1. Narrative Writing
Grade 6

2. You will be asked to write a story based on a picture prompt

3. When writing your story, you should be sure to
Consider your audience
Focus on your purpose
Organize your thoughts appropriately in sentences and paragraphs
Use vocabulary that is interesting and descriptive
Edit your work directly on your writing
Budget your time

4. Planning

5. Consider the following questions when you are planning your story:
What are the notable features of the picture prompt?
What does the picture and its features remind you of or make you think about?
What type of story would you like to write for this picture prompt?
Who will your main character(s) be?

6. Consider the following questions when you are planning your story:
When and where will your story take place?
Your story can take place in more than one location and/or more than one time period
For example, you might decide to have your story take place:
In the present
In a foreign country
In the past
In the future
In an imaginative place
At night
In your own city
In a playground
In a crowded area

7. Consider the following questions when you are planning your story:
What problem(s) will your character(s) face?
Some possible conflicts are:
Character versus character (a conflict between two people)
Character versus nature (a character’s struggle to survive against the elements of nature)
Character versus society (a conflict between a main character and a societal rule, belief or system)
Character versus self (a character’s internal struggle that tests his or her ability to cope)

8. Consider the following questions when you are planning your story:
How will the story end?
Will the events of the story result in a character’s change of heart or way of thinking?
Will the ending bring closure to all parts of the story or leave some unanswered questions?
Is the ending a logical conclusion or is it an unexpected one?

9. Consider the following questions when you are planning your story:
Will your story have a theme?
Some examples of possible themes are:
Love conquers all
Good triumphs over evil
Kindness is the best gift one can give or receive
Friendship is more important than popularity
Through struggle, we gain
Hard work always pays off
Working together is better than working alone

10. Consider the following questions when you are planning your story:
Will you state the theme of the story directly or will it be implied?
If the theme is implied, it will be up to the reader to figure out the theme based on the events and details in the story.

11. Assessing

12. Written assignments will be graded on the following criteria:
Content
Organization
Sentence Structure
Vocabulary
Conventions
Content and organization are weighted to be worth twice as much as each of the other criteria

13. Criteria
Content
The response is plausible and uses ideas and events that are appropriate for the assignment. The response should establish a context using specific details and hold the reader’s interest
Plan your story and the events you will write about before you begin
Choose one storyline and stay on topic
Make sure that every event relates to your storyline
Choose a genre (mystery, adventure, drama, etc.) and stick to it
Use descriptive details to enhance your story events
Tell your story in an interesting way
Develop a story voice (funny, sarcastic, serious, poetic, gripping, etc.)

14. Criteria Organization
The response is organized effectively and coherently to produce a unified composition that achieves its purpose. The story should be effectively introduced and concluded.
Set the order of events in your story before you write
Begin your story by introducing the characters and the storyline in an interesting way
Describe what characters are thinking and how they are acting
Explain how one event leads to another
Break your writing into paragraphs
Build relationships between actions and characters
Tie everything together in the end
Work to create a reader response. Try to leave the reader smiling, crying, intrigued, etc.

15. Criteria Sentence Structure
A variety of sentence types and structures are used to achieve clarity, interest and emphasis
Write in complete sentences
Avoid run-on sentences
Vary sentence beginnings
Vary sentence type
Vary sentence length

16. Criteria
Vocabulary
Use specific words and expressions accurately and effectively to communicate to the audience and achieve your purpose

17. Criteria Conventions Communicate clearly by using appropriate
Spelling
Punctuation
Capitalization
Grammar
The number of errors in the story will be considered in relation to the length and complexity of the response