Drafting a narrative episode — Assessment for learning

Australian Curriculum: English sub-strand: Literature — Creating Literature

Assist students to identify the extract from the novel that they will develop in their own writing. Remind students that the event they will develop may include the machine they designed. Reinforce the necessity to create ‘trouble’ as the starting point for their plot and suspense. Students should create a story board to frame and draft their ideas. PETAA book reference: Troublemaker (conscience alley) in Holliday, M. (2008) Strategies for Reading Success, The Primary English Teaching Association Australia (Appendix 2) Modified version for plot development focus.

Students independently construct a narrative episode incorporating a suspenseful and engaging plot and character development.

Students will: Select appropriate extract from novel. Determine whether their machine will have a role in their narrative. Decide on ‘trouble’ to be elaborated upon. Create a storyboard of the narrative.

Editing and publishing

Provide students with a guide to assist them in refining and editing their work. This guide should include:

• The events in the story are exciting and lead up to the final event (trouble) chosen
• A variety of effective nouns, and adjectives have been used to create interest and excitement
• A variety of verbs and adverbs have been used to create interest and excitement
• Some similes and metaphors have been used to create atmosphere
• The events are linked in a believable way
• A variety of types of sentences have been used to add interest.

Ask students to form pairs and edit each others’ work and to provide feedback that gives guidance for improving the final product.

Students will: Use their story boards to independently write a narrative episode. Students edit their own and a partner’s work using the rubric provided. Complete a final draft of their narrative episode.