Rationale Sample
Rationale Sample
Dr. Bestwick
Rationale
Rebecca Spangenberg
Rationale
This unit entitled Narrative Writing is designed for 4th grade. The unit
will integrate many academic disciplines such as reading, writing, art and
music while teaching students about narrative writing with specifics such
as brainstorming, authors craft and figurative language, setting
development, character development, plot development and the
organizational structures of writing.
This unit addresses many standards for fourth grade language arts.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education Standard,
CC.1.4.4.B, which states that students will be able to identify and
introduce the topic clearly. My students will be able to identify the topic
they will write their narratives about through a brainstorming technique
using a graphic organizer, and introduce that topic clearly by writing a
small moment about that topic. According to Pennsylvania Department
of Education Standard, CC.1.4.4.CA, which states: Determine the
meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade-level text,
including figurative language. My students will learn to distinguish
between different figurative languages through a book scavenger hunt
activity, where they will be required to find a specific authors craft in
each book given to them. During this lesson, my students will also meet
the Pennsylvania Department of Education Standard CC.1.4.4.Ca, which
states that the student should be able to, develop the topic with facts,
definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and
examples related to the topic. Students will learn how to use quotations
and other information, such as authors crafts, to develop their writing
topic. According to Pennsylvania Department of Education Standard,
CC.1.3.4.C, which states that students should be able to describe in
depth a character, setting or event in a story or drama, drawing on
specific details in the text. My students will accomplish this through a
thorough character development lesson, which they will investigate the
physical appearance, behavior, and the speech of the characters in their
narrative writing piece. This same standard will be used the following
day to teach setting development to the students. According to
Pennsylvania Department of Education Standard CC.1.2.4.E, which states,
use text structure to interpret information (e.g., chronology, comparison,
cause/effect, problem/solution) based on specific information in the text.
My students will learn the chronological order of a narrative in parts
including the exposition, the rising action, the climax, the falling action,
and the resolution. They will identify these parts of a narrative through a
matching game where they will be required to pair a specific paragraph
of a story to its correct element (for example: exposition) in the narrative.
According to Pennsylvania Department of Education Standard
CC.1.4.4.Pa, which states, organize an event sequence that unfolds
naturally, using a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage
the sequence of events. My students will learn to organize an event
sequence that unfolds naturally by identifying and creating a bold
beginning which contains a hook, a magnificent middle that utilizes
transition words, and an extraordinary ending that provides a resolution
for the story.
When the unit is complete, the students will be able to write a personal
narrative that contains strong character and setting developments that
they are personally familiar with, expounded on using figurative language
and whose plot is organized sequentially.