Scope and sequence · English
Grade 5 Composition & Creative Writing: Narrative and the Chreia
The third year of classical writing: sharpen the narrative, then learn the chreia, a famous saying or deed worked out in eight heads, with models from Plutarch, Franklin, Luther and Patrick Henry; write dialogue with Stevenson, couplets with Pope and hymns with Watts, and keep a journal like Lewis and Clark.
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What to cover
32 of 35 lessons are MUST COVER. They are tested on the unit tests and exams, or are skills the SAT/ACT relies on. OPTIONAL lessons are enrichment. Do them if time allows. The course is complete when the MUST COVER lessons are done.
Unit 1: Narrative Mastery
- MUST COVER 1.1 The Narrative Review ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.2 Narrating a Battle Briefly · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.3 Narrating an Invention · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.4 Verb Tense Consistency · SAT/ACT
Unit 2: The Chreia: A Famous Saying or Deed
- MUST COVER 2.1 What a Chreia Is ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.2 The Eight Heads ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.3 A Chreia of Deeds · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.4 Writing the Full Chreia · unit test
Unit 3: ✎ Story: Dialogue
- MUST COVER 3.1 Talk on the Page ✎ ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.2 Dialogue That Moves the Story ✎ · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.3 Said Is Not Dead, but Use It Well ✎ · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.4 A Two-Character Scene ✎ · unit test
Unit 4: Chreia II: The Words of Christ and the Saints
- MUST COVER 4.1 Chreia from the Gospels ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.2 Chreia from Church History · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.3 Chreia from the Founders · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.4 A Chreia for the DAR Essay ★ 🏆 · SAT/ACT
Unit 5: ✎ Poetry: Couplet and Quatrain
- MUST COVER 5.1 Heroic Couplets ✎ ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.2 The Hymn Quatrain ✎ · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.3 Imitation ✎ · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.4 Memorize and Recite ✎ · unit test
Unit 6: Paraphrase and Summary
- MUST COVER 6.1 Saying It Another Way ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.2 Summarizing a Chapter · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.3 Note-Taking · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.4 Franklin’s Spectator Method · unit test
Unit 7: ✎ Personal Narrative: The Journal
- MUST COVER 7.1 Journals of Explorers ✎ ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.2 A Week’s Journal ✎ · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.3 From Journal to Story ✎ · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.4 A Nature Journal Entry ✎ · unit test
Unit 8: Review and Portfolio
- MUST COVER 8.1 Revising a Chreia ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.2 Revising a Story · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.3 Read-Aloud · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.4 Portfolio and Self-Assessment · unit test
Unit 9: Bonus: Contest Lab OPTIONAL unit
- OPTIONAL 9.1 Sources and the DAR Rules 🏆
- OPTIONAL 9.2 An Eight-Line Poem for Catholic Daughters ✎ 🏆
- OPTIONAL 9.3 Final Polish and Title Page 🏆
36-week pacing calendar
This is a 18-week course. Pair it with another course in the same subject, or spread it over the year at a lighter pace.
| Week | Plan | Done | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | Lesson 1.1 The Narrative Review ★ Lesson 1.2 Narrating a Battle Briefly | ||
| Wk 2 | Lesson 1.3 Narrating an Invention Lesson 1.4 Verb Tense Consistency | ||
| Wk 3 | Lesson 2.1 What a Chreia Is ★ Lesson 2.2 The Eight Heads ★ | ||
| Wk 4 | Lesson 2.3 A Chreia of Deeds Lesson 2.4 Writing the Full Chreia | ||
| Wk 5 | Lesson 3.1 Talk on the Page ✎ ★ Lesson 3.2 Dialogue That Moves the Story ✎ | ||
| Wk 6 | Lesson 3.3 Said Is Not Dead, but Use It Well ✎ Lesson 3.4 A Two-Character Scene ✎ | ||
| Wk 7 | Lesson 4.1 Chreia from the Gospels ★ Lesson 4.2 Chreia from Church History | ||
| Wk 8 | Lesson 4.3 Chreia from the Founders Lesson 4.4 A Chreia for the DAR Essay ★ 🏆 | ||
| Wk 9 | Lesson 5.1 Heroic Couplets ✎ ★ Lesson 5.2 The Hymn Quatrain ✎ | ||
| Wk 10 | Lesson 5.3 Imitation ✎ Lesson 5.4 Memorize and Recite ✎ | ||
| Wk 11 | Lesson 6.1 Saying It Another Way ★ Lesson 6.2 Summarizing a Chapter | ||
| Wk 12 | Lesson 6.3 Note-Taking Lesson 6.4 Franklin’s Spectator Method | ||
| Wk 13 | Lesson 7.1 Journals of Explorers ✎ ★ Lesson 7.2 A Week’s Journal ✎ | ||
| Wk 14 | Lesson 7.3 From Journal to Story ✎ Lesson 7.4 A Nature Journal Entry ✎ | ||
| Wk 15 | Lesson 8.1 Revising a Chreia ★ Lesson 8.2 Revising a Story | ||
| Wk 16 | Lesson 8.3 Read-Aloud Lesson 8.4 Portfolio and Self-Assessment | ||
| Wk 17 | Lesson 9.1 Sources and the DAR Rules 🏆 Lesson 9.2 An Eight-Line Poem for Catholic Daughters ✎ 🏆 | ||
| Wk 18 | Lesson 9.3 Final Polish and Title Page 🏆 | ||
| Wk 19 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 20 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 21 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 22 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 23 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 24 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 25 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 26 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 27 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 28 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 29 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 30 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 31 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 32 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 33 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 34 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 35 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 36 | Open week: second course, project or review |
Grading: Writing projects 50%, Writing notebook 15%, Unit reviews 15%, Unit portfolio pieces and oral work 20%. Scale: A 90–100, B 80–89, C 70–79. Below 70: revise with help and resubmit.