Arrrr, ye organized?

Perhaps my previous post got me thinking about pirates. I visited the WritingFix site, saw a book on pirates and was...well, hooked. And that’s serendipitous, because I was looking to create a mini-lesson on organization, and to do that, we need to look at how authors hook their audiences.

According to the Scholastic Book Wizard™ site, Melinda Long’s How I Became a Pirate is a second grade book, with an interest level geared toward kindergarten through second grade. But, c’mon, we’re talking about pirates here! While a mini-lesson, based upon this book, would certainly work in early elementary grades, I suspect a savvy teacher could sell a similar lesson to slightly older students. And if not, then the students can walk the plank or swab the deck.

In all seriousness, of the six writing traits, “organization” has been called the most difficult trait to master. A little pirate-y levity might help older students feel like they have needed scaffolding – a welcome alternative to unsupported planks.

Based upon the lesson on the WritingFix site, even high school students have benefitted from using How I Became a Pirate as a mentor text.

The story opens with the line, “Pirates have green teeth—when they have any teeth at all.” Great opening. It’s zany. Makes me want to know where the story is going.

Jeremy Jacob, our young protagonist, then gets willingly swashbuckled by a band of pirates. He figures his preoccupied parents won’t mind his absence, provided that he gets “back in time for soccer practice the next day.” The mention of soccer practice sets up the final line of the story, when Jeremy parts company with the pirates and remembers, “I have soccer practice.” The author frames the story with needing to get back for soccer practice, which we sense Jeremy regards as a higher privilege at story’s end.

Inside the soccer practice “frame,” if you will, Jeremy comes to realizations about the pirate’s life. His perspective changes. He initially thinks that being a pirate will absolve him of the responsibilities his parents place upon him, and some of this proves to be true. However, Jeremy also comes to realize that his parents care for him in ways that the pirates never will. The turning point occurs when he and the pirates start to play soccer, kick the ball overboard, and no one is willing to fetch it (except for a shark).

The author uses “soccer” to start the action, create the turning point in the action, and end the action of the story.

Mini-lesson:

This mini-lesson is designed with fifth grade students in mind, although, like a good children’s book, early elementary students to adult learners could benefit from it.

1. Read How I Became a Pirate as a class, and be sure also to enjoy the pictures.
2. Talk about the first line of the story. What makes it a great hook? Do students agree that they want to keep reading after the first line?
3. Talk about the action of the story. Does the story have a beginning, middle and end? Can students identify these parts of the action? The biggest goal of this mini-lesson is to help students identify, in this story and in their own stories, clearly organized beginnings, middles and ends. Use graphic organizers, visual aids or written notes as models to help students keep track of these parts of stories.
4. Talk about how Long uses “soccer” in the beginning, middle and end of the action. Again, with fifth grade students, the main concern is to ensure that their stories have beginnings, middles and ends. However, challenge students to try modeling their stories after How I Became a Pirate, using the same plot device (such as “soccer”) at all three points in their stories.

Connection to Ohio ELA Standards:

Writing Processes – Benchmark D (End of 5-7 Program)

Use revision strategies to improve the overall organization, the clarity and consistency of ideas within and among paragraphs and the logic and effectiveness of word choices.

Writing Processes – Benchmark G (End of 5-7 Program)

Apply tools to judge the quality of writing.

Writing Applications – Benchmark A (End of 5-7 Program)

Use narrative strategies (e.g., dialogue and action) to develop characters, plot and setting and to maintain a consistent point of view.