Stage 3 Writing Program
Narrative Gold
Stage / Grade: Stage Three
Intellectual Quality
What are the central ideas
or concepts I want students
to know?
Formal Assessment
How will students
demonstrate their deep
knowledge?
Links to Foundation
Statements
Integrated Task(s)
KLA(S): English / Writing
Duration: One Term
Students must have an understanding of how character and setting
Interrelationships – The nature in which people Significance?
is used to engage an audience. Students utilise grammatical
interact with each other and the environment
Why does this
learning
features to achieve their set purpose to engage their audience.
matter?
Students will write a series of two or three letters to Criteria for
a) Character and Setting – Writes using effective
marking.
characterisation and setting throughout the text
send to a friend or family member. The letters
should engage the reader through the development What criteria
will be used to b) Audience – Recognises the importance of engaging the
of character and setting.
assess deep
audience through utilising effective use of narrative devices
understanding?
Students write well-structured and well-presented literary texts for a wide range of purposes and audiences, dealing with complex
topics, ideas, issues and language features. They write well-structured sentences, effectively using a variety of grammatical features.
Students evaluate the effectiveness of their writing by focusing on grammatical features and the conventions of writing.
Students create a series of two or three letters to send to a friend or family member in another state or country to share the events
transpiring in your life in the Goldfields. You should analyse life in the Goldfields through a discussion of who, where, what, when, how
and why.
Content
Outcome
Indicators
WS3.9
Produces a wide range of well-structured and wellpresented factual texts for a wide variety of purposes
and audiences using increasingly challenging topics,
ideas, issues and written language features.

WS3.14 Critically evaluates how own texts have been
structured to achieve their purpose and discusses ways
of using related grammatical features and conventions
of written language to shape readers’ and viewers’
understanding of texts.



redrafts the same text for different audience
Learning To Write:

Producing texts = produce a variety of texts, using a range of technology, for different audiences
talks about how literary texts are structured in order to entertain and engage the reader’s interest.
discusses how adjectival phrases and clauses have been used in own narratives to build up a character or the setting
recognises how adverbs and adverbial phrases provide additional information in own writing
Learning About Writing:

Context and Text = structure activities so that students write a variety of texts for different purposes and audiences across a range of topics
ASSESSMENT: MARKING GUIDELINES Narrative Writing
AUDIENCE
The writer’s capacity to orient, engage and affect the reader
SCORE
Description
Detail
1
shows awareness of basic audience expectations
through the use of simple narrative markers,
Simple narrative markers may include:
– simple titles
– formulaic story opening:
Long, long ago …
Once a boy was walking
– description of people or places
2
an internally consistent story that attempts to support the
reader by developing a shared understanding of context
– contains sufficient information for the reader to follow the story fairly
easily
3
– supports reader understanding
– attempts to engage the reader
Narrative devices may include:
– fantasy, humour, suspense
– sub-genre styles (e.g. satire, boys’ own, chick lit)
– intertextual references
4
supports and engages the reader through deliberate
choice of language and use of narrative devices
Narrative devices may include:
– fantasy, humour, suspense
– sub-genre styles (e.g. satire, boys’ own, chick lit)
– intertextual references
5
-caters to the anticipated values and expectations
of the reader
– influences or affects the reader through precise and
sustained choice of language and use of narrative
devices
6
– control writer/reader relationship through deliberate
language choices and structure (flashbacks, flash forwards,
beginning with a hook)
Language choices may:
– reveal values and attitudes
– Expressing feelings
– Evaluating the quality of things (artworks, ideas, clothing, food etc)
– Judging human behaviour
– establish narrator stance
– subvert expectations
– evoke an emotional response
– encourage reflection
– display irony
– Develops the story around a deeper concept or theme
CHARACTER AND SETTING
Character: The portrayal and development of character.
Setting: The development of a sense of place, time and atmosphere.
Score
Description
1
– only names characters or gives their roles (e.g. father, the teacher, my friend, dinosaur, we,
Jim)
AND/OR
– only names the setting: (e.g. school, the place we were at)
Setting is vague or confused
– suggestion of characterisation through brief descriptions or
speech or feelings, but lacks substance or continuity
AND/OR
– suggestion of setting through very brief and superficial
descriptions of place and/or time
– characterisation emerges through descriptions, actions, speech or the attribution of thoughts
and feelings to a character
AND/OR
– setting emerges through description of place, time and atmosphere
– effective characterisation. Details are selected to create distinct characters.
AND/OR
– maintains a sense of setting throughout. Details are selected to create a sense of place and
atmosphere.
2
3
4
Detail
– basic dialogue or a few
adjectives to describe a
character or a place
– convincing dialogue,
introspection and reactions to
other characters
Pre-Assessment:
Lesson
Teaching & Learning Strategies & Activities
Resources
Create a series of two or three letters to send to a friend or family member in another state or country to share the events Proforma
transpiring in your life living in the rainforest. The letters should engage the reader through the development of character and
setting. You should analyse life in the rainforest through a discussion of who, where, what, when, how and why.
Types of verbs and adverbs
Explicitly teach each type of verb. Students write their own examples of each type.
Lesson: 1
Verb: A word that tells what is happening or what is. Different types of verbs include:
• action verbs (eg They danced all night.)
• thinking verbs (eg She forgot his name.)
• feeling verbs (eg Sarah likes baked beans.)
• saying verbs (eg He whispered softly.)
• relating verbs (eg Cows are herbivores.).
Explicitly teach adverbs using various texts to emphasise the importance of using a variety of verbs and adverbs to add interest for the
audience.
Adverb: A word that tells something about a verb, adjective or another adverb to indicate such things as manner, place or time. An adverb
commonly ends in -ly.
eg Krista ran quickly.
Binh ran more quickly.
Go there after school.
She is most helpful.
He listened very carefully.
Students use one example of a non-descriptive passage and edit it to include a variety of verbs and adverbs.
Examples of texts
that use adverbs and
those that do not.
Literacy books
Interactive
Whiteboard
Lesson: 2
Adverbial phrases
Adverbial phrase: A group of words that provide information about where, when, with what, how far, how long, with whom, about what,
as what.
eg She swept the floor with an old broom.
Tim spoke to James about his work.
Throughout time people have attempted to halt old age.
Lesson: 4
Lesson: 3
Explicitly teach adverbial phrases. Read Wombat Stew to the class with students taking notes as to the type of language used. Students
then work in small groups to create a table of verbs, adverbs and adverbial phrases. Discuss the tables with students explaining their
reasoning for determining the language as an adverb or adverbial phrase.
Wombat Stew by
Marcia K. Vaughan
Literacy books
Interactive
Whiteboard
Explicitly teach onomatopoeia. Students write an onomatopoeia poem in small groups on a topic of their choice. Share each poem with Onomatopoeia
students discussing the use of the onomatopoeia and how effective it was in adding interest to the poem
poem examples
Interactive
Whiteboard
Revise Figurative language with a focus on simile, personification, onomatopoeia and alliteration. Read Where the Forest Meets the Sea, Where the Forest
discussing the illustrations and how Jeanie Baker created her images. Students then choose one page in the book to write a descriptive Meets the Sea by
passage based on the imagery created through the artwork. When writing their passage, students are to focus on including a variety of Jeanie Baker
figurative language. After editing their passage, students are to publish their descriptive passage using Word, changing the colour of the
text to correspond to each type of type descriptive language.
Adjectival phrases and clauses
Lesson: 5
Explicitly teach adjectival phrases and clauses. Provide students with descriptive passages incorporating the different types of
adjectives and discuss their use in the sentence and how effective it is in enhancing the writing for the audience.
Adjective: A word that describes a noun. Different types of describing words include:
• possessive adjectives (eg my, his, her)
• numbering adjectives (eg two, many, lots of)
• describing adjectives (eg big, old, yellow, beautiful)
• comparing adjectives (eg more delicate, best, bigger)
• classifying adjectives (eg Persian cat, air transport).
Library
Literacy books
Interactive
Whiteboard
Adjectival phrase: A group of words (usually beginning with a preposition) that give more information about a noun.
eg The girl with brown curly hair sat at the front.
The flowers in the vase were wilting.
Adjectival clause: A clause that provides information which defines the qualities or characteristics of the person or thing named. Usually
begins with a relative pronoun and is sometimes called a relative clause.
eg The child who had the red top came first.
The books that I bought yesterday were discounted.
Students complete a treasure hunt in the library looking for texts containing an example of each type of adjectival phrase and clause.
Lesson: 6
Descriptive language& engagement
Discuss the role of an audience in guiding the writer. Brainstorm well known texts, determining their target audience and the techniques Range of picture
they used to engage their chosen audience. Discuss the importance of characterisation and setting in engaging the reader, focussing on books
sustained characterisation and setting. Read a range of picture books discussing their characterisation. Students then work in pairs to
Interactive
rewrite one of the picture books by altering the target audience.
Whiteboard
– characterisation emerges through descriptions, actions, speech or the attribution of thoughts and feelings to a character
AND/OR
– setting emerges through description of place, time and atmosphere
– effective characterisation. Details are selected to create distinct characters.
AND/OR
– maintains a sense of setting throughout. Details are selected to create a sense of place and atmosphere.
Lesson: 7
Narrative Devices
Explain and discuss the use of narrative devices, focusing on fantasy, suspense and stories developing a deeper concept or theme, Interactive
including those designed to evoke an emotional response. Provide students with a list of familiar stories and ask students in groups to Whiteboard
classify each story dependent on their narrative device utilised. Students will then discuss and justify their classifications.
Lesson: 8
Narrative/letter structure
Revise the narrative structure. Explicitly teach the structure of a letter, using a range of examples of both formal and informal – discussing Interactive
the difference. Discuss the importance of a resolution and referring to selected fairytales, how it would change the story if there was no Whiteboard
resolution or if it was incomplete.
Fairytale books
Lesson: 9
Joint construction
Using a stimulus image, discuss possible storylines and select one, choosing an audience to correspond with the ideas. Collaboratively Interactive
plan the story, ensuring that the characters and setting will be developed throughout the narrative. Write a series of two or three letters Whiteboard
with the students sharing their ideas, ensuring that descriptive and figurative language are used throughout the text. Discuss the finished
product and suggest how altering the audience would have altered the storyline.
Lesson: 10
Independent writing
Students are to write a short story using the stimulus provided. They should be focussing on ensure sustained characterisation, setting and
descriptive language. When completed, students should edit carefully highlighting the important language used. Students will then share
their writing with a small group of peers to receive constructive feedback on their writing.
Literacy books
Lesson: 11
Students are to write a series of two or three letters using the stimulus provided. They should be focussing on ensure sustained Literacy books
characterisation, setting and descriptive language. When completed, students should edit carefully highlighting the important language
used. Students will then share their writing with a small group of peers to receive constructive feedback on their writing.
Post
Assessment:
Independent writing
Create a series of two or three letters to send to a friend or family member in another state or country to share the events transpiring in Proforma
your life in the Goldfields. The letters should engage the reader through the development of character and setting. You should analyse life
in the Goldfields through a discussion of who, where, what, when, how and why.