Assignment 1 Personal Narrative and Our Process

Recipe Card: Personal Narrative

The (true) story of the time when something happened
2-3 characters
I voice
1 setting only (1 scene from your life)
Events told in sequence (FirstAll of a sudden)
Resolution
Uses DANT (Dialogue, Action, Narration, and Thought)
Planning Personal Narrative Using the Giant I
C: Characters
E: Event or Experience
W: Why it mattered/was important
First: (this is where we were and what was going on)
All of a Sudden: (the important part happened)
R: Resolution (in the end)
LL: What I learned or thought about from this experience
The Giant I-Sample Opinion Essay

Philadelphia My Vacation
Great Food

o Pats Cheesesteaks (best in the

world)
o Termini Brothers (best
cannoli)
o Amada (best tapas)

Spirited Sports Teams

o Phillies ( 2008 world series)

o Flyers: pregame block party
open to public
o Eagles carnival for
children

Museums

o Franklin Institute
o Philadelphia Museum of Art
o Please Touch museum

Teaching Point- Opinion Essay

Sample Personal Narrative #1 Bike Ride

The sun was shining, the birds were chirping it was a perfect day to ride a
bike. Chris, my brother-in-law, packed his bike in the back of his Jeep and
drove us to a side street in town. He was going to teach me to ride a bike for
the very first time. I was 16 and felt very foolish telling my friends I still
needed training wheels to keep up with them while they were cruising
through the park.
Dont let go! I begged Chris.
He assured me he would hold on to the back of the seat as I pedaled down
the middle of the deserted side street.
Ready, set, go Chris said as if I was 5 years old again.I took one full turn
of the pedal and fell right over. My shin was hurt almost as bad as my ego.
My next attempt landed me in a rather scratchy flower bed that seemed to
taunt me from the side of the road.
I just want to go home. I told Chris. I felt defeated.
You have to keep trying. Its the only way you will learn. He said, trying to
encourage me.
Each time I got back on the bike, I got further and further down the road.
All of a sudden, I heard Chriss voice far behind me! I looked back and saw
that he was half way down the block and not still holding on to the bike seat.
I nearly swerved off the road! I quickly turned my focus to the road ahead
and kept peddling. I was two blocks away before I decided to stop and let
Chris catch up.
Wahoo, I did it! I yelled back to Chris, who was running up the street
behind me.
That warm, sunny day I finally learned to ride a bike without two extra
wheels holding me up! I guess you are never too old to learn something new.
Qualities of Personal Narrative Writing:
Establishes the event with a description including the 5 Ws
Introduces characters and writes from the 1st person point of view
Has a clear sequence of events
Uses a variety of transition words and phrases (then, all of a sudden, next) to move through the
events
Provides a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events (resolution)
Elaborates consistently across the entire piece
Uses dialogue and description to develop experiences and events
Includes actions to move the characters through the story
Includes some thoughts/feelings/reactions that the characters are experiencing
Uses words, phrases, and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely
Optional: Attempts some compositional risks such as: creative word choice, analogy, metaphor,
other figurative language, simile, repetition, etc.
Optional: Communicates a lesson, insight, or reflection/connection through the narrative
Use grade appropriate capitalization, punctuation and spelling
Personal Narrative:
Week 1: Immersion Read and Understand the Genre before you are
Assigned to Write
Day 1 Explore the Genre (small group exploration with teacher circulation
and support)
o Name the new genre (were studying).
o Students are given a packet of 3-5 student-written examples. (See
attached.)

o Put students in groups and have them read together and jot what they
notice all the texts seem to have in common in terms of features and
characteristics.
Ex: Personal Narr is a story from someones life, 1st person, single
location, etc.
Day 2 Write the Recipe (whole class instruction) See attached.
o Bring groups together with their observations from previous day
o Post a blank piece of chart paper/smart board and co-create it with
students: What do we notice about ALL Personal Narratives?
o Write the recipe for the genre with the key ingredients necessary
o Students copy the recipe on an index card to save on a ring for test prep
or later review
Day 3 Highlight and Mark Up a Sample Text using the Recipe Card to find
the ingredients
o Select one text from the Immersion packet
o Every student needs a highlighter and pen
o Take out recipe card and as each ingredient is listed, show students where
it appears in the sample text. Highlight it and label it with pen so students
have a reference tool
Ex: This is the hook. It is the first sentence.
Day 4 Small Groups Highlight and Mark Up Another Sample Text
o Students sit with their groups
o Pick any other text from the packet and highlight and mark up the
ingredients
o Teacher circulates and monitors confusion, questions, etc.
o Bring back and debrief start to notice different types of hooks, different
transitions, etc. (Dont post it or write it anywhere just expose them to
some of the different ways writers express themselves while in the same
genre)
Day 5 Planning Tool
o Now that we know the recipe and see the ingredients in the texts, how do
writers plan this sort of writing?
o Introduce the planning tool - CEW FAR LL (See attached.)
o Model creating one (DO NOT give student a copy. They need to know how
to make it themselves.)
o Students work in their small groups to Back-Plan one of the pieces from
the Immersion packet. What do you think this writers plan looked like?
o Students add plan to the back of the recipe card.
Week 2 Brainstorming and Planning in the Genre
Day 1 Brainstorming
o Students will learn how writers come up with ideas for writing within the
genre
Think of an important place, person, object, holiday, activity, sport, etc.
View it through the lens of the genre Ex: Personal Narrative + Soccer =
the time when I scored the winning goal
o Use the planning tool to just plan a potential piece that fits the genre
o If time permits, plan a second piece (or HW?)

Day 2 Pre-Assessment Sample

o Students will write a draft using their plan from the previous day
o Give them time and paper and have them write the actual piece from start
to finish
o Collect and Assess based on the Qualities of Good Writing Chart (see
attached) to determine needs (Structure/Elaboration/Craft/Meaning +
Significance)
o Optional Give green/red pen on next day and return piece. Ask students
to correct any grammatical (any conventions) errors they see with their
green/red pen. Collect and use to assess small group instruction for
conventions.
Structure: Planning and writing each portion of the piece (Intro, body,
conclusions, sequencing a story, etc.)
Elaboration: DANT (dialogue, action, narration, and thoughts)
Craft: Word choice, transition use, sentence variety, compositional risk,
voice, etc.
Meaning/Significance: compelling the reader to agree, insight into the
topic, lesson or meaning stated or strongly implied, etc.
Conventions: Grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, syntax,
usage, handwriting, paragraphing, etc.
Day 3 Setting up the Writing Process and Independent Writing
o Give students their teams for this unit (Structure Team, Elaboration
Team, Craft Team, Meaning Team, Conventions Team). Have them sit
together and understand their Goal as a team.
o Explain how over the next few weeks they will be using their Writers
Notebooks to get ideas for several pieces they will be writing within the
genre
o They will select a few ideas from the notebook to draft on lined paper or
type
o They will work in their teams to revise based on their goals (Structure,
Elaboration, etc.)