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Lesson “It was a dark and stormy night…”: Creative Writing

Date October 31, 2023
Title/Focus Introductions
Subject/Grade Time
Language Arts – Grade 6 55 Minutes
Level Duration

Unit Short Story/Creative Writing Teacher Ms. Vanden Brink

OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

Guiding
How is precise writing influenced by ongoing craft and process development?
Question:
Learning Students create texts that reflect personal voice and style through creative and critical
Outcome:
thinking processes.
KNOWLEDGE UNDERSTANDING SKILLS & PROCEDURES
Word choice can reflect the
author’s voice or style. Creative thinking can enhance Analyze the descriptive language
personal style and voice through and word choice of professional
experimenting with, evaluating, and authors as for writing.
selecting details.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
1. Review key literacy and figurative language terminology.
a. Define setting, plot, character, suspense, simile, metaphor
2. Work collaboratively to read, identify, and analyze elements of writing in provided text.
a. Explore setting, plot, character, suspense, and figurative/descriptive language
b. Organize information gathered from texts into a mind map
c. Rationalize their analysis of text

ASSESSMENTS
Observations: • Classroom monitoring: Who is having trouble paying attention? Are there any students
struggling? Is there a proportional amount of work being completed in group tasks?
Do I need to change any student groups for next class? Who will need additional help
after class?

Key Questions: • What information belongs in an opening paragraph?

• How do we create mood in our writing?
• What do we mean when talking about a story’s ‘setting’?
• How does figurative language affect how we read text?
• How can authors use suspense to “hook” their reader?
Formative Assessments:
Student answers to terminology review: Where is my student’s prior knowledge?
Group Assignment: Mind Map: Can my students pull information from a given text?
Exit Slip: How is each student feeling about the process?

Feedback To Students:
Comments while wandering among groups
Responses to student questions
Peer feedback in groups

LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED
• Alberta Program of Studies (Language Arts Grade 6)
• Google Books (For book preview examples)
Prior to lesson
Advance
Organizer/Agenda
Attention Grabber
Transition to Body
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MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
• PowerPoint Presentation
• Text Samples
• Lesson Worksheets
• Student Groups List
• Exit Slips
PROCEDURE
- Find text examples to use in group work
- Organize 5 groups of 4 students (20 students in class)
- Create sample text analysis for student reference
- Make PowerPoint Slides
- Prepare exit slips
Introduction Time
1. Introduction
2. Review key terms
3. Introduce activity and share exemplar
4. “Analyzing Introductions” Group Work
5. Sharing group work with class
6. Conclusion/Exit Slip
- Read opening to “Among the Hidden” by Margaret Peterson
Haddix
o Tell students how this was the novel I studied in Grade 6,
and I loved it so much I finished the other 9 books in the
series after we finished.
o Pose the following questions:
▪ How does this opening catch your attention?
(Mood/Tone)
▪ What information were we already given with this
small section? (Setting/Character)
▪ What questions does this paragraph leave us
with? (Suspense/Hook) 10 min
o Review terms: “setting, plot, character, suspense, simile,
metaphor”
▪ Ask students if they can identify any elements in
the paragraph we just read.
▪ Explain figurative language (simile/metaphor) vs.
descriptive language
▪ Examples: Setting (in the forest), character
(Luke), plot/suspense (why does Luke have to
stay inside?), simile (“silently as a shadow”),
descriptive language (“fresh air, clover, and
honeysuckle”)
- Introduce activity to students
o Explain that they will be analyzing the introductions to
different books for the elements we just discussed. They
will be given two different paragraphs, and they must 7 min
choose one.
o They will be given a graphic organizer to help them sort
through this information, which they will turn in at the end
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of class.
o Show an exemplar for the opening paragraph of “Harry
Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”, demonstrating how
to pull information from text. (Will remain up while
students work through their own examples.)
o This project is to be done in pre-determined groups of 4,
where each person will take on a different role: Leader,
Reader, Writer, and Speaker. These roles are pre-assigned
as well.
▪ LEADER: Manages the direction of discussion,
and keeps the group on time/on task.
▪ READER: Reads both selections out to the group
when deciding which to use
▪ WRITER: Fills out the graphic organizer in
accordance with group discussion
▪ SPEAKER: Summarizes to the class their group’s
discoveries in the text, and share one sentence
that the group found most interesting.
o Ask if students have any questions, before they begin the
assignment.
o Call up each group of 4 to hand them their graphic
organizer, text selections and assigned roles. Students
may work with their group anywhere in the classroom.
Body Time
Learning Activity
- In their groups, students will choose between the 2 texts they
were provided, after the READER has read them aloud.
- Led by the discussion LEADER, students will analyze text for the
setting, plot, character, suspense, and figurative/descriptive
language used in the paragraph. The WRITER will record the
group’s answers on the graphic organizer.
o Note to students that each selection will vary in how
much the author focuses on each: for example, some may
provide a very explicit description of setting, whereas
20 min
others may require a bit more extrapolation. Some texts
group work,
may not include any figurative language, but use
10 min class
descriptive language. Each group will have very different
sharing
answers.
(additional 3
- Students will be given a 5 minute warning to wrap up their
minute flex
discussion, and to plan out what key/interesting sentence they
time)
plan to share with the class.
- While groups are working, I will wander between groups and
comment/redirect as needed
- The class will regroup, and the SPEAKER of each group will briefly
(2 min each) describe the setting of their selection, and read their
chosen sentence.
Teacher Notes:
Assessments/ - When making groups, pair weaker readers with stronger readers (Zone of
Differentiation Proximal Development)
- Provide groups with texts that you think would interest them and challenge
- Be conscious of student personalities/dynamics when creating groups

Consolidation of Learning: Wrap-Up:
Transition To Next Lesson
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Closure Time
- Have students fill in exit slip
o From the examples you saw today, give one idea or
5 min
sentence that you remember and found interesting
o List one thing that you liked/disliked, or one thing that
you are confused about today’s class
- Now that we’ve looked at some fantastic examples of writing, you know what a
good introduction looks like, and what the key elements to include are.
Next class, you all get to practice writing your own exciting introductions!