Tightening Tension Personal Fictional Narrative Writing

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, integration of technology (QR codes), and writing activities involving a short animated movie will facilitate your students to write with impressive style and technique.

The unit is divided into three sections.

SECTION 1: Scaffolding Structural Components
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.

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

SECTION 2: Summary; Analyzing Structural Components, Sensory Details and Figurative Language
Sheets featuring 21 questions that analyze the structural components, sensory details, and figurative language used in the sample text
Sequencing of events sheet. Cut and glue option included.

Activity
Students will answer 21 multiple-choice and written response questions based on the sample text, ‘Water, Water – Everywhere’.
This activity may also be given as an assessment after completing section 1.
Students will sequence the events in order, for an extract, to better understand how events increase in intensity and add to suspense and tension.

SECTION 3: Writing the Tightening Tension
Writing assignment with scenario
Writing prompt sheets
Story Map
Sensory Details, Figurative Language and Writing Techniques organizers.
Self-editing and peer-editing checklist

Activity
Students will respond to the writing assignment and writing prompts. They will use the story map, Sensory Details, Figurative Language and Writing Techniques organizers to plan their writing. They will use the self-editing checklist and peer-editing checklist to check they have included all components. Students need to be introduced to the different types of figurative language prior to writing a tension scene.

Teacher Key included for all sections.