Writing Class 3-5 Writing Narrative Paragraphs

 

Warm-Up for Narrative Paragraphs

(c) Thoughtful Learning 2016

This lesson will help you think about important memories you have that you would like to share in a narrative paragraph.

What Is a Narrative Paragraph?

Listen to "What Is a Narrative Paragraph?"

A narrative paragraph is a short piece of writing that captures an important moment in your life. Narrative is another word for "story."

Your mind is like a bank for memories. It saves and stores special moments from your life for you to remember and enjoy. For example, what about that day that you hit the winning home run? In a narrative, you pull out a memory from your mind bank and tell the story to others. This unit will show you how to turn a special moment from your life into a story for readers to enjoy.

Thinking About Special Memories

Wouldn’t it be neat if you could experience something great all over again? Imagine if a genie granted you the power to relive three of your favorite memories. What memories would you do over?

Here’s how one student used his three memory wishes.

My Memory Wishes

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Wish 1

What memory will you relive?

My vacation to Florida

Who is with you?

My parents, sister, and dog Max

What will you do?

Swim in the ocean and collect seashells

Wish 2

What memory will you relive?

Horseback riding

Who is with you?

My best friend Sally

What will you do?

Wear cowboy boots and ride horses on a country trail

Wish 3

What memory will you relive?

Singing the national anthem at Wrigley Field

Who is with you?

Choir mates and music teacher

What will you do?

Sing the anthem, eat hot dogs, and watch baseball

Relive your memories.

A genie is granting you wishes to relive three of your favorite memories. Choose your memories and answer questions about them. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

My Memory Wishes

Wish 1

What memory will you relive?

Who is with you?

What will you do?

Wish 2

What memory will you relive?

Who is with you?

What will you do?

Wish 3

What memory will you relive?

Who is with you?

What will you do?

Reading a Narrative Paragraph

Before you capture your own memory wish in a narrative paragraph, you should read a similar paragraph created by a different student. As you read and respond to the paragraph, think about how the writer made the memory come to life for the reader.

Reading a Narrative Paragraph

A narrative paragraph tells a true story from the writer’s life. It has three main parts. The topic sentence introduces the topic of the story. The body sentences tell what happened in the story. And the ending sentence wraps up the story. The sample paragraph tells about a special trip to the zoo.

Listen to "Polar Bear Games"

Sample Paragraph

Polar Bear Games

Topic SentenceI’ll never forget the time I saw the playful polar bear. My family and I were at the polar bear pen at the zoo. Inside the pen, a white polar bear named Amelia was wrestling with a log. Body SentencesThe bear rolled around and tossed the log into the air. Then she batted it into a giant swimming pool. But the polar bear wasn’t done with the log just yet. She leaped into the water and disappeared. “Let’s go down to the water-window!” I said, so my sister and I raced down to find her. Next, we pressed our faces against the glass, and the playful polar bear swam right in front us.Ending Sentences And guess what? She had the log tucked under her arm!

Respond to the paragraph.

Answer the following questions about the paragraph. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

1. What happens in the narrative?

2. Where does the narrative take place?

3. Who are the people in the narrative?

4. How does the narrative end?

5. What details make the story funny or real?

Prewriting for Narrative Paragraphs

Prewriting is your first step in writing a narrative paragraph. These prewriting activities will help you select a memory to write about, create a focus statement, and gather and organize your details before you begin a first draft.

Prewriting to Choose Your Topic

Your narrative paragraph will share a special memory from your life. Here’s how you can get started.

Gather writing topics.

Finish the sentence starters below to collect writing ideas for your narrative. Draw a star next to the topic you like best. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

1. One of my favorite times with my best friend was . . .

2. I’ll never forget the holiday when . . .

3. I’ll never forget my family vacation to . . .

4. One crazy thing my family did was . . .

5. I’ll always remember the first time I . . .

6. An exciting time in my neighborhood was when . . .

Prewriting to Gather Details

Gather details.

Write down important details about your topic. The information you collect before you begin writing will help you tell your story. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

• Characters are the people or animals in my story:

• Setting is the place and time of the story:

• Actions are the important events that happened:

  
  
  

• Conversations are the words people spoke in a story:

Prewriting to Sketch Actions In Order

Create a storyboard.

Draw pictures of the four main actions in your narrative. Make sure the actions are in the order in which they happened. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

1) First	2) Then
3) Next	4) Finally

Writing a Narrative Paragraph

Once you finish prewriting, you are ready to write your paragraph. These writing activities will help you create a topic sentence, body sentences, and an ending sentence. You'll also read another student's paragraph to see how all of the parts came together.

Writing the Topic Sentence

Your narrative paragraph should begin with a topic sentence. It names the topic and shares a specific thought or feeling about it.

Sample Topic Sentence 1:

Whitewater rafting with my family was a crazy adventure.

• Topic: Whitewater rafting with my family
• Special Thought: A crazy adventure

Sample Topic Sentence 2:

I’ll never forget the time I saw the playful polar bear.

• Topic: The playful polar bear
• Special Feeling: Never forget seeing it

Write your topic sentence.

Respond to the first two items below, and use your responses to help you write a topic sentence for your narrative paragraph. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

1. Name your topic.

2. Share a specific thought or feeling about it.

3. Write your topic sentence.

Writing the Body Sentences

Body sentences are the middle part of a paragraph. They tell what happened in your story in time order. Body sentences may also include details about the setting as well as conversations between characters.

Write body sentences.

Write body sentences that tell what happened in your story. Include some sensory details to help recreate the experience. Examples of sensory details are given below. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

Sensory Details

Sights shiny red bucket

Sounds crack and boom of fireworks

Smells fishy ocean stench

Tastes sweet juicy strawberries

Touch sharp poke of a needle

Body Sentences

Writing the Ending Sentence

Write your ending sentence.

Try these ending strategies. Then choose one or combine two to create your ending sentence. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

• Show how the story ends.

  He said, “It’s your lucky day. That’s a shark’s tooth!”

• Tell readers what you learned.

  The best surprises are shared with someone else.

• Share your feelings.

  It made me happy to spend time with my dad.

Ending Sentence

Read a Narrative Paragraph Draft

Note how the writer put the parts together.

Listen to "My Seashell Surprise"

My Seashell Surprise

Topic SentenceMy first seashell hunt had a surprise ending. Early one morning my dad and I walked to the beach with a red bucket. The sand was soft and cool. Body SentencesWe collected orange, white, and brown shells of all different shapes and sizes. When our bucket was almost filled, I spotted something black and shiny pointing out of the sand. I reached down and grabbed the object right before a wave crashed against my legs. The object felt sharp and curvy. Finally, I opened my hand. “What is this?” I asked my dad. Ending SentencesHe said, “It’s your lucky day. That’s a shark’s tooth!”

Revising Narrative Paragraphs

Once you finish writing your narrative paragraph, you'll be ready to start revising. When you revise, you think about the "big picture": your topic and details and the way you build your paragraph using transitions. These activities will help you revise.

Revising for Time Order

Review the order of actions.

Use a time line to list the actions from your paragraph. Review the list to make sure the actions are in time order (in the order they happened). Rearrange any actions that are out of order. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

1. Action 1

2. Action 2

3. Action 3

4. Action 4

5. Action 5

Add time-order transitions.

Time-order transitions help show readers the order of actions. Review the list of transitions. Then find the time-order transitions in the following paragraph. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

Time-Order Transitions

first

next

then

when

to start

finally

before

during

soon

after

First, we climbed many flights of stairs to the top of the slide. Then we waited in a long line for our turn. The wait seemed to last forever, and Jill and I started to get very nervous. When it was our turn, a lifeguard helped us into seats on a rubber inner tube and wished us luck. Finally, the lifeguard nudged the tube into the opening, and away we went, racing down the gigantic water slide.

Revising with a Peer Response

Share your writing.

Have a trusted classmate read your paragraph and complete the form. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

Revising in Action

When you revise, you add, delete, rewrite, and rearrange your writing to make it clearer. Here are revisions to the “My Seashell Surprise” paragraph.

• Paragraph Before Revisions

  

Time order transitions are added and a detail is reordered.

Paragraph After Revisions

Revise with a checklist.

Read each line. When you can answer each question with a yes, check it off. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

Developing Your Ideas

• Do I share an interesting story?
• Do I identify important actions?
• Do I establish the setting and characters?
• Does my writing voice sound like me?
• Do I include sensory details?

Structuring Your Ideas

• Does the topic sentence introduce the topic and share a special thought or feeling about it?
• Do the body sentences share details about the topic in time order?
• Do time-order transitions help connect the details?

Editing Narrative Paragraphs

After making big changes to improve your paragraph, you need to make little changes (editing) to correct any remaining errors. You'll look for problems with sentences, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, usage, and spelling. The following activities will help you edit your writing.

Editing for the Right Word

The words to, two, and too are easily confused because they sound exactly alike. However, each word means something different.

• Two means the number 2.

  My family owns two dogs.

• To indicates direction. It also is used with verbs.

I rode my bike to the zoo to see the polar bear.

• Too means “also.”

Jason likes karate, too.

Choose the right word (two, to, too).

Select the correct word in parentheses. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

1. My ( two, to, too ) brothers are coming ( two, to, too ) the show.
2. Are you going ( two, to, too ) see the movie, ( two, to, too )?
3. Quinn and I are like ( two, to, too ) peas in a pod.
4. The ( two, to, too ) squirrels jumped from tree ( two, to, too ) tree.
5. I’m ready ( two, to, too ) spend some time with my cousins.
6. Vinny ran ( two, to, too ) his room ( two, to, too ) find his ( two, to, too ) video-game controllers.
7. Horses like apples, and I do, ( two, to, too ).
8. ( Two, To, Too ) of my best friends live in my neighborhood.
9. I used a search engine ( two, to, too ) find information about ( two, to, too ) art contests.
10. I, ( two, to, too ), enjoy reading books.

Edit for the right word.

Read your paragraph, paying attention to every time you use two/to/too. Make sure you have used the correct form.

Editing in Action

When you edit, you check to make sure your paragraph is correct.

Paragraph Before Edits

Capitalization, punctuation, and word usage are corrected.

Paragraph After Edits

Edit with a checklist.

Read each line. When you can answer each question with a yes, check it off. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

Checking Grammar and Usage

• Are words used correctly (your/you’re, their/they’re, two/to/too)?
• Are sentences complete (no fragments or run-ons)?
• Do I use correct verbs (she sings a song, not she sing a song)

Checking Capitalization, Punctuation, and Spelling

• Are first words in sentences capitalized?
• Are proper names of people, places, and things capitalized?
• Do I use end punctuation after all my sentences?
• Are words correctly spelled?

Publishing Narrative Paragraphs

When you publish your narrative paragraph, you make it public, sharing it with others. First, you need to make a clean final copy of your work. Then you should find ways to share what you have written with classmates, your teacher, your family, and your friends.

Publishing a Final Copy

Create a final copy of your writing.

Include your revising and editing changes and read over your work a final time. (If you are working on a computer, spell-check your work.)

Reflecting on Your Writing

Reflect on your writing.

Complete the following form to think about what you learned. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.