Subject: Language Arts Grade: Seven

Standard: # 5: Writing: Writing Applications

Key Concept: Developing plot lines helps students understand narrative techniques.

.Generalization: Students will work together according to learning preferences to understand the narrative process.

Background: Students have read a variety of literature, both non fiction and fiction that tell stories. Today they are working on narrative technique and building on what they have observed in the literature.

This lesson is tiered in process according to learning profile (Gardner's Intelligences are used for the profile categories).

Tier I: Interpersonal Learners

These students prefer learning that involves dialogue with others concerning the material to be learned. They will discuss the elements of narration including development of a plot line which includes a beginning, conflict, rising action, climax, denouement, and point of view. Then they will collaborate on creating a story that includes these parts. They will discuss the general plot they wish to cover and then divide the parts of the story among them so that each person creates a part individually. When they have created their individual parts, they will meet in the group, assimilate the parts and discuss what needs to happen to make the story flow better. This writing "by committee" is meant to show them the strengths and weaknesses of collaboration in writing. It will also serve as a check and balance for what they know and what they do not know about narrative technique. Four people per group (maximum) allows for work to take place both in dyads and as a foursome. If more people have this learning preference, create more than one group for this profile.

Tier II: Intrapersonal Learners

These students prefer working by themselves rather than in groups. They should construct a story that includes the development of a plot line with a beginning, conflict, rising action, climax, denouement, and point of view. In addition, they need to consider the flow of their own personal piece, checking their writing with a standard story that has been assigned in class. Their work will showcase what they know about the narrative technique and the learning profile preference will be evident in productive work time in class.

Tier III: Kinesthetic Learners

These students prefer to learn with actions. Their story should include acting out a narrative. To do this, they need to script their story that includes a beginning, conflict, rising action, climax, denouement, and a clear point of view. Again, groups of four should be productive working groups for this assignment. The culmination of their story should be the presentation of the play for the rest of the class or other groups of this learning profile.

Assessment: Other groups that attend to other learning preferences (according to Gardner's Intelligences) can be included in a variety of tiers for this lesson. Each group is working on a very different task, but all groups are working on the same techniques of narration. Therefore, each group must be assessed separately according to the criteria for the specific response of the learning profile. Depending on how large the class is, how many groups exist in each learning profile, and any other variables, students may wish to share with others of their like learning profile or as a whole class in a celebration of variety of expression in understanding narrative technique.

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7LL-FAD