Personal Narrative Writing Assignment

Unit 1 Final Product: Narrative Writing Assignment

Because you have read about different characters who faced difficult situations and decisions, for this assignment you will be writing about a time when you made a foolish decision or committed a foolish act. This unit has focused on who am I, and how did I become myself; therefore, you will reflect on how this decision or event shaped who you are today.

3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well- chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. a. Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events. b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. c. Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole. d. Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters. e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.

4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience

5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a purpose or audience

I. Prewriting

Think of a time when you made a foolish decision or committed a foolish act. In your notebook, write a short response (3-8 sentences) about that decision that includes the following information:

 Identify the decision or act and who was involved  Describe the decision or act  List the results and/or consequences of the decision or act  List how this decision affected who you are today and what you learned from the experience.

II. Personal narrative

The purpose of a personal narrative is for the writer to reveal a personal experience that happened to him or that he witnessed. In describing the event, the writer explains how that event affected his life in some way or what he learned from the experience. Since it is a personal narrative, you may use personal pronouns such as I. Once you have brainstormed and have an idea of what to write about in your journal, it is time to begin your personal narrative.  Begin with an introductory paragraph. In this paragraph you will want to set the stage by identifying who was involved and telling something about the circumstances leading up to the decision or act without revealing too much about the incident. For instance, you might begin your first paragraph in this way:

I was in the second grade and full of hell fire and sass…and fingernails, really long fingernails. I don’t know what possessed me that day on the bus; perhaps the devil made me do it, or perhaps I was just trying to impress the older sixth grader I thought was cute. Either way, the guilt still haunts me to this day.

This introductory paragraph plunges right into the tale you have to tell without wasting words or giving away too much information. It arouses the reader’s interest and makes the reader wonder what happened.

 After you have an introductory paragraph, you will need to write at least two more paragraphs relating chronologically the events that happened. Give a step-by-step account, keeping it simple and clear. Divide your paragraphs at some appropriate turning point in the course of the events. For example, the events immediately leading up to the foolish decision or act should make one paragraph. The events immediately resulting from the foolish decision or act, the consequences, will make another. If you remember specific dialogue from the incident, be sure to include it.

 Your final paragraph should bring your narrative to a close and focus on what you learned from the experience and how it has influenced who you are today. You may relate a lesson or moral from the story you have told, or you may want to make some other observation. Here is one example of a paragraph:

My brother and I have never been close, and I often wonder how our relationship would be different today if I had been kinder, more supportive, and honestly, less vicious. I envy siblings who talk regularly and spend time together and know that what could have been was probably lost that day on the bus. It is sad that we don’t realize the damage our words and actions cause until it is much too late. I am very careful now about how I interact and respond to those around me, knowing that whatever I say or do will have an impact on them. I have the power to make that impact negative or positive; either way, people will remember me for my words and actions.

As you develop this narrative, concentrate on the story of what happened, the consequences of the decision or act, and how it influenced you as a person. Make sure your main ideas are clear and that you have supporting details.

 This personal narrative should be a minimum of one page in length.  You should carefully proofread your narrative and use correct grammar, spelling, mechanics, etc.  Refer to the rubric below in editing and revising your final draft. Rubric for English I Unit 1 Final Assessment: Narrative Writing Assignment

Standards Addressed: Exceptional Proficient Emerging Not Evident Writing Develops a real experience Develops all areas of Responds to all Unclear response to Attempted or event using effective     technique prompt areas of prompt topic, failure to response, failure address all areas of to address the Essay is focused Focused   prompt prompt Creates a smooth throughout most of Fluent, clear progression of experiences  essay  Lapses in or loss of  Inconsistent or or events progression of ideas, focus little to no focus all paragraphs evenly  Somewhat developed consistent  Little or no  No connection progression of connection between between ideas ideas and events controlling ideas and and events events Engages the reader  Effective, original  Has introductory  Weak introductory  No or ineffective approach / grabs approach but fails approach introductory reader’s attention to capture reader’s approach interest Produces clear and coherent Clear organization Organizational plan Organizational flaws Little to no writing and uses various     techniques to sequence including strong including – weak in one or organization – no events and make a coherent introduction, body, introduction, body, more paragraphs of clear whole and conclusion and conclusion but the introduction, introduction, may be weak in body, or conclusion body, or one of those areas conclusion  Incoherent in one or  Some weaknesses more areas  Incoherent in in coherence most areas Develops a conclusion that Conclusion clearly Conclusion Conclusion makes Conclusion does follows from and reflects on     what is experienced and effectively discusses the an attempt at not address discusses the meaning of the explaining the meaning of the meaning of the experience meaning of the experience experience experience Uses precise words and Elaborates and Needs more Lacks elaboration Very little or no phrases, details, and     sensory language to convey supports through elaboration and and support through elaboration or a vivid picture of the specific details support through specific details support through specific details specific details experience  Sense of overall completeness Uses precise words and Varied and effective Appropriate Simplistic vocabulary Basic or phrases, details, and     sensory language to convey use of vocabulary vocabulary but may and repetition of simplistic a vivid picture of the (descriptive and lack variety or phrases vocabulary experience powerful words) powerful words Produces clear writing in Effective and Acceptable Poor and/or Frequent which the style is     appropriate to task, purpose, sophisticated sentence structure awkward sentence fragments, run- or audience sentence structure structure ons, and overall poor sentence structure

Develops and strengthens Few, if any, grammar Minor grammar Grammar and/or Frequent writing by revising, editing,     and rewriting and/or spelling errors and/or spelling spelling errors grammar and errors spelling errors

Comments:

Final grade: ______