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Writing Unit : Narrative

Book Title:​ Sirena: A Mermaid Legend from Guam
Book Author:​ Tanya Chargualaf Tiamanglo
Writing Genre:​ Narrative
Unit Authors:​ Cherie Caravalho & Mariel Renon
Date:​ 05-06-18

Unit Introduction of Writing Assignment with Justification for focus and approach
By reading and writing about cultural legends/ myths students build a foundation of
knowledge in various cultures. This will also give them the background to be better readers
and writers in all content areas. Students can only gain this foundation when the curriculum is
intentionally and coherently structured to develop rich content knowledge within and across
grades. Students also acquire the habits of reading and writing independently and closely. In
the sixth grade students should be able to cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, determine a theme or central
idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text
distinct from personal opinions or judgments, describe how a particular story's or drama's plot
unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot
moves toward a resolution, write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events
using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences,
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, use narrative
techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or
characters, use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and
signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another, use precise words and phrases,
relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to convey experiences and events, and
provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.
The objective of the lesson scaffolds students towards achieving the CCSS’s of describe how a
particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters
respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution and write narratives to develop real
or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and
well-structured event sequences. The learning task and materials allow students to move
toward building background knowledge of a certain topic in order to better comprehend the
text. Students will use knowledge gained from this lesson to meet the goals and objectives of
lessons learned throughout the writing unit.
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The goals, objectives, tasks, and materials move students who are in Special Education closer
to the IEP goal of understanding and using background knowledge in order to comprehend the
information presented with in the daily activity by revisiting previous information from prior
classes. Students will be able to determine the themes and recount key details by revisiting
their graphic organizers. They will use the information gathered to write a narrative concerning
the prompt given by the teacher as a summative assessment to demonstrate their understanding
of the information presented in the activity. Students will move closer to the IEP objective of
conducting meaningful discussions with peers by participating in discussions led by guiding
questions; using this technique, students will learn how to build their oral communication
skills by formulating meaningful discussions of the information provided. Guiding questions
will also be provided with in this lesson and are an essential tool to help students with
comprehension of a text. This strategy helps guide students through what they are about to
read, monitor their comprehension while participating in the class activities, following the
main points of the lesson and lastly it urges students to think critically.

Writing Project Prompt:

Write a narrative story continuing from either mama’s, Sirena’s, or the Godmother’s point of
view. Based on the character you have chosen, what has happened to their lives since the
ending of “Sirena: A Mermaid Legend From Guam”? How does the story continue for the
character you have chosen?

Unit Learning Objectives

Goal:
At the end of the writing unit, students will use the steps of the writing process to complete a
writing narrative of 3-5 sentences as measured by the narrative writing rubric provided by the
teacher.
Objectives:
Students will determine the theme(s) of the story.
Students will determine the main idea(s) of the story.
Students will use graphic organizers to assist with the writing process.
Students will refer to the anchor chart(s) provided as a checklist for revising and editing.

Common Core Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3
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.6.3.A
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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.6.3.B
Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences,
events, and/or characters.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.C
Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts
from one time frame or setting to another.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.D
Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to convey
experiences and events.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.E
Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.1
Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences
drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details;
provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3
Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how
the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
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Book Summary (Main Character(s) Book Themes (List 2-4)

Plot/Conflict)
Main Characters:
Sirena
Mama
Godmother
Plot:
Sirena loves the ocean. She just wants to
have fun and play in the water. Her mom
sends her to do her chores. In anticipation
of a visitor, Sirena takes a swim. Her
mother thinks that Sirena is wasting her
time and fooling around. Out of anger,
she wished that Sirena would to turn into
a fish. Upon seeing Sirena as a mermaid
she instantly regrets her wish, but it is too
late.
★ Mindful: Be careful what you wish for
★ Adolescence: Sirena is young and
irresponsible
★ Punishment: There are consequences for
your actions
★ Compliance: Obey your parents
★ Innocence: Sirena is carefree and not
aware of how her actions affect others
​Cultural Topics (List 2-4)
★ Living on an island in the Pacific Ocean
★ Love for swimming/ the ocean
★ Family relationships
★ Myths/ Legends
○ Learning morals/ values

Additional Supporting Resources Spelling/Vocabulary List from Book (10-15

(Culture, Theme, or Genre) (links to words)
4-6)
Guam History and Culture Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3
https://youtu.be/JlsZX6Lt8VE
breakfast neglected *none
Guam History and Heritage Day
chores transforming
https://youtu.be/AC8zEf--ggM
rattled

bolted
Smithsonian: Brief History of Guam obeyed
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smiths
onian-institution/brief-500-year-history- crooned
guam-180964508/ swirled

Guampedia yearned
http://www.guampedia.com/pop-cultures-
guam/
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Unit Schedule (For all students, Tiers 1,2,3)

Writing Prompt:

Writing Process Stage Number Writing Activity(s) & Strategies / (cite Morris “RTI for
Class Writing Process” Text Page #, be specific )
Sessions

Introduce Writing 2-3 Teacher will show the location of Guam on a Map or
Project ( Text Type, computer projection.
Model text) Show videos about Guam History and Culture.
Read excerpt from Guampedia.
Students will make connections to Hawaiian History
and Culture.
Read Sirena: A Mermaid Legend from Guam

Prewriting (Collecting 1-2 Webbing (Morris “RTI for Writing Process” p. 100)
Ideas) Students will brainstorm ideas about the story to
understand theme.
They will also use webbing to extract main ideas.
Webbing will also assist students in choosing the main
character they want to write about.

Planning (Organizing 1-2 Story Star (Morris “RTI for Writing Process” P. 111)
ideas and narrowing Students will use a story start to list traits of the
focus) character chosen.

Drafting (Writing, work 3-4 Students will write their drafts and share with a partner.
shopping with peers They will both provide positive and constructive
and/or conferencing) feedback by writing comments on post-its.

Revising (Content 2-3 Students will use the Revise and Edit Anchor Chart as
changes) a checklist for these two steps.

Editing (Proofing for They will have the opportunity to conference with a
publishing) partner and with the teacher.

Publishing 2-3 Students will have class time to type out their final
drafts.
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Spelling Mini-Lesson/ 1-2 STRATEGY - Spelling in Parts: Learning to Spell,

practice Write, and Read Polysyllabic Words
★ Students break apart a word by syllables and
learn to spell the word by spelling each of the
syllable.
★ Students clap for syllables/parts of the word
Divide the word into syllables and pronounce
each syllable
★ Say the syllable, spell and repeat
Use mnemonics (optional)

Differentiation (see Morris, p86 Recommendations for suggested modifications to content,

materials and final writing product)

Content Materials Product

RTI Tier 3 Introduction Book Read-Aloud

Students
Pre-writing Webbing Webbing drawn and printed out for
worksheet students

Planning Story Star Drawn and printed out for students

worksheet

Drafting Computer/ Using Google Docs will alleviate the

Google Docs anxiety of writing and misspelling

Revising/ Google Docs Students are able to share their docs

Editing and make comments and feedback

Publishing Google Docs Students can submit their final drafts by

sharing their doc with the teacher
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Assessment (s) (Describe and Attach materials)

Students will complete a 3-5 paragraph narrative essay answering the writing prompt for this
unit that will be graded by the attached rubric.
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Webbing
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5 Point Story Star

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Revising/ Editing Anchor Chart

Revise vs. Edit 

A. R. M. S.    C. U. P. S.  

A​dd  C​apitalization 
● sentences/words  ● Names, places, 
months, titles, I 

R​emove  U​sage 
● Unneeded words/  ● Match nouns and 
sentences  verbs correctly so 
they make sense 

M​ove  P​unctuation 
● Sentence or word  ● Periods, quotations, 
placement  commas, question marks, 
exclamation points 

S​ubstitute  S​pelling 
● Words or sentences  ● Check all words/ use a 
for others  dictionary 
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Narrative Writing Rubric

Narrative Writing Rubric

Oranization 1 2
Events are out of order Events are in a logical
and do not unfold sequence, but unfold
logically. The writing is unnaturally. The beginning,
unclear so that finding the middle and end are harder
beginning, middle and/or to identify and one or more
end is out of order and do may be missing. Some
not unfold logically. missing and/or common/
repetitive transition words.
3 4
Events are organized in a
sequence that unfolds
naturally and logically. The
beginning, middle and end
are obvious and easy to
follow. They appear in a
logical order and include
the use of story transition
words.
Events are organized in a
sequence that unfolds
naturally and logically.
There are smooth
transitions between each
event. The piece begins
with a hook or a lead that
captures the reader's
attention. The middle is
logical and the end is
appropriate and clear.

Content 1 2
Writing is difficult to Writing has some details.
understand. There are no There is some actions but
details to explain ideas. no explanation. It is a bit
difficult to understand the
author's idea.
3 4
Specific details are used to Interesting, specific details
tell the story. One or two are used to "show" what is
more may help the reader going on in the story.
visualize the story and Details help the reader
understand writer's idea visualize the action in the
better. story.

Narrative 1 2 3 4
Techniques The writer did not use any The writer attempted to use The writer utilized dialogue The writer utilized dialogue
narrative techniques. descriptive language or and description in the and description in the
dialogue, but used some piece. piece, which enhanced the
words and/or punctuation story and made scenes
incorrectly. realistic.

Word Choice 1 2 3 4
Lacking expressive Words are ordinary and lack Some words are carefully Words are carefully chosen
language. Some ordinary creativeness. Creating a chosen while others seem to create vivid pictures and
6th grade words are used mental image from the ordinary or misused. A express clear feelings. All
but even those are words is difficult to do. clear picture is created. strong words are used
limited. correctly.

Revision/ Editing 1 2 3 4
The writing contained The writing contained 8-12 The writing contains 4-7 The writing contains 0-3
more than 12 errors in errors in spelling, grammar, errors in spelling, errors in spelling,
spelling, grammar, and and punctuation. The errors punctuation, and punctuation, and grammar
punctuation. The errors may effect the story's grammar-- errors do NOT usage. Clear and accurate
interfere with the story. meaning or message. interfere with the story. use of paragraphing.
No paragraphs present. Attempts to have multiple More than one paragraph;
paragraphs but does not more paragraphs would
use accurately. make writing more clear.