Language Arts Unit 1:Personal Narrative

1. Unit Overview – Critical Inquiry Question

How can writing be improved through examining a mentor text?
2. General Learning Outcome
General Outcome 1
Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and
experiences.
3. ​Focusing Questions for Lessons (Related questions)
How can you expand your story?
Why is punctuation important when writing?
What details can you identify in the mentor text?
What details need to be added to the story?
What is a seed story?
What is a watermelon story?
Were all the pages of your book used to write the story?
Is the story complete?
How can the story be revised?
What can be added to the story to make it better?
4. Specific Learning Outcomes for Unit (assessed by culminating task)

1.1 Discover and Explore

Express ideas and develop understanding
● contribute relevant ideas and information from personal experiences to group language
activities
● talk about how new ideas and information have changed previous understanding
● express or represent ideas and feelings resulting from activities or experiences with oral,
print and other media texts
Experiment with language and forms
● use a variety of forms of oral, print and other media texts to organize and give meaning to
experiences, ideas and information
Express preferences
● explain why particular oral, print or other media texts are personal favourites
Set goals
● recognize and talk about developing abilities as readers, writers and illustrators
1.2 Clarify and Extend
Consider the ideas of others
● connect own ideas and experiences with those shared by others
Combine ideas
● record ideas and information in ways that make sense
Extend understanding
● find more information about new ideas and topics

Date Related Questions Learning activities Assessment Materials

Day 1 Did you add details to
Sept. 6 your story?
What is a small moment
you can write a story
about?
Date Related Questions Learning activities
Day 2 Did you spread your Planning for writing”
Sept. 7 story out to all the pages
of the book?
Why is it good to use all
the pages instead of
writing on just one page?
Date Related Questions Learning activities
Day 3 What information did Using pictures to add on”
Sept. 11 you add to your story to
make it more complete?
Lives are full of stories to tell” Summative: were students
1. Read “Night of the able to write a small - 3 page booklet
Veggie Monster” By: moments story? Collect - “Night of the
george McCements completed stories. Veggie Monster”
2. Discussion about small - Story writing
moments stories Formal: are students able anchor chart
3. Discuss details in small to write a small moments - Whiteboard
moments stories ( story in order? markers
re-read a section of the
book and ask students
what details they
noticed)
4. How to write a story
anchor chart
5. Students write a small
moment story in 3 page
book
6. writers workshop
conclusion.
7. Story sharing
Assessment Materials
Formal: are students able
1. Remind students to to touch each page of the -3 page story writing
write on all pages and book and say what they booklet
not just on one. Show are going to write before -whiteboard markers
them a non-example writing it down. -anchor chart poster
and then a good
example.
2. Add to anchor chart
3. Example of story
writing using touch and
tell on the whiteboard.
4. Writers workshop
conclusion. Checklist
and self-assess
Assessment Materials
Summative: did students
1. Students share their revise their story by -3 page story writing
stories with an elbow adding words or revision booklet
partner. strips. -whiteboard markers
2. Discuss adding to the -anchor chart poster
 story. It is too short
3. Add to the anchor
chart:revise
4. Example of adding to
the story
5. Students writing time
6. Debrief - examples of
adding to stories.

Date Related Questions Learning activities Assessment Materials

Day 4 What letter sounds do Stretching words to spell them
Sept. 13 you hear in the words? 1. Edit stories for spelling.
2. Read the word slowly.
Sound it out
3. Add letters that have
been left out or cross
out letters that do not
belong.
4. Debrief: spelling
strategies
Summative: Are students
able to identify words that -3 page story writing
are not spelt correctly? booklet
-whiteboard markers
Summative: are students -anchor chart poster
able to record all the letter
sounds they hear in a word
by sounding it out?

Date Related Questions Learning activities Assessment Materials

Day 5 How did you know your Zooming in: focus on small Formal: are students able
Sept. 14 topic was a seed topic moments to differentiate between a -3 page story writing
and not a watermelon 1. Watermelon topics vs. seed and a watermelon booklet
topic? seed topics topic? -whiteboard markers
2. Examples of -anchor chart poster
watermelon and seed
topics
3. Pick a seed topic
4. Tell an elbow partner
5. Touch and tell in blank
booklet
6. Write story
7. debrief - sharing

Date Related Questions Learning activities Assessment Materials

Day 6 How did your partner Partnership and storytelling Formal: are students able
Sept. 18 help you write a better 1. Create writing partners to tell their story to a -3 page story writing
story? 2. Discuss why it is partner? booklet
important to have a -whiteboard markers
 writing partner Formal: Are -anchor chart poster
3. One students tells their
story to the partner.
4. The partner helps to add
more detail by asking
questions about the
story.
5. Storytelling with a
partner anchor chart
6. Writing time
7. Debrief- Sharing

Date Related Questions Learning activities Assessment Materials

Day 7 How did reading your Reading our writing like we Summative: Can students
Sept. 20 writing out loud help you read our books identify mistakes and -3 page story writing
become a better writer? 1. Volunteers to read their correct them? booklet
book in front of the -whiteboard markers
Why do writers re-read class. Formal: are students able -anchor chart poster
what they wrote? 2. Writers are readers. to identify mistakes from
3. Teacher read written reading their writing out
book. Students observe loud?
things done while
reading writing that are
the same as reading a
book.
4. Read stories out loud to
partner.
5. Make corrections
6. debrief - celebrate
growth gallery walk

Date Related Questions Learning activities Assessment Materials

Day 8 How can you “unfreeze” Unfreezing our characters and
Sept. 21 the characters in your our writing
story? 1. Example of frozen
characters. (saying what
the characters did but
not what they felt or
said)
2. Ways to bring stories to
life anchor chart
3. Writing time
4. Draw pictures to
Summative: did students
add dialogue to their -3 page story writing
story? booklet
-whiteboard markers
Summative: did students -anchor chart poster
add movement to thier
story
Formal: did students add
speech bubbles to the
drawing?
 accommodate the story
5. Add speech bubbles to
the characters
6. debrief - sharing

Date Related Questions Learning activities Assessment Materials

Day 9 How did the author Telling stories in steps Summative: are students
Sept. 25 stretch a small moment 1. Sing itsy bitsy spider able to elaborate on a -3 page story writing
out? 2. Ways to bring stories to small moment by adding booklet
life anchor chart detail? -whiteboard markers
3. Re-read part of “ night -anchor chart poster
of the veggie monster”
4. Stretching small
moments out
5. Detailed story about
arrival at school this
morning
6. Examples and
non-examples
7. Writing time
8. Debrief- share

Date Related Questions Learning activities Assessment Materials

Day 10 What are your characters Bringing what’s inside out Summative: are students
Sept. 27 feeling? 1. Sing if you’re happy able to add feelings to the -3 page story writing
and you know it” character in the story? booklet
2. Character feelings -whiteboard markers
3. Examples and -anchor chart poster
non-examples
4. Add feelings to a class
story
5. Add to what brings
stories to life anchor
chart
6. Writing time
7. Debrief- share

Date Related Questions Learning activities Assessment Materials

Day 11 Can you show how your Using drama to bring stories to Formal: are students able
Sept. 28 character is feeling? life to act out the characters -3 page story writing
1. Students act out their feelings indicated in the booklet
 stories text. -whiteboard markers
-anchor chart poster

Date Related Questions Learning activities Assessment Materials

Day 12 What unknown words Using familiar words to spell Formal: are students able
Oct. 2 did you spell using this words. to identify familiar words. -3 page story writing
strategy? 1. Using familiar words to booklet
spell unknown words. Are students able to sound -whiteboard markers
2. Examples out unknown words? -anchor chart poster
3. Add to ways to spell
words anchor chart
4. Writing period
5. Debrief

Date Related Questions Learning activities Assessment Materials

Day 13 Did you use punctuation Editing Summative: did students

Oct. 11 in your story?
What is the purpose of
an exclamation mark?
Where do we put a
question mark?
1. Examples of a story add punctuation to their -3 page story writing
without conventions. stories? booklet
2. Explain the use of -whiteboard markers
punctuation -anchor chart poster
3. Narrative writing
checklist ( expectations
in writing)
4. Edit stories for
punctuation
5. Debrief- review
checklist again

Date Related Questions Learning activities Assessment Materials

Day 14 What does an author do Studying a story Summative: have students -3 page story writing
Oct. 12 to make their writing 1. Writers study other added “craft moves” to booklet
special? writers books to make their text such as all -whiteboard markers
their writing better. capitals to add emphasis? -anchor chart poster
What “craft moves” can 2. How to authors make
you find in a mentor their writing special?
text? 3. Learning craft moves
from a mentor text chart
4. A look at other mentor
texts for “craft moves”
5. Writing time
 6. Debrief- sharing

Date Related Questions Learning activities Assessment Materials

Day 15 What are exact actions Trying out a craft move from a Formative: are students -3 page story writing
Oct.16 words? mentor text :exact actions able to identify exact booklet
1. Review strategies actions words from the -whiteboard markers
learned for good writing mentor text? -anchor chart poster
2. What are exact actions
words
3. Identify exact actions
words in mentor text
4. Writing time
5. Debrief- share exact
action words

Date Related Questions Learning activities Assessment Materials

Day 16 What are some important Trying out a craft from a mentor Formal: are students able
Oct. 18 words in your story that text: pop out words to identify important -3 page story writing
should pop out. 1. Share with an elbow words in their story? booklet
partner some of the -whiteboard markers
craft moves they have Summative: have students -anchor chart poster
been using in their bolded important words in
writing. their story?
2. Add to craft moves
from mentor text chart
3. Making important
words pop out by
making them bold
4. Writing time
5. Debrief

Date Related Questions Learning activities Assessment Materials

Day 17 How has your writing Turing to other mentor texts Summative: Has students’
Oct. 19 improved? 1. Everyone has a unique writing improved? -3 page story writing
writing style booklet
What are some things 2. finish -up Summative: did students -whiteboard markers
you changed in your 3. Share with a partner include craft moves in -anchor chart poster
writing to make it better? 4. Celebrate- gallery walk their writing?

What are some “craft

moves” that you used?
Date Related Questions Learning activities Assessment Materials

Day 18 Why do we need to Using all we know to revise Formal: did students -3 page story writing
Oct. 23 revise our writing? 1. Authors revise their re-read their stories? booklet
writing before -whiteboard markers
How can you revise your presenting it to the Formal: did students -anchor chart poster
story? world. identify errors in their
2. Pick one story to revise, stories?
publish and share
3. Re-read the writing
4. Review “ways to bring
stories to life” chart and
learning craft moves
chart.
5. Ensure students have all
components from the
charts included in their
story.
6. Revise stories with
revision strips
7. Share

Date Related Questions Learning activities Assessment Materials

Day 19 How did you use the Editing with a checklist Summative: students -3 page story writing
Oct. 25 checklist to revise your 1. Writing should be easy submit their editing booklet
writing? to read checklist and edited -whiteboard markers
2. Present editing writing. -anchor chart poster
checklist.
3. Practice using the
editing checklist
4. Find 2 people to edit
your writing with a
checklist
5. Students edit their own
work with a checklist

Date Related Questions Learning activities Assessment Materials

Day 20 How did you choose the Making books ready for the Formative: are students -3 page story writing
Oct. 26 title of your book? library able to choose a title that booklet
1. A look at the cover of a is relevant to the theme of -whiteboard markers
Why is the title mentor text their book? -anchor chart poster
important for a book? 2. Brainstorm a title for
 their writing
3. Create a cover
4. Peer edit
5. Rehearse

Date Related Questions Learning activities Assessment Materials

Day 21 What was your favorite Celebration of writing Summative: students -published narrative
Oct. 30 story? Why? 1. Reflect on writing submit their published
progress stories for assessment.
How has your writing 2. Share story with partner
improved throughout this 3. Share with the class. Formal: reflective journal
unit? 4. Gallery walk on favorite story
5. Reflective journal