UNIT 1
Narrative Craft

BEND I ♦ Generating Personal Narratives

Session 1 – Starting with Turning Points
Homework: Making Resolutions

Session 2 – Dreaming the Dream of the Story
Homework: Living Like a Writer

Session 3 – Letting Other Authors' Words Awaken Our Own
Chart: Strategies for Generating Personal Narrative Writing
Checklist: Questions to Ask Yourself As You Edit
Homework: Editing as You Write

Session 4 – Telling the Story from Inside It
Homework: Making and Using Topic Lists

Session 5 – Taking Stock and Setting Goals
Narrative Writing Checklist, Grades 5 and 6
"Goosebumps"
Homework: Your Last Chance to Write a Drop Dead Powerful Entry

BEND II ♦ Moving Through the Writing Process: Rehearsing, Drafting, Revising and Editing

Session 7 – What's This Story Really About?: Redrafting to Bring Out Meaning
Homework: Angling Your Writing as You Draft

Session 8 – Bringing Forth the Story Arc
Homework: Planning Revision with Story Arcs

Session 9 – Elaborating on Important Parts
Checklist: Questions to Ask Yourself As You Edit
Homework: Make a Museum in Your Home

Session 10 – Adding Scenes from the Past and Future
Homework: Using Past Memories to Emphasize Meaning

Session 11 – Ending Stories
Homework: Writing and Rewriting Leads and Endings

Session 12 – Putting On the Final Touches
Narrative Writing Checklist, Grades 5 and 6
Checklist: Questions to Ask Yourself As You Edit

Bend III ♦ Learning from Mentor Texts

Session 13 – Reading with a Writer's Eye
Homework: Revising from the Get-Go

Session 14 – Taking Writing to the Workbench
Homework: One Last Entry

Session 15 – Stretching Out the Tension
Narrative Writing Checklist, Grades 5 and 6
Homework: Revising Story Arcs

Session 17 – Every Character Plays a Role
Homework: Revising with Character in Mind

Session 18 – Editing: The Power of Commas
Checklist: Questions to Ask Yourself As You Edit
Homework: Reaching for Voice

Session 20 – Reading Aloud Your Writing: A Ceremony of Celebration
FIG. 20–1 Zora's final personal narrative
FIG. 20–2 Sophie's final draft
FIG. 20–3 Miles's final draft
FIG. 20–4 Francesca's final draft

Session 21 – Transferring Learning: Applying Narrative Writing Skills across the Curriculum
Chart: Ways to Find Turning Points in Our Lives
FIG. 21–2 An excerpt from DJ's writing
FIG. 21–3 Jack's book on fractions