Escritura narrativa, parte 1: tres formas de llevar un diario

Part 1 of Narrative Writing offers instruction in the use of three journal types to generate ideas to include in a narrative story or an autobiographical incident. The topics covered include the double-entry journal, the problem/solution journal and using strong verbs, the partner journal and using transitional words and phrases. The structure of the class includes teacher modeling/demonstrations, guided practice, and independent practice. Students will be provided the opportunity to interact with other students by orally sharing their writing, thoughts, and ideas. Students will be provided the opportunity to interact with the teacher during class time and after class time through the classroom communications forum. Students should have knowledge of paragraph structure and writing in complete sentences. 

Day 1 - The Double-Entry Journal 
Objective: Students will make a list of interesting experiences and expand those experiences in a double-entry journal table labeled: ‘Fact and My Reaction.’
1. Personal introductions.
2. What is a narrative? Discussion about characteristics of narratives. 
3. Quick write - Purpose: To help understand how our personal experiences may be interesting to other people. 
Directions: Make a list of interesting things that you may have done or experienced. Students will share and discuss lists.
4. Introduction to the three ways of journaling.
5. Model/example of the double-entry journal. 
6. Students use the three interesting things they may have experienced from their Quick Writes to complete a FACT/MY REACTION double entry.
7. Students share their FACT/My REACTION double entry work.
8. Evaluation - Explain how a double-entry journal promotes writing fluency. What is writing fluency?

Day 2 - The Problem/Solution Journal using strong verbs.
Objective 1: Students will be able to clearly state a real-life situation, explore possible outcomes, and explain what would happen if their solution were put into action. 
Objective 2: Students will be able to identify weak verbs in sentences and replace them with strong verbs. 
1. Writing Prompt - Pick an event from your ‘Fact and My Reaction’ table and write a paragraph to share with the class.
2. Problem/Solution Journal Introduction with model and examples.
3. Create a Problem/Solution Table - Think of two real-life problems or problems from a book you are reading. Record the problems and ideas for solutions on your table. 
4. Writing Prompt: Write about what would happen if one of your possible solutions were put into action. 
5. Share Writing Prompt Responses
6. Introduction to replacing weak verbs with strong verbs in writing. Examples and discussion.
7. Practice A for strong verbs: Students will rewrite the six sentences replacing weak verbs with stronger verbs from a selection of strong verbs. 
8. Practice B for strong verbs: Students will use a dictionary or a thesaurus to identify the definition of 12 strong verbs. When finished, they will write a sentence using each of the strong verbs. 
9. Practice C for strong verbs: Students will choose at least five strong verbs from practice A or B. When finished, they will write a brief narrative paragraph using the five strong verbs. 
10. Students share their paragraphs.
11. Evaluation: Explain how a problem-solution journal helps to generate narrative stories and how using strong verbs creates more meaning in writing than weaker verbs. 

Day 3 - Three Ways of Journaling – Partner Journal & Transitional Words and Phrases
Objective 1: Students will use partner journals to provide a nonjudgmental way to compare reactions to real-life events and events in literature. 
Objective 2: Students will practice using transitional words and phrases to connect ideas in their writing. 
1. Teacher demonstrates how to create a four-column partner journal page. 
2. Independent Practice: Create a four-column partner journal page. Complete the situation and my notes columns. 
3. Each student will share their situation and my notes column thoughts with the class. 
4. After sharing, each student will provide comments for a situation of one of the other students situation. Their responses will be recorded in the partner’s ideas column of the student receiving the comments. 
5. Next, each student will record their reactions to the partner ideas provided for their situation. 
6. Students share their final four-column journal pages and discuss how this type of journal may be helpful in narrative writing. 
7. Introduction to using transitional words and phrases: Transitional words or phrases are identified as words or phrases that link related ideas and hold them together. 
8. Examples will be provided of transitional words or phrases connected like a chain in sentences about a snake. 
9. Students will be instructed to continue the snake story from the example sentences.  They should write one or more paragraphs using ‘six’ different transitional phrases. Examples of transitional phrases will be provided. 
Evaluation: How does a partner journal help to write a narrative and how do transition words or phrases help to bring clarity to our writing?