3 Fiction Lesson Plans

Lesson: Telling a Story from a Picture

Objective: To have the students write a creative story that is inspired from a picture the students will receive.

Time: This unit will take 9 weeks to complete. This unit will be considered a quarter project. Students will work on this every monday during class and will be expected to write at least 10 minutes every day outside of class to complete the project on time.

Expectations:

The students will write a short story. Complete with a beginning, middle and end

Students will be able to writing using language that shows

Students will be able to give and receive constructive criticism to help their writing grow.

Students will use the picture as a starting point for their story.

Procedures:

1. Each student will receive a different illustration from a children’s book. The illustration will not be from a current book, but the illustrations will be from a story that they are familiar with (e.g. Cinderella, Wizard of Oz, etc.).
2. Discuss what is going on in our picture. What is happening at the present? How about the past? What are the characters backstory? What about the future? If we were to see more pictures, what would it show?
3. Students will create a graphic organizer that allows them further develop characters, story, plot, setting, etc.
4. Begin creating a rough draft of the story based on their graphic organizer.
5. Students will get into groups and peer edit and give constructive comments on how to make the story more realistic and how to show the story instead of telling.
6. Students will take their edits and write a final draft.
7. Students will turn in their writing and then we will read their story aloud in class and then reveal which story their picture was from. Students will compare/contrast the difference between the original and the students version.
8. Discussion about whether or not the visuals helped us in developing our writing. Was it more or less effective than a traditional writing prompt? How do you think your writing has improved? Or not?

Lesson: A Story in Pictures

Objective: To have students visualize the action in the story and focus on showing the reader what is going on versus telling.

Time: This will be a two-week unit

Expectation:

The students will be able to use pictures to visualize their story

Students will be able to think about their story and create a story that has a smooth plot arc

The students will be able to look critically at other visual stories and understand the story

Materials:

Graphic Novels

Pencils

Pens

Paper

Procedure:

1. The students will look at graphic novels and we will discuss how the story moves along only using pictures. Dialogue is used, but sparingly, the pictures can drive the story. Students will need to focus on “showing” the action and interspersing their dialogue to make their story believable.
2. Discuss the how action is portrayed, facial expressions, body movements/poses
3. Students will begin by creating a graphic organizer about a event that happened to them in the past. They will list the people involved, the setting, what happened (plot) and anything else they deem necessary.
4. The students will sketch out on paper their story. Concentrating on showing the viewer what exactly is going on. The pictures should drive the story, not the dialogue.
5. Students will share stories with peers and give/receive constructive comments about how the story is working and where it needs improvements.
6. Students will edit their work, incorporating peers comments
7. Students will then create a final copy of their story on bristol board and use special ink pens similar to those in the graphic novel/manga industry.
8. Students will share their final version with the class
9. Scan stories and send to printer to be bound as a book, which students will have the ability to purchase
10. Place in the library catalog.

Lesson: Your Characters Personality

Objective: To fully understand your character and how they react in different situations

Time: 1-2 days

Procedure:

1. We will discuss our personalities and how we react in different situations. For example, how we react when someone is harassing us, or when someone tells a funny joke. The key is to make your character act in a believable and human way.
2. Show some examples from other stories we have read in class and predict how that character would react in a situation.
3. The students will take a character from their story and try to develop it further. Students will place their character in situations and write about how they react. As guidance I will provide the first few prompts, the students will then be expected to come up with 5 other examples of situations their character reacts to.
1. Your character has just broken up with their boyfriend/girlfriend what is their reaction? What do they do?
2. Your character is sitting in English class and a friend passes a note and asks you to pass it on, What do they do?
4. Students will turn their responses in for a grade
5. Come together as a group and discuss why it is important to know our characters on a such a deep level.