Narrative Unit Resources

Narrative Unit Overview

Introduction/Mini Lesson

To begin the Narrative unit, it may be helpful to begin with a mini lesson that focuses on a turning point. During the mini-lesson, you can encourage students to get started writing with a moment that has been a turning point in your life, such as the first time you did something (Calkins, 2013). It is important to keep the mini lesson brief and succinct, making sure to jot down ideas on an anchor chart for students to continue to refer to. Teachers can also pull a mentor text, from a previous student or from a published author, to demonstrate this idea of writing about a turning point. A turning point can be a first time, last time, or even a time you learned something new.

Work Time

As students begin their writing during work time, this is when the teacher’s work really begins. As students write, the teacher will circulate around the room, recording data and observations on the small group planning sheet. Then, the teacher will work with small groups of students to practice a particular skill or strategy. Another important aspect of work time is conferencing with students one on one to compliment their progress, help the reflect on their writing, and offer suggestions for next steps. The Narrative Learning Progression and Narrative Rubric can help teachers determine what skills and strategies students will need next to improve their writing. Student progress and possible next steps can be recorded on a Narrative Writing Checklist.