ELA Agenda: Friday, Sept. 13th Homework In class today, we will… PN draft revisions for narrative openings due Monday VW U3 Packet due 9/18; Test on 9/20 Bellringer: SB 1.7—Unpack Learning Targets p34 Work Session: SB 1.7 p34—35 Writer’s Workshop—Revising the Beginning Revising narrative openings Closing: Revision of Narrative Lead SB p35-- Describe how you have changed your opening. How did your change make your opening more engaging for your reader?

Activating Thinking… “If a teacher told me to revise, I thought that meant my writing was a broken-down car that needed to go to the repair shop. I felt insulted. I didn’t realize the teacher was saying, ‘Make it shine. It’s worth it.’ Now I see revision as a beautiful word of hope. It’s a new vision of something. It means you don’t have to be perfect the first time. What a relief!” —Naomi Shihab Nye What does this quote make you think about writing and revision?

SB 1.7: Revision of Narrative Lead! Review the leads of texts you’ve read so far for ideas on how to revise your own narrative beginning. Your lead should be one of the following – reaction, dialogue, or action. Remember: Your goal is to open with a strong lead that engages readers and encourages them to continue reading your personal narrative.

Hook Your Reader: Writing Strong Narrative Leads

Why is it important? A good lead… Sets the tone of the writing piece Hooks the reader and makes him/her want to continue reading

Bad Leads … Once upon a time… I’m going to tell you about… Hi, my name is… A timeline (and then, and then) Telling rather than showing

Ineffective Lead It was a day at the end of June. My mom, dad, brother and I were at our camp on Rangeley Lake. We arrived the night before at 10:00, so it was dark when we got there and unpacked. We went straight to bed. The next morning, when I was eating breakfast, my dad started yelling for me from down at the dock at the top of his lungs. He said there was a car in the lake.

Three Ways to Start a Narrative Action Dialogue Reaction

Short Story from 6th Grade

Action A main character doing something I gulped my milk, pushed away from the table, and bolted out of the kitchen slamming the broken screen door behind me. I ran down to our dock as fast as my legs could carry me. My feet pounded on the old wood, hurrying me toward my dad’s voice. “Scott!” he bellowed again. “Coming, Dad!” I gasped. I couldn’t see him yet – just the sais of boats that had already put out into the lake for the day.

Short Story from Your Childhood

Dialogue Characters Speaking “Scott! Get down here on the double!” Dad bellowed. His voice sounded far away. “Dad?” I hollered. “Where are you?” I squinted through the screen door but I couldn’t see him. “I’m down on the dock. MOVE IT. You’re not going to believe this,” he replied.

Short Story from 6th Grade

Reaction A character thinking I couldn’t imagine why my father was hollering for me at 7:00 in the morning. I thought fast about what I might have done to get him so riled. Had he found out about the way I had talked to my mother the night before, when we got to camp and she asked me to help unpack the car? Did he discover the fishing reel I broke last week? Before I could consider a third possibility, Dad’s voice shattered my thoughts. “Scott! Move it! You’re not going to believe this!”

Revisit the openings from the texts you have read in this unit to examine how authors hook readers.

Revision of Narrative Lead! Use the leads of those texts you’ve reviewed as models as you revise your own lead technique – reaction, dialogue, or action. Remember: Your goal is to open with a strong lead that engages readers, encouraging them to continue reading your personal narrative. Effective writers also reflect! (And this will be part of your EA #1 grade, so make sure you write these ideas down!) Writers do this in order to become more aware of specific techniques they use during the writing process. Describe how you have changed your opening. How did your change make your opening more engaging for your reader?