Introduction
Students will use a visual prompt to develop a fictional narrative. Each student will write five parts to a story (exposition, complicating event #1, complicating event #2, climax, resolution) in a round robin manner. Next, students will peer conference and edit at least two papers. Then, students will utilize the peer conference and editing notes to revise their own papers. Finally, students will publish their papers online.
Prerequisite Experience
Keyboarding, intermediate word processing, Inspiration, editing, internet use, google docs, upload to website
Teacher Prep Time
Establish a hotlist of links for visual prompts
Schedule time in computer lab or use of laptop carts
Post the following on the teacher website or Live Binder:
hotlist of links to visual image sites
graphic organizer of a story map with elements listed
peer conference worksheet
notes on transition words, dialogue punctuation, and editing tips
scoring rubric
Project
Product - creative fiction short story which has been taken through all stages of the writing process, from brainstorming and planning to publishing.
Assessment/Grading
Rubric will evaluate storyline development, use of technology, content and mechanics of the paperTime Management Tips
Consider homogeneous small groups based on keyboarding and/or composition skills.
Practice writing by timer - get students use to short timed writing exercises so they will get moving faster and be able to finish their leg of the story in a reasonable amount of time.
Prior to beginning this lesson, students might benefit from mini lessons on the use of particular technology.
Lesson Plan Details
Engage
Students will use an unusual photo as inspiration for a creative short story - written collaboratively.
Ask reporter questions about the chosen photo: 5Ws and H: Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How?
For example: Who can we see? What appears to be happening at the moment of the picture? Where and when is this occurring? Why do the subjects look or seem to be acting in a certain way? How did the subjects get to this moment?
Essential Questions to ask yourself: How does an author get a story idea? What can I learn from close observation? How do I balance reality and imagination in a story?
Explore
(unfinished) * Use an interactive graphic organizer (like Inspiration?) to detail the practice story. It could be used again by individuals before they begin to write, or by peer editors to check the inclusion of narrative elements. In small groups, students share ideas about the class photo and create a basic story map to share with the class. Students should collaborate to cover each of 5 stages of the story map. Discuss as a class the following: How do writers get basic story ideas, and how do they develop these ideas? *Students will use a hotlist to locate a photo that inspires a story. Students will upload the photo into their document for viewing while they compose.Now, each student should choose a photo and answer the 5W/H for that photo. Each student should develop details for an exposition of a fictional story – character(s), one conflict, and setting.
Explain
(unfinished)Elaborate
(unfinished) After a predetermined amount of time (15 minutes?) students will rotate to the next computer (perhaps students are seated in a large circle). Each student will carefully read the previous writer’s story, then will add the appropriate part of the story and save it. Rotations continue until every student has written 5 parts and stories are complete. Students will the practice peer editing for content and mechanics weaknesses.*Online template for peer evaluation that students could type in. Teacher could also use it for final evaluation of the piece.
Evaluate
Creative fiction rubric (teacher), self-evaluation, notes made while peer conferencing, small group evaluation. Stories would be shared by round robin reading in small groups.
(copy of rubric is forthcoming)