Narrative Writing Workshop: Creating Dickensian Pastiche (Day 1 of 3)

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Objective

SWBAT write narratives using effective writing techniques by mimicking Dickens' style to create additional chapters or scenes for A Tale of Two Cities.

Big Idea

After studying Dickens' style, we will begin the process of crafting our own Dickensian writing.

Lesson Author

Jessica Keigan

Thornton, CO

Grade Level

Tenth grade

Subjects

English / Language Arts

Writing

Creative and Narrative Writing

Standards

W.9-10.3

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

W.9-10.3b

Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

W.9-10.3d

Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.

L.9-10.1b

Use various types of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, participial, prepositional, absolute) and clauses (independent, dependent; noun, relative, adverbial) to convey specific meanings and add variety and interest to writing or presentations.

SSR

10 minutes

Making Sure SSR is Still Relevant

We will start class with ten minutes of reading time. We have been a little off in our schedule this week due to some unexpected glitches with the kids Social Studies research project. I told them their homework on Tuesday was to get a choice novel, so while they are reading today, I will check them off for completing this task.

Guided Writing Workshop: Using Quotes as Model Texts

30 minutes

Tomorrow I will be introducing the writing project that students will complete in conjunction with their reading of A Tale of Two Cities. Before getting into the nitty-gritty of the writing process and requirements, I am going to have them work through a series of quick writes today.

Each quick write will be based on a passage from the novel. I will ask the students to identify what device or strategy is being used and then ask them to write something that utilizes that same device or strategy.

While I am hoping my students will meet standards W.9-10.3.a-e as they strive to write using effective narrative techniques (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.3) over the course of the next few days, I will specifically focus on the following with a five to seven minute passage analysis and quick write:

Dialogue (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.3b)
Sensory detail with setting (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.3d)
Sensory detail with character (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.3d)
Precise words of phrases that convey experiences or events (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.3d)

Wrap Up and Next Steps

10 minutes

Class will be a little short today as the students were promised time to finalize their Social Studies research projects before presenting them during the first half of our block. As such, my chunk of the block will be a few minutes shorter than normal.

I don't know that we will actually have ten minutes left for our wrap up today, but as an exit slip, to continue with our sentence crafting mini-lessons from earlier in the week, I am going to ask my students to choose their favorite sentence from their quick writes and write it on a slip of paper to turn in. I will also ask them to explain what technique they used in this sentence to see if they are paying attention to more than the narrative structure and thinking about their writing at the structural/language level as well (CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.1b).

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