Students read, write, and present personal narratives, practicing skills they have learned in other units.
Personal Narrative unit contains 4 learning experiences.
Learning Experiences (Lessons) in Personal Narrative Each learning experience takes about 45 minutes to teach in the device-enabled classroom.
Making Connections to Text
Students identify the different types of connections that can be made while reading. Then, they read an assigned text and monitor the connections they make while reading. Next, they use active reading strategies on a self-selected text, monitoring their comprehension and evaluating how their connections help contribute to their overall understanding of the text.
Reading Personal Narratives
Students read and evaluate passages from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Then they determine the speaker, setting, audience, purpose, subject, and tone of the passage and relate those elements to the genre of personal narratives. Finally, they analyze the turning point in Douglass’s life as depicted in the narrative.
Writing a Personal Narrative
Students apply their knowledge of personal narratives to the writing of their own personal narratives. They move through the writing process as they brainstorm, outline, compose, revise, edit, and publish their personal narratives. They incorporate reaction and reflection in order to elevate their writing and to create a clear understanding of why the experience was memorable to them.
Presenting an Oral Talk
Students define and apply public speaking and listening skills. Then they prepare a short speech arguing a position and providing anecdotes and analogies as supporting evidence. They try to persuade their classmates to agree with them. While listening to their classmates speak, students take notes and work with the rest of their group to generate questions, comments, and suggestions for the speaker.
