Green 1 Interdisciplinary Unit 1 Narrative Writing Leigh J Green READ 7140A Summer 2005 Dr Root Green 2 Student Characteristics and Individual Differences School System and School o Name of school system Valdosta City Schools o Name of school Valdosta Middle School School s Student Characteristics o Students total of 985 school wide Number of boys 542 Number of girls 443 Age range 11 15 years old o Ethnicity number of students African American 620 Asian American counted in other category Native American counted in other category Hispanic counted in other category Caucasian 306 Other 59 o Reading Achievement 6th gr Team 7 scores English Lang Arts Based on 2005 Disaggregated Data of CRCT Scores Above average or advanced skill level exceeds 30 Average or intermediate skill level meets 49 Below average skill level does not meet 21 o Writing Achievement Based on 2004 Middle Grades Writing Assessment 8th gr only Above average or advanced skill level exceeds 3 Average or intermediate skill level meets 78 Below average skill level does not meet 19 o OTHER of Students receiving free reduced lunch 60 Attendance Absent over 15 days 13 7 of Students enrolled in Special Education 16 of Students enrolled in Gifted Education 17 VMS has been accredited by SACS since 1995 Classroom s Student Characteristics o Students total of 99 on Team 7 Number of boys 58 Number of girls 41 Age range 11 13 yrs o Ethnicity African American 59 Asian American 2 Native American 0 Hispanic 2 Caucasian 34 Other 2 READ 7140 Summer 2005 Root Green 3 Interest Inventory Multiple Intelligence Survey Green 4 Parent Letter Valdosta Middle School 110 Burton Avenue Valdosta Georgia 31602 229 333 8555 Dear Parent First I would like to welcome you and your child to the Valdosta Middle School family I anticipate that your child s sixth grade year will be one of personal growth fostered by a collection of engaging learning experiences In each class your child s teacher will be striving to prepare for upcoming assessments later this year as well as those to come later in his her educational career In Language Arts we will be focusing heavily on writing Writing is a crucial component to all children s educational development There are several elements of writing that we will discuss in class such as narrative journal expository persuasive and poetry In each of these types of writing your child will be working extensively with the writing process This is a method of writing that will take a student s work through several stages before producing a polished piece In order to ensure your child s success I am asking that you work with you child on any assignments that are brought home and encourage the family to read and write together Read with him her anything from the newspaper to a cookbook You may then write about what you have read what you did that day or summarize a movie or television show you have recently seen You may also ask your child to share with you what he she has been writing in class or teach you one of the writing process steps that we are currently working on in class Soon you will see a positive growth in your child s writing skills as well as his her self confidence in sharing unique and original ideas through writing By supporting reading and writing in the home your will be fostering a healthy learning environment that will motivate academic achievement within your child Please feel free to contact me with any concerns you may have about your child s progress in Language Arts Thank you Mrs Leigh Green Team 7 Language Arts Teacher Valdosta Middle School Green 5 Pre Post Test for Narrative Writing Unit 1 Pre Students will be given a choice of one of the following four prompts After choosing a prompt the student will complete the story of at least page in length Post At the end of the unit the student will choose a different so the student will not be tempted to simply rewrite the same story prompt and complete the story that is also page in length Both the pre and post assessment will be scored using the same rubric as for publishing from this unit Prompts and graphics from www lauracandler com Green 6 Interdisciplinary Writing Unit Lesson Plan Guide Grade Level 6 Content Area Language Arts Mode of Writing narrative Stage of writing pre writing Unit 1 Lesson 1 GPS ELA6W1 a The student produces writing that establishes an appropriate organizational structure sets a context and engages the reader maintains a coherent focus throughout and provides a satisfying closure the student Selects a focus organizational structure and a point of view based on purpose genre expectations audience length and format requirements ELA6W2 b The student demonstrates competence in a variety of genres The student produces a narrative fictional personal that Creates an organizing appropriate to purpose audience and context ELAW2 b The student produces a response to literature that Demonstrates an understanding of the literary work ELAW2 c The student produces a response to literature that Advances a judgment that is interpretive analytic evaluative or reflective ELAW4 a The student consistently uses the writing process to develop revise and Evaluate writing the student Plans and drafts independently and resourcefully Student Materials Student copy of Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt Character Map graphic organizer Rubric for prewriting check list Pencil Teacher Materials A Collection of Animal Stories retold by Graeme Kent Story 1 The Jumping Frog by Mark Twain Tuck Everlasting with Connections Teacher Guide H R W Character Map graphic organizer overhead Rubric for Prewriting overhead Instruction Mode of Writing Instruction Who can tell me what type of writing tells a story student fiction Good and when we write we call this narrative writing Narrative writing is used to tell a story Narrative writing is the type of writing that Natalie Babbitt used when she wrote Tuck Green 7 Everlasting that we just finished reading In a couple of minutes I m going to read to you another example of narrative writing called The Jumping Frog by Mark Twain So one more time raise your hand and tell me what type of writing tells a story student narrative Now that we all understand what narrative writing is lets move on to the writing process so that we can get started Stage of Writing Instruction Students have previously completed a unit on the writing process and therefore will be focused on applying rather than learning the process Last week we