Much of the structure of this unit is inspired by “The Writing Strategies Book” by Jennifer Serravallo and “Craft Lessons: Teaching Writing K-8” by Ralph Flectcher and Joann Portalupi’s. In creating this Unit, I pulled together different ideas from the books into my own sequence of lessons. These books are written by influential writing instructors who use techniques that are well-researched and supported by teachers. Jennifer Serravallo notes in her book: “This book’s lessons have been vetted, and samples of real student work and real teacher-created charts grace its pages thanks to these educators from Connecticut to California” ( 2017, p. xi). I attempted to supplement the writing curriculum with mentor texts and models that are culturally relevant for the students. Many of the activities, such as the “Heart Map” activity, encourage students to leverage their funds of knowledge and to write about what is important to them (Serravallo, 2017, p. 98). The activity also incorporates drawing as a tool for writing, and allows students to incorporate their full linguistic repertoire in their Heart Map. This can help students to get their ideas onto paper, and to see that writing can take different forms.

           The central idea of choice in writing involves more than just providing options for the student writers. It also means that students have control over their own writing time. This is a philosophy that is contrary to some standards-based methods of teaching. In order for students to have autonomy as writers, the students should be able to choose how they want to spend their writing time, within the parameters that are set by the teacher and the students together. When students have ownership over the writing that they are creating, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated. It is important that teachers support students in their own explorations as writers, and that “rather than assign[ing] we can invite students to use their writer’s notebook as a place to ‘have a go’ at the craft elements you’ve been discussing with them” (Fletcher & Portalupi, 2007, p. 12). In addition, when students are more interested in the topic, engagement also increases, as was shown by Bruning & Kauffman (2016). When the stories or topics are culturally relevant, students are more likely to relate or see themselves as writers (Muhammad, 2021). In addition, students were provided with feedback throughout the Unit, and every student engaged in a conference with the teacher. These meetings can help the teacher to provide targeted support for individual students. The unit also involves opportunities for students to share their ideas and writing with their peers, and to learn from the experiences and perspectives of their classmates. In addition to helping students to share their own experiences, when a supportive writing and sharing environment is created, the classroom culture and community can develop and flourish.

Why is a Unit Like this Important? Implications for Curriculum and Impact

            Writing Units like this are more important now than ever. Writing can be a powerful medium through which students can express themselves. As a foundational writing unit, this unit can be used to create a respectful and collaborative classroom community of writers. In including the many different books to choose from, the goal is to communicate the writers can tell stories in many different ways. With the spread of scripted literacy curricula and standardization, it is important for teachers and administrators to see how much value can be drawn from a narrative writing unit. A unit like this can help students to see themselves as writers, which has the potential to improve their motivation for all different genres of writing. This unit also celebrates individuality and difference among students, and provides them with opportunities to showcase what matters to them. This can help the students to learn more about one another, and can help to create a culture of sharing and listening to one another.

            In order to spread the word about this unit, and to make the unit available to other teachers, I have created a blog (https://missrosen.edublogs.org/) in which I have posted the lesson plans, rationale, and book list. My plan is to share this with my colleagues here at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, as well as my other teacher friends, with the hope that this could spread even further. This blog is accessible to any interested teacher, parent, or administrator to access, and I hope to be able to continue to add lessons and other articles or posts as I continue to create lessons for my students. Viewers of the blog can also comment their own ideas! My dream is that units such as this one can provide teachers with the tools that they need to implement a creative and responsive writing unit that can help more students to see that they have stories worth telling.

References

Bruning, & Kauffman. (2017). Self-efficacy beliefs and motivation in writing development. In Handbook of Writing Research. essay, The Guilford Press.

Fletcher, R. J., & Portalupi, J. A. (2007). Craft lessons: Teaching Writing K-8. Stenhouse Publishers.

Muhammad, G. E., & Mosley, L. T. (2021). Why we need identity and equity learning in literacy       practices: Moving research, practice, and policy forward. Language Arts, 98(4), 189-196.             Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezpprod1.hul.harvard.edu/sc             holarlyjournals/why-we-need-identity-equity-learning-literacy/docview/2502933530/se-2

Serravallo, J. (2017). The Writing Strategies Book: Your Everything Guide to Developing Skilled   Writers. Heinemann.

Instructional Goals:  Students will have a chance to hear and see their peers’ stories! Students will be able to share their story with their classmates.

Activity	Description and Purpose
Before we share: Make a Cover for your Story “Book”	Today is the day that we are going to share our stories! Before we do, we will take some time to draw or create “cover art” for our story. Students can draw, and if there are computers in the room, the students can also create some sort of graphic or collage that represents their story.
Setting Expectations for Sharing	Before sharing time, the teacher can gather the students and ask them: What do we do when our friends are sharing? What do we do afterwards? Teachers should emphasize the importance of listening while our peers are sharing, and of providing positive feedback or compliments afterwards.
Time to Share	Next, we will have an Author’s Chair. Students can share their whole story with the class, or can choose to share a piece of it. Students will applaud each other and can give compliments or ask questions.
Gallery Walk	After sharing, students put their cover art and/or their story on their desk, and the students can walk around and look at the work of their peers.
Reflection	After this, the students will gather. The teacher can ask the students: What did you learn by writing this story? What did you learn about yourself as a writer? What did you learn from your classmates?

Assessment/Checkpoint: Students should havea story (or some of it) to share with the class.

Differentiation/Student Choice: Students have choice in how much of their story they would like to share.

Note: This lesson may take place over multiple classes

Instructional Goals: Students will be able to gain feedback from a peer, and will have time to incorporate this feedback into their piece. Students will give constructive and positive feedback to a classmate.  

Activity	Description and Purpose
Introduction to Revision	The teacher will tell the students about the Writing Share that will occur. For the Writing Share, students will have the option to read their story to the class. The students will also participate in a gallery walk so that they can see the artwork or other visual elements of their peers’ stories. The teacher will ask students: What is revision? Some of us have already started to revise our pieces. What does it mean? The teacher can stress that all writers continue to change and improve their writing all the time!
Partner Time Expectations	With the students, the teacher will explain and write down some expectations for partner revision work. For example, the teacher will highlight the importance of providing positive feedback and saying what the author did great! The teacher will also explain how students can point out ways that they think their partner can continue to improve their writing. Students can call these “glows” (things that are great!) and grows (areas where the student can continue to develop). The teacher can also ask the students what they think partner share should be like as well. The teacher can write down sample questions that partners can ask one another, such as “Can you say more?” or “What do you mean?” (Servavallo, p. 369). The teacher can also ask the students what other questions may be helpful to ask and write those as well.
Partner Revision Time	Then, the students will have a chance to engage in partner revision. They will read each other’s pieces so far and provide positive feedback, and can ask questions (including questions from the brainstormed list) about the writing piece. The teacher can circulate and provide additional support if groups need it.
More Writing Time and Share	The students will have more time to write and work on their stories. They can choose to continue working with their partner or to work on their own. They could also exchange their writing with a different partner if they choose. Then, students can share either some of their writing or a take-away from the partner activity.

Assessment/Checkpoint: By the end of this lesson, the teacher will hopefully have met with every student and provided targeted feedback.

Differentiation/Student Choice: The teacher can provide students with individualized supports based on the conferences. For example, if the student wants to work on their story beginning, the teacher can provide different examples that could help to spark an idea for the student.

Instructional Goals: Students will be able to understand what dialogue is and how they can use it in their stories. Students will also continue to work on developing one of their writing pieces.   

Activity	Description and Purpose
What is dialogue?	For this activity, the teacher will begin by asking the students to think about the story (or one of the stories) that they are working on. The teacher will ask the students to think: in your story, were people talking? Most students will likely agree that most stories involve some sort of talking. The teacher will then say that that is why it is so important to understand how to write with dialogue, or written speech.
Dialogue example	The teacher will write an example of dialogue on the board, such as: “Hey! There’s a rainbow behind you,” said George. “Look out!” Stella cried. Mom looked up and said, “It looks like it might rain.” The teacher will point out the quotation marks, as well as the part of the sentence that indicates who is speaking. The teacher will ask the students to try to notice what the sentences have in common.
Group work: Dialogue Mission	Students will be put in groups and will rotate to different stations. At each station, there will be some task related to writing dialogue, whether it be adding dialogue punctuation to sentences or being prompted to create your own dialogue. This should help students to see how they could use dialogue in their story.
Writing Expectations Check	The teacher will tell the students that we will be sharing our stories (and additional drawings) with one another very soon! The teacher will review the expectations and will add any new ones that the students come up with. The teacher will remind the students that the writing conferences will continue. If students think that they are done with their story, they can go to the “revision station” which has suggestions for revision strategies, such as “Read Your Draft Aloud, and Listen” (Serravallo, 340), in which students use a whisper telephone that allows them to hear their voice as they whisper. The students could also choose to start a new story.
Free Write/Share	Students will have time to continue to work on their stories. After this time, students will be able to share some of their work (as little as a sentence).

Assessment/Checkpoint: The teacher can check to see how the students are doing with their stories, and can assist if they are in need of additional support.

Differentiation/Student Choice: At this stage, the students may be in different places with their stories. The teacher can provide individualized support to students during the writing conferences and during free writing time (when not conferencing).

Instructional Goals: The student will be able to identify descriptive language in a text in order to understand how authors can create an image or scene in writing. The students will be able to include descriptions in their own writing.

Activity	Description and Purpose
Read Aloud Suggestion:Southwest Sunrise by Nikki Grimes https://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=I_xjxApnug8	The teacher can start the lesson by saying that stories are fun to read because we can picture what is happening in our heads in a sort of “mind picture” (Fletcher & Portalupi, 2007,p. 29). The more description there is in the story, the easier it is for us to imagine what is going on. As we read this story, try to pay attention to how the author describes the colors and the nature all around!
What do we notice?	After reading, the teacher can ask the students what they noticed in the story, and can create a list with the students. The teacher can also highlight examples of figurative language in the text, and teach that not everything that the author writes is realistic or means exactly what it says. For example, there is personification in the story, like saying that flowers were “dancing purple in the wind.” There is also simile, like in the sentence “A giant blackbird parades by, feathers slick as wet hair.” There are many examples that the teacher can focus on with the students.
Writing Expectations Check- Conferences	The teacher can encourage students to try to bring what we have learned about descriptions into the stories! The teacher will also use this time to introduce the concept of Writing Conferences. The teacher can explain that in a writing conference, the students will share their writing progress with the teacher. The teacher will emphasize that this is not a test in any way! It is a way to share your hard work and is a way for the teacher to help you to continue your writing. On the same anchor chart (or a different one) the teacher can write some expectations for a Writing Conference, including that the student and the teacher will talk about the student’s writing piece and how the writer can grow.
Free Write and Share	Then, the students will have time to write. They can continue to work on their original story. They can also work on adding descriptive language into their stories. They could also choose to begin a new story if they are stuck on their other story. Some students will begin to meet with the teacher for conferences. At the end of the writing time, some students can share some of their writing with the class.

Assessment/Checkpoint: The teacher will meet with the students individually in a conference to see their progress with the writing piece and offer encouragement and suggestion.

Differentiation/Student Choice: Students have options in what they want to work on during the independent writing time. They can also choose where in the room they want to sit during this time. If students need additional support, the teacher can read their piece and provide individualized advice.

Note: All References can be found on the “References” Page.

Instructional Goals:  Students will be able to have an understanding of how some stories are structured, which they could use to help them to write their stories.

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Activity	Description and Purpose
Introduction to Elements of Story Structure	The teacher will explain that there are many different ways that people can tell a story. Some stories have some sort of problem, or conflict, and then some sort of solution at the end. The teacher will also explain that characters are the people in the stories, and that the setting is a word for where the story takes place.
Read Aloud Recommendation: Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Q4tAXar8uIA&t=53s	Then, the teacher will read this story out loud to the students, and ask the students to pay attention to the conflict of the story and the solution. The teacher can also prime students to look out for characters (people in the story), and the setting (where it takes place)
Teacher Think Aloud	Then, the teacher will ask the students to brainstorm who was in the story (the characters), where they were (the setting), and what happened in the story (the problem and solution). The teacher will tell the students that they can structure their stories in a similar way.
What do we do when we think we have finished?	Before the students begin their writing for the day, the teacher will take out the anchor chart from the past lessons. The teacher will ask the students: What can you do when you think you are done? The students can brainstorm ideas and the teacher can also provide some options, such as “add more detail”, “read the piece over”, or “go back to the heart map and choose something else to start writing about”. The teacher can add these ideas to the chart.
Free Writing Time and Share	Then, the students will have a chance to return to their writing. If students would like, the teacher can provide them with a scaffold (chart) to help them to brainstorm their characters, setting, and problem and solution. Students can also do this in their writing journal for more space. Students can also choose to continue writing their story from yesterday, or to choose a different topic from their heart map if they are feeling stuck in their first story. Then, students can share a piece of what they are working on with the class if they choose.

Assessment/Checkpoint: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to identify characters and the setting in their story. The teacher can circulate and ask students about their stories.

Differentiation/Student Choice: Students can choose if they want to use the supportive worksheet, and the students can choose how they want to spend their free writing time, whether it be planning their story or drafting.

 

Instructional Goals:  The students will be able to come up with ideas for topics and/or stories that they can write about. The students can use their Heart Map to help them to come up with topics and will practice doing this.

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Activity	Description and Purpose
(Optional Read Aloud to Start) Looking at Heart Map/Choosing a Moment	The teacher will instruct the students to take out their Heart Map from the last lesson. The teacher will show students her/his map as well. The teacher will then choose a moment from the heart map and model how to take a topic and turn it into an idea for a story. For example, if the teacher chooses a hobby like “singing”, they can think aloud: “I love singing! Maybe I could write about the time that I had a big choir concert.”
Practice “Zooming In” (Serravallo, p. 141)	The teacher will ask the students to turn to partners. The students will look at their Heart Maps and think of how to take a topic and turn it into an idea for a story. For example, if the topic is “soccer”, the student could tell a story about a soccer game. The students will tell the story to their peer. (This is also inspired by Ralph Fletcher’s “Developing an Idea” p. 20.)
Reviewing and Establishing Writing Norms and Expectations	Before the students have a chance to free write, the teacher will take back out the anchor chart from the previous lesson. The teacher will review the expectations for free write time, and will ask the students if there are any new ones that they would like to add.
Time to Write/Draw	Then, the students will have a chance to explore one story from their heart map. The teacher will explain to the students that we will be working on writing stories for multiple days, and that when writers write they continue to make changes to their writing.  During writing time, the students can begin their stories, and can include drawings if they choose to do so. The teacher will stress that this is just to get ideas down on the paper, and that we will continue to work on the stories in the upcoming days.
Student Share	Students will be encouraged to share something that they are working on. Students can share as little as a sentence from their story.

Assessment/Checkpoint: By the end of the lesson, students will have chosen one topic or area that they can begin to write a story about.

Differentiation/Student Choice: Students have choice in what they want to write about and how they want to tell their story. If students are not sure what to write about, the teacher can look back at their heart map and discuss what they may want to write about. The students can practice telling the story to a peer. The student can also start with drawing a picture.

Note: Students already have Writer’s Notebooks that they have decorated

Instructional Goals:  This lesson will serve as an introduction to the narrative writing unit.

Students will be able to brainstorm topics that are important to them and begin to think about what they may want to write about.

Activity	Description and Purpose
Introduction- We all have stories to tell! Read Aloud- The teacher can choose any of the above books (or a different book of their choice) to introduce the unit!	The teacher will start by asking the students: Did you know that we are all storytellers? Every time that we tell our friends or our family about something that has happened in our lives, we are telling our own stories! We are going to have a chance to be storytellers! But first, we’re going to read someone else’s story. The teacher will then read the story (or a story that they have written)
Heart Maps Introduction	After reading the story, the teacher can prompt the students to think about what the story was about, and why this may be important to the writer. Then, the teacher will explain: When writers write about their lives, they often write about things that are important to them. Today, we are going to explore what is important to us! The teacher will show the students an example of their own completed heart map and share some things that they find to be important. An example of a heart map is shown below. Note: The term “Heart Map” is from “The Writing Strategies Book” by Jennifer Serravallo (page 98)
Writing Routine of the Day: What does Writing Time Look Like?	The teacher will tell the students: Today we are going to create our own heart maps, and include the things that are important to us! Before we start, let’s think about what we do during writing time. The teacher will use an anchor chart or a virtual board and ask students to share their ideas: What should writing time look like? What should it sound like? What should it feel like? The teacher can highlight some important aspects of writing time. For example, students can choose where they would like to work, whether it be at their desks, on the rug, or in another comfortable spot. The teacher can communicate with students that they can choose the writing materials that they would like to use. The teacher can also establish that writers can discuss with partners in a quiet voice so that other friends are not distracted from their writing. The teacher can tell the students that this is a growing list, and that it will be revisited before Writing Time.
Your turn! Make your Heart map!	Then, the students will have a chance to create their own heart map of the things that are important to them. The students can write or draw the things that they find important, such as people, places, or interests. The teacher can encourage students to incorporate multiple languages if that is helpful for them.
Share Time: Talk to a Partner about your heart map! Share with the Class if you are comfortable!	The teacher will prompt the students to turn to a partner and tell them about one thing that they put on their heart map, if they are comfortable. The teacher can call on some students to share their heart maps with the class.
More Free Write Time	The teacher can emphasize that the heart map can continue to evolve, and can provide students with a chance to keep working on it. Students can also begin to sketch out or write one of their stories during this time if they choose to.

Assessment/Checkpoint: Students should create some sort of “heart map” or representation of some of their interests. They can use words or drawings to do this. The teacher can check in with students to see their progress during the lesson.

Differentiation/Student Choice: Students can choose how they want to represent their interests, whether it be through words, drawings, or a combination of both. The students also have control over what they want to write or draw about. If students need additional supports or have trouble getting started, the teacher could provide categories of things that may be important to the students, like Important People, Hobbies, Holidays, etc.

Other Heart Map Examples!

The Kindest Red by Ibtihaj Muhammad and S.K. Ali

Kitchen Dance by Maurie Manning

All the way to Havana by Margarita Engle

Eyes that Speak to the Stars by Joanna Ho

Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall

Jojo’s Flying Side Kick by Brian Pinkney

A Gift for Amma: Market Day in India by Meera Sriram

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxlygGpNWi4

Cora Cooks Pancit by Dorina K. Lazo Gilmore and Kristi Valiant

Thank You Very Mochi by Paul Matsushima, Sophie Wang, and Craig Ishii

Chicken Soup, Chicken Soup by Pamela Mayer

The Homesick Club by Libby Martinez and Rebecca Gibbon

Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Southwest Sunrise by Nikki Grimes