Four ways to open a story sit in the word bank: Action, Dialogue, Question, and Sound Effect. On this 4th grade writing sheet, students first name the lead used in four sample openings, including a flying pie and a shattered vase. Two quick writes follow, one about a glowing box in the attic and one about a penguin in the classroom. The sheet fits W.4.3.a and the short writing sessions in W.4.10. An answer key gives the four labels and example leads.
W.4.3.a
“Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.”
Every task is about the opening lines that orient the reader, from labeling the four sample leads to writing new ones for the attic and penguin ideas.
W.4.10
“Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.”
Parts 2 and 3 are short quick writes, each finished in a single sitting.
Students label four openings with a word bank lead type, such as "CRASH! The giant vase shattered into a million pieces" and "Have you ever wondered what your dog does when you are at school?"
Students write a Sound Effect lead for a story about finding a glowing box in the attic.
For a penguin that waddles into the classroom, students write an Action lead and a Dialogue lead, then star the stronger one.
Warm-up
Part 1 makes a 10-minute starter. Openings 1 and 4 get mixed up, because both have action, but only one starts with someone speaking.
Revision lesson
Ask students to rewrite the first line of a story they already wrote using the lead type they liked best. The penguin task is good practice first.
Sharing circle
Read a few starred penguin leads aloud and let the class guess which type each one is. It takes five minutes and shows the difference clearly.
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