Unit 1: Historical Fiction
In this first unit students are learning to "live like writers." As students progress through the unit, they will learn they have important stories to tell. Inquiry activities will engage students in learning about developing characters and settings. Students will learn strategies such as how to use descriptive words, "stretch a sentence," to show not tell, and what makes a good beginning (dialogue/speech, describing, introduce setting/character, suspense, jump right into the action, talk to the reader, question). We also explore grammar through speech marks and dialogue. Armed with this tool box of writing techniques students will develop, draft, and then revise to edit and eventually publish a historical fiction story.
Central Idea: Language communicates the experiences and perspective os a place and time.
Concepts: Causation (Why is it like it is?) Perspective (What are the points of view?) Change (How is it changing?)
Related Concepts: Migration, Culture, Refugees
Lines of Inquiry and Teacher Questions:
An Inquiry into:
1.…...how a language choices can cause engagement with text (Causation)
Central Idea: Language communicates the experiences and perspective os a place and time.
Concepts: Causation (Why is it like it is?) Perspective (What are the points of view?) Change (How is it changing?)
Related Concepts: Migration, Culture, Refugees
Lines of Inquiry and Teacher Questions:
An Inquiry into:
1.…...how a language choices can cause engagement with text (Causation)
- How can you make sentences more engaging by varying opening styles
- How can you stretch sentences?
- What is “Show Don’t Tell?’
- What are synonyms/antonyms?
- How can speech enhance your writing?
- What is the purpose of punctuation?
- How can you plan writing to show different interpretations of events and experiences
- How can you use character’s descriptions to represent different character's perspectives?
- Does a description of a setting affect your emotions?
- How can senses be used to affect the reader’s point of view
- Do cultural, historical and personal perspectives on the world invite different interpretations.
- How has language changed and been influenced by migrants
- Do languages stay the same? Should they?
- What are some of the many factors affect the development of language?
- Why do we change our style of language? ( eg formal for written, playground, audience etc
Below are some resources to help improve the quality of your story writing:
stretching_ideas_literacy.docx | |
File Size: | 724 kb |
File Type: | docx |
show_tell_checklist.docx | |
File Size: | 16 kb |
File Type: | docx |
sentence_openers_prompts_to_print.docx | |
File Size: | 12 kb |
File Type: | docx |