SPOKEN 5.1
Introduce and Describe the Problem
Grades 1-3
Now it’s time for the story’s action! The hero must deal with the problem the troublemaker causes.
Here is where we are in the Summary Statement:
I had a problem with a talking dog because it made prank phone calls in Athabascan.
Let’s break it into its parts:
Task 5.1.1 – Tandem or Class
Your teacher will give you the sentence in pieces. Put each piece into the correct box.
| Left-hand (LH) | Verb Phrase (VP) | Right-hand (RH) | Because | Why (Y) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
She will now give you three more pieces. Put them in the correct box. (You don’t need to fill in the bottom row again.)
| Left-hand (LH) | Verb Phrase (VP) | Right-hand (RH) | Because | Why (Y) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
This is the part we will work on now:
Organizing the Why Section
It is much easier to organize a section before we write than it is afterward.
Task 5.1.2 – Class, Small Group, or Tandem
What three letters do we use to organize a section?
PID
IDP
DIP
ABC
Write the letters below. Define each one with one word.
Writing the First Sentence
What is the first sentence of the Why Section?
One reason I …
Simple sentence
Then I had an idea.
Then one day …
Add that in front of the Summary Statement:
___________________________________ I had a problem with a talking dog because it made prank phone calls in Athabascan.
Adding One More Word
Add was before because.
___________________________________ I had a problem with a talking dog was because it made prank phone calls in Athabascan.
The introduction to the Why Section is done! The Why Section is the problem the troublemaker causes.
The Describe Part
We now must describe what the first sentence means. Remember, readers are not mind-readers. It’s not their job to guess at what we mean.
See how the describe part helps the reader:
Introduce: One reason I had a problem with a talking dog was because it made prank phone calls in Athabascan.
Describe: I live in a small village. Most of the people don’t speak our language anymore, or maybe just a little. My mother and I are the only ones who speak it well. But then the dog came home with me and…