Page 81 - SpringBoard_Writing_Workshop_Grade6_Flipbook

Writing Workshop 7 (continued)
Check Your Understanding
Explain one technique Paulsen uses to engage his readers. Include several examples or quotes that show how he does this.
Sample response:
Paulsen makes Cookie seem like a person. He says Cookie was “leading the team.” He also describes how their eyes locked as he fell through the ice, and how she “instantly analyzed the situation” like a person would. This makes it seem like Cookie acted quickly to save her friend, instead of just being a dog who acted on instinct.
ACTIVITY 2
Writing a Personal Narrative as a Class
WRITING PROMPT: Consider a time when something happened to you
that taught you a lesson about life, a lesson that other sixth graders (your audience) might benefit from learning. Write a narrative about your experience encouraging other sixth graders to think about the lesson you learned from going through it. Be sure to think about the elements of a good story that make it engaging and entertaining—in other words, what makes the reader want to keep reading it. Develop your story with descriptions and details,
and use your voice as a story teller to relate your actions, your responses at the time, and the consequences. Use feedback from your peers to help you strengthen your narrative and clarify its significance to you. Your essay should meet the requirements listed in the learning targets for narrative essays.
Be sure to
• Engage the reader by establishing a clear context and setting
• Use narrative techniques such as dialogue, pacing, and description to
develop the setting, characters, and events
• Organize your narrative to create a clear, logical sequence, varying your
pacing for effect
• Include descriptive techniques such as precise diction and sensory detail to
engage your reader
• Provide a conclusion that follows from the events of the experience
Refer to the Scoring Guide for this writing task at the end of the workshop to help you understand where to focus your attention and efforts.
Prewriting
1. Use a graphic organizer to help you brainstorm other ideas for topics inspired by Paulsen’s narrative.
Students’ responses might include stories about animals, stories about big and/or foolish mistakes, situations where someone’s life was saved, stories about how someone earned appreciation, and so on.
2. As your teacher tells you several stories out loud, take notes on each one, focusing on which one seems the most interesting and why.
3. After you’ve chosen the story you will use for the class essay, brainstorm a list of questions based on your teacher’s brief telling of it. Use the reporter’s questions (who, what, when, where, why, and how) to fill in details.
4 SpringBoard® Writing Workshop with Grammar Activities Grade 6
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