phrases
they feel are effective at making
the reader want to read more.
What does the author do to get us
interested in reading this piece?
What words or phrases help us
imagine what’s happening?
TW ask S to reread the first few
sentences of their own personal
narratives. Ask and have the
students think to themselves
about:
How might you revise your opening
sentences to “hook” the reader and
make him or her want to keep
reading?
TSW write silently for 20-30
minutes.
TSW write silently for 20-30
minutes.
TSW write silently for 20-30
minutes.
Complete your draft.
Add more sensory details to help
the reader imagine what’s
happening.
Revise your opening sentences so
they “hook” your reader.
Add sensory details to places
you marked to help the reader
imagine what’s happening.
Remove self-stick notes when
you finish adding details.
Remove self-stick notes when
you finish adding details.
Make any other revisions or
additions so your piece is complete
and as interesting as it can be.
Add to your story until it is
TW begin conferring with individual
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Being A Writer: Unit 3, Week 3 – “Personal Narrative”
What can you imagine adding
or changing in this piece to
make it more interesting?
2. Confer in pairs about
selected drafts.
Why did your partner select that
draft?
finished.
TW join the students in writing
for a few minutes; then walk
around the classroom and
observe.
students about the piece they are
developing for publication.
TW circulate and individuals who
may be having difficulty adding
to their drafts.
Document observations in the
Assessment Resource Book.
What’s interesting to you about
your partner’s draft?
What else did your partner tell
you about the draft he is going
to work on to publish?
Summary/Closure
Sharing and Reflecting
Sharing and Reflecting
Sharing and Reflecting
TW ask and briefly discuss:
TW ask and briefly discuss:
TW ask and briefly discuss:
What did you do today to make
sure you could accurately share
what your partner said with the
class?
What sensory details did you
add to your draft? Read us that
part.
What did you imagine as you
listened to the revisions?
Why is it important that each of
us take responsibility for
listening carefully to your
partner?
What did you imagine when you
heard the sensory details?
How are the revisions different
from the original?
What questions can we ask?
What did you do to take
responsibility for your own work
during writing time today? How
does that help to build our
community?
Sharing and Reflecting
TW ask and briefly discuss the
following:
What words did you hear in the
opening sentences that make you
want to keep reading?
What ideas, if any, does this give
you for your own opening
sentences?
How did you do today giving
your full attention to the people
who were sharing their writing?
If you weren’t giving your full
attention today, what will help
you give your full attention the
next time we have a class
discussion?
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Being A Writer: Unit 3, Week 3 – “Personal Narrative”
Differentiation
Read aloud. S partners, graphic
organizers for struggling
scholars.
Read aloud. S partners, graphic
organizers for struggling
scholars.
Read aloud. S partners, graphic
organizers for struggling
scholars.
Read aloud. S partners, graphic
organizers for struggling scholars.
4