Lesson Plan
Other Bad Cases to Write about: Solving an Original Character’s Problem with Voice and Emotion Using “A Bad Case of the Stripes” by David Shannon by NNWP
Subject
English Language Arts (NYS P-12 Common Core)
Grade Levels
Elementary, Intermediate, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade
Description
The writer will plan an original story where an unusual affliction affects a character and is eventually solved. The students will use strong and memorable details as they convey their original "bad case of ___" stories. In their final drafts, students will attempt to make their readers feel the same emotions that their story characters feel.
Website(s)
The Northern Nevada Writing Project
The National Writing Project
Six-Trait Overview
The focus trait in this writing assignment is idea development; strong details that "paint pictures in the reader's mind" should be encouraged throughout the writing process. The support trait in this assignment is voice; during drafting and revision, students should be encouraged to add emotional words to help convey their characters' plights.
Picture Book Overview
A Bad Case of Stripes will intrigue a broad range of ages...from 9-99! This book has an underlying message to all people: if something is important to you, then just DO IT, and don't worry about what other people think! This picture book, written by David Shannon, does a fabulous job of addressing a very real, ordinary problem in many people's lives, but it approaches the problem in a very unique, unusual way.
Author
Northern Nevada teacher Annalisa Walker
Duration
One class period of 45-50-minutes
Materials
Step-by-Step Procedure
Anticipatory Set: What are some things you like to do? Have you ever not done something because you thought other people wouldn't like it? How did it make you feel?
- Ask for volunteers to share any ideas they brainstormed in the focus activity.
- Share with students that the main character in the story we will be reading loves lima beans, but she doesn't ever eat them because none of the other kids in her school like them.
- Discuss the two focus traits with the class. Tell students that the main trait we will look at is idea development. Discuss how the author has taken a common problem that many children can relate to, and developed a story with VERY unique ideas about what happens when someone has this problem. Second is voice; the story successfully conveys Camilla's emotions as the story unfolds. Unique ideas supported by emotional narration is something David Shannon is very good at.
- Read the book A Bad Case of Stripes aloud and ask students to record examples of the unique ideas and Camilla's emotions while listening.
- Review the information students recorded while listening to the story.
- Create as a class a list of “Ordinary Problems Kids Experience.”
- Distribute the Bad Cases Pre-Writing Worksheet. Review the directions with the class.
- Allow time for students to select a title and emotion and then to brainstorm the problem, character, and steps to solve the problem in the box at the bottom of the page. Students may want to select a problem from the worksheet or the list brainstormed as a class. Direct students to plan their story in three main parts:
- Introduce the character
- Introduce the problem
- Solve the problem
- Distribute the Drafting Worksheet and encourage students to begin writing their stories using strong details that will stay with the reader and make the reader feel the emotion they selected.
- Allow time for students to begin writing.
Closure: Have students share the draft or start of the draft with a partner.
Homework: Students should complete their drafts and the Self-Reflection on the rough draft (found on the back of the draft worksheet).
Extension of Lesson
To promote response and revision to rough draft writing, attach Revision & Response Post-Its to your students' drafts. Make sure the students rank their use of the trait-specific skills on the Post-Its, which means they'll only have one "1" and one "5." Have them commit to ideas for revision based on their Post-It rankings. For more ideas on WritingFix's Revision & Response Post-Its, click here.
After students apply their revision ideas to their drafts and re-write neatly, require them to find an editor. If you've established a "Community of Editors" among your students, have each student exchange his/her paper with multiple peers. With yellow high-lighters in hand, each peer reads for and highlights suspected errors for just one item from the Editing Post Its
When they are finished revising and have second drafts, invite your students to come back to this piece once more during an upcoming writer's workshop block. Their stories might become a longer story, a more detailed piece, or the beginning of a series of pieces about the story they started here. Students will probably enjoy creating an illustration for this story as they get ready to publish it for their portfolios.
Content Provider
The Northern Nevada Writing Project: WritingFix
