Unit Plan 4 (Grade 6 ELA): Personal Narrative – Small Moments

Focus: Orienting the reader; sequence; reflection; closure

Grade Level: 6

Subject Area: English Language Arts (Writing—Narrative; Language)

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

I. Introduction

Writers zoom in on a small, meaningful moment and tell it with clarity and voice. Students will orient the reader, organize a natural event sequence, develop moments with dialogue, pacing, and description, and craft a reflective closure that follows from the experience. The week culminates in a polished short personal narrative.

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…

1. Engage and orient readers; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally (W.6.3a).
2. Use dialogue, pacing, and description to develop experiences and characters (W.6.3b).
3. Apply transitions to convey sequence and signal time/setting shifts (W.6.3c).
4. Choose precise words, sensory details, and clear imagery (W.6.3d).
5. Provide a conclusion/reflection that follows from the narrated events (W.6.3e).
6. Plan, draft, revise, and edit using feedback (W.6.5); edit for capitalization, punctuation, and spelling (L.6.2).

Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 6

• Writing 6.3a–e (W.6.3a–e):
  • a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.
  • b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
  • c. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.
  • d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to convey experiences and events.
  • e. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.
• Writing 6.5 (W.6.5): With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
• Language 6.2 (L.6.2): Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing (e.g., use punctuation—commas, parentheses, dashes—to set off nonrestrictive/parenthetical elements; spell correctly).

Success Criteria — student language

• My opening orients the reader (who/where/when) and hints at the focus of the moment.
• My narrative slows down the right spot with dialogue, pacing, and sensory detail.
• My transitions guide time and place smoothly.
• My reflection/ending follows from the events and shows what they meant.
• I revised using feedback and edited for punctuation and spelling.