18 Writing Stories

Page
66
from
Write One Student Handbook

Start-Up Activity

Ask students to name some of their favorite stories and the people or animals in them. Help students see that stories always tell about characters (people or animals) and actions (what they do). Then read pages 66–67.

Ask students if they have ever written their own stories. If so, have them tell about the characters and what they do. Then model the process of planning and writing a story. Afterward, have students begin their own stories.

Enrichment Activity: When students have completed their writing, help them turn their stories into storybooks. Each page should contain one or two lines of copy plus a picture. Have students add a title page and a cover and then bind the pages together.

Think About It

“When I’m asked how to write, I answer, ‘Tell me a story!’ ”

—Anne McCaffrey

State Standards Covered in This Chapter

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.3

66-67

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.5

66-67

LAFS Covered in This Chapter

LAFS.1.W.1.3

66-67

LAFS.1.W.2.5

66-67

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

Page 66-67 from Write One Student Handbook

Lesson Plan

Begin by reading stories with simple plots and strong central characters. (Books like Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak and Pumpkin Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington are appropriate.) Talk about the main characters and what happens to them. Then ask children to name some of their favorite characters from literature. List these on the board. Have students tell something that happens to each of the listed characters. Help them see that stories always have these elements—characters and something happening.
Assign “What’s Happening?” In this activity children can plan a story that they tell first, and eventually write. Be sure to allow enough time for the storytelling part.

Classroom Applications

Writing Stories

Option 1: Using their pictures and storytelling experiences, children may be ready to write their make-believe stories. This may also be a good time to explain the meaning of a first draft—just getting all your words and ideas down on paper. Making their writing better can wait for the revising and proofreading stages.
Option 2: For students who need more support, use “Map Your Story” to help with planning. This activity allows students to draw or write a story plan. It also suggests that children think about a beginning, a middle, and an ending for their stories. Guide children as needed.
Assign "Writing a Story" on pages 80-81 of the Write One SkillsBook to support students using either option.

Conferencing

If stories are going to be published in a permanent form, most children will need help with revising and proofreading their stories.
Invite other adults or older students to work with children on a one-to-one basis. Use “Checking My Story” to help with this process. (Some children may need to dictate or have their stories copied over by their helpers. Provide this help when needed.)

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