Unit 5: Fantasy Writing

Content Area: English Language Arts

Course(s): English Language Arts
Time Period: Generic Time Period
Length: April - Mid-May
Status: Published

Unit Overview
In this unit, students will use qualities from past units, especially narrative, and take a fantasy piece through
the writing process. It will be important to revisit the importance of a good lead and ending, show not tell, and
storytelling rather than summarizing. Writers will spend time thinking of characters, settings, and problems
that fantasy stories can include and will then make thoughtful choices to piece them together. Writers will
want to try some of the craft ideas they read in fantasy stories such as fantastical worlds and magical objects or
characters. Students will draft both handwritten pieces as well as pieces using appropriate technology.

Standards

LA.5.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective
technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
LA.5.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
LA.5.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or
trying a new approach.
LA.5.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and
collaborate with others.
LA.5.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and
audiences.
LA.5.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when
writing or speaking.
LA.5.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation,
and spelling when writing.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective
technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3.a Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters;
organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3.b Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop
experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3.c Use a variety of transitional words, phrases, and clauses to manage the sequence of
events.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3.d Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events
precisely.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3.e Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as
needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.6 With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to
produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others;
demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in
a single sitting.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks,
purposes, and audiences.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas
and expressing their own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when
writing or speaking.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.2.e Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.3.a Expand, combine, and reduce sentences for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style.

Essential Questions
 How do writers draw on all they know to craft effective stories?

 How do fiction writers write in various genres?

 How do writers utilize a variety of strategies to develop their stories and convey their experiences more
precisely and effectively?

Application of Knowledge: Students will know that...

• certain terminology and story elements are associated with various genres .
• fantasy writers have to suspend disbelief in order to write the best fantasy story .
• just like other genres of writing, fantasy writing should have an appropriate organization and flow .
• the use of quality writing traits from past units can help in various genres .
• writers of fantasy need to be thoughtful with their choices of characters, settings, and problems .

Application of Skills: Students will be able to...

• analyze published authors and exemplar texts to emulate in their writing .

• apply the basic skills of spelling, capitalization, and punctuation properly to their writing .
• develop and revise writing with support from teacher and peers .
• engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with .
 diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly
• establish a situation and introduce a narrator or characters .
• expand, combine, and reduce sentences for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style .
• incorporate elements of fantasy such as magical lands or characters into personal narratives .
• produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to .
task, purpose, and audience
• provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events .
• suspend disbelief to write the best fantasy story .
• use a variety of transitional words, phrases, and clauses to manage the sequence of events .
• Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop experiences and .
events or show the responses of characters to situations.
• use technology to publish writing .
• write to develop imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and .
clear event sequences
• write with independence .

Teaching Points and Suggested Activities

The following teaching points are adapted from Units of Study If...Then...Curriculum by Lucy Calkins.
Teachers will adjust based on students' needs.

 Today I want to teach you that writers of fantasy get ideas for stories by studying their own lives.

 Today I want to teach you that writers may begin collecting ideas for fantasy by thinking about
possible plots or quests.

 Today I want to teach you that fantasy writers may also begin collecting ideas for stories by thinking
about characters from other kinds of fiction.

 Today I want to teach you that if you want to begin or end up in a magical place, you can imagine that
setting as if it were our world and all that it entails but different somehow. Fantasies have very
purposeful settings.

 Today I want to teach you to take your seed ideas and begin to develop other elements of the story.
Writers pick a character, a setting, and begin to develop them together.

 Today I want to teach you that like all writers, writers of fantasy plan out their stories. Sometimes
writers will create a story booklet or time line or sketch a map.

 Today I want to teach you that one of the best ways for writers to begin drafting fantasy stories is to
close our eyes and allow ourselves to get lost in the stories we are about to write. Let our imaginations
picture every little thing we are about to draft and then begin to write.

 Today I want to teach you that fantasy writers draft knowing that they have to be convincing to their
readers, suspend disbelief, and make a world that sounds true.

 Today I want to teach you that it’s important that a writer stays in the moment whenever possible, by
writing in scene with action, dialogue, and thoughts.
  Today I want to teach you that a huge part of fantasy is ‘passage of time.’

 Today I want to teach you that in addition to the usual fixing up, we can also edit for craft.

 Today I want to teach you that fantasy stories have a very identifiable sound and language. Writers use
vocabulary that stands out.

 Today I want to teach you that when fantasy writers edit, they pay special attention to spelling.
Nothing pulls a fantasy reader out of a story faster than a misspelled word.

 Today I want to teach you that writers publish with an audience in mind.

Suggested Activities

 practice integrating fantasy elements into personal narrative seeds

 show pictures of different settings- "good and evil" ex: dark, scary woods and also magical and bright;
a castle, an abandoned house, etc.
 have students close their eyes and imagine their zoomed in story
 have students sketch a map of their magical land
 create a time line or list of events
 show a variety of transitional words and phrases- passage of time
 model and integrate figurative language into fantasies
 create and reference anchor charts
 share pages from students' writing journal as a model
 present and study mentor texts
 daily writing
 review narrative techniques: show a variety of leads and endings, dialogue, vivid details, zoomed in
stories
 use technology to publish writing
 plan a celebration of student writing

Assessments
Assessment in this unit takes three forms: diagnostic, formative, and summative. Assessment rubrics are
available in Lucy Calkins' Reading and Writing Project resource kits, but teachers may also develop their own
rubrics in order to include more specific elements of knowledge and skills listed in this unit summary.

Student self-assessment and peer assessment should take place whenever possible--again, in all three forms:
diagnostic, formative, and summative. Removing the traditional emphasis on teacher assessment enables
students to take more initiative and become self-directed.
 On-going teacher assessment will take place in the context of a conference. Conferences, both small group
and one-to-one conferring, are used to reinforce expectations, provide advice and/or assistance, and ultimately,
to support growth.

Diagnostic Assessments

Review of student's portfolio from the previous school year, particularly narrative projects

On-demand piece- Teacher can choose to give the generic narrative on-demand or alter it so that you are
inviting students to flash-draft a fantasy piece (Example Fantasy from If...Then...Curriculum by Lucy Calkins:
"Our next unit is going to be fantasy, and I would love to know what you already know about writing fantasy
stories. Would you please write a scene or two of a fantasy story, including everything you know about
writing strong narratives and everything you know about fantasy?"

*Rubrics: Teachers can use the narrative rubric from the Units of Study Narrative Writing. They may choose
to make changes pertinent to incorporating fantasy elements. The fifth grade narrative checklist can be use for
assessing the on-demand as well as self and peer evaluation.

Formative Assessments (Informal)

Daily observation of students' participation and products during the active participation segment of each mini-
lesson.

Students' questions, comments, suggestions to teacher

Journaling assignments which are intended to practice teacher-selected skills

Comments, corrections, and records from peer conferences between students

Formative Assessments (Formal)

Teacher-student conferences

Summative Assessment

Summative writing will take the form of both handwritten pieces and pieces generated using appropriate
technology.

Published narratives

On-demand narrative (Same prompt as the diagnostic on-demand)

Activities to Differentiate Instruction
Students will choose a narrative seed and decide what fantasy elements to include in their story. Some students
may write a relatively simple story while others' imagination will run wild. The teacher's role is to guide
students through the process so that everyone produces a coherent story.

 This unit includes presentation of material through multiple modalities such as visual, auditory, and
kinesthetic to address the unique learning styles of all students.

 Interactive mini-lessons provide instruction to the whole-class

 Small group work will provide small group instruction around specific skills. Ex: several students that
still struggle with punctuating dialogue; help with leads

 Individual conferences with each student will address specific needs of the writer. Ex: organization of
their story, no significant ending, summarizing versus storytelling

*The Narrative Writing If...Then... charts in the If...Then...Curriculum by Lucy Calkins are a helpful resource
on conferencing with individual students and providing exactly the guidance that child needs.

 Students have the ability to write using different modes: drawing, listing, creating time lines, drafting
pen/paper, typing stories
 Teachers will follow any 504 plans and IEP's accordingly
 Provide modified and/or alternate grade level checklists and rubrics

Integrated/Cross-Disciplinary Instruction
 Students will use their background knowledge from all contents to imagine characters, problems, and
setting to use in their fantasy stories.
o Reading- teach unit in conjunction with a fantasy read-aloud and use as mentor text
o Science- Journey to the Center of the Earth, include dinosaurs in modern day
o Greek Mythology- gods and goddesses
o Social Studies- recreate ancient times or early US history
 Use technology to publish writing and possibly create a comic or illustration to bring their story to life

Suggested Mentor Texts and Other Resources

Mentor Texts

 The Frog Prince Continued by Jon Scieszka

 The Paperbag Princess by Robert Munsch
 Princess Smartypants by Babette Cole
 The Dragon and the Unicorn by Lynn Cherry
  The Kingdom Keepers- Disney After Dark by Ridley Pearson
 Merlin and the Dragons by Jane Yolen
 Stranger in the Mirror by Allan Say
 Raising Dragons by Jerdine Nolan
 Short stories from anthologies such as: Fire and Wings by Marianne Carus, But That’s Another Story
edited by Sandy Asher, or A Glory of Unicorns by Bruce Coville

Other Resources

Units of Study in Opinion, Information, and Narrative Writing:

 Crafting True Stories by Lucy Calkins and Marjorie Martinelli

 Launching the Writing Workshop, Grades 3-5; Lucy Calkins and Marjorie Martinelli
 A Guide to the Common Core Writing Workshop, Intermediate Grades; Lucy Calkins
 Writing Pathways, Grades K-8, Performance Assessments and Learning Progressions; Lucy Calkins
 If...Then... Curriculum, Grade 5 (Assessment-Based Instruction); Lucy Calkins; Julia Mooney; and
Colleagues From the TCRWP
 Resources for Teaching Writing (DVD) Units of Study in Opinion, Information, and Narrative Writing;
Lucy Calkins