Graphic Organizers for Teaching Narratives

Bookworm

TAB

1. TITLE

Author

TAB

TAB

TAB

TAB

TAB

2. SETTING

3. CHARACTERS

4. A PROBLEM AND SOLUTION

5. EVENTS

Beginning

Middle

End

When

Who

Where

First

Next

Then

Last

How did you feel?

Story Map Using Story Grammar

Title

​

Setting

​

Characters

​

Problem

​

​

​

​

​

Solution

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Events

Story Map

Title: _______________________________________

Characters:

Setting:

Problem:

First,

​

Next,

​

Then,

​

Last,

Solution:

My thoughts:

Events:

Story Map Showing Attempts and Outcomes

Title

Setting

Characters

Problem

Goal

Attempts

Outcomes

Solution

A Garden of Good Books

READ A GOOD BOOK.

FILL IN EACH PART OF THE FLOWER

Title

Author

Setting

Why did you like it?

Main Characters

What happened in the story?

1. Cut out the flower

2. Fold the petals

3. Add a green stem and leaves

Now add your flower o the flower garden board

“Happy” Story Face example

Setting:

​

North Pole?

Antarctica

Main

characters:

​

Tacky

the Hunters

Goodly

​

icebergs

​

snow

​

white

​

Angel

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Lovely

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Perfect

​

Neatly

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Problem:

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Hunters came to capture the penguins.

1

Tacky greeted the hunters rudely.

2

Tacky marched sloppily.

3

Tacky did a splashy canonball.

4

Tacky and his companions

sang dreadfully

Solution:

​

The hunters left

Events

cold

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“Sad” Story Face example

Setting:

​

Africa

Rwanda

Main

characters:

Sebgugugu

Unanana

Imana

palm trees

​

little grass

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Zabala

​

Zitu

​

Igwababa

Problem:

Sebgugugu could not find enough food to feed his family.

3

Sebgugugu chopped the vine.

2

Sebgugugu killed Gitale the cow.

1

Sebgugugu did not listen to his wife

5

Sebgugugu shot Igwababa the crow

4

Sebgugugu widened the crack.

Events

dry

desert

​

brown

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Solution :

The god of Rwanda took everything away.

Literacy Through Litrature

Setting: Story Map

Mandy

Pond

Grass

Pearl’s house

Pearl’s school

School bus

Story Map Using Events

Story Events

Events Before the Story is Told

Events After the Story is Told

Plot Relationships Chart

Improving Reading: Strategies and Resources

Plot Relationships Chart

Plot Development

Tension

Time

Incident summary: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steiz

vc

Sequencing/Summary

Movie Title: ________________________________ Director: _________________

Story Board

Write the events of the film on the board. Record them in the correct order.

1

2

3

4

5

6

Prediction Chart

Improving Reading: Strategies and Resources

Thinking Chart

On the Road to the Future

What happened when? Write the events in the correct order on the time line.

PAST

Time Line/Story Map

TOPIC:

FUTURE

Character Map

Title of the Story_______________________________________

Character: ________________________________

What he or she thought: ____________________________

____________________________

How he or she felt:

________________

________________

________________

What he or she did:

________________

________________

________________

Where he or she went: _____________________________________

How he or she changed: ____________________________________

Character Chart

Choose a character from the book (or your own story). Then complete the chart.

Description of the Character

One thing character did

One thing character did

One thing character did

One thing character did

Character’s name

Comparing Characters

Compare and contrast two characters. How are they different? Write your answer in the outer part of the circles. How are they the same? Write your answer in the parts of the circles that overlap.

Character name:

Character name:

Venn Diagram

Compare and Contrast

Choose two or three things to compare and contrast. What is different? Write it in the outer part of the bubbles. What is the same? Write it in the parts of the bubble that overlap.

Character Development

Character Profile: Hero

Character Chart

Getting to Know My Character Chart

Story: _______________________________________________

Character: ____________________________________________

Says

Character Web

Fictional Stories

Appearance

Acts

Feels

Character

1. ________________
2. ________________
3. ________________

1. ________________
2. ________________
3. ________________

1. ________________
2. ________________
3. ________________

1. ________________
2. ________________
3. ________________

Character Map

The character map strategy helps students gain insight about qualities that characters in both fiction and nonfiction may possess. This activity provides an excellent basis for classroom discussion because it requires students to form and support opinions. A general character map and directions follow

Directions

1. Students write or draw a character they wish to study in the central square.
2. In the rectangles, students list adjectives or qualities that describe the character.
3. In the ovals, students write examples that support the adjectives or qualities.
4. Through discussions students may confirm, add to, refine, or change their initial responses.

Quality

Quality

Quality

Name of Character

Literary Sociogram

relationship

relationship

relationship

relationship

relationship

relationship

relationship

relationship

relationship

relationship

relationship

relationship

relationship

relationship

relationship

relationship

= minor character

main character

main character

Character

Character

action

action

action

action

action

action

Story Map

Story Map Showing Character Change

Turning Point

Observation Diary

Watch something change over time. Record the changes here.

Date: ________

Date: ________

Date: ________

Date: ________

Valuing: Balance Scale

Nadia

CHEAT

NOT CHEAT

Hide father and brother’s death.

Admit father and brother are dead.

What is your decision? _____________________________________________

Your final reason? _________________________________________________

What’s In My Mind

Loves his mom and Strider.

Loves his dad but is confused by their relationship.

Leigh wants Strider all to himself. He needs Strider.

GATHER YOUR THOUGHTS

A. QUICKWRITE. Now think of an animal you could write about. Do a 1-minute quickwrite about an animal that is now or once was important to you.

1 – minute Quickwrite

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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B. DEVELOP YOUR IDEA. Use the questions in the web diagram below to develop a paragraph about the special animal.

What does it look like?

What makes it special?

How does it act?

Why do you like it?

Animal:

C. PLAN. Study the example and then complete the graphic organizer to help you plan your paragraph.

1. Write 1 sentence that sums up why this animal is so important to you.

2. Then list 3 details that support your main idea.

3. Write a closing sentence that sums up why the animal is special to you.

Example

Subject: Panda

Main Idea: Panda is important to me because he keeps me company when I’m feeling alone

Conclusion: If it weren’t for Panda, I’d feel lonely sometimes.

Detail: He’s always there after school

Detail: He sleeps with me during storm

Detail: He never argues with me or makes me feel left out

Main Idea

Conclusion:

Detail

Detail

Detail

Subject

Now write your paragraph about the animal.

1. Start with your main idea sentence.
2. Then offer 3 details that will help your readers get to know the animal. End with a closing sentence.
3. Use the Writers’ Checklist to help you revise.

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Writers’ Checklist

Sentences

• Did all your sentences begin with capital letters? EXAMPLE: It was clear that Dennis loved Oscar.
• Did they all end with the correct punctuation? EXAMPLE: What are you talking about?
• Did every sentence express a complete thought? EXAMPLES: Danny and his father checking. (incomplete) Danny and his father checked the turtle bowl. (complete)

Story Frame

Complete this Story Frame for ______________. Share and discuss what you wrote with a partner.

The STORY TAKES PLACE IN

______________ IS A CHARACTER IN THE STORY WHO

______________ IS ANOTHER CHARACTER WHO

A PROBLEM OCCURS WHEN

AFTER THAT

THE PROBLEM IS SOLVED WHEN

THE STORY ENDS WITH

GATHER YOUR THOUGHTS

A. RECALL PLOT- Think about the plot of ________________. Then list, in order, the 4 most important things that happened in the story.

1. _________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________

B. PLAN- Now think of a time when someone taught you right from wrong. Complete the sentences below to help you plan a paragraph about the experience.

WRITE

Now write a narrative paragraph about the time someone taught you right from wrong.

1. Write in the first-person (I said, we thought).
2. Use your notes from the previous page to keep your narrative brief and to the point.
3. Use the Writers’ Checklist to help you revise.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Writers’ Checklist

Sentence Fragments

• Did you use only complete sentences in your writing? A complete sentence contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. A sentence fragment, on the other hand, may look and sound like a sentence, but it is somehow incomplete. You can fix a sentence fragment by adding a subject or a verb, taking out words, or combining the fragment with another sentence. EXAMPLE: Standing on the corner. (fragment) The boy was standing on the corner. (complete sentence) Because Mrs .Jones was kind, she helped the boy. (complete sentence)

WRAP-UP

What did ____________________ mean to you?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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READERs’ Checklist

MEANING

• Did you learn something from the reading?
• Did it affect you or make an impression?

GaTHER YOUR THOUGHTS

A. RECALL THE PLOT - Use this storyboard to show the 6 main events in the plot of “Pandora.” What happens first? What happens next? Draw a picture and write a brief caption in each frame

B. CONTINUE THE PLOT - Recall what happens at the end of “Pandora.” Pandora has fainted, and the evil creatures have flown away. Think about what happens when Pandora wakes up again. Brainstorm ideas about what she might do, where she might go, and how she might feel.

What Pandora Might Do ...

Where Pandora Might Go ...

How Pandora Might Feel ...

Write

Write a tale that continues the story of Pandora.

1. Tell what happens when Pandora wakes up again.
2. Use Evslin’s characters or invent a few of your own. Be creative. Give your tale a title.
3. Use the Writers’ Checklist to revise your tale.

Title: ______________________________________

After more than an hour, Pandora began to stir. She opened her eyes and ...

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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WRITERS’ Checklist

VERB

• Did you avoid mixing verb tenses? Present tense verbs show action that is happening now: sleep, eat, look. Past tense verbs show action that has happened in the past: slept, ate, looked. Mixing verb tenses can confuse a reader about what happens when.

WrAP - UP

What did you like best about “Pandora”? Why?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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READERS’ Checklist

ENJOYMENT

• Did you like the reading?
• Was the reading experience pleasurable?
• Would you want to reread the piece or recommend it to someone?

GATHER YOUR THOUGHTS

Holes is a young boy’s account of what happened when he was sent to reform school for a crime he didn’t commit.

A. CONNECT - Think of a time you were punished for somethng you didn’t do. What happened? Write 1-2 sentences describing the event.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

B. GATHER DETAILS- Now list 3 details that will help you write a journal entry about what happened.

the day my friend broke my dad’s camera

playing around in the garage

sweeping up and hiding the pieces

getting grounded

SUBJECT FOR JOURNAL ENTRY

DETAIL # 1

DETAIL # 2

DETAIL # 3

Example:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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SUBJECT FOR JOURNAL ENTRY

DETAIL # 1

DETAIL # 2

DETAIL # 3

WRITE

Now write a journal entry.

1. Remember to use plenty of details.
2. Write in the first-person (I said, we thought)
3. Use the Writers’ Checklist to help you revise.

WRAP – UP

What did “-----------” mean to you?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

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READERs’ Checklist

MEANING

• Did you learn something from the reading?
• Did it affect you or make an impression?

WRITERs’ Checklist

EASILY CONFUSED WORDS

• Did you correctly use the words it’s and its? It’s is a contraction for it is. Its is the possesive form of it. EXAMPLES: It’s the funniest book I’ve read . Its cover makes me laugh.
• Did you correctly use the words their, there, and they’re? Their is a possesive pronoun used to indicate ownership. Use there to point out a location and they’re as the contraction for they are. EXAMPLES: Holes is their book. They’re upset because we left the book there.

• ANTICIPATION

Look at the title and at the drawing that accompanies the story. What can you infer from the two? What is a ____________? What do you think the story is about?

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• RIGHT or WRONG – TRUE or FALSE

Students are given a list of statements about the text and must decide whether they are true or false

a. All the statements given are either right or wrong. The answers can be found in the text and the students must write/tell whether they are right or wrong. They are then told to justify their answers by quoting a few words from the text when it is possible, or by briefly giving their reasons in their own words. They can also rewrite and correct the statements that are false.

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• FIND the REASON
• The students are provided with a list of sentences or phrases from the text, describing an action, an event or quoting a character. They must briefly explain why this happened that way.
• A list of adjectives or some of the words spoken by the characters were given. The students find out who/what they refer to and on what occasion and why they were applied to that person/event/action/etc.

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• One-sided conversation

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A one-sided conversation between a friend/mother/police/etc. and the major/minor character is given. The friend/mother/police/etc. is asking him/her a lot of questions about what happened. Some of the questions are very general while others more detailed.

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• Draw/Picture vivid images read.
• Respond to the sounds, sights and emotions conjured by the words in the text.
• Imagine scenes, actions and characters.
• Imagine/Respond to the scenarios, tone and atmosphere.
• Create alternative endings.
• Identify with a particular character.
• Elicit a network of feelings.
• Make a connections with their personal lives and other texts they have read.
• Imagine oneself in the character’s place or story events.
• Question, hypothesize about a story.
• Do parallel reading.
• Extend the story or create a new one.

OTHER STRATEGIES

WH-QUESTIONS:

The Bermuda Triangle

Flight 19 was flying in the Bermuda Triangle, a dangerous area of the Atlantic Ocean. Christopher Columbus wrote about the Bermuda Triangle in 1492. Read the notes from his journal. Write wh-questions about the boldfaced words. Use where, who, what, or when.

1. At that time, I was sailing west from Europe.

___Where were you sailing?____________________________________

2. My men and I were looking for a new way to the Indies.

________________________________________________________

3. On October 11, we were traveling in good weather.

________________________________________________________

4. Then we came into a terrible place. Strange things were happening.

________________________________________________________

5. Bright lights were flashing in the sky.

________________________________________________________

6. White water was bubbling in the sea.

_________________________________________________________

7. I noticed my compass. The needle was jumping around.

_________________________________________________________

Simple Past Versus Past Progressive:

Mystery in My Living Room

Read the sentences below. Check ( / ) the sentences that describe completed actions.

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1. Last night, I stayed up late. ___/____
2. I was watching a murder mystery on TV. _______
3. I Watched the movie for about an hour. _______
4. Halfway though the movie, I was falling asleep. ______
5. So I went to bed. ______
6. I closed my eyes and fell asleep. _______
7. Suddenly, big scary monsters were running after me. ______
8. They were laughing and showing their long teeth. ______
9. I Woke up and ran into my parents’ bedroom. ______
10. They said, “ No more mystery movies for you!” ______

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SIMPLE PAST VERSUS PAST PROGRESSIVE:

Explaining the Mystery of Flight 19

Here are some different explanations for the disappearance of Flight 19. Complete the sentences with the verbs from the box. Use the simple past and the past progressive.

1. From the Navy:

be /have hit disappear make

Flight 19 _had____ a bad compass. Some of the pilots ________ new and

^{a b}

Nervous. On that day, they _______ their first sea flight. They probably

^c

_________ a storm and _________ into the ocean.

^{d e}

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2. From the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind:

take happen visit

It _______ like this. At that time, some aliens from outer space ________

^{a b}

The Atlantic Ocean. Their UFOs _______ the five planes back to the alien planet.

^c

A Comparison of Learning Activities and Performance Tasks

Examples of Products/Performances