Preparing to write a realistic fiction story takes a lot of thinking about how stories work. This week we "took a story apart" to find the beginning (what is the setting, time of day, time of year?), and learn what marked the transition to the middle. Then we decided to figure out what story elements made up the middle of a story, and we found the characters wanted something which created a problem. Lastly, students learned how the writer figures out how to write the end of a story, and there toward the end we found the solution to the story problem.

Children also read with me realistic fiction stories written by former first graders. We analyzed the illustrations and writing together to better understand the thinking, writing, art and synthesizing students did to create their stories. We are preparing, and children are really getting excited to write their ideas and create their art next week... stay tuned!