This Lesson's Title:

"I Never Knew That!"

writing a revelatory narrative about a loved one

This lesson was proposed for WritingFix by NNWP Teacher Consultant Phil Harriman.

The ideal "mentor text" that can be used when teaching this on-line lesson is the novel To Kill a Mockingbord by Harper Lee. Before writing, students should listen to and discuss the writing style of this book's author, especially from chapter 10 of the book.

Click here to view this book at Amazon.com.

If you are a Washoe County teacher, click here to view this book's availability at the county library.

Three-Sentence Overview of this Lesson:

 In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout and Jem discover that their seemingly “feeble” father has an astonishing ability with a rifle.  For this assignment, writers will compose a letter to a parent or loved one, asking for a return letter that will reveal something they do not already know about that person.  After reading their individual letters, the students will write a narrative, showing what they thought they knew about their subject and how the new information changes their perception of the parent. Teachers: click here to read the entire lesson plan.

6-Trait Overview for this Lesson:

The focus trait for this writing assignment is idea development; the students will ultimately create an imaginative narrative about them discovering a previously-unknown fact about their parents or loved ones.  The support trait  for this writing assignment is organization; the graphic organizer will help them create a narrative that has three beats (though not necessarily three paragraphs):  an introduction of what the student thought they knew about the parent, a body which tells a story revealing something surprising about the parent and a thoughtful conclusion, with reflection about how their perception of the person changed.  .