Lesson 3
Name: Kurt Van Deren
Subject Area(s): Language Arts
Lesson Title: The Writing and Editing
Process: Effective Endings
Age/Grade Level: 9th Grade
Unit Title: Our Oregon Stories:
Writing Personal Narrative
Estimated Time: 89 minutes
Purpose/Rationale for Lesson: The purpose of this lesson is to provide students an
opportunity to spend in-class time working on their narrative essays, and to give them
the opportunity to do some editing and peer editing of essays. The lesson will begin with
some group writing time (a continuation of previous lesson) before moving into a
discussion of effective endings to essays and peer editing time.
Curriculum Framing Questions:
Essential Question: What do our stories reveal about what we find important?
Unit Question that applies to this lesson: What are the elements of personal narrative?
Lesson or Content Question(s): What makes an effective ending to an essay? How do you
revise what you have written?
Goal: By the end of this lesson, students will have gotten a good start on their final
essay, including having done some editing and peer editing.
Learning Objective(s):
● Students will understand what makes a good ending to a narrative essay.
● Students will understand the editing process to use when writing an essay.
● Students will understand the importance of editing for good writing.
Curriculum Standard(s):
Writing Applications: Narrative Writing: Write narrative, expository, and persuasive texts,
using a variety of written forms—including journals, essays, short stories, poems,
research reports, research papers, business and technical writing—to express ideas
appropriate to audience and purpose across the subject areas.
*Suggested word length: High School, 500-1,500 words.
EL.HS.WR.21 Write biographical or autobiographical narratives or short stories:
Relate a sequence of events, and communicate the significance of the events to the
audience.
Locate scenes and incidents in specific places.
Describe with concrete sensory details the sights, sounds, and smells of a scene
and the specific actions, movements, gestures, and feelings of the characters; use
interior monologue to depict the characters' feelings.
Pace the presentation of actions to accommodate changes in time and mood.
Make effective use of descriptions of appearance, images, shifting perspectives,
and sensory details.
EL.HS.WR.02 Discuss ideas for writing with classmates, teachers, and other writers, and
develop drafts alone and collaboratively.
EL.HS.WR.05 Use the writing process--prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and
publishing successive versions.
EL.HS.WR.08 Revise drafts to improve the logic and coherence of the organization and
controlling idea, the precision of word choice, and the tone—by taking into consideration
the audience, purpose, and formality of the context.
EL.HS.WR.09 Edit and proofread one's own writing, as well as that of others, using the
writing conventions, and, for example, an editing checklist or list of rules with specific
examples of corrections of specific errors.
Materials Needed: Computer and projector; portable hard drive with movie clips; copies
of notes with ideas for good endings; Idea/Detail worksheets.
Background knowledge or skills students need prior to lesson: Students need background
knowledge in the uses and importance of narrative, and some knowledge of the writing
process.
Hook or Introduction: My hook will actually come a bit later in the lesson (see below).
Procedures:
1. Progressive stories (15-20 minutes).
As students enter the room, instruct them to get in their groups from last time.
Review the rules for writing a progressive story in their groups. Allow students time
to work on stories.
As students are working, I will float to each group and check in on their writing. I will
ask if students with good stories would be willing to share.
2. Hook (2-3 minutes).
As a transition to writing endings to a narrative, I will tell students that I have reached
the end of what I have to say on this unit and that they are to get out something to
work on and work quietly until the end of the period.
After a moment or two, I will tell students that I am not serious, but ask them what
they think of my ending.
3. Discussion of narrative endings (30-35 minutes).
What makes a good ending?
Do you like happy endings? Do you like surprise endings? Do you like sad
endings?
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I want to go back to something Zack said early in the unit about deep thoughts. He
said deep thoughts are good in a narrative, and I think he’s right. If you learned
something from the episode you are writing about it can be really powerful, and that
can make a great ending.
Provide students with the Glossary of Happy Endings and instruct them to take a
minute or two to read it.
Which ones stand out to you? Why? How might you use it?
Show video clips of movie endings and discuss why they are or are not effective.
Also discuss which of the ending techniques the movie uses.
“Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0UzGGc7II) (it ends with a question essentially);
“300” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn-GbTijoDs) (it ends with a tribute);
“Rudy” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ7ZpLgkVxA) (ends with big feelings);
“Dead Poets Society” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8UL_9R_W-Y) (ends with
a wrap-around; i.e., it ends very much like it begins; a particularly effective
technique); and
“Ninja the Protector” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbuPaCgdO50) (an ending
to avoid).
4. In-class writing (15 minutes)
While still in groups, have students write endings to the progressive stories they
began earlier, thinking about the techniques we have discussed. Ask groups to
share their endings.
5. Transition (5 minutes).
We are going to move into a time where we are looking at each other’s essays that
you have started. Before we do, let’s review elements of good narrative:
Introduction/Hook
Detail—Helps with setting, mood, and voice
Transitions
Ending
Set some ground rules for review:
When you read each other’s essays the only thing I want you to focus on are the
details: Where can the writer provide more details to make the story more vivid?
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When I was a student, I was really uncomfortable having others read my writing.
How can we make it a little less painful for students who were like me?
Stay away from “shoulds” (“You should say . . . .”); instead, focus on details (“What
else happened?” “What else could you say about that?”).
Also, e.g., only constructive feedback, feedback may not be personal, everyone has
something to offer, etc.
5. Peer review (10 minutes).
Provide students with copies of Idea/Detail worksheets and instruct them to review
each other’s drafts.
6. Closing (5 minutes).
Do Whip Around, asking students to share something they liked about their partners’
essays.
Differentiation/Accommodation: The use of peer “buddies” to assist with writing and
editing is intended to aid ELL students with the process.
Attention to Literacy: The use of video to illustrate narrative is intended to reinforce
concepts learned about writing a good ending.
Closure: See above.
Assessment and Evaluation of Student Learning: Assessment during this lesson is both
formal and informal. Students will turn in progressive stories for assessment. During the
lesson I will check in with each group during the writing/editing time to make sure
students are providing positive feedback to one another.
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