Narrative Reading 6th Grade Unit

Alison Whittaker

Professor Hipp

Grand Valley State University

 Whittaker 2

This unit is designed for a sixth grade class and focuses on narrative elements. The class

will be reading Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman. This unit is intended to expand on students

prior knowledge of narrative elements and reinforce previously learned reading strategies from

the unit on independent reading. Students will be spending time during each lesson of the unit

looking more in depth at elements of narrative such as tone, setting, point of view, theme, and

tension. Students are continuing to discover how authors make certain choices when writing a

novel and how the various elements come together as building blocks to create a novel.

Seedfolks is an ideal choice for a sixth grade class based on the reading level, the

vocabulary, and the content of the book itself. Because of the unique design of each chapter

focusing on a different character, students have ample opportunity to find ways to connect to the

text and identify with the characters they are reading about. Students will be able to analyze the

characters and make predictions easier than in other novels. As each chapter does focus on a

different character, students inferences are contained within the pages they are reading. In

addition to the overall layout and readability of the text, the diverse nature of the characters

allows for deeper discussion and opportunity for student questioning and engagement.

Furthermore, as students continue reading the novel and become familiar with the plot, they will

begin to see connections to other classes they are taking. As the community in the book comes

together to build a garden, students will also have an opportunity as a class to come together and

care for a classroom tower garden.

This unit is intended to be complete within ten to twelve classroom sessions. Should the

students require more teaching of any of the narrative elements, the lessons are easily adaptable

to extend beyond the ten-day target. This unit leads directly into the literary essay unit and

should be kept relatively brief so students have the narrative elements and the focused theme in
 Whittaker 3

mind as they begin writing their essays. After the introductory lesson, each lesson for the first

week focuses in on one particular narrative element with activities to support, reinforce, and

extend the students learning. The first week will focus on formative assessments such as

character worksheet packets that use the prediction reading strategy, Writers Notebook entries

checked for understanding of the element being taught, exit slips providing information on how

students can apply information, several opportunities for turn and talk to process new

information, thumbs up or down for feeling prepared, evaluation of material on a scale of 1-5

using fingers, and meeting with students during work time to gauge the overall level of

confidence and understanding in the material.

In addition to these formative assessments, students will be completing two group

projects during this unit. The first project is a collaborative learning assignment and the second is

the summative assessment that will require students to present elements of narrative in a group to

the class. At the beginning of the second week of the unit, or after the elements of narrative have

been understood by students, the class will be assigned a collaborative learning task. In

Seedfolks, one of the characters requires the children of the community garden to develop a

better way of transporting water. The lesson will require students to come up with their own way

of transporting water to a garden in the middle of the city. As a connection to a STEM classroom,

students could have the opportunity to actually build a model of their design. This assignment is

a way for students to experience some of the struggle and frustration that members of the garden

may have felt when looking for a way to bring water to the garden other than carrying it in heavy

buckets. This task will be completed in one class session but students should have the chance to

work on it the previous weekend, as it should be assigned on the Friday before the lesson. The

summative assessment for this unit will also be a final group project but will focus on the
 Whittaker 4

narrative elements present in Seedfolks. In a group, students will be asked to develop slides or

some other sort of presentation tool (Prezi, emaze, etc.) and discuss what elements they felt were

most important and why, how the elements influenced the novel, and which character each group

member most connected with and why. This summative assignment is intended to demonstrate

how students were able to understand the elements of narrative present in Seedfolks and how

they felt those elements influenced the overall development of the novel itself. This will be

assigned following the collaborative learning assignment and will give students time in class to

work on the presentations with their group members.

Students will also have the chance to care for a tower garden in the classroom toward the

middle to end of the novel. The tower garden is a way for students to understand the book in a

more visual way and have the chance to feel the same emotions that characters in the book may

have felt when planting and caring for the garden. Classroom tower gardens are simple to take

care of and require no weeding. The circulating water system also provides a calming

atmosphere for students to work in. This unit helps students see how authors use inspiration

from the outside world to develop certain elements and create a final product. As students

interact with the garden, design a water transportation system, and even get to know each

character on a deeper level, they will be able to extend their learning beyond recall knowledge of

narrative elements.

The following lessons that have been created for this lesson are the introduction, the first

lesson on a narrative element, and the lesson later in the unit assigning students the collaborative

learning project. This was intentional as the rest of the lessons on narrative elements will have a

similar structure to the second lesson in the unit but will use different forms of technology and

various types of assignments.

 Whittaker 5

The Madeline Hunter Model

Lesson 1 Introduction of Narrative Unit

Lesson Date and Time: 12/5/2016, 6th Hour No. of Students: 20

Room Number: 412 Teachers Name: Alison Whittaker

Lesson Objectives: Through todays lesson each student will have the ability to:
Students will be able to demonstrate recall of prior knowledge of narrative elements
Students will be able to perform initial inferences about Seedfolks
Students will be able to make predictions about characters

Standards Addressed and Expectations of Students:

Standards
RL.6.5 Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall
structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot.
W.6.10 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.
Expectations
I can recognize elements of narrative in my reading
I can infer information from the front and back cover of Seedfolks
I can predict information about my character

Materials Needed:
Character Packet worksheets
Document Camera
Copy of Seedfolks
Pen/Pencil

Anticipatory Set:

This anticipatory set has two parts. First, students will begin class with an introduction of
the new unit. To begin, students will be shown a slideshow of a few photos that will
encourage prediction of what they will be learning. For example, students will be shown
a picture of an empty lot, tall buildings in a city, a map of the world, and a flourishing
garden. After looking at each picture students will have time for prediction and sharing
ideas as a whole class.

Second, students will be shown a paper copy of a large map of the world. I will explain to
them that the book we are going to be reading has characters from all over the world and
each time a new chapter is read, we will be placing a picture of that character in the
country they are from.
 Whittaker 6

Teaching/Instructional Process:
Task Analysis
Students begin with a photograph prediction anticipatory set.
o Students will see 4-5 photographs that pertain to the book. This is done to help
capture students attention and help students engage quickly to the material.
Next students will each be handed a copy of the novel Seedfolks.
Students will then practice connecting what they predicted from the photos with
predictions about the novel from the front cover and back cover. Students will turn and
talk to make these predictions and connections.
o Students will then share out what they have been discussing and will make
predictions about what they think this novel may be about and why they think
that. This verbal prediction activity is preparation for continuous predictions as a
reading strategy.
Next, students will be introduced to the overall unit.
o I will review what a narrative is and give an introduction of the narrative elements
that students will be looking at throughout the unit.
o I will pause to check for understanding on narrative elements and what prior
knowledge students must access to have a clear idea of the path of the unit. I will
allow time for a few questions before moving into the assignment overview.
o I will also briefly mention a preview of the assignments students can be
expecting. For example, I will let them know they will be working on character
worksheets, activities on setting, point of view, and author's tone. I will also let
them know that their final summative assessment will be a group presentation
discussing the narrative elements present in the novel Seedfolks.
Students will then move into their assignment for the day and what they will be working
on throughout the unit.
o Each student will receive a Character Packet with a separate page for each
character listed in the novel. Each time a new chapter is read, students will
participate in the prediction reading strategy by reading the first one or two lines
in the chapter and making a prediction about the character based on the initial text
and the sketch of the character in the novel.
As a whole class, I will tell students what we will be working on and ask them to look at
the first character we will be reading about, Kim.
o I will read the first page aloud instead of the first line so students get a better
understanding of how to make a prediction about the character.
o As a class, we will then work on the first page of the Character Packet together.
Because today is the introduction to the unit, students will not have homework.
Modeling
With the introduction of the new unit, it is important that students see plenty of modeling
on the first day to become familiar with what they will be doing more and more on their
own throughout the rest of the unit. Because the prediction strategy is one they will be
practicing with each character in the book, it is essential that this is gone over in detail on
the first day.
 Whittaker 7

o Using the document camera, I will be writing down my own predictions on a copy
of the Kim Character Sheet. Students will see how I made my own prediction and
how the sheet should be filled out. These Character Packets will be collected
throughout the unit as formative assessment checks to make sure students are on
track.

Checking for Understanding

Throughout the introduction portion of the unit, it is important that students have the
opportunity to ask questions about narrative elements and to be reminded of what they
are. At this point in the year, students will have had exposure to many of the elements that
are being covered but it is likely they will have forgotten some of the details.
I will pause throughout the introduction to ask questions of students, to allow for
questions, and to make inquiries on what they remember about elements such as point of
view, tone, character qualities, setting, and theme. This information during the
introduction will help guide the rest of the units lessons. Based on what students are able
to share about what they understand, I will know immediately what to focus on more
closely.

Guided Practice and Monitoring:

As the class goes through the first worksheet of the day, I will be monitoring for student
understanding and making sure they are clear on how to make predictions about the
character they are reading about. If students are unclear on how to make predictions or
unclear on the process they are observing the teacher do, the lesson can be slowed down
and extended into the following day.

Independent Practice:
Students will be completing the rest of the worksheet on their own at home. They will
have an opportunity to ask questions during discussion at the beginning of the next
lesson.

Closure:
Today will be a reminder of the next days lesson and will finish with the teacher
finishing reading the rest of Kims chapter in Seedfolks. Students will be asked to fill
out the rest of their first worksheet in the Character Packet and come prepared the
following day to discuss what they wrote down.
 Whittaker 8

Character Worksheet
Character Name: Kim

Pages: __________

First impression (Prediction):

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Now I know:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

During the rest of the book, they will probably (Prediction):

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
 Whittaker 9

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Narrative elements noticed:

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

The Madeline Hunter Model

Lesson 2 Narrative Elements: Point of View

Lesson Date and Time: 12/6/2016, 6th Hour No. of Students: 20

Room Number: 412 Teachers Name: Alison Whittaker

Lesson Objectives: Through todays lesson each student will have the ability to:
Students will be able to identify the point of view in a novel
Students will be able to discuss what clues the text provides for point of view
Students will be able to explain the importance of point of view and why an author makes
certain choices

Standards Addressed and Expectations of Students:

Standards
RL.6.6 Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a
text.
W.6.10 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.
SL.6.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in
groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues,
building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Expectations
I can recognize elements of narrative in my reading
I can determine what point of view the author is writing in
I can explain why point of view matters to the story
 Whittaker 10

Materials Needed:
Character Packet worksheets
Paper copy of Ana chapter
Writers Notebook
Document Camera
Point of View Reference Sheet
Pen/Pencil

Anticipatory Set:

To bring the sixth graders into a discussion about point of view, this lesson will begin
with the teacher talking exclusively in third person. As students come in, the teacher will
be narrating both the actions of the students as well as the actions of the students.

In order to be able to teach from the initial introduction, the teacher will write down a few
of the phrases they are saying for students to refer back to in the mini-lesson about point
of view.

As students become more aware of how the teacher is talking and begin to ask questions,
the teacher will continue answering a few questions in third person to make the point.

Teaching/Instructional Process:
Task Analysis
As students begin asking more questions and display slight confusion over the third
person talking, the teacher will stop talking in third person and will begin a class
discussion about what students noticed.
o Students will be asked first what was happening, how did they know, what type of
vocabulary was the teacher using, and how it made them feel.
o They will be asked what point of view they would label the teachers narrative as.
The class will the move into a mini-lesson on point of view and why it matters. The
teacher will display a point of view reference guide on the screen and will let students
know this document is placed in their Google Classroom documents.
o To begin, the class will review third person since that is what they were just
discussing and observed from the teacher. The teacher will explain that authors
will use pronouns such as he, she, or they when writing in third person.
They will point out that third person is typically an outside narrator telling the
story.
o The class will then be asked why an author might choose to write a story using
third person instead of first person.
o Next, they will review first person and the teacher will discuss that authors use
I, me, or maybe we to write the story. The story is told from a main
character instead of an outside perspective.
 Whittaker 11

o The class will then discuss again why an author might choose to write in first
person.
o The class will also be asked what point of view the chapter read yesterday in class
was written in.
As a quick formative check, students will be asked to rate their understanding of point of
view on a scale of 1-5 by holding up their fingers.
Students will then be asked to rate their understanding of why point of view matters on a
scale of 1-5 by holding up their fingers.
The teacher will then tell the class she is going to read aloud to them the next chapter in
the book about the character Ana.
o This is the only character they will not be doing a character prediction worksheet
on as they are working through the chapter focusing on point of view.
Next, each student will receive a paper copy of the next chapter in Seedfolks, Ana.
Students will be told that to further their understanding of point of view and why it
matters, they will be working with a partner to change the chapter in front of them from
first person, to third person. They will be allowed to write directly on the paper copy of
the chapter in front of them.
o Because this chapter is longer than the first, they will not be required to complete
the whole chapter. Students will have a time limit rather than a page limit.
o Students will be working with a partner to complete this assignment.
The teacher will make sure to model how to make the changes from first person to third
person before students get started on their partner work.
At the end of 20 minutes, students will be asked for volunteers to read their revised
chapter aloud to the class.
o As editors of this chapter, students volunteers will be asked what decisions they
made in changing the chapter from first person to third person and any difficulties
they may have had.
Students will then each be asked to write in their Writers Notebook about what was
gained or lost from changing the point of view, why they think the author made the
decision to write in first person rather than third person, and what they would do as the
author of this book.
o Again, students will turn and talk with a different partner about what they wrote
in their notebooks.
o Students will then come together as a whole class and will share out what they
have written and discussed.
As an exit slip for the day, students will answer on Google Classroom, How does point
of view affect or change a novel?
o This exit slip is intentional as students will be talking about tone and setting in the
following days lesson.
Modeling
Before students get started working in their partners, the teacher will be demonstrating
how students can go line by line in the Ana chapter and change the first person point of
view to third person. As this assignment can be a little unclear for students initially, it is
important they see a modeled example before starting on their own.
 Whittaker 12

o Students will be told to keep in mind the choices the author had to make when
writing the novel initially.
Checking for Understanding
This lesson has several points to stop and check for understanding.
o Students are indicating at the beginning of the lesson their understanding of point
of view and also why it is important.
o Students will be working with a partner and will have time to ask questions of the
teacher if they are confused by the assignment.
o The teacher will know how students handled the lesson during volunteer sharing.
o The information in the Writers Notebooks and the exit slip are both additional
methods of checking for understanding and students ability to explain the value
of point of view.

Guided Practice and Monitoring:

Students will primarily be working in partners for the days lesson. They will not have
any independent practice, but will be closely monitored as they begin the practice of
changing the point of view of the chapter.
Throughout this assignment, the teacher will be able to meet with each pair of students as
they are working through their chapter. This will allow for questions to be answered and
for the teacher to identify any major pattern of confusion that the students are
experiencing.

Closure:
Students will be filling out an exit slip as the closure to todays lesson. This will be a
recap/summary of the main goal of the lesson. They will not have any homework for the
evening.
The Madeline Hunter Model
Lesson 6 Water Transportation Design

Lesson Date and Time: 12/12/2016, 6th Hour No. of Students: 20

Room Number: 412 Teachers Name: Alison Whittaker

Lesson Objectives: Through todays lesson each student will have the ability to:
Students will be able to develop a plan for water transportation based on evidence from
the book
Students will be able to deliberate as a group and decide on the best plan of action
Students will be able to describe the water transportation plan in writing

Standards Addressed and Expectations of Students:

Standards
RL.6.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well
as inferences drawn from the text.
 Whittaker 13

RL.6.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text,
including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word
choice on meaning and tone.
W.6.10 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.
SL.6.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in
groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues,
building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Expectations
I can create plan for water transportation
I can work in a group to complete my assignment
I can describe the plan in writing

Materials Needed:
Water Transportation Worksheet
Poster board
Markers/colored pencils
Copy of Seedfolks
Pen/Pencil

Anticipatory Set:

Today the students will be getting right to work on their projects. In the previous lesson,
students were instructed that they will begin class by getting into their groups and
designing a method to bring water to an inner-city garden. Because students only have a
limited amount of time in class, they will be starting as soon as the bell rings.

Teaching/Instructional Process:
Task Analysis
Students break into groups around the room and begin working on their collaborative
group assignment.
o Students will be handed a worksheet with instructions on what to do while in their
groups. Students will be filling out the bottom part of the worksheet with a
description of how their water transportation system will work.
o The group will also receive a poster board and coloring/drawing materials.
Students will have time to sketch out their water transportation system in addition
to writing about it.
 Whittaker 14

o Each student will be responsible for his or her own worksheet and description.
While groups can have a similar written description, each student will be handing
in their own worksheet for evaluation.
o As part of learning how to self-evaluate, students will also be participating in a
self-evaluation on the back of the worksheet for how they contributed to the
group. Because each student brings different strengths to the group, every member
is not required to draw out the design or even plan the design. Students will be
rating themselves on group participation and an explanation of how they
contributed. Some students might offer more suggestions for how the system will
work while others will be better at putting the plan into writing.
o This project is worth 25 points for students. 15 of the points will be the self-
evaluation and group participation grade. Because the teacher will be monitoring
each group during the design process, if students evaluate themselves unfairly the
teacher will have a clear idea of what they truly contributed. Ten points will come
from the poster and group design itself.
o If students are consistently behind at the end of the hour, there will be time given
the following class period to wrap up the assignment.
Students could have the opportunity to take their designs and make a
model in a different class, such as STEM. This activity focuses heavily on
working as a group, cross-curricular connections, and expanding the
students learning beyond simply reading and discussing the book.
At the end of class, students will have time to share their projects and discuss with the
whole class what they decided in terms of their water transportation system.
o Students will discuss questions such as what decisions did they have to make in
their design, did any parts of the book help them make decisions, and do they
think this would work in the real world.
If students do not have time to share at the end of the hour, they will share
at the beginning of the next class session.
o Posters will be hung up around the room. Sixth graders should be proud of their
work and see that the teacher is also proud of their work.
Checking for Understanding
As far as checking for understanding, students will have plenty of time to ask questions
during the previous lesson and again throughout the days activity. This task does not
require any new information of students, but does require them to synthesize and produce
a product that they have read about. The check for understanding comes in when each
group has completed the assignment. Students are making a connection between the book
and what they are doing in real life. Students may not even immediately realize how they
have connected to the characters in the novel during this activity but it may become
evident during the summative assessment.

Guided Practice and Monitoring:

Students will be monitored for questions and to make sure they are on task and have
enough time to finish each portion of the assignment. Students are working in groups and
did not receive an initial teacher example of what this project will look like.
 Whittaker 15

Closure:
If time allows, students will be sharing the work they have created for the closure of the
lesson. While the students may have not learned any new specific narrative elements,
they were able to experience how books come to life, how they are relatable, and how
one aspect of a book or authors choice can have an impact beyond reading and
discussing. Students will have the chance to experience something that the characters in
the novel also experienced.

Water Transportation System Group Project

In Seedfolks, the characters face the challenge of having to transport their

own water to the community garden. As a challenge to the members of the
garden, Sam asks the younger characters to come up with a better plan for
getting water to the garden in the best way possible.
 Whittaker 16

Your group will be doing the same thing. On your poster board, you will be
sketching out a design of an inner-city community garden. You will be
designing and drawing the most efficient water transportation system you can
think of. You will also be using this sheet of paper to describe your chosen
process in writing. You must work together as a group. Each member has
something unique to contribute. Once you are finished, fill out the self-
evaluation on the backside of this form.

Name: ______________________________________________________________________
Group Members: ____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Group Number: __________

Written Description of Water Transportation System

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 Whittaker 17

______________________________________________________________________________
Written Description Continued
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Self-Evaluation: Fill out each of the three categories below. Be honest based
on your contributions to the group. You will rate each of the three categories on
a scale of 1-5, 1 being you did not participate and 5 being you participated the
whole time.

Contribution to the Personal Effort Consideration of the

Group Group
I helped the group each
I offered the skills I know step of the way and I took time to listen to
I am capable of (writing, remained personally what each group
drawing, brainstorming) involved in the decisions. member had to say and
and made sure to let the I can honestly say I gave did not talk over my
group know what I my best effort to the group mates or make
wanted to do. I played an group and I am proud of others feel bad for their
active role in completing the work I put in. suggestions. I was
the project considerate of everyones
 Whittaker 18

ideas.
Points: __________ (1-5) Points: __________ (1-5) Points: __________ (1-5)

Poster ________/10 Self-Evaluation________/15 Total_______/25

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