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CCSS ELA Standard: 6.W.3.b

Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

Characters’ Faults Can Also Be Strengths
Characters’ Faults Can Also Be Strengths
Strength and weakness are often two sides of the same coin. Students will explore how a character’s flaw can be a benefit.
Gr 1-8
St. Patrick and Other Legends
St. Patrick and Other Legends
How would real people feel about the legends that have been created about them?
Gr 2-8
Comparing Characters’ Bedrooms
Comparing Characters’ Bedrooms
What item’s in a character’s bedroom would reflect their deepest desires? And what if they toured a similar character’s room?
Gr 1-8
Emoji Stories 🚚
Emoji Stories 🚚
Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?
Gr 2-8
Emoji Stories 🏟️
Emoji Stories 🏟️
Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?
Gr 2-8
Emoji Stories 🕰️
Emoji Stories 🕰️
Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?
Gr 1-8
Emoji Stories 👁️
Emoji Stories 👁️
Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?
Gr 2-8
Emoji Stories 🚗
Emoji Stories 🚗
Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?
Gr 1-8
Emoji Stories 🤖
Emoji Stories 🤖
Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?
Gr 1-8
Emoji Stories 🐻
Emoji Stories 🐻
Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?
Gr 2-8
Emoji Stories 🏰
Emoji Stories 🏰
Five emoji. One story. Where will your imagination take you?
Gr 1-8
Bobbing for Apples
Bobbing for Apples
What is bobbing for apples like… for an apple?
Gr 2-8
A Character’s Playlist
A Character’s Playlist
What playlist of songs best goes with a character’s change over time?
Gr 1-8
A Halloween Costume Gone Wrong
A Halloween Costume Gone Wrong
Let’s go roller skating in a Halloween costume! What could possibly go wrong?
Gr 1-8
Thanksgiving Photo Writing
Thanksgiving Photo Writing
Starting with an old-timey photo, students will write from a particular item’s point of view.
Gr 1-8
Story Starter: A Day At School
Story Starter: A Day At School
Students use 12 random phrases to create a story that takes place at school.
Gr 1-8
Story Starter: Out To Eat
Story Starter: Out To Eat
Students pick from 12 random phrases to create a story about an incident in a restaurant.
Gr 1-8
Story Starter: Amusement Park
Story Starter: Amusement Park
Students use 12 random phrases to write a story that takes place in at an amusement park.
Gr 2-8
Story Starter: A Magical School
Story Starter: A Magical School
Students use 12 random phrases to create a story that takes place in at a magical school.
Gr 1-8
Story Starter: Somewhere In Space
Story Starter: Somewhere In Space
Students use 12 random phrases to create a story that takes place in space!
Gr 3-8
Writing Sample: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Shrinking)
Writing Sample: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Shrinking)
A passage from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
Gr 1-8
Writing Sample: White Fang (The Wild)
Writing Sample: White Fang (The Wild)
A passage from White Fang to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
Gr 1-8
Writing Sample: The Jungle Book (Bagheera)
Writing Sample: The Jungle Book (Bagheera)
A passage from The Jungle Book to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
Gr 1-8
Writing Sample: Moby Dick
Writing Sample: Moby Dick
A passage from Moby Dick to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
Gr 1-8
Writing Sample: Peter Pan
Writing Sample: Peter Pan
A passage from “Peter Pan” to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
Gr 1-8
Writing Sample: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Writing Sample: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
A passage from “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
Gr 1-8
Writing Sample: The Fall of the House of Usher
Writing Sample: The Fall of the House of Usher
A passage from “The Fall of the House of Usher” to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
Gr 1-8
Writing Sample: Anne of Green Gables
Writing Sample: Anne of Green Gables
An intriguing passage from Anne of Green Gables to use as a mentor text, discussion starter, or writing prompt.
Gr 1-8
Do Narrators Have Too Much Power?
Do Narrators Have Too Much Power?
Imagine being a character in a story. Are you worried that your story’s narrator may inaccurately describe you? What if they reveal something you wanted to be kept secret? Do narrators have too much power!?
Gr 1-8
The Personalities of Rocks
The Personalities of Rocks
What would an igneous rock be like? Would it get along with a sedimentary rock? Could they handle the hot personality of a metamorphic rock?
Gr 2-8
What Would Poetry Think About Prose?
What Would Poetry Think About Prose?
Poetry and Prose meet at a party. What would they say to each other? How would they feel about each other’s style?
Gr 1-8
Showing A Character’s Trait
Showing A Character’s Trait
We tell students to ‘show, not tell’ — but that advice is useless until they experience the difference. This lesson makes it click.
Gr 2-8
Literary Technique: Juxtaposition
Literary Technique: Juxtaposition
Put a grumpy character next to a joyful one and they make each other stand out even more. Opposites are powerful!
Gr 1-8
Better Stories Part 2: Types of Conflict
Better Stories Part 2: Types of Conflict
If your students’ stories are packed with endless ninja fights or arguments between frenemies, it’s time to expose them to a wider range of conflicts.
Gr 1-8
Better Stories Part 3: Literary Themes
Better Stories Part 3: Literary Themes
A typical student narrative includes plot and characters but lacks a larger idea to hold it all together. This is where a lesson on themes comes in…
Gr 1-8
Better Stories Part 4: Character Archetypes
Better Stories Part 4: Character Archetypes
Are students’ characters a bit flat? Archetypes give them a strong foundation on which to build their own characters as well as a tool to analyze existing stories.
Gr 1-8