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Grades level iconsGrades 3–5
Session time icon1 Session, 60 Minutes
Genre information iconFantasy/SciFi, Narrative, STEM
Resource type iconSparks

Writing Alternate Worlds

Author image
Andrea Nelson, 826DC and 826 Digital Educator Leader
In this Spark, students will develop a setting that captures the environment of an alternate world.
About the Author

Andrea Nelson (she/her) is the Director of Education at 826DC where she has the privilege of leading a team of incredible educators and supporting young DC authors. Prior to joining 826DC, she taught elementary school in New York, built partnerships to support children’s play at KaBOOM!, and developed a literacy fellowship for school leaders at Bank Street College. She holds a master’s degree in Elementary Inclusive Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

What Your Students Will Learn

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details and well-structured event sequences.

Common Core Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.3 Common Core Standards Icon
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3 Common Core Standards Icon
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3 Common Core Standards Icon
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
What You Will Do

STEP 1 Ask students to describe a place familiar to them–school, their neighborhood, a favorite place or person’s home, etc. STEP 2 Remind students what a setting is and use a mentor text of your choice to illustrate the importance of setting. STEP 3 Ask students to identify how the author in the mentor text describes the setting. How does the author help the reader know what it’s like to be in the setting? Prompt students to think about sensory details and descriptive language. STEP 4 Now tell students that when writing science fiction, authors often describe worlds that are...

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