AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL NARRATIVE

Chapter 5: Nonfiction Narration

PURPOSE

To tell a true story about real people’s lives, experiences, and thoughts.

Photo Activity p. 64 Example: I see a young woman rock climbing. To do this, she had to master the techniques and equipment. Maybe she had to overcome a fear of heights.

What other challenges/problems would make an interesting story about the climber?

WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER?

Think about an event that happened in your life. What details would help to build interest in the story? List those details.

Consider these questions: What happened? What was your challenge or problem? How did you overcome or solve the problem?

NARRATIVE NONFICTION

Autobiographical Narrative Gives you the chance to present writing in which YOU are the leading character.

NARRATIVE NONFICTION CHARACTERISTICS Engaging story

Well-developed conflict

Well-developed resolution

A range of literary strategies and devices to enhance the plot

Sensory details

Effective sentence structure

Details

Characterization

Theme

NARRATIVE NONFICTION EXAMPLES Biographical narratives

Blogs

Diary entries

Narrative essays

Memoirs

Reflective essays

MENTOR TEXT/STUDENT MODEL A Wild Ride by Callie McCafferty (p. 68)

A Lemonade Night by Tamara Fiero (p.70)

PREWRITING

Determine an appropriate topic.

Topics:1. What’s So Funny?2. Game On!3. No-So-Everyday4. Choose Your Own Topic

PREWRITING: NARROW YOUR TOPIC/AUDIENCE Choosing a topic that is too broad can make your writing confusing, and it can keep readers from identifying with your personal story.

Consider your audience and purpose. Questions for Audience

Who are the people in my audience? Will the topic of my narrative engage each audience members interest? What might each audience member want to know about me – and why?

Questions for Purpose What is my purpose? Do I want to be humorous, thought-provoking, or something else? As I develop my purpose, how much about myself do I want to share with each audience member?

PREWRITING ACTIVITY

Directions:1. Top box: broadest story idea2. Middle boxes: narrow your topic3. Bottom box: narrowest story idea, the focus of your autobiographical

narrative.

PLAN YOUR PIECE

Develop Your Theme Think about what you learned from the experience or what you wanted your audience to learn.

Map Out Your Plot Events Structures ideas in a sustained way. Develop events from the climax (highest point in the conflict) then reveal the resolution.

GATHER DETAILS

Build on story elements of character, setting, and plot by using literary devices.

Literary devices: Dialogue Mood Suspense

ACTIVITY: USING A GRAPHIC ORGANIZERDirections:

1. Map our your plot events for your story on the graphic organizer.2. Decide which details are most likely to help you write an engaging story

with interesting and believable characters, setting, and action.3. Add these details to your graphic organizer, matching each detail to the

right part of the story.4. Determine which literary strategies and devices, such as suspense and

dialogue, you will use to enhance the plot.

ACTIVITY: DRAFTING OUTLINE (INTRODUCTION) The following steps should all be typed on one word document and should be labelled!

Directions:

Step 1: Outline your introduction using the guide on page 76 or on slide 14 of notes. (Label this step as rough draft)

Step 2: Have 5 different people peer review your introduction outline.

Step 3: Use the 5 peer review sheets to help make changes to your outline.

Step 4: Make needed changes to introduction on outline. (Label this step as final draft)

Step 5: Write your introduction in paragraph form. (Label this step as rough draft)

Step 6: Login to the Pearson website. Click on To Do. Click on Interactive Writing Coach Personal Tutor.

Step 7: Type your paragraph introduction into the box labeled introduction and click get feedback.

Step 8: Use the feedback to write your final draft of your introduction. (Label this step as final draft)

Step 9: Put your topic narrow and graphic organizer on Pearson website then click submit for grading.

Once you have completed steps 1-8 print your rough and final draft of both the outline and the paragraph. Staple your 5 peer review sheets behind the printed document and hand in. Please make sure your name is on the assignment. Also, hand in your topic narrowing activity and graphic organizer. This ALL must be handed in by the end of the period.

DRAFTING: BODY OUTLINEI. Beginning (Introduction)

a) Engage: Catch your reader’s attention (Example: p 68)b) Theme or point: Write in complete sentence. Make sure you only provide a hint.

II. Rising Action (Events = chronological order, no minimum or maximum)a. Event 1b. Event 2c. Event 3

III. Climax (Events = chronological order, no minimum or maximum)a. Event 1b. Event 2c. Event 3

IV. Falling Action (Events = chronological order, no minimum or maximum)a. Event 1b. Event 2c. Event 3

ACTIVITY: DRAFTING OUTLINE (BODY) The following steps should all be typed on one word document and should be labelled!

Step 1: Outline your body using the guide on page 76 or on slide 16 of notes. (Label this step as rough draft)

Step 2: Have 5 different people peer review your body outline.

Step 3: Use the 5 peer review sheets to help make changes to your outline.

Step 4: Make needed changes to body on outline. (Label this step as final draft)

Step 5: Write your body in paragraph form. (Label this step as rough draft)

Step 6: Login to the Pearson website. Click on To Do. Click on Interactive Writing Coach Personal Tutor.

Step 7: Type each body paragraph into separate boxes and click get feedback.

Step 8: Use the feedback to write your final draft of your body. (Label this step as final draft)

Once you have completed steps 1-8 print your rough and final draft of both the outline and the body paragraphs. Staple your 5 peer review sheets behind the printed document and hand in. Please make sure your name is on the assignment.

DRAFTING: RESOLUTION OUTLINEI. Beginning (Introduction)

a) Engage: Catch your reader’s attention (Example: p 68)b) Theme or point: Write in complete sentence. Make sure you only provide a hint.

II. Rising Action (Events = chronological order, no minimum or maximum)a. Event 1b. Event 2c. Event 3

III. Climax (Events = chronological order, no minimum or maximum)a. Event 1b. Event 2c. Event 3

IV. Falling Action (Events = chronological order, no minimum or maximum)a. Event 1b. Event 2c. Event 3

V. Resolutiona. Well-developed resolutionb. Ending that reflects the theme

ACTIVITY: DRAFTING OUTLINE (RESOLUTION) The following steps should all be typed on one word document and should be labelled!

Directions:

Step 1: Outline your resolution using the guide on page 76 or on slide 18 of notes. (Label this step as rough draft)

Step 2: Have 5 different people peer review your resolution outline.

Step 3: Use the 5 peer review sheets to help make changes to your outline.

Step 4: Make needed changes to resolution on outline. (Label this step as final draft)

Step 5: Write your resolution in paragraph form. (Label this step as rough draft)

Step 6: Login to the Pearson website. Click on To Do. Click on Interactive Writing Coach Personal Tutor.

Step 7: Type your paragraph resolution into the box labeled resolution and click get feedback.

Step 8: Use the feedback to write your final draft of your resolution. (Label this step as final draft)

Once you have completed steps 1-8 print your rough and final draft of both the outline and the paragraph. Staple your 5 peer review sheets behind the printed document and hand in. Please make sure your name is on the assignment.