Unit Plan 24 (Grade 1 ELA): Narrative Pacing & Strong Endings

Focus: Add details; revise for clarity; publish a short story

Grade Level: 1

Subject Area: English Language Arts (Writing • Language)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

Writers make stories easy to follow by controlling pacing—they stretch important parts with details and scoop less-important parts quickly. This week, students expand last week’s small scene into a short narrative with clear order, added details, and a strong ending. They’ll also revise for meaning and edit for conventions (capitals, end marks, spelling) before publishing.

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…

1. Recount a short story with two or more sequenced events, using temporal words and adding details to important parts; provide a sense of closure (W.1.3).
2. Revise writing with guidance: add/clarify details, reorder if needed, and strengthen the ending (W.1.5).
3. Edit for conventions: capitals (beginning of sentences, I, names), end punctuation (., !, ?), and grade-appropriate spelling (L.1.2).

Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 1

• W.1.3 Write narratives recounting two or more appropriately sequenced events, include details regarding actions, thoughts, feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of closure.
• W.1.5 With guidance and support from adults, focus on a topic, respond to questions and suggestions from peers, and add details to strengthen writing as needed.
• L.1.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Success Criteria — student language

• I can use First/Then/Next/Finally (or similar words) so my story makes sense.
• I can stretch the most important part with 2 details (action/feeling/where).
• I can write a strong ending that fits my story.
• I can fix capitals, end marks, and snap-word spellings.