Focus Lesson Planning Sheet

Focus Lesson Topic / Revising Endings
(adapted from Calkins and Martinelli, 2006)

Materials

Choose texts, ending techniques and/or the number of endings to discuss based on your grade level and class / Chart paper
Previously created anchor chart listing Qualities of Good Personal Narrative
Previously created anchor chart listing Strategies for Revising Leads
Prepared sample of personal narrative writing and alternate endings demonstrating attempts to use techniques being discussed in lesson, written large on chart paper
Mentor texts to model some strategies for writing good endings (for example Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats for ending with important action; Cone On, Rain by Karen Hesse for ending with important dialogue; Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran for ending with an image; and The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant for ending with a reminder of the whole story.
Note: It is beneficial to use stories with which the students are already familiar. Otherwise the teacher should summarize the story quickly before discussing the ending so students can see how the ending fits with what has come before in the story.

Connection

/ For the past few days we have been talking about how good writers go back into their writing time and time again to make it better and better. Remember, this is called revising. We also talked about how the leads, the beginnings, are one of the most important parts of stories to revise. Leads are important because they lead or pull the readers into the story and make them want to keep reading. Finally, we have also talked about how we can look at the work of writers we admire and enjoy, and learn from what they do to make our writing better. We looked at some strategies that famous writers use to craft their leads and saw how we could use some of those same strategies. Today we are going to look closely at another really important part of a story.
Explicit Instruction
Add to previously created anchor chart Qualities of Good Personal Narrative
-Write a little seed story; don’t write all about a giant watermelon topic
-Zoom in so you tell the most important parts of the story
-Include true, exact details from the movie you have in your mind
-Build the story step-by-step; don’t just summarize
-Begin with s strong lead to pull your reader into the story
Add:
-Make a powerful ending to create a lasting impression
Create new
Anchor Chart:
Strategies for Revising Endings (possibly including)
-important action
-important dialogue
-images
-reminder of whole story / Another really important part of a story is the ending, the last sentence or last few sentences. Your ending is the last thing that a reader has in her mind after she reads your story. The way the story ends can make the reader have certain thoughts and feelings so authors want to create powerful endings. Authors want to write endings that stick with the reader long after she finishes the story. A writer wants a reader to keep thinking about the story and a powerful ending helps this happen.
Read the ending in each mentor text you selected and briefly discuss technique author used. Add to anchor chart as you discuss each. You might notice that some endings can actually combine strategies.
Now that we have looked at some possible strategies that writers use to revise their endings, watch me try using some of these techniques. I wrote this personal narrative story (quickly summarize the story if it is one you have not already shared with the class) but now as I reread the ending I have and see if I can make it better. (Read ending) I realize that it is not that great and that I should try to make it better. So I’m going to rewrite my endings trying out the different strategies we just saw these great authors do in their leads.
Read through your new endings demonstrating how they use the strategies that you had highlighted from the mentor texts.
Guided Practice / As you watched me, you probably noticed that I tried to use the same strategies that we saw in these books. Now turn and talk to a partner about what specifically you see in the different endings which make them stick more in the reader’s mind than what I had at first. Also discuss what I did as a writer to make that happen.
After a few moments briefly discuss what students noticed.
Send Off [for Independent Practice] / Today during Independent Writing go back to the ending of the narrative you are working on. Reread your ending as you have it now and then try rewriting it using some of the strategies we learned about today from these authors. (gesture toward mentor texts) If you haven’t gotten to your ending yet, that’s fine. Just keep going and when you do get to the ending, consider some of the strategies we discussed as you write it.
Group Share / Students can share in partners or small groups the different attempts they made at revising endings.

Note: There are other strategies and techniques that authors use to craft endings including: a surprise ending, a circular ending, a strong emotion, a question, a lingering hope, an accomplishment or discovery, a lesson learned or decision reached, etc. You could substitute any of these techniques into this first lesson exposing students to revising endings. You may also come back to revising endings as part of the revision work in another unit of narrative (either personal or fictional) or other genre, and highlight those techniques not taught in this unit or any other techniques you wish. You would not have to reteach the concept of endings, merely show some techniques not yet discussed. You may also find powerful endings in some of the books you read aloud. You could then add that technique to your anchor chart without having to teach the whole concept of revising endings again at that point.