Scaffolding for a range of fiction genres! - Blake · PDF fileStory-writing Scaffolds Upper Primary Book 1 Published 2007 by Blake Education Pty Ltd ABN 50 074 266 023 108 Main Rd

Scaffoldingfor a range of fiction genres!

Story-writing ScaffoldsUpper Primary Book 1

Published 2007 byBlake Education Pty LtdABN 50 074 266 023108 Main RdClayton South VIC 3168Ph: (03) 9558 4433Fax: (03) 9558 5433www.blake.com.au

This edition of Story-writing Scaffolds Year 5is published by arrangement withHopscotch Educational Publishing Ltd., UK.Copyright © Hopscotch Educational Publishing Ltd

ISBN 978-1-921143-69-4

Written by Christine Butterworth, Madeline Gogarty and Merryn Whitfield

Publisher: Lynn DickinsonEditor: Shelley BaronsTypesetter: The Modern Art Prouduction GroupPrinted by Xx

COPYING OF THIS BOOK BY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONSA purchasing educational institution may only photocopy pages within thisbook in accordance with The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) andprovided the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given aremuneration notice to the Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) under the Act.For details of the CAL licence for educational institutions, contact:

Copyright Agency LimitedLevel 19, 157 Liverpool StSydney, NSW, 2000

COPYING BY INDIVIDUALS OR NON-EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONSExcept as permitted under the Act (for example for fair dealing for thepurposes of study, research, criticism or review) no part of this book maybe reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form byany means, without the prior written approval of the publisher. All enquiriesshould be made to the publisher.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe authors and publisher would like to thank the Ngarrindjeri Community for giving their permission to use their Thukeri story in Unit 3 of this book.

Upper Primary Book 1

C O N T E N T S

UNIT 1 Sports Stories 8

UNIT 2 Magic Stories 28

UNIT 3 Indigenous Australian Dreaming legends 47

UNIT 4 Play Scripts 63

UNIT 5 Adventure Stories 86

UNIT 6 Chinese Fables 103

UNIT 7 Humorous Stories 120

UNIT 8 Traditional Fairytales 141

Story writing SCAFFOLDS

Upper primary book 1 unit overview

UNIT / GENRE GRAMMAR FOCUS PUNCTUATION

FOCUSWRITING FEATURE

1

Sports

Stories

Connectives Punctuating complex sentences

Story beginnings; How characters are presented

2

Magic Stories Direct and reported speech

Setting out and punctuating dialogue

Word play; Metaphors and similes

3

Indigenous

Australian

Dreaming Legends

Noun groups Paragraphs Sequencing events

4

Play Scripts Verbs, verb tenses, auxiliary verbs

Question marks and exclamation marks; Using bold and italics

Conventions of play scripting

5

Adventure

Stories

Connectives; Complex sentences

More sophisticated punctuation marks

Personification; Fiction hooks

6

Chinese Fables Word classes; Ways to connect clauses

Commas in dependent clauses Story endings

7

Humorous Stories Active and passive verbs; Features of formal official language

Layout of an official letter

Sounds in stories – onomatopoeia, alliteration, assonance

8

Traditional

fairytales

Contracting sentences – summary, note-making, editing

Revision of use of apostrophe for contractions

Similes and metaphors

S T O R Y - W R I T I N G S C A F F O L D S • U P P E R P R I M A R Y B O O K 1 © 2 0 0 7 B L A K E E D U C A T I O N 7

S T O R Y - W R I T I N G S C A F F O L D S • U P P E R P R I M A R Y B O O K 1 — U N I T 1 © 2 0 0 7 B L A K E E D U C A T I O N 21

F

F

F

F

F

F

F

F

F

Helpful hints for writing a sports story

2 2 S T O R Y - W R I T I N G S C A F F O L D S • U P P E R P R I M A R Y B O O K 1 — U N I T 1 © 2 0 0 7 B L A K E E D U C A T I O N

Sports storyScaffold 1

You are going to write a sports story.To help plan your story, use the framework below. Choose one option from each stage, or two if the stage is in sections.

Introduce the characters and set the scene.

Section AOnce there were two swimmers, Swimmer A and Swimmer B. While Swimmer A showed a good sporting attitude, Swimmer B would do whatever was necessary to win a race. They were arch-rivals. They were ambitious and trained every day.

a) They were both teenage girls.

b) They were both teenage boys.

Section Ba) There was bitter enmity between their coaches.

b) Their parents hated one another.

Give the characters a plan/a change/an adventure.

The swimmers found out that they had got through the trials for a really important race.

Section Aa) The winner of this race would also win a big sponsorship deal to promote sportswear.

b) This race was the decider for a place in the Olympic squad.

Section BSwimmer A and Swimmer B, together with their parents and coaches, arrived in the city where the race was due to take place. The race was being held in:

a) Sydney;

b) Melbourne;

c) another city that you know well.

Unfortunately the swimmers were staying in the same hotel!

Stage Two

Stage One


Start the characters off on their adventure.

On the morning of the race, Swimmer A was warming up in his/her hotel room.

a) A bouquet of flowers was delivered to the room. The flowers had a strange perfume.

b) Swimmer A opened the door to room service. He/she was pleased that his/her coach had ordered a light breakfast for him/her.

c) A ‘good luck’ card was pushed under the door of Swimmer A’s room. Thinking it was from a fan, the swimmer opened the card and read it.

Stage Three

Give the characters a problem.

a) As Swimmer A was waiting on the starting block for the race to begin, he/she started to feel unbearably tired.

b) As Swimmer A was waiting on the starting block for the race to begin, he/she started to feel dizzy.

c) As Swimmer A was waiting on the starting block for the race to begin, he/she started to feel sick.

Stage Four

The problem is solved.

a) Swimmer A heard Swimmer B’s mother/coach screaming, ”It’s working! It’s working!”

b) Swimmer A noticed that Swimmer B was laughing.

Swimmer A understood that the flowers/food/card had contained something that was making Swimmer A feel tired/dizzy/sick. The flowers/food/card had been sent by Swimmer B!

Swimmer A became even more determined to win the race! He/she swam the best race of his/her life, and beat Swimmer B into second place! Remember to describe the race.

Stage Five

Conclude the story.

a) Swimmer B apologised to Swimmer A and said that it had been his/her mother’s/coach’s idea to cheat.

b) Swimmer B said that he/she had paid one of the hotel staff to remove the evidence. Swimmer B said, “My plan didn’t work this time, but maybe next time it will!”

c) Swimmer B’s coach was arrested. Swimmer B was banned from racing for good.

Stage Six

2 4 S T O R Y - W R I T I N G S C A F F O L D S • U P P E R P R I M A R Y B O O K 1 — U N I T 1 © 2 0 0 7 B L A K E E D U C A T I O N

ambitiousarch-rivals

black linesbursting lungs

coaches

dive

ecstatic

failure

goggles

hotel

in despair

lane ropeslap, roundlegs like lead

Olympicoxygen

racingred lane markersroar of the crowdroom service

splash

sponsorshipsportswearsquadstarting blockswimmerswimsuit

“Take your marks”teenagerstraining

water whistle

Sports storyVocabulary bank 1

My own words


The Perfect Day

What do you call a three-legged donkey?A wonky.

Don’t you just love jokes? Allow me to introduce

myself! My name is Tom but everyone calls me

Pickles. Pickles is my nick name because it’s also my

family name, but another reason is that I’m always

getting in a pickle. My best friend is called T-Rex, and

he’s a dog, but he’s very clever, much cleverer than

most of the humans I know.

I try not to get into scrapes; I just think I’m what’s

known as ‘accident-prone’. At least that’s what my

mum says. (My mum’s lovely. Since my dad left

she’s had to work really hard in our shop but she

never complains.) She always stands up for me when she’s talking to my horrible Uncle Ernie.

(He’s really my mum’s uncle, but I have to call him Uncle Ernie too, worse luck!) To say he’s

like a bear with a sore head is to insult bears big time! “But, Rachel, can’t you see? The boy’s a

menace. He’s got to learn. No TV for a week, no computer, no video. In my day, if you behaved

like Tom…”

“Oh, Ernest. You’re far too hard on him. He’s just a bit mischievous, that’s all.”

Mind you, Uncle Ernie kept quiet for a while

after the day of the letter. Let me give you the

low-down…

Your hero (that’s me) was sitting eating his

cornflakes when Mum came into the kitchen

in a terrible state. She sank down into a chair,

her face white and screwed up as though she

was going to cry.

“Oh, Thomas. Whatever shall I do? Look at

this.” She put a piece of crumpled paper in

my hand.

1 2 6 S T O R Y - W R I T I N G S C A F F O L D S • U P P E R P R I M A R Y B O O K 1 — U N I T 7 © 2 0 0 7 B L A K E E D U C A T I O N

“I’ve never sold an icecream cone in my life!” groaned Mum. “Only ice blocks.”

And this is where the hero of the hour, the knight in shining armour (that’s me) came in!

“Well, go and see him then,” I urged her. “I bet Fred Fish Face has been spreading rumours. Go and tell Mr Ribble the truth and I’ll mind the shop for you. Take Uncle Ernie with you to scare off old Fish Face.” (Fred Fisher ran a rival shop in the next street. He was always trying to cause aggro.)

“That’s a great idea, Thomas, if you’re sure you can manage.”

Pratt Solicitors

Round-the-Bend

Longbottom

31st October 2006

The Proprietress

Pickles Supermarket

The Ridgeway

Summerville

Dear Madam

On behalf of our client, Mr H O Ribble of 13 Notsobad Really

Street, Summerville, I am writing to inform you that, on

Monday 8th January, 2007, you will be required to vacate

the business premises which you currently lease from him.

This termination of your agreement is owing to the fact that

it has been brought to the attention of the aforementioned,

Mr H O Ribble, that icecream cones are being sold from your

premises, a practice which contravenes the terms of your

lease.

The firm of Pratt now takes this opportunity to wish you and

your family the appropriate seasonal greetings.

Yours faithfully

I Pratt,

Senior Partner


“Rachel, you’re not serious! You must need your head examining if you’re going to leave him in charge. And I suppose that filthy mutt will be helping him!” chipped in Uncle Ernie helpfully, indicating T-Rex.

What’s thick, yellow and extremely dangerous?Shark-infested custard.

T-Rex and I went down to the shop and at first everything went brilliantly. I let him into the garden and got myself a drink of water. After that I settled down in the back room with the telly. My fave program was on: ‘The Knights Of King Arthur’. I knew that, if a customer came in, I’d hear the bell. I was having a lovely daydream, imagining that I was riding on a white charger along the banks of a fast-flowing river, when I became aware of a wet feeling around my ankles. Drip, drip, drip. Oh dear – what was that noise? I decided to investigate.

What’s noisy, chaotic and full of water?The shop, when Pickles is in charge. (I’m sorry, I don’t get that one.)

When I emerged from the back room into the front of the shop, I was immediately surrounded by a mob of screaming customers waiting to be served.

“Where’s your mother, Pickles? What’s going on? The bell’s not working.”

“I’ve been here twenty minutes.”

“Twenty minutes? I’ve been here half an hour. And what’s all this water?”

I began to feel very sick. I began to suspect that I had forgotten to turn off the tap when I’d fetched my drink. I began to wish that the ground would swallow me up – whole!

It was at this moment that T-Rex made his entrance. But he certainly wasn’t coming to my rescue. My so-called best mate skidded through the door and across the floor. T-Rex had obviously been having a great time in the garden; he’d managed to smear himself in lovely mud and pull down the washing line! He was so proud of himself that he had trailed the line in to show me. He had also shown all the customers my underpants, which had


been hung out to dry! But perhaps his greatest achievement was the fabulous set of pawprints he’d left all over the floor.

Now I was definitely feeling sick. In the corner of my eye I could see an angelic-looking three-year-old, carefully removing a tin of baked beans from the bottom of a display pyramid which my mother had lovingly constructed. Now I could see all of the tins careering around the shop and Mrs Higginbottom from number 10 tripping over them.

Now I could see a suspicious-looking man with a mask walking towards me.

“Are you in charge of this establishment?”

Speechless, I nodded.

“Well then, you’re being held up. Give me everything in the till. Give it to me now, or else!”

My head was spinning. The world went round like a top. I was in charge of the shop and there was mayhem, madness, total havoc, uproar. I decided to throw in the towel and burst into tears … decided, that is, until I remembered the sneer on my Uncle Ernie’s face when my mother had told him that I was going to be boss for the day.

What’s a penguin’s favourite party-game?Sardines.

I decided to pull myself together and to stop being such a wimp. I wasn’t going to let Uncle Ernie think that the small matter of managing a flood, a mudbath, a crowd of complaining customers, a runaway washing line and a burglary would get the better of me, Sir Thomas of Summerville.

“Quick, T-Rex! Grab the scoundrel!” (I’ve forgotten to mention how T-Rex got his name, haven’t I? Well, he’s got the best set of gnashers since prehistoric times!)

The robber took one look at my faithful friend and scarpered. Gaping like a horrified goldfish, he ran for the door. On the way, he became entangled in the washing line, and so he left in a somewhat undignified manner, with a pair of socks round his neck and an old handkerchief stuffed in his mouth!

As for the flood, the mudbath and the customers: no problem. My mobile came in handy as it meant I could call up my friend Simon in double-quick time.


“Er… hello… Simon, are you busy right now? No? Great! Could you round up the gang and come over? There’s a spot of bother. No, nothing too serious.”

By the time Mum and Uncle Ernie returned, the lads and I had the shop looking as good as new, better in fact! The whole place had been cleaned until it gleamed! We worked our socks off until the floor was so spotless that even Mrs Higginbottom would have eaten her dinner off it. The customers were all delighted as I’d given them complimentary ice blocks. Peace and quiet – lovely!

What is a ghost’s favourite kind of pasta?Spooketti.

“Thomas, you’re a wonder! I told you, Uncle Ernie! And, when I explained to Mr Ribble that Fred Fisher is always making up stories, he told me that he’d suspected as much. He said that we don’t need to move premises after all. In fact, he’s let me off the rent this month to make up for all the worry he’s caused.”

Mum was quite delighted, and so was I. Even Uncle Ernie looked pleased.

“I think I owe you an apology, young man,” he said sheepishly. “You held the fort admirably.”

“Oh, it was nothing, Uncle Ernest,” I replied smugly.

Why did the chicken cross the road?To get to the other side.

(Well, you can’t beat an old joke, can you?)


Understanding the grammar and punctuation

Why choose the passive?

Writers sometimes choose to use the passive to conceal the agent of an action in order to create mystery or curiosity in the mind of the reader. For example:

Mr H O Ribble was informed that the Pickles family had sold icecream cones.

The reader wonders who supplied him with this information.

An agentless passive is also used when the person doing the action is unimportant or unknown:

The shop was cleaned until it gleamed.

What is important is that the shop was cleaned before Thomas’ mother returned, not who did the cleaning.

The use of the passive enables the writer to emphasise the person or thing that is acted on by the verb, rather than the person who is doing the acting (the agent of the verb). The writer can show that the subject is at the mercy of forces beyond his/her control.

Mrs Pickles was shocked and distressed by the contents of the letter. She was guided to a chair by Thomas, and given a cup of tea by Uncle Ernie.

Here the author conveys Mrs Pickles’ helplessness through her inability to act.

The passive is also a feature of formal, official language as it is impersonal:

The premises which are currently leased from him must be vacated.

However, when the passive is used too much, it can take the life out of the writing.

Setting out a formal letter1. The writer’s address goes at the top right-hand side of the page. You do not need to use commas or full stops in the address.2. Underneath the address, leave a line. Then write the date in full.3. Leave a line. On the left-hand side of the page, write the title and

address of the person to whom you are sending the letter.4. Leave a line. Address the person to whom you are writing as ‘Dear Sir’ or ‘Dear Madam’.

5. Leave a line. Now write the message of the letter. Remember to use formal, official language and that such letters often contain long sentences, so use commas to make the meaning of the sentence clear.

6. To close the letter, leave a line and then use the words ‘Yours faithfully’.

7. Leave a line. Write your name and title underneath. You may also like to leave some space for your signature.

Official language

Formal, official language

is used for writing legal

documents, contracts

and business letters. It

is impersonal so that the

reader feels distanced

from the writer. An official

text may contain many

examples of the passive.

The vocabulary is often

technical and precise, with

set phrases.


Name Unit 7 – Grammar

Passive verbs

1. Read these sentences containing agentless passives.

A rumour had been spread about the Pickles family. The shop’s bell was disconnected very quietly and quickly, while Pickles was watching his

favourite TV program. Offensive graffiti was frequently sprayed on the supermarket window.

Now write two sentences containing an agentless passive to arouse curiosity in the mind of the reader. They do not have to be related to the story.

2. Read these sentences containing agentless passives. The milk was delivered to the shop every morning. DVDs were often rented out from the selection at the supermarket.

Now write two passive sentences of your own where there is no mention of an agent because the agent is unimportant or unknown.

3. Read these descriptions of the feelings of Thomas and the robber.

Thomas was sickened by what he saw. He was horrified by the shouting customers, disappointed by the behaviour of T-Rex and thrown into a panic by the appearance of the burglar.

The robber was stunned by T-Rex’s attack on him, annoyed when he became tangled up in the washing line and embarrassed by the socks and handkerchief landing in his mouth.

Now write a description of a character, incorporating several passives in order to emphasise that he/she is merely reacting to external factors, rather than acting.


Name Unit 7 – Punctuation

Wright Messup42 Hognose Rd

Suem

7th November 2006Mr I PrattPratt SolicitorsRound-the-BendLongbottom

Dear Mr Pratt

On of our client Mrs Pickles I am writing in reply to your letter the 31st October 2006 to the aforementioned Mrs Pickles

In this letter was given to my client that the agreement regarding the lease of a supermarket premises with your client Mr H O Ribble was to be terminated with from Monday 8th January 2007. The explanation for this notice to quit was an allegation that my client had the terms of the lease by selling merchandise from the business premises on the Ridgeway

As you are no doubt aware Mr Ribble has conceded that this was entirely without foundation and has decided that not only should this notice to quit be withdrawn immediately but that no rent should be paid by Mrs Pickles this month by way of

Please could you in writing that these are the most recent that you have received from your client to the lease of

the supermarket

I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest

Yours sincerely

Don U Mess-With-Me( ).

instructions effect notice dated behalf convenience pertaining contravened compensation confirm accusation prohibited Senior Partner

Formal letters

Complete this letter. It is a reply from Mrs Pickles’ solicitors to Mr Pratt. It contains formal, official language. Choose the most appropriate word from those in the box below to insert in each space. Then punctuate the letter. Remember you do not need to punctuate an address. You should use commas to make the meanings of the sentences clear.

An essential resource for every teacher who wants to improve their students’ story-writing skills

The Story-writing Scaffolds series teaches students how to plan and write stories in a variety of different genres as well as

incorporating specific grammar, vocabulary and writing features.The books in the series include:

• Teacher’s notes on the genres and text formats

• Illustrated photocopiable exemplar stories together with an annotated teacher’s version that highlights the grammar, punctuation and writing techniques used in the story

• Guidance on how to develop specific grammar skills in student’s writing

• Photocopiable activity sheets to reinforce the grammar

• Guidance on how to assist students to write a particular genre

• Notes and tips for students on writing stories

• Story scaffolds for each genre that enable students to choose the course of the story they are writing

• Vocabulary banks for each genre, to use and add to

This versatile resource is ideal for shared, guided and individual writing. It provides a structured, but flexible system

for planning stories, which can be applied to any writing lesson.

The eight units in this book cover the story types below:

Magic stories Sport stories

Play scripts Chinese fables

Humorous stories Fairytales

Adventure Indigenous Australian dreaming stories

9 7 8 1 9 2 1 1 4 3 6 9 4

ISBN 978-1-92114-369-4

Cover illustration: Kirsty Wilson www.blake.com.au

Documents

Scaffolding for a range of fiction genres! - Blake · PDF fileStory-writing Scaffolds Upper Primary Book 1 Published 2007 by Blake Education Pty Ltd ABN 50 074 266 023 108 Main Rd