Imaginative+Stories

write imaginative stories that build the plot to a climax and contain details about the characters and setting This is another important opportunity to let what students are reading inform how students write. Students need to be able to identify the details of characters and settings that impact conflict within stories and build to an interesting climax. By studying texts that have these strong elements present, students are able to model their own writing after these examples ||
 * **3.18A**


 * Week One:** Planning!
 * Week Two:** Writing Process!

Day 1: (Tuesday)** Review writing process!
 * Week 1:

The best way to teach imaginative writing is to start with the writing process for students to be able to see the thought process in a good story.

Teacher will tell the students that they will be writing their own imaginative story. To begin the lesson teacher will review the writing process. We all have taught this in different ways, so review with what works best for your kids. :)

1. Prewriting: thinking, planning and organizing ideas 2. Drafting: writing the essay for the first time 3. Revising: changing the writing around to make it better 4. Editing: checking CUPS 5. Publishing: making the final copy and sharing the writing with others
 * __The Writing Process__**

Next, teacher will distribute the Fictional / Imaginative story inventory. The inventory is designed to prompt students to think about their preferences in their own reading and possible related writing topics. Students will complete the inventory independently. [|Fictional Story Inventory.doc]

After students complete these....Teacher will model brainstorming topics for fictional/imaginative writing. This would be a good time to talk about character they might want in their stories...whether it be friends they know, people they make up, people in the past, monsters, aliens... etc. **Let them be creative!

Show students rubric! [|Rubric for Fictional.doc]**
 * ​Lets decide values for the pieces of the rubric. Do you like this kind of rubric?

Day 2:** Setting!

Students will just focus on the setting today. :) Teacher will model brainstorming settings and describing settings!

Teacher will model brainstorming descriptive word phrases and other elements of the setting. First, DEFINE a setting as a geographical location, historical time, and ONE time of day. (This will help them ZOOM IN) You can pick a favorite place or a favorite book and describe the geography, location, time, etc., of that setting. Teacher will complete the following questions about a setting she is imagining in her mind.

1. Place or location: 2. Time of day: 3. Time in history: 4. Descriptive words about the setting (make pictures in your mind): 5. How will the setting determine chracteristics of characters?
 * __Describing the Setting:__**

Tell the kids...answering these questions helps a reader know when and where the story is taking place.

Encourage the kids to think of a favorite place or experience. Close your eyes, think and remember in mental pictures. **Ask:** “What do you see? What do you hear? What is the weather like? What does the land look like? Are there people around? What are they doing? What are they saying? What does this have to: do with the setting?”


 * Day 3:** Beginning, Middle, End

Teacher will explain that in today’s lesson students will organize their stories into three main parts. The teacher will explain that a story is easier for a reader to follow and understand if it contains a clear beginning, middle and end. Maybe refer to a read aloud you have done with a distinct BME.

Review with them the "Good Qualities of a Story" - Pick ONE seed from a watermelon story.

Students get out writer's notebooks and make a graphic organizer. If you have used a specific one with your class that works for them... USE IT! Here is an example of one if you need an idea. [|Story Skeleton.doc]
 * ** Beginning, Middle, End ** ||
 * ** Beginning ** || (Who, where, when) ||
 * ** Middle ** || (Problem) ||
 * ** End ** || (Solution) ||
 * Day Four:** Story Skeleton

Give students more time to catch up on their prewriting. You can also conference with students. This gives us a little breather. :)
 * Day 5:** Catch up...

Day 1:** Prewriting/Drafting
 * Week Two:

All of the activities last week were a form of Prewrite. Now, students will use their Story Skeleton and BME graphic organizer to begin drafting. Remind them to think about Leads they've learned, and incorporate them into their imaginative story. (Action, Sound, Dialogue.)

This would be a great time to give the students a quick mini lesson on their assignment for the day (drafting) and then giving them a good amount of writing time. Bring them back together and let a few share what they've done so far. This may help other student's with 'writer's block'.


 * Day 2:** Continue Drafting and begin Revising

Quick Mini - Let students know that they will have time to continue drafting their imaginative story, and once they are done they should begin Revising! Remind them about their Revision Toolkit...possibly use yours (or a student's) as a tool to job their memories. Pull out one paper symbol and have them say what that specific revision lesson was about. There should be
 * a Hook - for Leads
 * a Hammer - for 'cracking' open sentences
 * a _
 * a __ HELP! Can't remember! my toolkit is empty! oops!

Give kids writing time. Conference with students. Share time! Point out good things you noticed during conferences or when students share...maybe a lead or word choice.


 * Day 3:** Continue Revising/Editing

Mini Lesson - Let students know they will continue to Revise and then move onto Editing! Ask them what they remember about Editing. Answers will vary! :-P Review CUPS! Capitalization, Usage, Punctuation, Spelling. Remind students to use dictionaries while editing their spelling.

Give students writing time. Share time! They can share how their editing went and others can share pieces of their draft if they did not the day before.

If you haven't had a chance to conference with kids yet... this is the day! While you are conferencing with students, other can continue working on their pieces and then move onto peer conferencing. I uploaded a peer conferencing form that I've used before using Stars (things they like) and Wishes (things they wish they could add or take out ;) ) I also like them to turn these in to see what students are writing to each other. Sometimes they copy what the person before them wrote...however, since they signed under their boxes I can talk to them about it.
 * Day 4:** Teacher/Peer Conferencing

Mini Lesson - Show them form (if you want to use it) and explain how it will work. Possibly show Examples and Non-Examples of a peer conference. This would be fun to act out with a student who would be a good model for the class, or possible use your partner and bring both classes together. Liz and I had thought (long time ago) about bringing our classes into one room and pretending to be students doing a conference together. Could be fun! :)

Conferencing time... Share time! [|Peer Conferencing.doc]


 * Day 5:** Publishing and Sharing day!

If you want your class to type up their pieces they will need more than just today. Some fun stationary could work well too.

Have students publish their final copy get ready to share with others! Personally I think Conferencing and Sharing time is one of the most important parts of writing workshop, because what is the point in writing if it won't be read! Writers write to be read!