"Dahl & Narrative" 

In this unit, students begin with narrative writing to quickly boost their interest and confidence and to learn the foundational skill of focus. Students then apply their new observational focus to some lively readings from Roald Dahl’s memoir Boy, and learn how to work closely with textual evidence. 

Core texts your student will read: 

● Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl 

What my students will do/learn: 

● Students complete narrative writing exercises in which they “slow down the moment,” using observational details to focus on and develop small moments from their own experiences. 

● Students learn key classroom routines, including the sharing routine, during which classmates respond to shared writing by noting one effective way the writer used language or details or evidence. 

● Students read and discuss Roald Dahl’s recollection of his experiences as a schoolboy in England. As they read his memoir Boy , they analyze how he uses detail to convey the range of emotions—from excitement to fear—that he felt. 

● Students write consistently throughout the unit, developing their idea or claim about the text and providing textual evidence. 

● Students write an end of unit essay responding to the following prompt: Whom does Dahl describe as causing more trouble: the boys or the adults? Use details from one moment in the book to show who is really causing more trouble.