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Grades level iconsGrades 6–8
Session time icon60+ Minutes
Genre information iconNarrative
Video resource type iconVideos

Story Shapes with Tom Perrotta

by 826 National
Author Tom Perrotta reads "Peter, Who Went on the Best Adventure Ever." In this lesson, you will learn about 3 shapes that will help the events of your story unfold naturally.
About the Author

Tom Perrotta is the author of 9 works of best-selling fiction, including Election and Little Children, both of which were turned into Oscar award-winning films. His novel The Leftovers was adapted into an HBO series and named a 2011 Notable Book by The New York Times.

What Your Students Will Learn

You will learn about the Journey story shape, the Day in the Life story shape, and the Super Sleuths story shape.

Common Core Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.A Common Core Standards Icon
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.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.A Common Core Standards Icon
Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.3.A Common Core Standards Icon
Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.
What You Will Do

STEP 1 First, watch the Story Shapes video, while reading along with the Mentor Text on page 1 of the Story Shapes — Handout. After you’ve finished watching the video, answer this question in your writing journal: What did you notice about the mentor text? Which events stuck out to you the most and which events do you wish you had more information about? STEP 2 Next, read about the 3 common story shapes on page 2 of the handout: Journey, Day in the Life, and Super Sleuths. After you finish reading about each shape, answer the reflection question. Go...

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