Tightening Tension Narrative Writing - The Present

This resource will help your students write the tightening tension in a narrative. Writing lessons scaffold the writing of the exposition, inciting incident, rising action (pebble, rock, boulder).

In addition, the graphic organizers, checklists, and writing assignment will facilitate your students to write with impressive style and technique.

Activity

Students will respond to 40 questions on the structural components, figurative language, and writing techniques used in the mentor text.
Students will find and highlight evidence in the sample text.
They will document their responses on the Story Map, Sensory Details, Figurative Language, and Writing Techniques organizers.

Items Included

• Cover Sheet (if compiling pages into a booklet)
• Sheets that scaffold the writing of the exposition, inciting incident, rising action (pebble, rock, boulder) through a sample text.
• Writing assignment with scenario
• Writing prompt sheets
• Story Map
• Sensory Details, Figurative Language, and Writing Techniques organizers.
• Self-editing and peer-editing checklist
• Teacher Key

The sample personal narrative is based on the short animated movie, ‘The Present’. The narrative is written from the viewpoint of the boy in the movie. You may have students watch the movie before or after you begin the lesson to provide context to the story. Link to movie in download.

This writing unit can also be done without having students watch the short animated movie.