Mukilteo School District · 2020. 3. 27. · Asyou read “The Fun They Had,” look for elements of a good story and mark the text when you find them. The Fun They Had By Isaac Asimov

Mukilteo School District

Sixth Grade English Language Arts

Review & Practice

Dear families,

As our community works to understand and respond to the effects of COVID-19, the Mukilteo School District sincerely appreciates your patience as we navigate this period of unprecedented school closures.

Attached to this letter is a packet of materials to help you supplement your child’s education while away from the formal school environment. Please feel free to use the grade-level packets to review and practice previously taught skills in English/Language Arts, Mathematics and Science. They are not required, nor will they be graded. Answer keys are included in the packets so that your child can check their own work. Students are encouraged to skip around and find topics of interest and practice rather than complete them from beginning to end. If you find that your child’s grade level is too challenging, or not challenging enough, you are welcome to work outside of their current grade level.

It is highly encouraged that your child continues to review and practice previously taught skills and remain engaged in learning. We hope these packets add to what you are already doing to support your child in learning during this challenging time.

Sincerely,

The Curriculum and Instruction Department Mukilteo School District

4Writing Workshop

narrative Writing: short storyLearning Targets•Writenarrativestodeveloprealorimaginedexperiencesoreventsusingeffective

technique,relevantdescriptivedetails,andwell-structuredeventsequences.•Engageandorientthereaderbyestablishingacontextandintroducinganarrator

and/orcharacters;organizeaneventsequencethatunfoldsnaturallyandlogically.

•Usenarrativetechniques,suchasdialogue,pacing,anddescription,todevelopexperiences,events,and/orcharacters.

•Useavarietyoftransitionwords,phrases,andclausestoconveysequenceandsignalshiftsfromonetimeframeorsettingtoanother.

•Useprecisewordsandphrases,relevantdescriptivedetails,andsensorylanguagetoconveyexperiencesandevents.

•Provideaconclusionthatfollowsfromthenarratedexperiencesorevents.•Withsomeguidanceandsupportfrompeersandadults,developandstrengthen

writingasneededbyplanning,revising,editing,rewriting,ortryinganewapproach.

•Engageeffectivelyinarangeofcollaborativediscussions(one-on-one,ingroups,andteacher-led)withdiversepartnersongrade6topics,texts,andissues,buildingonothers’ideasandexpressingtheirownclearly.

•Cometodiscussionsprepared,havingreadorstudiedrequiredmaterial;explicitlydrawonthatpreparationbyreferringtoevidenceonthetopic,text,orissuetoprobeandreflectonideasunderdiscussion.

•Usepunctuation(commas,parentheses,dashes)tosetoffnonrestrictive/parentheticalelements.

Writing a Short StoryAshortstoryisatypeofcreativetextinwhichwriterssharedeepinsightsandobservationsaboutlifethroughcharactersandtheme.You’veprobablyhearddozensofstoriesfromyourfriends,thoughtheyprobablyweren’twrittendown.Someofthesamerulesapplyforagoodwrittenshortstory.Thestoryshouldhavedetailstobringittolife,itshouldbeorderedsothatitmakessense,anditshouldhaveanendingthatbringseverythingtogetherormakesapoint.Mostimportantly,itshouldn’tbetoolong!Whenwritingshortstories,writerscandrawontheirownpersonalexperiencesanduseimaginativethinking.

Inthisworkshopyouwillworkwithyourteacherandwithyourclassmatestoconstructtwomodelshortstories.Youwillthenusethesemodelstoconstructyourownstory.

AcTiviTy 1

Discovering the Elements of a Short StoryBefore Reading

1. Thinkaboutastoryyou’vereadthatyoureallyenjoyed.Whatdidyoulikeaboutthestory?

LEArning strAtEgiEsThink-Pair-Share,Brainstorming,MarkingtheText,GraphicOrganizer,Skimming/Scanning,Visualizing,Drafting,RolePlaying,Self-Editing/PeerEditing,Webbing,SharingandResponding,MarkingtheDraft,Note-Taking,Adding,UnpackingthePrompt

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Writing Workshop 4 • Narrative Writing: Short Story 37

TCB_LA_WW_SE_G06_Nar.indd 37 31/07/14 1:59 AM

*MSD Note: The original sequence of activitiesof this were intended for multiple students towork together. Suggestions have been andcertain activities have been crossed out toreflect that this will largely be individual worknow. If you have parents, guardians, siblings,etc. who want to engage in this work with you,great! If not, we encourage you to do the bestyou can individually.

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Writing Workshop 4 (continued)

My notes

2.Whataresomeelementsthatarecommontogoodshortstories?

During Reading 3.Asyouread“TheFunTheyHad,”lookforelementsofagoodstoryand

markthetextwhenyoufindthem.

The Fun They HadBy Isaac Asimov

Margie even wrote about it that night in her diary. On the page headed May 17, 2157, she wrote, “Today, Tommy found a real book!”

It was a very old book. Margie’s grandfather once said that when he was a little boy, his grandfather told him that there was a time when all stories were printed on paper.

They turned the pages, which were yellow and crinkly, and it was awfully funny to read words that stood still instead of moving the way they were supposed to—on a screen, you know. And then, when they turned back to the page before, it had the same words on it that it had had when they read it the first time.

“Gee,” said Tommy, “what a waste. When you’re through with the book, you just throw it away, I guess. Our television screen must have had a million books on it and it’s good for plenty more. I wouldn’t throw it away.”

“Same with mine,” said Margie. She was eleven and hadn’t seen as many telebooks as Tommy had. He was thirteen. She said, “Where did you find it?”

“In my house.” He pointed without looking, because he was busy reading. “In the attic.”

“What’s it about?”

“School.”

Margie was scornful. “School? What’s there to write about school? I hate school.”

Margie always hated school, but now she hated it more than ever. The mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test in geography, and she had been doing worse and worse until her mother had shaken her head sorrowfully and sent for the County Inspector.

He was a round little man with a red face and a whole box of tools with dials and wires. He smiled at Margie and gave her an apple, then took the teacher apart. Margie had hoped he wouldn’t know how to put it together again, but he knew how all right,

38 SpringBoard® Writing Workshop

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TCB_LA_WW_SE_G06_Nar.indd 38 30/07/14 2:24 PM

and, after an hour or so, there it was again, large and black and ugly, with a big screen on which all the lessons were shown and the questions were asked. That wasn’t so bad. The part Margie hated most was the slot where she had to put homework and test papers. She always had to write them out in a punch code they made her learn when she was six years old, and the mechanical teacher calculated the mark in no time.

The Inspector had smiled after he was finished and patted Margie’s head. He said to her mother, “It’s not the little girl’s fault, Mrs. Jones. I think the geography sector was geared a little too quick. Those things happen sometimes. I’ve slowed it up to an average ten-year level. Actually, the over-all pattern of her progress is quite satisfactory.” And he parted Margie’s head again.

Margie was disappointed. She had been hoping they would take the teacher away altogether. They had once taken Tommy’s teacher away for nearly a month because the history sector had blanked out completely.

So she said to Tommy, “Why would anyone write about school?”

Tommy looked at her with very superior eyes. “Because it’s not our kind of school, stupid. This is the old kind of school that they had hundreds and hundreds of years ago.” He added loftily, pronouncing the word carefully, “Centuries ago.”

Margie was hurt. “Well, I don’t know what kind of school they had all that time ago.” She read the book over his shoulder for a while, then said, “Anyway, they had a teacher.”

“Sure they had a teacher, but it wasn’t a regular teacher. It was a man.”

“A man? How could a man be a teacher?”

“Well, he just told the boys and girls things and gave them homework and asked them questions.”

“A man isn’t smart enough.”

“Sure he is. My father knows as much as my teacher.”

“He can’t. A man can’t know as much as a teacher.”

“He knows almost as much, I betcha.”

Margie wasn’t prepared to dispute that. She said, “1 wouldn’t want a strange man in my house to teach me.”

Tommy screamed with laughter. “You don’t know much, Margie. The teachers didn’t live in the house. They had a special building and all the kids went there.”

“And all the kids learned the same thing?”

“Sure, if they were the same age.”

“But my mother says a teacher has to be adjusted to fit the mind of each boy and girl it teaches and that each kid has to be taught differently.”

“Just the same they didn’t do it that way then. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to read the book.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it,” Margie said quickly. She wanted to read about those funny schools.

They weren’t even half-finished when Margie’s mother called, “Margie! School!”

Margie looked up. “Not yet, Mamma.”

“Now!” said Mrs. Jones. “And it’s probably time for Tommy, too.”

My notes

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Margie said to Tommy, “Can I read the book some more with you after school?”

“Maybe,” he said nonchalantly. He walked away whistling, the dusty old book tucked beneath his arm.

Margie went into the schoolroom. It was right next to her bedroom, and the mechanical teacher was on and waiting for her. It was always on at the same time every day except Saturday and Sunday, because her mother said little girls learned better if they learned at regular hours.

The screen was lit up, and it said: “Today’s arithmetic lesson is on the addition of proper fractions. Please insert yesterday’s homework in the proper slot.”

Margie did so with a sigh. She was thinking about the old schools they had when her grandfather’s grandfather was a little boy. All the kids from the whole neighborhood came, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, sitting together in the schoolroom, going home together at the end of the day. They learned the same things, so they could help one another on the homework and talk about it.

And the teachers were people...

The mechanical teacher was flashing on the screen: “When we add the fractions 1/2 and 1/4...”

Margie was thinking about how the kids must have loved it in the old days. She was thinking about the fun they had.

After Reading 4. What is the main focus of this short story?

The Elements of a Short StoryThe short story mode includes these elements: plot, point of view, characterization, setting, and dialogue. In order to write a short story, you need to be able to recognize these basic elements of a work of fiction:

PlotThe plot is the sequence of events and actions that get the characters in the story from point A to point B, then to point C, and so on. The structure of a plot includes the Exposition, or starting point for the story; the conflicts of the Rising Action, which lead to the Climax; and the Falling Action, which leads to the Resolution.

5. Use the Plot Diagram graphic organizer below to sketch out the plot of “The Fun They Had.”

My Notes


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Plot Diagram Climax

Conflict

Exposition

Rising Actio

n

Falling Action

Resolution

Point of viewStoriesareoftentoldfromeitherafirst-personorathird personpointofview.Inthisstory,anoutsidenarratortellsthestoryandrevealsonlyMargie’sthoughtsandfeelings.Theoutsidenarratorindicatesthattheauthorisusingthird-person limitedpointofview.

6.UnderlineorhighlightthelanguageinthestorythatrevealsMargie’sthoughtsandfeelings.

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characterizationCharacterizationisthewayinwhichthewriterrevealsthepersonalityofacharacter.

7.WhatdoesthereaderknowaboutMargie?Whathasthewriterrevealedabouther?AddyourfindingstotheCharacterizationgraphicorganizer.

SettingSettingisthetime,place,andconditionsinwhichthestoryhappens.

8.Whatisthesettingforthestory?Circlethewordsandphrasesthathelpmakethesettingbelievable.

DialogueThemainpurposeofdialogueiscommunicationbetweencharacters.Itprovidesinformation,revealsthecharacters,andhelpstomovethestoryalong.

9.RereadthefirstdialoguebetweenTommyandMargie.Whatdoestheconversationrevealaboutthefollowing?

•Margie:

•Tommy:

•Thesetting:

•Theplot:

MargiePhysical

Characteristics

Other details

Thoughts/ Feelings

Actions


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AcTiviTy 2

Writing a class-constructed Short StoryWRiTing PRomPT:WriteashortstorythatmeetstherequirementslistedintheLearningTargetsatthebeginningofthislesson.RefertotheScoringGuideforthiswritingtask.Itwillhelpyouunderstandwheretofocusyourattentionandefforts.

Youcanfindideasforastorybyputtinganoriginaltwistonafamiliarstory.Forexample,attheendof“TheFunTheyHad,”Margieisdaydreamingaboutschoolsofthepast—whichwouldbeourschoolstoday!Imaginethatshesuddenlyfindsherselfatyourschool,ataneventoratimeofdaywhenshewouldactuallyexperience“thefuntheyhad.”

Prewriting

Planning the Plot 1.Withyourclass,brainstormthepossibilitiesofthissituation.Whatmight

happentoMargie?Takenotesontheideassuggested.UsethefollowingPlot Diagram toguideyourbrainstorming.

Plot Diagram Climax

Conflict

Exposition

Rising Actio

n

Falling Action

Resolution

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Planning the Setting 2.CloseyoureyesandvisualizetheplacewhereMargiehasmagicallyappeared.

Whatdoesitlooklike?Whattimeofdayorwhattimeofyearisit?Thinkaboutwaysinwhichthesettingmayappealtothesenses.Inaclassdiscussion,shareyourresponsestothequestionsbelow.

Planning Point of view 3.BasedonwhatyouknowaboutMargie,howwouldsherespondtothis

newplace?Usingnotebookpaper,jotdownsomeofherobservationsandresponses,usingthird-personlimitedpointofview.Rememberthatinyourstory,youwilluseMargie’snameandthepronounssheandher.

Planning characters and Dialogue 4.ThinkofacharacterMargiewouldencounterduringhervisit.Describethis

character.

5.Withyourclass,writeandroleplaydialoguethatmovestheplotforward.Aimforaminimumoffivesentencesofdialogueinyourstory.

Drafting 6.Revisittheclasslistofpossibleeventsinthisstory.Refinetherisingaction,

climax,andresolution.

7.Writeafirstdraftofyourclass-constructedstory.Useyournotesandyourgraphicorganizerstoguideyourwriting.Besuretoincludetwoparentheticalstoaddinformationandtwoparentheticalsindialoguetoshowwhoisspeaking.

WhatdoesMargiesee?(Includecolors,objects,activities,etc.)

Whatsoundsdoesshehear?

Whattexturesdoesshefeel?

Whatscentsorodorsdoesshesmell?

Whatmightshetaste inthissetting?


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check your UnderstandingAfteryouhavedraftedyourshortstory,usethefollowingchecklistandtheScoringGuidetoevaluateyourstoryandconsiderrevisions.•Doesthestoryincludewell-structuredeventsequences?•Isthereawell-definednarratorand/orcharacters?•Haveyouchosenandkeptonepointofviewthroughoutyourstory?•Haveyouincludeddescriptive,sensorydetailstomakethesettingandcharacters

clear?•Howisdialogueusedtoshowcharacterandmovetheplot?

Revising

Revising for Sensory Details 8.Reviewthefirstdraftofyourclass-constructedshortstory.Wheremightyouadd

sensorydetailstomakethesettingmorebelievable?Makeanynecessaryrevisions.

Revising for DialogueLookoveryourdraftagain.Wheremightyouusedialoguetorevealinformationaboutthecharactersandtomovetheplotalong?Reviseandadddialogueorsubstitutetextwithdialogue.Aimforaminimumoffivesentencesofdialogue.

Revising for Language and Writer’s craftNowthattheshortstoryisfullydrafted,considermorecarefullythelanguageusedtoconveyyourideas.Awritermakesdeliberatestylisticchoicesinlanguageforeffect.

Aparentheticalisaphrasethatisinsertedintoasentencetoaddalittleextrainformationordescription.Theyarecalledparentheticalsbecauseweoftenuseparenthesestoshowwheretheybeginandend.

Writerscanuseotherpunctuationbesidesparenthesestoaddaparenthetical.Dashesandcommasalsowork.IsaacAsimovusescommastoinsertparentheticalsinhisstory,“TheFunWeHad.”

They turned the pages,which were yellow and crinkly, and it was awfully funny to read words that stood still…

Margie had hoped he wouldn’t know how to put it together again, but he knew how all right, and, after an hour or so, there it was again, large and black and ugly, with a screen on which all the lessons were shown and the questions were asked.

Asimovalsousesparentheticalswithhisdialoguetoindicatewhoisspeaking:“Gee,” said Tommy, “what a waste.”

It’simportanttoinserttheparentheticalsmoothly,atagoodmomentinthesentence.Lookforapauseorsentenceshift,whichisusuallyindicatedwithacomma.

correct: “Maria took the keys,” warned Jose, “there’s no way to get in.”incorrect: “Maria took the keys, there’s no” warned Jose, “way to get in.”

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Remember,thesentencemustbecompletewithorwithouttheparentheticalphrase.

With the parenthetical: The dirty car, spewing exhaust, drove up the hill. Without the parenthetical: The dirty car drove up the hill.

PracticeUseaparentheticaltoaddmoreinformationordescriptiontothesentencebelow:

Davidpickedupthebrokentoy, ,andwalkedslowlyintothehouse.

Rewritethenextsentence,movingtheparentheticalthattellswhoisspeakingtoanewpositioninthesentence.Remembertolookforapauseorsentenceshift.

“ThisisthestrangestpartyI’veeverbeento,butI’mhavingfun,”saidLee.

Intheshortstoriesthatyouwillcreateasaclassandwithapartner,includeatleasttwoparentheticalstoaddinformationordescription,andatleasttwoparentheticalsindialoguetoindicatewhoisspeaking.

Revising for Parentheticals 9.Rereadyourdraft.Haveyouincludedatleasttwoparentheticalstoadd

informationordescriptionandtwoparentheticalsindialogue?UseyourLanguageandWriter’sCraftPracticeasaguideasyoulookoverandreviseyourdraft.

Editing 10.Reviewthefinaldraftofyourclass-constructedthestorytobesureitmeetsthe

requirementslistedintheLearningTargets.Reviseasnecessary.

AcTiviTy 3

Writing a Short Story with a PartnerWRiTing PRomPT:WriteashortstorythatmeetstherequirementslistedintheLearningTargetsandtheScoringGuide.Besureto•Establishsetting•Includeclearsequencesofevents•Developawell-definednarratorand/orcharacters•Chooseandmaintainadefinitepointofviewthroughoutthestory•Includedescriptivesensorydetailstomakethesettingandcharactersclearand

interesting•Usedialoguetoshowcharacterandmovetheplot•Useparentheticalstoaddinformationordescription


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Prewritinggenerating content 1.Onseparatepaper,createawebandbrainstormasmanytwistsontheclass-

constructedstoryasyoucan.

2.Workwithyourpartnerandtakeprewritingnotesforyoursharedstory.

Planning the Plot 3.CopythePlot Diagram graphic organizeranduseittoplantheplotofyour

story.Rememberthateacheventmustleadbelievablytothenext.

Planning the Setting 4.UsetheSetting graphic organizertoplanhowyoucanusesensorydetailto

makeyoursettingbelievable.

Sights(Includecolors,objects,activities,etc.)

Sounds

Textures,Temperatures

ScentsorOdors

Flavors

Planning characters 5.Usethecharacter graphic organizertoplaneachofyourcharacters.Add

morespokestothegraphicorganizerasneeded,andcreateadditionalgraphicorganizersforothercharactersonseparatesheetsofpaper.©

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Drafting6. RefertoAsimov’sstoryandyourclass-constructedmodelstory,yournotes,and

yourgraphicorganizersasyouandyourpartnerdraftanopeningtoyourstorytogether.Youmightbegininthemiddleoftheactionorbeginwithdialoguebetweentwocharacters,oryoumighthaveanotheropeninginmind.

7. Joinanotherpartnerpairtoshareandrespondtoideasforrefiningyourstoryopening.Markthedraft,andtakegoodnotessoyouwillrememberwhatyoudiscuss.

8. Useyourmodelsandyournoteswhileyouandyourpartnercontinuedraftingyourstory.Don’tbeafraidtochangeyouroriginalplotline,aslongasyouandyourpartneragree.

9. Withyourotherpartnerpair,shareandrespond*toideasforrefiningthemiddleofyourstory.Remembertotakegoodnotes.

10. Rereadtheendingsofyourmodelstories.Withyourpartner*,draftanendingforyourstory.

Revising11. Withyourotherpartnerpair,shareandrespond*toideasforrefiningyour

story’sending.Again,takegoodnotes.

Character’s Name


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12. Rereadyourdraftandfindeachdetailofthesetting.Considerwhereyoumightaddsensorydetailstomakethesettingbelievableforthereader,andreviseaccordingly.

13.Rereadyourdraftandconsiderwhereyoumightusedialoguetorevealinformationaboutthecharactersandtomovetheplotalong.Reviseandadddialogueorsubstitutetextwithdialogue.Aimforatleastfivesentencesofdialogue.

14. UsingyourLanguagePracticeasaguide,makesurethatyouhaveincludedatleasttwoparentheticalstoaddinformationordescription,andatleasttwoparentheticalsindialoguetoindicatewhoisspeaking.

Peer Review15. Rereadyourdraftandcheckyourworkagainstthelistofdifferentpartsofa

goodshortstorythattheclasscreated.Takenotesonanymissingelementsanddiscussareaswhereyouagreethatyouneedtorevise.Makeaplanforrevision.

16. Joinyourotherpartnerpairinsharingandrespondingtothoughtsandsuggestionsaboutyourwriting.Usetheirfeedbackonyourstorytohelpyoudiscoveradditionalideasforrevision.

17. Useyournotesandthefeedbackfromyourwritingdiscussions*asyoureviseyourshortstory.

Editing18. Edityourstorytocorrecterrorsandprepareyourworkforpublication.

AcTiviTy 4

independent WritingWRiTing PRomPT:WriteashortstorythatmeetstherequirementslistedinLearningTargetsandtheScoringGuide.Besureto•Establishsetting•Includeclearsequencesofevents•Developawell-definednarratorand/orcharacters•Chooseandmaintainadefinitepointofviewthroughoutthestory•Includedescriptivesensorydetailstomakethesettingandcharactersclearand


Youmaywanttousethegraphicorganizersfromtheearlieractivitiestohelpyoucreateplotandcharactersforyournewshortstory.

RevisitthewebthatyouandyourpartnercreatedforActivity3.Thinkoftwistsonotherstoriesthatyouknow,orgothroughyourownportfolioandthenbrainstormideasforastorythatyouwanttowrite.Completeyourstory,reviseasneeded,andprepareitforsharingwithpeers.Asinthestoryyouwrotewithapartner,includeatleasttwoparentheticalstoaddinformationordescription,andatleasttwoparentheticalsinthedialoguetoindicatewhoisspeaking.

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ScoRing gUiDE

Scoring criteria Exemplary Proficient Emerging incomplete

ideas Thestory•createsavividsetting

throughtheeffectiveuseofsensorydetails

•providesanintriguingplotthatthatunfoldsnaturallyandlogicallytosustainreaderinterest

•presentsaconsistentanddistinctpointofview

Thestory•createsabelievable

settingthroughtheuseofsensorydetails

•includesalogical,clearlydefinedplotcontainsaclearlydefinedpointofview

Thestory•presentsan

unbelievablesettingwithlimiteduseofsensorydetails

•containsaconfusingplot

•containsanunfocusedorinconsistentpointofview

Thestory•presentsa

settingthatisnotbelievableandprovidesnosensorydetails

•containsnorecognizableplot

•containsnorecognizablepointofview

Structure Thestory•leadswithanappealing

openingthatenticesreader

•effectivelysequenceseventstosteadilybuildtowardaclimax

•providesaninsightfulendingwithaclearandreasonableresolution

Thestory•presentsanopening

thatgrabsreader’sattention

•includesasequenceofeventsthatbuildtowardaclimax

•providesanendingthatcontainsaclearresolution

Thestory•containsan

openingthatisunderdevelopedorlacksinterestforreaders

•presentsdisconnectedeventsoranincompleteorunfocusedclimax

•containsanendingthatisunderdevelopedwithlittleornoresolution

Thestory•containsanopening

thatisundevelopedorlacksinterestforreaders

•presentsdisconnectedeventsandanunfocused,confusingclimax

•containsanendingwithnorecognizableresolution

Use of Language

Thestory•useswell-written

dialoguetoenhancethestorylineanddeepenreader’sunderstandingofcharacters

•effectivelyusesdetailsandsensorylanguagetoenhancetheeffect.

•demonstratestechnicalcommandofstandardEnglishconventions

•effectivelyusespunctuationtoinsertparentheticalsintosentences

Thestory•usesdialogueto

developthestorylineandcharacters

•usesdetailsandsensorylanguagetocreateacleareffect

•demonstratesgeneralcommandofconventions;minorerrorsinpunctuation,grammar,capitalization,orspellingdonotinterferewithmeaning

•occasionallyusespunctuationtoinsertparentheticalsintosentences

Thestory•usesincompleteor

inappropriatedialogue•useslittleornodetail

orsensorylanguagetoestablishavividimpression

•demonstrateslimitedcommandofconventions;errorsingrammar,punctuation,capitalization,orspellinginterferewithmeaning

•doesnotuseorincorrectlyusespunctuationtoinsertparentheticals

Thestory•useslittleorno

dialogue•misusesordoes

notusedetailorsensorylanguage

•misusesconventionstothedegreethatitinterfereswithmeaning

•misusesordoesnotusecorrectpunctuationtoinsertparentheticals


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4Writing Workshop

narrative Writing: short storyLearning Targets•Writenarrativestodeveloprealorimaginedexperiencesoreventsusingeffective

technique,relevantdescriptivedetails,andwell-structuredeventsequences.•Engageandorientthereaderbyestablishingacontextandintroducinganarrator

and/orcharacters;organizeaneventsequencethatunfoldsnaturallyandlogically.

•Usenarrativetechniques,suchasdialogue,pacing,anddescription,todevelopexperiences,events,and/orcharacters.

•Useavarietyoftransitionwords,phrases,andclausestoconveysequenceandsignalshiftsfromonetimeframeorsettingtoanother.

•Useprecisewordsandphrases,relevantdescriptivedetails,andsensorylanguagetoconveyexperiencesandevents.

•Provideaconclusionthatfollowsfromthenarratedexperiencesorevents.•Withsomeguidanceandsupportfrompeersandadults,developandstrengthen

writingasneededbyplanning,revising,editing,rewriting,ortryinganewapproach.

•Engageeffectivelyinarangeofcollaborativediscussions(one-on-one,ingroups,andteacher-led)withdiversepartnersongrade6topics,texts,andissues,buildingonothers’ideasandexpressingtheirownclearly.

•Cometodiscussionsprepared,havingreadorstudiedrequiredmaterial;explicitlydrawonthatpreparationbyreferringtoevidenceonthetopic,text,orissuetoprobeandreflectonideasunderdiscussion.

•Usepunctuation(commas,parentheses,dashes)tosetoffnonrestrictive/parentheticalelements.

Writing a Short StoryAshortstoryisatypeofcreativetextinwhichwriterssharedeepinsightsandobservationsaboutlifethroughcharactersandtheme.You’veprobablyhearddozensofstoriesfromyourfriends,thoughtheyprobablyweren’twrittendown.Someofthesamerulesapplyforagoodwrittenshortstory.Thestoryshouldhavedetailstobringittolife,itshouldbeorderedsothatitmakessense,anditshouldhaveanendingthatbringseverythingtogetherormakesapoint.Mostimportantly,itshouldn’tbetoolong!Whenwritingshortstories,writerscandrawontheirownpersonalexperiencesanduseimaginativethinking.

Inthisworkshopyouwillworkwithyourteacherandwithyourclassmatestoconstructtwomodelshortstories.Youwillthenusethesemodelstoconstructyourownstory.

AcTiviTy 1

Discovering the Elements of a Short StoryBefore Reading

1. Thinkaboutastoryyou’vereadthatyoureallyenjoyed.Whatdidyoulikeaboutthestory?

LEArning strAtEgiEsThink-Pair-Share,Brainstorming,MarkingtheText,GraphicOrganizer,Skimming/Scanning,Visualizing,Drafting,RolePlaying*,Self-Editing/PeerEditing*,Webbing,SharingandResponding,MarkingtheDraft,Note-Taking,Adding,UnpackingthePrompt

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*MSD Note: The original sequence of activities ofthis were intended for multiple students to worktogether. Suggestions have been and certainactivities have been crossed out to reflect that thiswill largely be individual work now. If you haveparents, guardians, siblings, etc. who want toengage in this work with you, great! If not, weencourage you to do the best you can individually.

Key:- MSDsuggestions appear insidebars inbold- Answersareital icizedwherepresent- Theasterisk*indicatesan activityoriginallyintended tobe donewithothers.

ANSWER KEY

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2. Whataresomeelementsthatarecommontogoodshortstories?Students’ responses might include an exciting plot, characters that the reader cares about, and a believable setting.

During Reading3. Asyouread“TheFunTheyHad,”lookforelementsofagoodstoryand

markthetextwhenyoufindthem.Students’ responses might include realistic dialogue on page one,strong ending that emphasizes the main ideas, descriptive details ofthe mechanical teacher, etc.

The Fun They HadBy Isaac Asimov

Margie even wrote about it that night in her diary. On the page headed May 17, 2157, she wrote, “Today, Tommy found a real book!”

It was a very old book. Margie’s grandfather once said that when he was a little boy, his grandfather told him that there was a time when all stories were printed on paper.

They turned the pages, which were yellow and crinkly, and it was awfully funny to read words that stood still instead of moving the way they were supposed to—on a screen, you know. And then, when they turned back to the page before, it had the same words on it that it had had when they read it the first time.

“Gee,” said Tommy, “what a waste. When you’re through with the book, you just throw it away, I guess. Our television screen must have had a million books on it and it’s good for plenty more. I wouldn’t throw it away.”

“Same with mine,” said Margie. She was eleven and hadn’t seen as many telebooks as Tommy had. He was thirteen. She said, “Where did you find it?”

“In my house.” He pointed without looking, because he was busy reading. “In the attic.”

“What’s it about?”

“School.”

Margie was scornful. “School? What’s there to write about school? I hate school.”

Margie always hated school, but now she hated it more than ever. The mechanical teacher had been giving her test after test in geography, and she had been doing worse and worse until her mother had shaken her head sorrowfully and sent for the County Inspector.

He was a round little man with a red face and a whole box of tools with dials and wires. He smiled at Margie and gave her an apple, then took the teacher apart. Margie had hoped he wouldn’t know how to put it together again, but he knew how all right,


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and, after an hour or so, there it was again, large and black and ugly, with a big screen on which all the lessons were shown and the questions were asked. That wasn’t so bad. The part Margie hated most was the slot where she had to put homework and test papers. She always had to write them out in a punch code they made her learn when she was six years old, and the mechanical teacher calculated the mark in no time.

The Inspector had smiled after he was finished and patted Margie’s head. He said to her mother, “It’s not the little girl’s fault, Mrs. Jones. I think the geography sector was geared a little too quick. Those things happen sometimes. I’ve slowed it up to an average ten-year level. Actually, the over-all pattern of her progress is quite satisfactory.” And he parted Margie’s head again.

Margie was disappointed. She had been hoping they would take the teacher away altogether. They had once taken Tommy’s teacher away for nearly a month because the history sector had blanked out completely.

So she said to Tommy, “Why would anyone write about school?”

Tommy looked at her with very superior eyes. “Because it’s not our kind of school, stupid. This is the old kind of school that they had hundreds and hundreds of years ago.” He added loftily, pronouncing the word carefully, “Centuries ago.”

Margie was hurt. “Well, I don’t know what kind of school they had all that time ago.” She read the book over his shoulder for a while, then said, “Anyway, they had a teacher.”

“Sure they had a teacher, but it wasn’t a regular teacher. It was a man.”

“A man? How could a man be a teacher?”

“Well, he just told the boys and girls things and gave them homework and asked them questions.”

“A man isn’t smart enough.”

“Sure he is. My father knows as much as my teacher.”

“He can’t. A man can’t know as much as a teacher.”

“He knows almost as much, I betcha.”

Margie wasn’t prepared to dispute that. She said, “1 wouldn’t want a strange man in my house to teach me.”

Tommy screamed with laughter. “You don’t know much, Margie. The teachers didn’t live in the house. They had a special building and all the kids went there.”

“And all the kids learned the same thing?”

“Sure, if they were the same age.”

“But my mother says a teacher has to be adjusted to fit the mind of each boy and girl it teaches and that each kid has to be taught differently.”

“Just the same they didn’t do it that way then. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to read the book.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it,” Margie said quickly. She wanted to read about those funny schools.

They weren’t even half-finished when Margie’s mother called, “Margie! School!”

Margie looked up. “Not yet, Mamma.”

“Now!” said Mrs. Jones. “And it’s probably time for Tommy, too.”

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Margie said to Tommy, “Can I read the book some more with you after school?”

“Maybe,” he said nonchalantly. He walked away whistling, the dusty old book tucked beneath his arm.

Margie went into the schoolroom. It was right next to her bedroom, and the mechanical teacher was on and waiting for her. It was always on at the same time every day except Saturday and Sunday, because her mother said little girls learned better if they learned at regular hours.

The screen was lit up, and it said: “Today’s arithmetic lesson is on the addition of proper fractions. Please insert yesterday’s homework in the proper slot.”

Margie did so with a sigh. She was thinking about the old schools they had when her grandfather’s grandfather was a little boy. All the kids from the whole neighborhood came, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, sitting together in the schoolroom, going home together at the end of the day. They learned the same things, so they could help one another on the homework and talk about it.

And the teachers were people...

The mechanical teacher was flashing on the screen: “When we add the fractions 1/2 and 1/4...”

Margie was thinking about how the kids must have loved it in the old days. She was thinking about the fun they had.

After Reading4. What is the main focus of this short story?responses might include kids’ attitudes about school, “the grass is always greener,” predicting the future, and appreciating what you have.

The Elements of a Short StoryThe short story mode includes these elements: plot, point of view, characterization, setting, and dialogue. In order to write a short story, you need to be able to recognize these basic elements of a work of fiction:

PlotThe plot is the sequence of events and actions that get the characters in the story from point A to point B, then to point C, and so on. The structure of a plot includes the Exposition, or starting point for the story; the conflicts of the Rising Action, which lead to the Climax; and the Falling Action, which leads to the Resolution.

5. Use the Plot Diagram graphic organizer below to sketch out the plot of“The Fun They Had.”

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Plot Diagram Climax

Conflict Value of individualized schooling vs. communal schooling; value of technology-based learning

ExpositionMargie and Tommy; sometime in the not-so-distant future, year 2157

Rising Actio

n

Falling Action

Resolution

Point of viewStoriesareoftentoldfromeitherafirst-personorathird personpointofview.Inthisstory,anoutsidenarratortellsthestoryandrevealsonlyMargie’sthoughtsandfeelings.Theoutsidenarratorindicatesthattheauthorisusingthird-person limitedpointofview.

6. UnderlineorhighlightthelanguageinthestorythatrevealsMargie’sthoughtsandfeelings.

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Tommy reads a "paper" book about old school systems

Margie realizes that learning together and helping each other would be more fun

MSD Note: The following answer choices are just possible answer choices.

They discuss that "old" schoolused real books and had "men" as teachers, rather than machines.

Margie's teacher is tuned to address her individual learning needs and is housed in a room right next to her bedroom in her house; she wants to read more of Tommy's bookMargie doesn't believe that "men" teachers could be smart enough or that it would be decent to have everyone learning the same thing.

She "sighs" when she has to go to her school by herselfand begin her arithmetic lesson.

She thinks about what it must have been like to have a person as a teacher and classmates.

See above underlines made in the story.


characterizationCharacterizationisthewayinwhichthewriterrevealsthepersonalityofacharacter.

7. WhatdoesthereaderknowaboutMargie?Whathasthewriterrevealedabouther?AddyourfindingstotheCharacterizationgraphicorganizer.

SettingSettingisthetime,place,andconditionsinwhichthestoryhappens.

8. Whatisthesettingforthestory?Circlethewordsandphrasesthathelpmakethesettingbelievable.

DialogueThemainpurposeofdialogueiscommunicationbetweencharacters.Itprovidesinformation,revealsthecharacters,andhelpstomovethestoryalong.

• RereadthefirstdialoguebetweenTommyandMargie.Whatdoestheconversationrevealaboutthefollowing?

• Margie: She's used to reading "moving words" on a screen, she's eleven, shehates school (especially now), she's younger than Tommy, she has a robotas a teacher

• Tommy: He is thirteen, he seems to know more than Margie, he knowsthat schools used to be taught by "men," and he seems comfortablereading the non-moving words in the book

• Thesetting: It's set in 2157, they no longer have communal classrooms,they have robot teachers, and they have highly individualized instruction

• Theplot: That there is a tension around the type of school that mightbest support learning; that there is tension around the usefulness oftechnology in education

MargiePhysical

Characteristics

Other details

Thoughts/ Feelings

Actions


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She is excited to find book.She is in disbelief when she discovers that schools were once taught in groups and by "men."She wishes her teacher weren't there.Sighs when she has to go back to her individual school.

The finding of the book is so importancethat she writes about it in her diary.She wants to read more of Tommy's book later. She doesn't want to start school when her mother calls her to begin.

She's an 11 year-old girl

AcTiviTy 2

Writing a class-constructed Short StoryWRiTing PRomPT:WriteashortstorythatmeetstherequirementslistedintheLearningTargetsatthebeginningofthislesson.RefertotheScoringGuideforthiswritingtask.Itwillhelpyouunderstandwheretofocusyourattentionandefforts.

Youcanfindideasforastory byputtinganoriginaltwistonafamiliarstory.Forexample,attheendof“TheFunTheyHad,”Margieisdaydreamingaboutschoolsofthepast—whichwouldbeourschoolstoday!Imaginethatshesuddenlyfindsherselfatyourschool,ataneventoratimeofdaywhenshewouldactuallyexperience“thefuntheyhad.”

Prewriting

Planning the Plot1. Withyourclass,brainstormthepossibilitiesofthissituation.Whatmight

happentoMargie?Takenotesontheideassuggested.UsethefollowingPlot Diagram toguideyourbrainstorming.

Plot Diagram Climax

Conflict

Exposition

Rising Actio

n

Falling Action

Resolution

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Planning the Setting2. CloseyoureyesandvisualizetheplacewhereMargiehasmagicallyappeared.

Whatdoesitlooklike?Whattimeofdayorwhattimeofyearisit?Thinkaboutwaysinwhichthesettingmayappealtothesenses.Inaclassdiscussion,shareyourresponsestothequestionsbelow. [Answers will vary for each response, andthat's great!]

Planning Point of view3. BasedonwhatyouknowaboutMargie,howwouldsherespondtothis

newplace?Usingnotebookpaper,jotdownsomeofherobservationsandresponses,usingthird-personlimitedpointofview.Rememberthatinyourstory,youwilluseMargie’snameandthepronounssheandher.

Planning characters and Dialogue4. ThinkofacharacterMargiewouldencounterduringhervisit.Describethis

character.

Answers will vary.

5. Withyourclass,writeandroleplaydialoguethatmovestheplotforward.Aimforaminimumoffivesentencesofdialogueinyourstory.

Drafting6. Revisittheclasslistofpossibleeventsinthisstory.Refinetherisingaction,

climax,andresolution.

7. Writeafirstdraftofyourclass-constructedstory.Useyournotesandyourgraphicorganizerstoguideyourwriting.Besuretoincludetwoparentheticalstoaddinformationandtwoparentheticalsindialoguetoshowwhoisspeaking.

WhatdoesMargiesee?(Includecolors,objects,activities,etc.)

Whatsoundsdoesshehear?

Whattexturesdoesshefeel?

Whatscentsorodorsdoesshesmell?

Whatmightshetaste inthissetting?


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check your UnderstandingAfteryouhavedraftedyourshortstory,usethefollowingchecklistandtheScoringGuidetoevaluateyourstoryandconsiderrevisions.•Doesthestoryincludewell-structuredeventsequences?•Isthereawell-definednarratorand/orcharacters?•Haveyouchosenandkeptonepointofviewthroughoutyourstory?•Haveyouincludeddescriptive,sensorydetailstomakethesettingandcharacters

clear?•Howisdialogueusedtoshowcharacterandmovetheplot?

Revising

Revising for Sensory Details8.Reviewthefirstdraftofyourclass-constructedshortstory.Wheremightyouadd

sensorydetailstomakethesettingmorebelievable?Makeanynecessaryrevisions.

Revising for DialogueLookoveryourdraftagain.Wheremightyouusedialoguetorevealinformationaboutthecharactersandtomovetheplotalong?Reviseandadddialogueorsubstitutetextwithdialogue.Aimforaminimumoffivesentencesofdialogue.

Revising for Language and Writer’s craftNowthattheshortstoryisfullydrafted,considermorecarefullythelanguageusedtoconveyyourideas.Awritermakesdeliberatestylisticchoicesinlanguageforeffect.

Aparentheticalisaphrasethatisinsertedintoasentencetoaddalittleextrainformationordescription.Theyarecalledparentheticalsbecauseweoftenuseparenthesestoshowwheretheybeginandend.

Example: Dad picked up the jar of sauce (his secret recipe) and carried it out to the barbecue.

Writerscanuseotherpunctuationbesidesparenthesestoaddaparenthetical.Dashesandcommasalsowork.IsaacAsimovusescommastoinsertparentheticalsinhisstory,“TheFunWeHad.”

They turned the pages,which were yellow and crinkly, and it was awfully funny to read words that stood still…

Margie had hoped he wouldn’t know how to put it together again, but he knew how all right, and, after an hour or so, there it was again, large and black and ugly, with a screen on which all the lessons were shown and the questions were asked.

Asimovalsousesparentheticalswithhisdialoguetoindicatewhoisspeaking:“Gee,” said Tommy, “what a waste.”

It’simportanttoinserttheparentheticalsmoothly,atagoodmomentinthesentence.Lookforapauseorsentenceshift,whichisusuallyindicatedwithacomma.

correct: “Maria took the keys,” warned Jose, “there’s no way to get in.”incorrect: “Maria took the keys, there’s no” warned Jose, “way to get in.”

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Remember,thesentencemustbecompletewithorwithouttheparentheticalphrase.

With the parenthetical: The dirty car, spewing exhaust, drove up the hill. Without the parenthetical: The dirty car drove up the hill.

PracticeUseaparentheticaltoaddmoreinformationordescriptiontothesentencebelow:

Davidpickedupthebrokentoy, ,andwalkedslowlyintothehouse.

Rewritethenextsentence,movingtheparentheticalthattellswhoisspeakingtoanewpositioninthesentence.Remembertolookforapauseorsentenceshift.

“ThisisthestrangestpartyI’veeverbeento,butI’mhavingfun,”saidLee.

Intheshortstoriesthatyouwillcreateasaclassandwithapartner,includeatleasttwoparentheticalstoaddinformationordescription,andatleasttwoparentheticalsindialoguetoindicatewhoisspeaking.

Revising for Parentheticals9. Rereadyourdraft.Haveyouincludedatleasttwoparentheticalstoadd

informationordescriptionandtwoparentheticalsindialogue?UseyourLanguageandWriter’sCraftPracticeasaguideasyoulookoverandreviseyourdraft.

Editing10. Reviewthefinaldraftofyourclass-constructedthestorytobesureitmeetsthe

requirementslistedintheLearningTargets.Reviseasnecessary.

AcTiviTy 3

Writing a Short Story with a PartnerWRiTing PRomPT:WriteashortstorythatmeetstherequirementslistedintheLearningTargetsandtheScoringGuide.Besureto•Establishsetting•Includeclearsequencesofevents•Developawell-definednarratorand/orcharacters•Chooseandmaintainadefinitepointofviewthroughoutthestory•Includedescriptivesensorydetailstomakethesettingandcharactersclearand



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Sample response: barely held together by a few wires

“This is the strangest party I’ve ever been to,” said Lee, “but I’m having fun.”

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Prewritinggenerating content 1.Onseparatepaper,createawebandbrainstormasmanytwistsontheclass-

constructedstoryasyoucan.

2.Workwithyourpartnerandtakeprewritingnotesforyoursharedstory.

Planning the Plot 3.CopythePlot Diagram graphic organizeranduseittoplantheplotofyour

story.Rememberthateacheventmustleadbelievablytothenext.

Planning the Setting 4.UsetheSetting graphic organizertoplanhowyoucanusesensorydetailto

makeyoursettingbelievable.

Sights(Includecolors,objects,activities,etc.)

Sounds

Textures,Temperatures

ScentsorOdors

Flavors

Planning characters 5.Usethecharacter graphic organizertoplaneachofyourcharacters.Add

morespokestothegraphicorganizerasneeded,andcreateadditionalgraphicorganizersforothercharactersonseparatesheetsofpaper.©

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Drafting6. RefertoAsimov’sstoryandyourclass-constructedmodelstory,yournotes,and

yourgraphicorganizersasyouandyourpartner*draftanopeningtoyourstorytogether.Youmightbegininthemiddleoftheactionorbeginwithdialoguebetweentwocharacters,oryoumighthaveanotheropeninginmind.

7. Joinanotherpartnerpairtoshareandrespondtoideasforrefiningyourstoryopening.Markthedraft,andtakegoodnotessoyouwillrememberwhatyoudiscuss.

8. Useyourmodelsandyournoteswhileyouandyourpartner*continuedraftingyourstory.Don’tbeafraidtochangeyouroriginalplotline,aslongasyouandyourpartner*agree.

9. Withyourotherpartnerpair,shareandrespond*toideasforrefiningthemiddleofyourstory.Remembertotakegoodnotes.

10. Rereadtheendingsofyourmodelstories.Withyourpartner*,draftanendingforyourstory.

Revising11. Withyourotherpartnerpair,shareandrespond*toideasforrefiningyour

story’sending.Again,takegoodnotes.

Character’s Name


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12. Rereadyourdraftandfindeachdetailofthesetting.Considerwhereyoumightaddsensorydetailstomakethesettingbelievableforthereader,andreviseaccordingly.

13.Rereadyourdraftandconsiderwhereyoumightusedialoguetorevealinformationaboutthecharactersandtomovetheplotalong.Reviseandadddialogueorsubstitutetextwithdialogue.Aimforatleastfivesentencesofdialogue.

14. UsingyourLanguagePracticeasaguide,makesurethatyouhaveincludedatleasttwoparentheticalstoaddinformationordescription,andatleasttwoparentheticalsindialoguetoindicatewhoisspeaking.

Peer Review15. Rereadyourdraftandcheckyourworkagainstthelistofdifferentpartsofa

goodshortstorythattheclasscreated.Takenotesonanymissingelementsanddiscussareaswhereyouagreethatyouneedtorevise.Makeaplanforrevision.

16. Joinyourotherpartnerpairinsharingandrespondingtothoughtsandsuggestionsaboutyourwriting.Usetheirfeedbackonyourstorytohelpyoudiscoveradditionalideasforrevision.

17. Useyournotesandthefeedbackfromyourwritingdiscussions*asyoureviseyourshortstory.

Editing18. Edityourstorytocorrecterrorsandprepareyourworkforpublication.

AcTiviTy 4

independent WritingWRiTing PRomPT:WriteashortstorythatmeetstherequirementslistedinLearningTargetsandtheScoringGuide.Besureto•Establishsetting•Includeclearsequencesofevents•Developawell-definednarratorand/orcharacters•Chooseandmaintainadefinitepointofviewthroughoutthestory•Includedescriptivesensorydetailstomakethesettingandcharactersclearand


Youmaywanttousethegraphicorganizersfromtheearlieractivitiestohelpyoucreateplotandcharactersforyournewshortstory.

RevisitthewebthatyouandyourpartnercreatedforActivity3.Thinkoftwistsonotherstoriesthatyouknow,orgothroughyourownportfolioandthenbrainstormideasforastorythatyouwanttowrite.Completeyourstory,reviseasneeded,andprepareitforsharingwithpeers.Asinthestoryyouwrotewithapartner,includeatleasttwoparentheticalstoaddinformationordescription,andatleasttwoparentheticalsinthedialoguetoindicatewhoisspeaking.

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ScoRing gUiDE

Scoring criteria Exemplary Proficient Emerging incomplete

ideas Thestory• createsavividsetting

throughtheeffectiveuseofsensorydetails

• providesanintriguingplotthatthatunfoldsnaturallyandlogicallytosustainreaderinterest

• presentsaconsistentanddistinctpointofview

Thestory• createsabelievable

settingthroughtheuseofsensorydetails

• includesalogical,clearlydefinedplotcontainsaclearlydefinedpointofview

Thestory• presentsan

unbelievablesettingwithlimiteduseofsensorydetails

• containsaconfusingplot

• containsanunfocusedorinconsistentpointofview

Thestory• presentsa

settingthatisnotbelievableandprovidesnosensorydetails

• containsnorecognizableplot

• containsnorecognizablepointofview

Structure Thestory• leadswithanappealing

openingthatenticesreader

• effectivelysequenceseventstosteadilybuildtowardaclimax

• providesaninsightfulendingwithaclearandreasonableresolution

Thestory• presentsanopening

thatgrabsreader’sattention

• includesasequenceofeventsthatbuildtowardaclimax

• providesanendingthatcontainsaclearresolution

Thestory• containsan

openingthatisunderdevelopedorlacksinterestforreaders

• presentsdisconnectedeventsoranincompleteorunfocusedclimax

• containsanendingthatisunderdevelopedwithlittleornoresolution

Thestory• containsanopening

thatisundevelopedorlacksinterestforreaders

• presentsdisconnectedeventsandanunfocused,confusingclimax

• containsanendingwithnorecognizableresolution

Use of Language

Thestory• useswell-written

dialoguetoenhancethestorylineanddeepenreader’sunderstandingofcharacters

• effectivelyusesdetailsandsensorylanguagetoenhancetheeffect.

• demonstratestechnicalcommandofstandardEnglishconventions

• effectivelyusespunctuationtoinsertparentheticalsintosentences

Thestory• usesdialogueto

developthestorylineandcharacters

• usesdetailsandsensorylanguagetocreateacleareffect

• demonstratesgeneralcommandofconventions;minorerrorsinpunctuation,grammar,capitalization,orspellingdonotinterferewithmeaning

• occasionallyusespunctuationtoinsertparentheticalsintosentences

Thestory• usesincompleteor

inappropriatedialogue• useslittleornodetail

orsensorylanguagetoestablishavividimpression

• demonstrateslimitedcommandofconventions;errorsingrammar,punctuation,capitalization,orspellinginterferewithmeaning

• doesnotuseorincorrectlyusespunctuationtoinsertparentheticals

Thestory• useslittleorno

dialogue• misusesordoes

notusedetailorsensorylanguage

• misusesconventionstothedegreethatitinterfereswithmeaning

• misusesordoesnotusecorrectpunctuationtoinsertparentheticals


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Mukilteo School District · 2020. 3. 27. · Asyou read “The Fun They Had,” look for elements of a good story and mark the text when you find them. The Fun They Had By Isaac Asimov

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