PROCEDURES:
1.
Post
a narrative writing prompt. For example, a released STAAR prompt: http://bit.ly/1vSFLlq
2.
Send
students to an Answer Garden (http://answergarden.ch/ ) you have created. Make the question where it
asks students to brainstorm possible answers for the prompt. For example, if
the prompt is “Write a personal narrative about a time when you had fun
participating in an activity with other people. Be sure to write about your
experience in detail and describe why it was memorable.” The Answer Garden
question would be, “List the activity as only one or two words. EX:
"fishing" For the settings of your answer garden make sure to select brainstorm.
3.
Encourage
students to submit at least 5 possible answer choices. (More than 3 is
important. When students brainstorm for prompts they tend to brainstorm the
same top three things. The fourth and fifth ideas tend to be unique and
thoughtful. )
4.
Post
the results of the Answer Garden on the board. As a class, analyze the topics
through a series of questions: What do you notice? Imagine if you are a rater
and read hundreds of essays answering this prompt; how would you feel when you
come across yet another essay on one of the most popular topics? Which topic
would you like to read about and why? What do you notice about our less common
topics? When did they come up in your brainstorming? How many topics should you
brainstorm? How should you make the decision when selecting the topic to pick
for your essay?
5.
Have
each student select the topic they will pick for their prewriting.
6.
Direct
students to Make Beliefs Comix http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/
and pick the three panel.
7.
Instruct
students to put the narrative outline in the three boxes. You may want to post
these as the directions:
·
Think
of your three boxes as one representing the three parts of your story: beginning,
middle, end.
·
In
the first panel, use “panel prompt” to write the setting and establish
characters.
·
Write
dialogue that is important/memorable.
·
Select
appropriate emotions.
8.
Set
an expectation of time (10-15 minutes) to complete these three panels. Give
verbal reminders as you go to help students who fall behind. (i.e. By this time
your should be done with your first panel and onto your second.)
9.
After
the set time, instruct students to change the panel count from 3 to 4.
10.
Direct
students to the rubric for the essay. You may want to bring them to STAAR
Composition Rubric Way Oversimplified by Gretchen Bernabei: http://bit.ly/1z76A61
Bring attention to what makes a 4, highlighting the depth of thought and
reflective aspect of the rubric. Panel 4 will describe this reflection.
11.
Revisit
the prompt. Determine the part that is asking you to be reflective. EX: “Write
a personal narrative about a time when you had fun participating in an activity
with other people. Be sure to write about your experience in detail and describe why it was memorable.”
12.
Instruct
students to use panel four for this purpose.
13.
Students
can then print a copy. To make PDF, press print and then change the settings to
create a PDF that can be stored on student’s electronic portfolios.
14.
This
product can then be used to use as an outline as students write their
narratives.
