Don’t Tell, Show Activity: Beginning writers are more likely to tell readers how a character is feeling, rather than showing them. This writing worksheet gives students practice with showing and not telling. In this activity students take twenty telling statements and turn them into showing statements. Rather than just telling how a character feels, students should have the characters perform actions that imply the told feeling.
Don’t Tell, Show Activity | RTF
Don’t Tell, Show Activity | PDF
Don’t Tell, Show Activity | Preview
Using Vertical Time: In a story time can moves along two axes. The well-known axis run forward and backward. This is horizontal time, which moves story events forward. The lesser known axis runs vertically. When a writer spends vertical time on the story, events stop progressing and the narration is focused on description.This activity will help students develop a sense of vertical time. Students will enhance a bare-bones narrative by adding sensory details and spending vertical time on the narrative.
Using Vertical Time Activity | RTF
Using Vertical Time Activity | PDF
Using Vertical Time Activity | Preview
Narrative Essay Rubric – An easy to use score sheet for grading narrative essays. Download and edit the RTF file to modify the rubric to meet your specific requirements.
Narrative Essay Rubric RTF
Narrative Essay Rubric PDF
Preview Narrative Essay Rubric in Your Web Browser
Writing Toward a Climax – Stories are much better when they have turning points. This worksheet will help students put climaxes in their stories. I used to have my students complete one of these worksheets before I authorized them to begin writing. That way they all had climaxes in their stories. Consequently, their stories were much better.
Writing Toward a Climax RTF
Writing Toward a Climax PDF
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Three Narrative Essay Essentials – A slide show lesson explaining three essential elements of a successful narrative essay.
Three Narrative Essay Essentials PPT
Common Core State Standards Related to Narrative Writing
Expand to View All Common Core State Standards Related to Narrative WritingCCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.3 – Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details and well-structured event sequences.
ELA Standards: Writing
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.K.3 – Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred, and provide a reaction to what happened.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1.3 – Write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of closure.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.3 – Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3a – Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3b – Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3 – Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3d – Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3e – Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3 – Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3a – Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3 – Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3a – Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3b – Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.3c – Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence, signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another, and show the relationships among experiences and events.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.3d – Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.3e – Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.3a – Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3c – Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole and build toward a particular tone and outcome (e.g., a sense of mystery, suspense, growth, or resolution).
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