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Adapted from
Reading Wonders Reading/Writing Companion Grade 6 Units 1 and 2
Original ISBN: 978-0-07-700889-5
Original MHID: 0-07-700889-8
Reading Wonders Reading/Writing Companion Grade 6 Units 3 and 4
Original ISBN: 978-0-07-700891-8
Original MHID: 0-07-700891-X
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STUDY 2 REALISTIC FICTION
GENRE STUDY 3 EXPOSITORY TEXT
GENRE STUDY 2 HISTORICAL FICTION
GENRE STUDY 3 EXPOSITORY TEXT
GENRE STUDY 2 NARRATIVE NONFICTION
GENRE STUDY 3 REALISTIC FICTION
Peter Ferguson
Key Concept Dynamic Earth
Essential Question
How
do natural forces affect Earth?
Forces within our Earth often produce dramatic surface changes. Earth's crust is continually moving, causing volcanism and earthquakes. There are many active volcanoes in the United States. During certain types of eruptions, jets of molten rock called lava fountains reach temperatures of 2,000°F and spray as high as 1,600 feet into the air!
Look at the photograph. Talk to a partner about what you see. Discuss what occurs during a volcanic eruption. Fill in the web with examples.
Volcanic Eruption
VOCABULARY
cascaded v. fell and tumbled down over a surface
Snow cascaded down the mountain during the avalanche.
If water cascaded down the side of a tall building, what could have caused it?
catastrophic adj. destructive; extremely damaging
The catastrophic earthquake left thousands of people homeless. How can people prepare for catastrophic events?
documentation n. written paperwork needed for something or proving something to be true
I have documentation to prove that we made an agreement. What documentation might you need when you go on vacation?
dynamic adj. quickly changing; never staying the same
To survive, businesses have to adapt to changes in a dynamic market. What happens in a dynamic market?
eruption n. an explosion of a volcano that sends lava, ash, and gases into the sky
Tourists all left the island because of the volcanic eruption .
How would you feel if you saw a volcanic eruption ?
evacuation n. the act of leaving a place of danger for a safer place
My school has an evacuation plan in case of fire. Where else might there be an evacuation plan?
exerts v. uses a lot of physical or mental strength
Amy exerts all of her energy to move the heavy statue.
What exerts a force that makes things move toward each other?
occurred v. happened; took place
The accident occurred when a car drove onto the train track.
What is the best thing that has occurred to you?
VOCABULARY
plummeting v. falling with great speed or from a great height
People ran for cover when they saw hailstones plummeting from the sky. What would you do if you saw something plummeting from a tall building?
pulverize v. break into fine powder by crushing
Pulverize the chalk and mix it with water to make a thick paste. What things might you pulverize when you prepare food?
scalding adj. extremely hot, especially when talking about liquids
The boiling water is scalding , so don’t spill it.
What will happen if you spill scalding water on your body?
shards n. sharp broken pieces
Shards of glass fell down from the broken window. How should you safely handle shards of glass?
smoky adj.
producing a lot of smoke
The students covered their mouths and noses as they exited the smoky building. What would you do if your classroom became smoky ?
smothering v. covering the surface of something completely or thickly
My brother is smothering his chicken nuggets with tomato ketchup. Yuck! How can people remove the snow smothering their lawn?
witness v. see something happen
We were thrilled to witness the team's amazing performance. If you were to witness a crime, what would you do?
COLLABORATE
Your Turn Pick three words. Write three questions for your partner to answer.
SHARED READ
TAKE NOTES
To help you focus as you read, preview the text and make a prediction about what you think will happen. Read the title and preview the text features. Then write your prediction below.
As you read, take note of Interesting Words
Key Details
Essential Question
How do natural forces affect Earth? Read
Meet Marta Ramírez
As a young girl during World War II, Marta Ramírez saw newsreels that showed B-25 airplanes flying near the smoky plume of a volcanic eruption. The year was 1944, and Mount Vesuvius in Italy was erupting! Blankets of burning ash were seen smothering the airplanes. Shards of volcanic rock came plummeting from the sky. Soldiers on the ground ran for cover. Each glowing splinter of rock was like a fiery dagger.
Those images never left Ramírez. She has been fascinated by volcanoes ever since. When she got older, Ramírez earned degrees in geology and volcanology. Though she has studied many of the world’s volcanoes, she returns again and again to Mount Vesuvius. Ramírez has climbed down into its smoking crater many times. In the following memoir, she describes one of her visits and why this volcano still inspires her work.
At the Monster’s Mouth
I recently went to see this dynamic volcano again. I decided to climb its slope along with the dozens of curious tourists visiting that day. As we walked, our shoes crunched on cinders that had been dropped there long ago. Finally reaching the rim, we gazed at the spectacular view. We stared 800 feet down into the crater. It was quiet for now, but I knew it was only sleeping. Frequent tremors and small earthquakes prove that this monster is not dead. Did the others standing there with me know about the danger beneath their feet?
This model shows how Mount Vesuvius formed where one plate of Earth’s crust pushes against another. Molten rock at this collision point exerts pressure upward until lava explodes from the volcano.
NARRATIVE NONFICTION
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Paragraphs 1–2
Main Idea and Key Details
Underline key details in paragraphs 1 and 2. What is the central, or main, idea of the paragraphs?
Paragraph 3 Reread
Draw a box around text evidence that tells why Mount Vesuvius could still be a danger one day.
Model Circle the spot where two plates collided and caused Mount Vesuvius to form.
Read Reread
Author's Craft
Why did the author include the model showing the formation of Mount Vesuvius?
SHARED READ
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Read
Paragraph 1
Metaphors and Similes
What does the author compare scalding lava to? Underline the text that shows this comparison. What does the author compare hard, dry lava to? Circle the text that shows this comparison.
Map
In what area of Italy is Mount Vesuvius located?
Paragraphs 2–3
Main Idea and Key Details
Look for key details in paragraph 3. Draw a box around the main idea.
Reread
Author's Craft
How does the author's language help you visualize an erupting volcano?
Every time I see this volcano up close, I think about how it had roared like a lion back in 1944. The trembling earth shook buildings for miles around, and streams of scalding lava flowed down the sides. Like glowing red fingers, they stretched out to crush defenseless homes below. It must have been terrifying to witness in person. Today, the lava that once cascaded down the mountain is hard and dry. It looks a bit like the skin of an elephant.
When the Monster Awakens
There is a lot of documentation of Vesuvius’s past. Geologists have gathered this evidence of earlier eruptions by studying the rocks that were formed. Before 1944, the most catastrophic eruption occurred in 79 A.D. A Roman writer named Pliny the Younger described it in detail in his letters. On the morning of that tragic day, no one guessed that an enormous volcanic explosion was about to pulverize tons of rock and send it raining down on the city. People couldn’t know that thick, dark ash and fiery lava would completely destroy the nearby cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. By evening, few people had survived. Many smaller eruptions have occurred since then, including the one in 1944. Volcanologists believe that another major eruption could occur at any time. The probability grows with each passing year. To watch for geological changes within Vesuvius, we have set up seismographs on the slopes of its cone. These instruments measure the slightest shifts in the rock beneath the mountain.
During one dangerous but exciting mission, I climbed down into the crater itself. My crew and I worked on mapping what was going on underground. We also measured the gases leaking from small vents. Any sudden increase in carbon dioxide and other gases might signal an eruption.
Looking Ahead
I don’t go into the crater anymore, but I often think about how Vesuvius threatens the environment around it. Today, the city of Naples lies at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. If an eruption occurred tomorrow, the city would not be ready. Tons of ash and rock would once more be hurled into the air. This volcanic debris would keep cars, planes, and trains from operating. People would try escaping on foot. Sadly, no one can outrun such an eruption.
The only sure way to protect people who live near this volcano is to give them enough warning. The city of Naples has detailed evacuation plans. For the plans to work, however, officials need to be warned seven days before an eruption occurs. I hope the work that volcanologists do will help to give people the warning they need. Until then, I’ll be watching this sleeping monster, just in case it starts to wake up.
Behind Vesuvius are the remains of Mount Somma, a volcano that erupted 25,000 years ago. Vesuvius formed inside Somma’s crater.
Make Connections
Talk about how Earth's natural forces affect the environment around Mount Vesuvius.
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
What natural occurrences have you experienced that could pose a danger to people? TEXT TO SELF
NARRATIVE NONFICTION
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Read
Paragraph 1 Reread
Draw a box around the text that explains why the crew measured the gases leaking from small vents.
Paragraphs 2–3
Metaphors and Similes
Underline the sentence which shows a comparison of two unlike things. What is being compared?
Make Inferences
Why does the author make the comparison noted above?
Summarize
Use your notes to orally summarize Marta Ramírez's visit to Mount Vesuvius and why this volcano still inspires her work. Talk about whether your prediction from page 8 was confirmed or needed correction.
COMPREHENSION STRATEGY SHARED READ
Reread
Reread
Rereading portions of “The Monster in the Mountain” can help you better understand facts about Mount Vesuvius and its volcanic eruptions.
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
You may not be sure why volcanologists would study a volcano even when it isn’t erupting. Reread “When the Monster Awakens” on page 10 of “The Monster in the Mountain.”
10
When the Monster Awakens
There is a lot of documentation of Vesuvius’s past. Geologists have gathered this evidence of earlier eruptions by studying the rocks that were formed. Before 1944, the most catastrophic eruption occurred in 79 A.D. A Roman writer named Pliny the Younger described it in detail in his letters.
On the morning of that tragic day, no one guessed that an enormous volcanic explosion was about to pulverize tons of rock and send it raining down on the city.
Quick Tip
If you are unclear about information in a section of text, write down a question you have about the information. Then go back and reread the section, looking for the answer to your question.
I read that scientists gather historical and geological documentation about the volcano’s past. From this I can tell that learning about past eruptions helps predict when it may erupt again.
COLLABORATE
Your Turn How does information about past eruptions affect people living near Vesuvius today? Reread “Looking Ahead” on page 11. Remember to use the Reread strategy.
GENRE STUDY NARRATIVE NONFICTION
Maps and Models
“The Monster in the Mountain” is mostly a first-person narrative written by a scientist. Narrative nonfiction gives factual information about a topic. It may tell one person's experiences or discuss events related to the topic. The author of a narrative nonfiction text describes events in a logical order.
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
“The Monster in the Mountain” is a scientist’s memoir written with the first-person pronouns I and we. A map shows the location of Vesuvius. A model adds information about how Vesuvius formed.
Readers to Writers
Writers use maps and models to illustrate information in a text. Study a model or a map, read its labels, and think about how it relates, or connects, to the topic. How does the model or map help you understand the text? What new information do you learn?
Page 9
Maps
Maps show the locations of places discussed in the text.
Models
Models provide simple visual explanations of detailed factual information. Your Turn Find two text features in “The Monster in the Mountain.” Explain how each contributes to your understanding of the text.
Main Idea and Key Details
The main idea is the most important point an author makes about a topic or in a section of text. The main idea may be stated or unstated. If it is not stated, readers can use key details to identify the main idea.
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
When I reread “At the Monster’s Mouth” on pages 9 and 10, I can ask myself what this section is mainly about. All of the key details together help me figure out the unstated main idea.
Quick Tip
Sometimes headings give a clue to the central, or main, idea. As you read, list the key details that give information about the heading. What is this section mainly about? How can you use the details and the heading to identify the central, or main, idea? Main Idea
While Mount Vesuvius may currently be sleeping, the volcano could erupt again.
The 1944 eruption made the ground shake for miles around the volcano, and lava flowed down its sides.
Hardened lava from the 1944 eruption is still visible at the volcano.
Mount Vesuvius continues to show signs of activity.
Your Turn Reread “When the Monster Awakens” on pages 10–11.
Find key details in the section and list them in the graphic organizer on page 15. Figure out what the details have in common to find the main idea of the section.
Main Idea
Detail
Detail
RESPOND TO READING
Discuss Work with a partner. Use the discussion starters to answer the questions about “The Monster in the Mountain.” Write the page numbers.
What happened to the environment around Mt. Vesuvius when it erupted in 1944?
What have Ramírez and other scientists learned by studying Vesuvius?
In 1944, Mt. Vesuvius . . .
The model and the caption explain . . .
Page(s):
How would an eruption of Vesuvius today affect the nearby environment?
Geologists gather evidence about past eruptions by . . .
Documentation about the 79 A.D. eruption tells us . . .
Scientists make predictions by . . .
The city of Naples is . . . Plans need to be made for . . .
Page(s):
Page(s):
Discuss Discuss the prompt below. Think about how the author describes and presents the information. Use your notes and graphic organizer. COLLABORATE
How does the author help you understand the ways in which Mount Vesuvius might affect people in the future?
SHARED READ Reread
Use these sentence starters to discuss the text and to organize ideas.
• To begin with, the author provides a history of . . .
• The author also uses language . . .
• Text features help readers visualize . . .
Readers to Writers Quick Tip
When you write about a text, it is important to use text evidence to support your ideas. Using details and information from the text makes your ideas stronger. It also helps your readers understand what you are communicating. If you can’t find evidence to support your ideas, you may need to read the text again and take notes.
VOCABULARY STRATEGY SHARED READ
Reread
Metaphors and Similes
A simile compares two unlike things or ideas using the words like or as. A metaphor compares two unlike things or ideas without using like or as. Comparisons help readers visualize events or ideas in a text.
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
I see the word like in paragraph 1 on page 9: Each glowing splinter of rock was like a fiery dagger. This is a simile. In paragraph 3, I see Mount Vesuvius compared to a monster. This comparison does not use the words like or as, so it is a metaphor.
Each glowing splinter of rock was like a fiery dagger.
Frequent tremors and small earthquakes prove that this monster is not dead.
Your Turn Reread the sentence below from page 10. Does the sentence contain a simile or a metaphor? What is being compared?
"Every time I see this volcano up close, I think about how it had roared like a lion back in 1944."
COLLABORATE
Research Plan
A plan for collecting research from a variety of sources can help you stay focused and organized to finish a product. Consider what you already know about a topic and any key words and phrases related to it. Some features of a research plan are
• a list of print, video, audio, and digital sources;
• research questions, organized by topic;
• a method for taking notes and recording information.
What are some additional examples of print, digital, visual, and audio resources?
Blog Report With a group, create a blog report about a natural disaster that has occurred in recent history. Decide as a group which disaster you will write your blog report about. Then consider these questions as you research and create the report:
• When and where did the disaster occur?
• What caused it?
• What effects did it have on people and the environment?
As a group, discuss how you will incorporate digital, audio, and video resources such as photographs, hyperlinks, or audio clips into your report. After you finish, you will be sharing your blog report with your classmates.
Print resources : newspapers, magazine articles
Digital resources: encyclopedias, magazine articles
Visual resources: photographs, videos
Audio resources: interviews
The list above shows one student’s plan for the types of sources she will use to collect information about a natural disaster.
Consider using an electronic note-taking tool to take notes as you research your topic. Tech Tip
VOCABULARY
constantly adv. without stopping
They constantly check their phone for updates on the earthquake.
What is something you do constantly ?
educate v. teach; instruct
It’s important to educate people about proper nutrition. What kinds of things do your parents educate you about?
frightening adj. scary; terrifying
Being chased by my neighbor's dog was a frightening experience. What is something that you find frightening ?
hooked adj. enjoying something so much that you want to do it as much as possible
I first got hooked on rock climbing when I was eight years old. What is something you are hooked on?
passion n. a very strong feeling of liking something
My grandmother has a passion for baking and loves to make cakes and cookies. What do you have a passion for?
permanent adj. unchanging; remaining the same always or for a long time
Although the town is always changing, the old clock tower is a permanent feature. What is an example of something permanent ?
pit n. a large hole dug into the ground
They dug a pit as a trap for tigers.
What must a pit be like to be able to trap an animal?
COLLABORATE
Your Turn Pick three words. Write three questions for your partner to answer.
PAIRED READ
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Read
Paragraph 1
Underline the location of Mt. Stromboli.
Paragraph 1
Why did Donna and her husband, Steve, huddle together in the cold air?
Essential Question
How do natural forces affect Earth?
Read how one scientist investigates one of the natural forces that affect Earth.
Paragraph 2
What have Donna and Steve been doing together for over 25 years?
Talk with a partner about dangerous jobs. What dangerous job would you consider taking?
After a blistering hot day, a cold storm suddenly whipped around the top of Mt. Stromboli, a volcano on an island off the coast of Sicily. The temperature quickly dropped over 60 degrees. Donna O’Meara and her husband, Steve, didn’t dare try to climb down the steep slopes in the dark. They were stuck on a narrow ledge just 200 feet above a fiery, smoking pit. They huddled together, shivering nonstop in the cold air. Thundering blasts from the volcano and falling rocks the size of basketballs kept them awake and fearful. When the sun came up, Donna felt cinder burns on her face. There were sharp pieces of rock tangled in her hair.
O’Meara grew up in the New England countryside. There are no volcanoes in Connecticut, but in the spring and summer there were fierce thunder and lightning storms that thrilled Donna. In school, her favorite classes were Earth science and biology. However, instead of turning her love for
science into a career after graduation, she became an artist, photographer, and writer. As she worked on different magazines and books, she gradually began to realize that something was missing in her life.
When Donna went back to school at the age of 32 to study science, her passion for volcanoes began. She took geology classes to learn more about what rocks and soil tell us about Earth. She found out that volcanism is one of the most dynamic forces in nature. Volcanoes constantly shape and change Earth. Many islands, such as the islands that make up Hawaii, were formed by volcanic activity.
In 1986, Donna visited her first volcano as Steve’s research assistant. After dodging lava bombs and feeling the heat from underground lava melting her shoes, Donna was hooked. The following year, she and Steve were married on lava that had oozed from Kilauea on Hawaii and hardened. Lava that hardens creates new landforms, and some volcanoes, such as Surtsey off the coast of Iceland, actually create new islands!
Today, Donna can’t imagine what her life would be like without volcanoes. She loves them so much she lives on one. Her home is on top of Kilauea, where she was married. This is one of the most active volcanoes in the world.
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Read
Paragraph 2
Underline what arose in Donna when she returned to school at age 32.
Paragraph 3
In what year did Donna visit her first volcano? What was her job then?
Paragraph 4
Where does Donna live today?
COLLABORATE
Talk with a partner about extreme vacations. Would you want to visit a volcano as Donna did?
PAIRED READ
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Read
Paragraph 1
Underline the name of the organization run by the O’Mearas.
Paragraph 2
Circle what types of volcanoes Kilauea and Mt. Stromboli are.
Paragraph 3
What was the scariest experience of Donna’s life?
From their home, Donna and Steve run Volcano Watch International (VWI).
The O’Mearas’ organization is dedicated to understanding how Earth’s active volcanoes work. VWI uses photographs and video to educate people about the dangers of volcanoes. Their mission is to travel to active volcanoes and document the eruptions.
The first volcano Donna studied was Kilauea, which is a shield volcano.
Mt. Stromboli is a stratovolcano. A stratovolcano has the common cone shape people usually picture when they think of a volcano. It is formed from explosive eruptions that build layers of ash, lava, and cinders at the top of the mountain.
Donna says the experience of being stranded on Mt. Stromboli for one freezing night was the scariest experience of her life. Since the sides of
Talk with a partner about scary experiences. What is a scary experience you’ve had?
A village is quite close to the volcano on the island of Stromboli. Millions of people around the world live near active volcanoes.
this volcano are steep, it was impossible for the O’Mearas to travel down the slopes until the sun rose in the morning. So they were trapped on a ledge in the freezing cold with scalding rocks flying around them.
Donna O’Meara escaped from her scary night on Mt. Stromboli safe and sound. Now she and Steve hope that the knowledge they gather photographing
Pyroclastic flow is made up of hot ash, chunks of rock, and fiery gases that explode out of an erupting stratovolcano. It flows in two layers. The heavier layer carries big rocks along the ground. The lighter, top layer is called an upsurge. It contains lighter, burning ash.
and studying volcanoes will help save the lives of people who live near them.
The O’Mearas’ volcano photographs, videos, and samples of volcanic rock are part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution located in Washington, D.C.
Donna believes they have the best jobs on Earth, even though their work may be the most dangerous as well.
Make Connections
How have volcanoes helped to change Earth? ESSENTIAL QUESTION
What have you learned about the natural forces that affect Earth? In what ways do these forces sometimes affect one another? TEXT TO TEXT
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Read
Paragraph 1
Circle what was flying around the O’Mearas as they were trapped on the ledge.
Paragraph 2
What do the O’Mearas hope to do for people that live around volcanoes?
Paragraph 3
What does Donna think about her and her husband's jobs?
COLLABORATE
Talk with a partner about the best jobs in the world. What do you think is the best job?
PAIRED READ
How does the author show that Donna O'Meara believes she has the best job on Earth?
Talk About It Reread pages 22-25. Talk with a partner about clues that help you figure out why the O’Mearas love what they do.
Cite Text Evidence What words and phrases does the author use to show that the O’Mearas love their job? Write text evidence below.
Clues
Write I know Donna O’Meara loves her job because
Donna and Steve O’Meara love their job.
Quick Tip
When you cite text evidence, you use the words or phrases from a selection you read in your response. The text evidence should support your answer.
COLLABORATE
Print and Graphic Features
Authors include different print and graphic features to help readers understand a topic. Some features include headings, maps, and models. Photographs and captions also support a writer’s ideas.
FIND TEXT EVIDENCE
Look at the photograph from page 24, at the bottom right, and read the caption. The author includes these features to provide evidence that some people live extremely close to a volcano.
Your Turn Look at the model on page 25 and think about the photograph and caption on page 24.
• What is the purpose of the model?
Readers to Writers
Other print and graphic features you can add to your writing include timelines, charts, and graphs. These features help you explain your ideas in a more visual, interesting way.
• How does the model help you understand what will happen to the village pictured on page 24 when Mt. Stromboli erupts again?
A village is quite close to the volcano on the island of Stromboli. Millions of people around the world live near active volcanoes.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
Text Connections
How does the artist of the painting below use color and technique to paint the ocean? How is this similar to the way the authors use words to describe natural forces in the selections you have read?
Talk About It With a partner, talk about what you see in the painting. Discuss how the painting makes you feel.
Cite Text Evidence How does the feeling you get from looking at this painting compare to the descriptive writing from the selections you have read? Circle details in the painting that help you make that comparison.
Write Like the authors' descriptions of natural forces, Thomas Chambers
When you compare ideas, you show how they are the same. Focus on how the painter and the authors describe a scene. Vivid details can be used in both texts and works of art.
American artist Thomas Chambers painted Storm-Tossed Frigate in the mid-nineteenth century. An oil painting on canvas, it is now owned by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Quick Tip
COLLABORATE
RESEARCH AND INQUIRY
Present Your Work
Discuss how you will present your blog report about a natural disaster, including how you will present any print, digital, audio, and video resources. Discuss the sentence starters below and write your answers.
Use the Listening Checklist as your classmates give their presentation.
After learning more about a natural disaster that occurred in recent history, I
I am interested in finding out more about
Tech Tip
If you use hyperlinks in your blog, check that they work correctly before you give your presentation.
Listening Checklist
Listen actively by taking notes on the presenter’s ideas. Pay attention to information presented visually. This will help you better understand the information being presented. Ask relevant questions. Provide feedback and make pertinent comments.
Expert Model
Features of a Narrative Nonfiction Essay
A narrative nonfiction essay is written in the form of a story. It informs readers about a real subject by presenting information in an interesting way. A narrative nonfiction essay
• tells about real people and events
• may include the writer’s feelings and opinions
• presents facts and includes text features
Analyze an Expert Model Studying “The Monster in the Mountain” will help you learn how to write a narrative nonfiction essay. Reread pages 9-11. Then answer the questions below.
How does the author use storytelling to talk about the experience of Marta Ramirez?
Shared Read (pages 8-11)
What important detail does the author give in the first paragraph?
The author uses adjectives and similes to provide a vivid description and help the reader visualize the scenes. Consider the following sentence: Each glowing splinter of rock was like a fiery dagger. Using adjectives and similes like this allows the author to create a much more interesting sentence than “The falling rocks were scalding and dangerous.”
Word Wise
COLLABORATE
Plan: Choose Your Topic
Freewrite Think about times when you saw or heard about natural forces causing destruction to a place. On a separate sheet of paper, quickly write down your ideas for five minutes without stopping. Do not worry about spelling, grammar, or punctuation. Then exchange papers with a partner and discuss each other’s ideas.
Quick Tip
Writing Prompt Choose one of the events from your freewriting. Write a narrative nonfiction essay about it. Make sure the experience you will discuss was a real event so that your narrative will be nonfiction.
I will write my personal narrative about
Purpose and Audience Think about who will read or hear your narrative. Will your purpose be to persuade, inform, or entertain them? Then think about the language you will use to write your narrative nonfiction essay.
My purpose is to
My audience will be
I will use language when I write my narrative nonfiction essay.
Plan In your writer’s notebook, make a Sequence of Events Chart to plan your essay. Using notes from your freewriting, fill in the chart with the most important events in time order.
Writing a narrative nonfiction essay like “The Monster in the Mountain” requires deep research and understanding of the subject. Before you begin writing, research various events. Can you imagine yourself experiencing these events? This is the first step in writing narrative nonfiction. First Next
Quick Tip Plan: Sequence
Put Events in Order Once you have decided on your topic, you will need to plan the sequence, or order, of events in your narrative. The sequence of your narrative will help readers understand what happened and why. To make sure you cover everything, answer these questions:
• Am I telling the events in the order that makes the most logical sense?
• How, when, and where does this event begin?
• Have I used signal words and transition words such as first, earlier, then, next, after, before, later, meanwhile, and last to show the sequence from beginning to end and how events are connected?
List two things you will talk about in the sequence of your nonfiction essay. 1 2
After you determine the order in which things happened, visualize your writing. Write or draw what happened first, next, and so on. Use these sentence starters to help you.
• The essay’s introduction will include . . .
• Then I will talk about . . .
• I will end by . . .
Take Notes In your writer’s notebook, make notes on your topic. When you have finished making notes, revise your Sequence of Events Chart to organize the information for your essay. Include only the most important details to keep your chart entries brief.
Draft
Description Writers of narrative nonfiction essays use vivid descriptive language to depict events. They use words and phrases that allow readers to visualize the experience and understand the real-life characters' thoughts and feelings. In the selection below from “The Monster in the Mountain,” the author uses the first person to describe what Ramírez saw and felt.
Quick Tip
Finally reaching the rim, we gazed at the spectacular view. We stared 800 feet down into the crater. It was quiet for now, but I knew it was only sleeping. Frequent tremors and small earthquakes prove that this monster is not dead.
Think about each of your senses in turn as you choose your descriptive words. Consider which words you’d use to describe a thing through touch, smell, sight, etc. Then determine the most interesting and evocative descriptions to add to your narrative.
Now use the above excerpt as a model to write a paragraph that could form a part of your narrative nonfiction essay. Think carefully about the descriptions to use.
Write a Draft Use your Sequence of Events Chart to help you write your draft in your writer’s notebook. Don’t forget to use signal and transition words to help your audience understand the order in which things happen. Include plenty of descriptive details to help your readers understand your experience.
GENRE WRITING
Revise
Strong Conclusion An effective narrative has a strong conclusion that gives a sense of closure or ending. Combining ideas may make a conclusion stronger by helping readers focus on the experiences that are most important to the writer. Read the paragraph below. Then revise the last four sentences to make a stronger conclusion.
Last summer, my family made a visit to the Grand Canyon. We hiked all day along a trail down into the canyon. It was scary because it got really narrow at times. I thought about turning back many times, but I didn’t. I made it to the bottom. I didn’t get hurt. I triumphed. I am proud.
As you revise, reread your sentences for strength. Each of your sentences should earn its place in your writing. If a sentence sounds weak or out of place, you may need to rewrite or rearrange it. The revision stage is the time to make sure all sentences are clear and that the ideas are easy to follow.
Revision Revise your draft and check that your conclusiown is strong. Make sure it shows why the experience was important to you.
Quick Tip
Peer Conferences
Review a Draft Listen actively as a partner reads his or her work aloud. Take notes about what you liked and what was difficult to follow. Begin by telling what you liked about the draft. Ask questions that will help your partner think more carefully about his or her writing. Make suggestions that you think will make the writing more focused and coherent. Use these sentence starters:
I enjoyed reading this part of your draft because . . . You might improve this description by . . .
I have a question about .
. You could revise your conclusion to . . .
Partner Feedback After your partner gives you feedback on your draft, write one of the suggestions that you will use in your revision. Refer to the rubric on page 37 as you give feedback.
Based on my partner's feedback, I will
After you finish giving each other feedback, reflect on the peer conference. What was helpful? What might you do differently next time?
Revision As you revise your draft, use the Revising Checklist to help you figure out what ideas you may need to add, delete, combine, or rearrange. Remember to use the rubric on page 37 to help with your revision.
Revising Checklist
Does my essay fit my purpose and audience?
Is my sequence of events clear and logical?
Did I use enough descriptive language?
Do all of my paragraphs have a topic sentence?
Do I have a strong conclusion that gives a sense of closure?
GENRE WRITING
Edit and Proofread
When you edit and proofread your writing, you look for and correct mistakes in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar. Reading through a revised draft multiple times can help you make sure you’re catching any errors. Use the checklist below to edit your narrative.
Editing Checklist
Do all sentences begin with a capital letter and end with a punctuation mark?
Are commas used correctly?
Do all of the paragraphs have a topic sentence?
Is capitalization used correctly throughout the essay?
Is proper grammar used throughout the essay?
Are all words spelled correctly?
List two mistakes you found as you proofread your narrative nonfiction essay.
1 2
A future tense verb shows action that will happen: Tomorrow, our team will play its first game! Grammar Connections
As you edit your draft, check verb tenses and the spelling of irregular verbs. Remember, a present tense verb shows action happening now: Today, I am playing with the team. A past-tense verb shows action that already happened: Yesterday, I went to tryouts
Publish, Present, and Evaluate
Publishing When you publish your writing, you create a clean, neat final copy that is free of mistakes. As you write your final draft be sure to write legibly in cursive. Check that you are holding your pencil or pen correctly.
Presentation When you are ready to present your work, rehearse your presentation. Use the Presenting Checklist to help you.
Evaluate After you publish your writing, use the rubric below to evaluate your writing.
What did you do successfully?
What needs more work?
4
• has a logical sequence of events with transition words to connect events
• uses plenty of descriptive language to tell an experience, including thoughts and feelings
• has a strong conclusion that gives a sense of closure
• few, if any, errors in grammar or spelling
3
• has a mostly logical sequence of events with some transition words to connect events
• uses some descriptive language to tell an experience, including thoughts and feelings
• has a conclusion that does not give a complete sense of closure
• some errors, but not enough to affect meaning
2
• has a sequence of events that is not logical with few transition words to connect events
• talks about an experience but lacks descriptive language and includes few thoughts or feelings
• has a weak or abrupt conclusion
• frequent errors that might confuse the reader
Presenting Checklist
Stand or sit up straight. Look at the audience and make eye contact.
Speak slowly and clearly, enunciating each word.
Speak loud enough so that everyone can hear you.
Use natural gestures to engage your audience.
1
• does not have a particular sequence of events
• does not share an experience and has no descriptive details
