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27 Writing Circle Stories

Page
133
from
Write Away

Writing Circle Stories

Start-Up Activity

Ask students about the life of a sock:

  • Where do you get your socks every morning? (From the drawer)

  • Where do they go next? (On my feet)

  • Where do your feet take your socks? (To school and back)

  • Where do your socks go at the end of the day? (In the laundry)

  • Where do your socks go after they are clean? (In the drawer)

Let them know they have just told a circle story, a story that circles back to where it began. This chapter will help them tell more fun circle stories.

Think About It

“Just about every story I have ever written has started out as an idea in my notebook.”

—Roald Dahl

 

State Standards Covered in This Chapter

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.2

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.4

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.5

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.3

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.5

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.6

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.8

LAFS Covered in This Chapter

LAFS.2.RL.1.1

LAFS.2.RL.1.2

LAFS.2.RL.2.4

LAFS.2.RL.2.5

LAFS.2.W.1.3

LAFS.2.W.2.5

LAFS.2.W.2.6

LAFS.2.W.3.8

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

110.4.b.6.B

110.4.b.8

110.4.b.9.A

110.4.b.8.C

110.4.b.11

110.4.b.12.A

110.4.b.11.C

110.4.b.11.D

110.4.b.11.E

110.4.b.7

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

Page 134 from Write Away

Sample Circle Story

Have volunteers read aloud each paragraph of the sample circle story. Afterward, lead a discussion of the model:

  • What is the title of this story? ("If You Give a Kitten Some String!")
  • Why is the title repeated in the first line? (This idea connects to each new event in the story.)
  • What word starts most lines, and why? ("Then" starts most lines. It shows that a series of events follows "if you give a kitten some string," one after another.)
  • What is the last word, and why? (The word "again," ends the story. It shows that the story starts again at the beginning.)

Help students know that they could use similar structures for their own circle stories.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.2.RL.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.4.b.6.B, 110.4.b.8
NE ELA Standard:
LA 2.1.6.i

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 2
Mode:
Creative Writing
Form:
Story
Theme:
AnimalsPlay
English Language Arts:
Reading

Page 135 from Write Away

Story-Writing TIPS

In addition to the two circle stories mentioned on this page, you can share two samples that could easily become circle stories. Click the links and have volunteers read the models aloud. Then ask how the ending of each could be changed to make it a circle story.

  • A Fable (As the mouse runs away, it looks back and thinks, "I wish I were a bunny!")
  • The Missing Coin (When Sly the leprechaun runs away, he drops a coin.)

Help students understand that the key feature of a circle story is that it turns around on itself.

Have students brainstorm events that can repeat in fun ways. Ask them to choose an interesting event and map the parts of it, as shown on the page. Then have them write their circle stories and illustrate them.

After students edit their work, hold a story-telling session. Let students read their stories aloud to partners, or hold a round-robin session until everyone has shared.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.2.W.1.3
TEKS Standard:
110.4.b.11, 110.4.b.12.A
NE ELA Standard:
LA 2.2.2, LA 2.2.2.a, LA 2.2.2.b

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 2
Mode:
Creative Writing
Form:
Story
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPrewritingWriting