Page 84 - SpringBoard_Writing_Workshop_Grade8_Flipbook

ACTIVITY 2
Writing a Nonfiction Narrative as a Class
WRITING PROMPT: Consider a time when something happened to you that taught you a lesson about life, a lesson that your audience might benefit from learning. Write a narrative about your experience, encouraging your audience to think about the lesson you learned as you went through it. Consider the elements of a good story that make it engaging and entertaining. Your essay should include the learning targets for narrative essays.
Be sure to:
• Engage the reader by establishing a clear context and setting
• Use narrative techniques such as dialogue, pacing, and reflection to develop
the setting, characters, and events
• Use a variety of transitions to create a clear, logical sequence
• Include descriptive techniques such as precise diction, as well as sensory
and figurative language to capture actions and engage your reader
• Provide a conclusion that reflects on the significance of the experience
Refer to the Scoring Guide for this writing task—it will help you understand where to focus your attention and efforts.
Prewriting
1. With your class, brainstorm ideas for topics that are inspired by Pausch’s narrative.
Students’ responses might include stories about overcoming an obstacle, stories about never giving up, stories about a childhood or lifelong dream, and so on.
2. Because everyone has had different experiences, you will base your class narrative on an experience shared by your teacher. As your teacher tells you the story, take notes on the parts that seem the most interesting.
3. With the class, brainstorm a list of questions you will need answered in order to write the narrative. Use the reporter’s questions (who, what, when, where, why, and how) to fill in details. Write the questions and the teacher’s answers on your own paper.
4. Create a graphic organizer using the headings below to divide the story into three parts. Consider how much description and detail each will need in each part, keeping in mind that you want a narrative with pacing that will keep your audience interested. On the chart, list ideas about what you will include in each part of the story.
• Beginning Sets up characters, setting, and situation.
• Middle Explains a problem or challenge, details key events/scenes. • End Solves the problem, meets the challenge, reflects on what
was learned.
Writing Workshop 7 • Narrative Nonfiction 5
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