Session 6 (Personal Narrative)

Taking Stock ~ Pausing to Assess and Set Goals

Connection:
Look at the Writing on Demand Personal Narrative you did at the beginning of this writing unit.

Compare your first personal narrative attempt to ones that you've been writing in recent entries.

How can you make your writing better?  By setting high goals for yourselves and then work like crazy to reach those goals.

Video on Goal Setting

 Today I want to teach you how helpful it is to pause at times and to reflect on the progress you've made as writers.  You can use a checklist to guide you as you look back on your writing and ask, "In what ways am I getting better?"  and "What is the next thing I can work on improving?"

Teach how to use the checklist

Pass out the Narrative Writing Checklist:

Narrative Writing Checklist 5-6

Narrative Writing Checklist 6-7

Use Checklist with the story: 

Look up and Watch the Show

Don't just say yes or no when using the checklist to assess a piece of writing.  Find specific places where you see the author doing that work and jot down what you see in the margin

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(Day 2)

With a partner, work together using the checklist to read/assess one of your personal narrative drafts that have been written.

Tips

• Be super supportive
• Help your partner notice where good work happened in the draft

Now switch and read a draft from the other person's collection

Link

Today make a goal based on what you've learned.

Will you...

1. Go back and revise an old narrative?
2. Start a new narrative with new goals fresh in your mind?

*Note - this is going to be your final opportunity to brainstorm and write personal narrative drafts ~ Next WW Session we will be picking one personal narrative as a seed idea that you will work on for the next couple of weeks.

Add to the poster:

How can you keep track of your writing goals?
*Make a dated T-Chart list - date on one side, what your goals are on the other
*Use multiple copies of the checklist - circle areas you want to improve upon, cross out areas you've worked on them.

Homework
Write a new 1.5 page narrative draft

Tonight's homework will be one last chance to write a drop-dead powerful story.  Use any of the strategies we've talked about for generating what to write about.  Remember to write about small moments!