Writing Lab #13: Alternative Story Endings

Class Syllabus – Grades 6-8

May 2, 2023

Objective: Students will understand how a character’s traits determine the outcome of a story. Students will also use character analysis to create an alternate ending to a previously read book.

Essential Questions:

1. What is a character trait?
2. Why is it important to understand character traits?
3. What is fan-fiction and why might writing fan-fiction help us to be better writers and readers?

Enduring Understandings:

1. A character trait refers to how we describe a character, such as how they act, talk, or respond to situations.
2. It is important to understand character traits because they can help a reader better understand the character and why a character acts the way he or she does in the story.
3. Fan-fiction is a literary genre. Everyday fans feature characters, settings, and plots from their favorite, pre-existing TV, novels, manga, movies, and other media. Writing fanfiction allows us to keep the story going, and requires both creativity and a firm understanding of the characters featured.

Standards

Grade 6: L.6.3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. A. Vary sentence patterns for meaning (syntax), reader/listener interest, and style/voice. B. Maintain consistency in style and tone.

Grade 7: L.7.3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. A. Vary sentence patterns for meaning (syntax), reader/listener interest, and style/voice. B. Maintain consistency in style and tone. Grade 8: L.8.3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. A. Vary sentence patterns for meaning (syntax), reader/listener interest, and style/voice. B. Maintain consistency in style and tone.

Materials

• Pen or pencil
• Please print:
  • The “Fan Fiction” worksheet
  • The “Fan Fiction Finales” worksheet