CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.3
The Standard
Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Writing Standards
What This Standard Means
Students need to write a true or imagined story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. They should tell one event or a short chain of events, not list random facts. They need to add details about what characters did, thought, and felt, and use time words like first, next, later, and finally.
Mastery looks like a focused story that a reader can follow without asking, “What happened next?” Students often get stuck by skipping the middle, naming feelings without showing them, or ending with “The end” instead of giving the story a real closing sentence.
Ways to Teach It
- Give students four picture cards, have them sequence the event, then write one sentence for each card with a time word.
- Prompt students to write about a time they were surprised, including one action, one thought, and one feeling.
- Use an exit ticket asking students to underline two time words and circle the sentence that shows a feeling.
- Read a simple personal story from a children’s magazine and have students mark the beginning, middle, end, and closing sentence.
Plan a Lesson for CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.3
Generate a complete lesson plan aligned to this standard, with objectives, activities, and materials. Free, no account needed.
Related Standards
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1.3
Write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal ev...
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.