Grade 6 Writing Unit Plans
Narrative Writing: Telling a Story
Standards: Students learn that in a narrative essay, the writer tells a story about a real-life experience. While telling a story may sound easy to do, the narrative essay challenges students to think and write about themselves. When writing a narrative essay, writers should try to involve the reader by making the story as vivid as possible. The fact that narrative essays are usually written in the first person helps engage the reader. “I” sentences give readers a feeling of being part of the story. A well-crafted narrative essay will also build towards drawing a conclusion or making a personal statement.
Content: Narrative Essay
Learning Experience:
Student will learn how to write a General Narrative Essay following the guideline below:
Introduction
The “Hook”
Start your paper with a statement about your story that catches the reader’s attention, for example: a relevant quotation, question, fact, or definition.
Set the Scene
Provide the information the reader will need to understand the story: Who are the major characters? When and where is it taking place? Is it a story about something that happened to you, the writer, or is it fiction?
Thesis Statement
The thesis of a narrative essay plays a slightly different role than that of an argument or expository essay. A narrative thesis can begin the events of the story: “It was sunny and warm out when I started down the path”; offer a moral or lesson learned: “I’ll never hike alone again”; or identify a theme that connects the story to a universal experience: “Journeys bring both joy and hardship.”
Body Paragraph
“Show, Don’t Tell”
Good story telling includes details and descriptions that help the reader understand what the writer experienced. Think about using all five senses—not just the sense of sight—to add details about what you heard, saw, and felt during the event. For example, “My heart jumped as the dark shape of the brown grizzly lurched toward me out of the woods” provides more information about what the writer saw and felt than, “I saw a bear when I was hiking”.
Supporting Evidence
In a personal narrative, your experience acts as the evidence that proves your thesis. The events of the story should demonstrate the lesson learned, or the significance of the event to you.
Passage of Time
Writing about the events of your experience using time chronologically, from beginning to end, is the most common and clear way to tell a story. Whether you choose to write chronologically or not, use transition words to clearly indicate to the reader what happened first, next, and last. Some time transition words are next, finally, during, after, when, and later.
Transitions
In a narrative essay, a new paragraph marks a change in the action of a story, or a move from action to reflection. Paragraphs should connect to one another. For example, the end of one paragraph might be: “I turned and ran, hoping the bear hadn’t noticed me”, and the start of the next might be: “There are many strategies for surviving an encounter with a bear; ‘turn and run’ is not one of them.” The repetition of words connects the paragraphs.
Conclusion
The Moral of the Story
The conclusion of a narrative include the closing action of the event, but also should include some reflection or analysis of the significance of the event to the writer. What lesson did you learn? How has what happened to you affected your life now?
Resources
Text Book
Online Resource: https://www.sbcc.edu/clrc/files/wl/downloads/StructureofaPersonalNarrativeEssay.pdf
Interactive Resources
Teacher Created Resources
Descriptive Writing: Painting a Picture
Standards: Students learn that a cousin of the narrative essay, a descriptive essay paints a picture with words. A writer might describe a person, place, object, or even memory of special significance. However, this type of essay is not description for description’s sake. The descriptive essay strives to communicate a deeper meaning through the description. In a descriptive essay, the writer should show, not tell, through the use of colorful words and sensory details. The best descriptive essays appeal to the reader’s emotions, with a result that is highly evocative.
Content: Descriptive Essay
Learning Experience:
Student will learn how to write a General Descriptive Essay following the guideline below:
Introduction
In this section, the main topic of the descriptive essay is introduced to the reader together with the reason why the description is being written. It should start with a strong opening sentence or quote that will catch attention. At the end of the introductory paragraph, a thesis statement should be presented. This section is concerned with giving the readers a general idea of what the essay is about. The introduction section is followed by the body of the essay.
Body Paragraphs
In the body section, you need to provide details about your topic. This part is presented in an artistic way with vivid language rich in adverbs and adjectives. This section is organized into paragraphs as follows.
The first paragraph vividly describes the object, person, or the event itself; providing the necessary details. For instance, if you are writing a descriptive essay about a place, you will describe the place here. For instance, when writing a descriptive essay about the beach, begin by describing the beach itself. Tell your readers about the waves and the appearance of the water and the sand. Tell them what you smelt on the beach, how the sand felt on your feet, and the sounds made by the water; remembering to use good descriptive words.
The second paragraph will discuss the surroundings of the subject of the essay. For the beach scenario, you could talk about the sun, birds, clouds, people and their activities, and other objects of interest in the surrounding. In the third paragraph, you bring the essay to life with a sensual description using your senses of touch, taste, sight, smell, and sound to paint a vivid picture. The main focus here will be on the emotions the subject invokes. In both the description of the surrounding and the emotion, similes and metaphors are often used. Once you’ve exhausted the ideas you had for the body section, you can then conclude the essay.
Conclusion
In the conclusion, summarize the main points, including your physical and emotional attitude and views on the topic of your descriptive essay. This section is based largely on your imagination and an analysis of the essay topic. The descriptive essay thesis statement is also reframed.
Resources
Text Book
Online Resource: https://www.writingelites.net/blog/descriptive-essays-topics/
Interactive Resources
Teacher Created Resources
Expository Writing: Just the Facts
Standards: Students learn that the expository essay is an informative piece of writing that presents a balanced analysis of a topic. In an expository essay, the writer explains or defines a topic, using facts, statistics, and examples. Expository writing encompasses a wide range of essay variations, such as the comparison and contrast essay, the cause and effect essay, and the “how to” or process essay. Because expository essays are based on facts and not personal feelings, writers don’t reveal their emotions or write in the first person.
Content: Expository Essay
Learning Experience:
Student will learn how to write a General Expository Essay following the guideline below:
Introduction
Opening Sentence
Start your paper with a general statement about your topic that catches the reader’s attention, a relevant quotation, question, anecdote, fascinating fact, definition, analogy, the position opposing one you will take, or a dilemma that needs a solution.
Context
Provide the information the reader will need to understand the topic.
Thesis Statement
State your arguable position on the topic that you will support with evidence in your body paragraphs.
Body Paragraphs
Topic Sentence
Provide the main idea of the paragraph.
Supporting Evidence
Include specific textual evidence: cited quotes, paraphrases or summary; or evidence that supports your thesis from other sources: anecdotes, first-person interviews or your own experience.
Analysis
Explain to the reader the significance of the evidence you have provided. Think about why you chose to include it. How does the piece of evidence support your thesis?
Transition
Connect each paragraph with a sentence or two that demonstrates how each idea leads into the next, and how they work together to support your position.
Conclusion
Provide the reader an overview of the main ideas you discussed, but also be sure to highlight the progression of your thought process, offer solutions, next steps or present new questions that your paper generated. Don’t only restate your thesis but show the significance of your synthesis of the information.
Resources
Text Book
Online Resource: https://www.sbcc.edu/clrc/files/wl/downloads/StructureofaGeneralExpositoryEssay.pdf
Interactive Resources
Teacher Created Resources
Persuasive Writing: Convince Me
Standards: Students learn that while like an expository essay in its presentation of facts, the goal of the persuasive essay is to convince the reader to accept the writer’s point of view or recommendation. The writer must build a case using facts and logic, as well as examples, expert opinion, and sound reasoning. The writer should present all sides of the argument, but must be able to communicate clearly and without equivocation why a certain position is correct.
Content: Persuasive Essay
Learning Experience:
Student will learn how to write a General Persuasive Essay following the guideline below:
Introduction
Grab the reader’s attention by using a “hook.”
Give an overview of the argument.
Close with a thesis statement that reveals the position to be argued.
Body Paragraphs
Each body paragraph should focus on one piece of evidence.
Within each paragraph, provide sufficient supporting detail.
Opposing View Paragraph
Describe and then prove/disprove the key points of the opposing view.
Concluding Paragraph
Restate and reinforce the thesis and supporting evidence.
Resources
Text Book
Online Resource:
https://www.time4writing.com/writing-resources/types-of-essays/
https://bid4papers.com/blog/persuasive-essay/
Interactive Resources
Teacher Created Resources
Standards: Students learn that in a narrative essay, the writer tells a story about a real-life experience. While telling a story may sound easy to do, the narrative essay challenges students to think and write about themselves. When writing a narrative essay, writers should try to involve the reader by making the story as vivid as possible. The fact that narrative essays are usually written in the first person helps engage the reader. “I” sentences give readers a feeling of being part of the story. A well-crafted narrative essay will also build towards drawing a conclusion or making a personal statement.
Content: Narrative Essay
Learning Experience:
Student will learn how to write a General Narrative Essay following the guideline below:
Introduction
The “Hook”
Start your paper with a statement about your story that catches the reader’s attention, for example: a relevant quotation, question, fact, or definition.
Set the Scene
Provide the information the reader will need to understand the story: Who are the major characters? When and where is it taking place? Is it a story about something that happened to you, the writer, or is it fiction?
Thesis Statement
The thesis of a narrative essay plays a slightly different role than that of an argument or expository essay. A narrative thesis can begin the events of the story: “It was sunny and warm out when I started down the path”; offer a moral or lesson learned: “I’ll never hike alone again”; or identify a theme that connects the story to a universal experience: “Journeys bring both joy and hardship.”
Body Paragraph
“Show, Don’t Tell”
Good story telling includes details and descriptions that help the reader understand what the writer experienced. Think about using all five senses—not just the sense of sight—to add details about what you heard, saw, and felt during the event. For example, “My heart jumped as the dark shape of the brown grizzly lurched toward me out of the woods” provides more information about what the writer saw and felt than, “I saw a bear when I was hiking”.
Supporting Evidence
In a personal narrative, your experience acts as the evidence that proves your thesis. The events of the story should demonstrate the lesson learned, or the significance of the event to you.
Passage of Time
Writing about the events of your experience using time chronologically, from beginning to end, is the most common and clear way to tell a story. Whether you choose to write chronologically or not, use transition words to clearly indicate to the reader what happened first, next, and last. Some time transition words are next, finally, during, after, when, and later.
Transitions
In a narrative essay, a new paragraph marks a change in the action of a story, or a move from action to reflection. Paragraphs should connect to one another. For example, the end of one paragraph might be: “I turned and ran, hoping the bear hadn’t noticed me”, and the start of the next might be: “There are many strategies for surviving an encounter with a bear; ‘turn and run’ is not one of them.” The repetition of words connects the paragraphs.
Conclusion
The Moral of the Story
The conclusion of a narrative include the closing action of the event, but also should include some reflection or analysis of the significance of the event to the writer. What lesson did you learn? How has what happened to you affected your life now?
Resources
Text Book
Online Resource: https://www.sbcc.edu/clrc/files/wl/downloads/StructureofaPersonalNarrativeEssay.pdf
Interactive Resources
Teacher Created Resources
Descriptive Writing: Painting a Picture
Standards: Students learn that a cousin of the narrative essay, a descriptive essay paints a picture with words. A writer might describe a person, place, object, or even memory of special significance. However, this type of essay is not description for description’s sake. The descriptive essay strives to communicate a deeper meaning through the description. In a descriptive essay, the writer should show, not tell, through the use of colorful words and sensory details. The best descriptive essays appeal to the reader’s emotions, with a result that is highly evocative.
Content: Descriptive Essay
Learning Experience:
Student will learn how to write a General Descriptive Essay following the guideline below:
Introduction
In this section, the main topic of the descriptive essay is introduced to the reader together with the reason why the description is being written. It should start with a strong opening sentence or quote that will catch attention. At the end of the introductory paragraph, a thesis statement should be presented. This section is concerned with giving the readers a general idea of what the essay is about. The introduction section is followed by the body of the essay.
Body Paragraphs
In the body section, you need to provide details about your topic. This part is presented in an artistic way with vivid language rich in adverbs and adjectives. This section is organized into paragraphs as follows.
The first paragraph vividly describes the object, person, or the event itself; providing the necessary details. For instance, if you are writing a descriptive essay about a place, you will describe the place here. For instance, when writing a descriptive essay about the beach, begin by describing the beach itself. Tell your readers about the waves and the appearance of the water and the sand. Tell them what you smelt on the beach, how the sand felt on your feet, and the sounds made by the water; remembering to use good descriptive words.
The second paragraph will discuss the surroundings of the subject of the essay. For the beach scenario, you could talk about the sun, birds, clouds, people and their activities, and other objects of interest in the surrounding. In the third paragraph, you bring the essay to life with a sensual description using your senses of touch, taste, sight, smell, and sound to paint a vivid picture. The main focus here will be on the emotions the subject invokes. In both the description of the surrounding and the emotion, similes and metaphors are often used. Once you’ve exhausted the ideas you had for the body section, you can then conclude the essay.
Conclusion
In the conclusion, summarize the main points, including your physical and emotional attitude and views on the topic of your descriptive essay. This section is based largely on your imagination and an analysis of the essay topic. The descriptive essay thesis statement is also reframed.
Resources
Text Book
Online Resource: https://www.writingelites.net/blog/descriptive-essays-topics/
Interactive Resources
Teacher Created Resources
Expository Writing: Just the Facts
Standards: Students learn that the expository essay is an informative piece of writing that presents a balanced analysis of a topic. In an expository essay, the writer explains or defines a topic, using facts, statistics, and examples. Expository writing encompasses a wide range of essay variations, such as the comparison and contrast essay, the cause and effect essay, and the “how to” or process essay. Because expository essays are based on facts and not personal feelings, writers don’t reveal their emotions or write in the first person.
Content: Expository Essay
Learning Experience:
Student will learn how to write a General Expository Essay following the guideline below:
Introduction
Opening Sentence
Start your paper with a general statement about your topic that catches the reader’s attention, a relevant quotation, question, anecdote, fascinating fact, definition, analogy, the position opposing one you will take, or a dilemma that needs a solution.
Context
Provide the information the reader will need to understand the topic.
Thesis Statement
State your arguable position on the topic that you will support with evidence in your body paragraphs.
Body Paragraphs
Topic Sentence
Provide the main idea of the paragraph.
Supporting Evidence
Include specific textual evidence: cited quotes, paraphrases or summary; or evidence that supports your thesis from other sources: anecdotes, first-person interviews or your own experience.
Analysis
Explain to the reader the significance of the evidence you have provided. Think about why you chose to include it. How does the piece of evidence support your thesis?
Transition
Connect each paragraph with a sentence or two that demonstrates how each idea leads into the next, and how they work together to support your position.
Conclusion
Provide the reader an overview of the main ideas you discussed, but also be sure to highlight the progression of your thought process, offer solutions, next steps or present new questions that your paper generated. Don’t only restate your thesis but show the significance of your synthesis of the information.
Resources
Text Book
Online Resource: https://www.sbcc.edu/clrc/files/wl/downloads/StructureofaGeneralExpositoryEssay.pdf
Interactive Resources
Teacher Created Resources
Persuasive Writing: Convince Me
Standards: Students learn that while like an expository essay in its presentation of facts, the goal of the persuasive essay is to convince the reader to accept the writer’s point of view or recommendation. The writer must build a case using facts and logic, as well as examples, expert opinion, and sound reasoning. The writer should present all sides of the argument, but must be able to communicate clearly and without equivocation why a certain position is correct.
Content: Persuasive Essay
Learning Experience:
Student will learn how to write a General Persuasive Essay following the guideline below:
Introduction
Grab the reader’s attention by using a “hook.”
Give an overview of the argument.
Close with a thesis statement that reveals the position to be argued.
Body Paragraphs
Each body paragraph should focus on one piece of evidence.
Within each paragraph, provide sufficient supporting detail.
Opposing View Paragraph
Describe and then prove/disprove the key points of the opposing view.
Concluding Paragraph
Restate and reinforce the thesis and supporting evidence.
Resources
Text Book
Online Resource:
https://www.time4writing.com/writing-resources/types-of-essays/
https://bid4papers.com/blog/persuasive-essay/
Interactive Resources
Teacher Created Resources