Yesterday was hec-tic. So I didn't take as many pictures as I wanted to, but here are two that I think are great for narrative writing!
The Pie: This might not be a traditional anchor chart, but it's a way of helping students narrow their narrative topic. One of the challenges we have in second grade is getting our students to stop writing stories that document every. single. thing. they did at a certain place.
So many kiddos write 'My Trip to Disneyland' and they tell every ride, every meal. (First, I went on the roller coaster. Then, I went on Space Mountain...) Instead, we really want our kids to focus on one specific, main event -- like riding an exciting roller coaster, or trying a new food. We want their stories to be driven by emotion not by events.
This chart is when I modeled using the pie as a planner. Students first decide on their broad topic, and create a pie with each 'slice' as something they did. (My writing is sloppy! This was a fast mini-lesson. Sorry!)
Then, they choose one 'slice' (event). Using that slice as a guide, they create another pie where they create more 'slices' of details. They can make as many pies as they need in order to narrow their topic. The goal is to narrow their story on one event.
Details: I don't know about you, but I can't stand when kids use adjectives ad nauseam. "The brown, clever, sly fox jumped over the green, prickly, sharp grass." Goodness me!
But they do it! This chart is used to help encourage students to write using details that actually help their readers visualize what they're reading, using adjectives wisely rather than just listing them. This anchor chart shows the difference.
And finally, here's a narrative writing organizer that I use! It's an oldie, so it isn't too fancy. But I love it, especially for my kiddos who need an extra scaffold.
Hopefully, you'll get a chance to link up with some of your anchor charts from this year!
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