Unit Overview: Category Description 7 and 8 Grade

Unit Overview
Category Description
Grade Level 7th and 8th grade
Content Area English Language Arts
Unit Topic Personal Narratives
Standards Addressed W.7.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or

(written format) events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and
well-structured event sequences.
W.7.5: With some guidance and support from adults and peers,
develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising,
editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well
purpose and audience have been addressed.
W.7.10: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard
English grammar and usage when writing.
English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
W.7.12: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for
research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single
sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks,
purposes, and audiences.
W.8.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or
events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and
well-structured event sequences.
W.8.5: With some guidance and support from adults and peers,
develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising,
editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well
purpose and audience have been addressed.
English grammar and usage when writing.
English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
W.8.12: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for
research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single
sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks,
purposes, and audiences.
Instructional Unit Objectives
Unit Goal: Students will demonstrate command of written English and understanding of
narrative elements by composing a personal narrative through a four-step writing process.
Objective # Unit Objectives
1 Students will be able to explain the difference between a personal narrative and
other forms of narrative writing that they are familiar with.
2 Students will be able to explain how the use of sensory details in writing affect
the image perceived by readers.
3 Students will be able to depict a believable character by attributing such actions
and reactions that convey emotions.
4 Students will be able to depict a believable character by attributing such
characteristics and traits that contribute to individuality.
5 Students will be able to draw a conclusion based on what they have learned from
or wish they could change about a personal experience.
6 Students will be able to scrutinize their own writing and understand that ideas
may change and improve through subsequent revision.
Instructional Design
Lesson Date Instructional Strategies/ Description of Formative Describe Specific Adaptations/
Activities Assessment (formal/informal) Differentiation
All Students Focus Students
1 Read aloud: “Grasping at Writing prompt

Clouds”
Discussion: Personal
narratives
Writing prompt: photograph

narrative
2 Writing prompt: describing Writing prompt
setting
Have students complete
Discussion: sensory detail, introductory paragraph on
opening paragraphs worksheet
Writing prompt: adding Writing prompt
3 emotion
Have students draft body
Discussion: showing not paragraphs
telling, character
emotions/actions
4 Writing prompt: describing Writing prompt
people
Discussion: characterization
Practice: revision
5 Writing prompt: what ifs, Writing prompt
personal reflection
Have students complete rough
Discussion: conclusions, drafts
thematic statements,
6 Writing prompt: revision Writing prompt
Discussion: editing Have students finish revising and

compile final copies
Lesson Plan 1
Date: Class Start/End Times: Varied

Names: Andrew Mosby
Cooperating Teacher: Jamie Hafenstine School: Wabaunsee Jr. High
Subject/level: English Language Arts, 7-8 grades
Lesson Title: A picture is worth a thousand words
Standard, Benchmark, Indicator W.7.3a: Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of
view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event
sequence that unfolds naturally and logically
W.8.3a: Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of
view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event
sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.
Lesson Goal Students will be able to employ sensory detail and precise wording to create
a reflective personal narrative that is engaging to readers.
Lesson Objective By the end of this lesson, students will be able to explain the difference
between a personal narrative and other forms of narrative writing that they
are familiar with.
Essential Question(s) How can a writer interest and engage readers while relating true events?
New & Guarded Vocabulary Anecdote
Assessment and Criteria Students will complete a daily writing prompt that relates to the focus of the
day’s lesson.
Furniture/Materials/Technology Paper and pencils (per student,) Projector with Airplay connectivity, iOS
Set-up device (teacher, students)
Resources (books, articles, video Images (appendix A,) Sample narrative: “Grasping at Clouds” (appendix B;
links, etc.) upload to classroom for student reference)
Evidence of Technology The use of a stock photo is either projected or delivered to the students’
individual devices
Evidence of Math/Reading
Strategy
Est. Lesson Activities

Tim
e
of
Task
B 10 ● Inform students that they will be doing things out of order today. Their usual writing
e min prompt will be closer to the end of class.
g
i
● Read aloud “Grasping at Clouds,” an example of a personal narrative.
n ● Introduce the personal narrative unit by posing the questions:
n o “In the piece I just read, what techniques does the author use to make his or her
i narrative more interesting?”
n o “How is this different from the works we have previously read?”
g
● Allow students to briefly discuss among themselves and share their ideas with the whole
group.
M 15 ● Explain that the read aloud was a “personal narrative”
i min o A true story, based on the author’s own experiences, that illustrates a lesson
d
d
learned or explores an overall theme through anecdotal evidence.
l o Question: What is an anecdote? Students may look up the definition if needed.
e ● What similarities does the personal narrative share with an essay or short story? Return to
the read aloud to point out:
o The personal narrative relies on detail and emotions rather than explicit facts.
Creative freedom is much more apparent—similar to a short story.
o But it also writes to a specific purpose or lesson, much like an essay.
● How is this different from a memoir or autobiography?
o The autobiography is a self-written account of the person’s life.
o The memoir focuses on the individual and their memories.
o The personal narrative focuses on the event (setting, conflict, resolution.)
15 ● Have students clear their desks of everything but a sheet of paper and a pencil.
min ● Introduce students to the daily writing prompt. Display one of the pre-selected images and
explain the writing activity to students: “Imagine you are a/the person in this photograph.
For 15 minutes, write a short story about what is happening from that person’s
perspective. Remember to include a who, what, when, where, and why.”
10 ● Allow students a brief period to share work that they are proud of
min ● Discuss the relevance of the prompt to personal narratives—writing about themselves as
though they are characters in a story.
E 10 ● Have students begin brainstorming events that they would like to write about. Explain that
n min it should be an event that makes up a very brief moment in their lives, like a photograph.
d
● Students may discuss ideas with each other. If prompting is necessary, the instructor may
recount their own moments, beginning with “I remember when…”
Adaptations: What could Hard or digital copies of the narrative read aloud are not integral to responding in
you adapt to help discussion but may help students who would, otherwise, have difficulty following
students with learning along through listening alone. Further adjustments can be made to hard copies to
disabilities, students assist students in locating the major points (such as highlighting important details or
with learning
sections.)
exceptionalities, &/or
ELL students with this
lesson? (Ex: guided A graphic organizer to arrange their thoughts and ideas and a list of broad topics
notes, extended time, will help students with the initial planning of their narratives.
fewer questions, fewer
distractors, alternate Some students may benefit from digital or oral composition.
setting, etc.)
Modalities: What Visual: Photographic writing prompt
modalities did you Kinesthetic: N/A
utilize in this lesson? Tactile: Writing
How?
Strategies: What Discussion, technology integration, modeling
instructional strategies
did you utilize in this
lesson? (Ex: graphic
organizer, cooperative
learning, discussion,
technology integration,
etc.)
Lesson Plan 2

Names: Andrew Mosby
Lesson Title: Describing Setting
Standard, Benchmark, Indicator W.7.3d: Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and
sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events
W.8.3d: Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and
sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.
Lesson Goal Students will be able to examine and write about a setting with attention to
important and prominent details.
Lesson Objective By the end of this lesson, students will be able to explain how the use of
sensory details in writing affect the image perceived by readers.
Essential Question(s) How does word choice affect the reader?
New & Guarded Vocabulary
day’s lesson. Daily prompts build towards a final project.
Furniture/Materials/Technology Paper and pencils (per student,) Personal narrative planning worksheet (1
Set-up per student; appendix C)
Resources (books, articles, video
links, etc.)
Evidence of Technology
Strategy

Tim
e
of
Task
B 20 • Open with writing prompt. Students may complete prompt outside if the weather is nice.
e min Have students clear their desks of everything but a sheet of paper and a pencil before
g
i delivering the prompt:
n o Describe, in detail, your setting (the things around you.) Be sure to add as much
n sensory detail as possible—what do you see, hear, feel, smell, and taste?
i • Have students turn in prompt when they are finished.
n
g
M 35 • Ask students what the prompt has to do with personal narratives.
i min • Discuss the concept of “showing not telling”
d
d • Write: “It was a dark and stormy night.” On the board. Have students offer suggestions for
l how this sentence could be improved to show the setting without using the words “dark,”
e “stormy,” or “night.”
o How could you describe “darkness?”
o What happens during a storm?
o What would you be doing that could show it is nighttime?
• Give the students more examples of uninteresting openings, and have them revise them to
make them more interesting:
o One day in…
o It was a warm, sunny day.
• Discuss the three things opening paragraphs should have:
o A “hook”
o Establish setting and conflict
o A “bridge,” or transition, to the body of the narrative
E 5 • Distribute personal narrative worksheets
n min • Instruct students to fill out the front side and write an introductory paragraph for next
d
class. They do not need a title at this point.
Adaptations: What could Students who have difficulty or cannot compose on paper may opt to use a digital
you adapt to help device to do their writing with a keyboard or dictation. In this case, students would
students with learning be allowed a suitable device and would benefit from a fillable PDF worksheet in
disabilities, students place of the paper packet. In some cases, oral recordings would also be a
with learning
reasonable solution.
lesson? (Ex: guided
notes, extended time,
distractors, alternate
setting, etc.)
Modalities: What Visual: Worksheets function as graphic organizers, writing prompt connects visual
modalities did you aspects to writing
utilize in this lesson? Auditory: Discussion
How? Kinesthetic: Students may elect to complete writing prompt outside of the
classroom while moving around
Tactile: Writing prompt, worksheet
Strategies: What Graphic organizer/worksheet, discussion, analysis, guided practice
etc.)
Lesson Plan 3

Names: Andrew Mosby
Lesson Title: Writing about Emotions
Standard, Benchmark, Indicator W.7.3b: Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description,
to develop experiences, events, and or/characters.
W.8.3b: Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and
reflection, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
Lesson Goal Students will consider how emotions are conveyed through writing.
Lesson Objective By the end of this lesson, students will be able to depict a believable
character by attributing such actions and reactions that convey emotions.
Essential Question(s) What makes a character believable?
New & Guarded Vocabulary React, Respond
Furniture/Materials/Technology Paper and pencil (per student,) iOS device (per student,) Airplay capable
Set-up device with YouTube access (instructor)
Resources (books, articles, video Premade playlist:
links, etc.) (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrRWdnQNp07Hf7ZkSmsMS28W1
ylMrkkN7) , Sample narrative: “Grasping at Clouds” (appendix B; uploaded
to classroom for student reference)
Evidence of Technology Students require the use of iPads for reading material, composition on
devices is optional
Evidence of Math/Reading Students use forms of summarization and visualization as well as find text-
Strategy to-self connections

Tim
e
of
Task
B 20 • Open with writing prompt. Have students clear their desks of everything but a sheet of
e min paper and pencil before delivering the prompt:
g
i o Tell students their writing prompt today will be a little different. They will be
n reacting to a song.
n o Explain the difference between “react” and “respond.” Students will need to focus
i on how the song makes them feel and things (people, places, activities) that it
n makes them think of. They may quote important lines from the song but should not
g
be examining the song’s meaning.
o Instruct students to listen to the song quietly, and then begin writing when it is
over.
o Select a student to choose a number between 1 and 24 (the number of songs on the
playlist.) Play the song that corresponds to the number chosen.
M 30 • Allow students a few minutes to share what they wrote about, if they would like. Have
i min them turn in the prompt once finished.
d
d • Ask students what music has to do with personal narratives.
l • Explain that the activity was an opportunity to experience writing about inner thoughts and
e feelings. Their personal narratives should expand on basic emotions and use character
actions to show how they are feeling. Remind the students to “show” not “tell.”
• Ask students how they can relate to characters in the books they are reading (or how the
characters seem “real,” even if in fiction.)
• Return to the sample narrative (appendix B.) Have students re-read it independently and
point out ways the author illustrates character emotion.
o The cousin’s angry gestures and actions
o The boy’s light-hearted taunting
o The boy’s pensive state
• Write on the board: “I was walking down a dark road, and a sound from the bushes scared
me.”
• Have students suggest ways this could be improved.
o How was the character feeling before something rustled in the bushes? (I.E.: on
edge—why?)
o How does the character react to the noise?
E 10 • Have students take out and look over their own introductory paragraphs. Have they
n min established the setting and conflict? Is there anywhere they can improve their descriptions
d
to better reflect character thoughts and emotions?
• Instruct students to have at least three body paragraphs for their personal narrative
completed for next class. Any time remaining should be spent drafting or reading.
Adaptations: What could An annotated copy of the sample narrative may help students better understand
you adapt to help the writing.
students with learning
disabilities, students Students may benefit from digital or oral composition.
with learning
Guided notes and visual editing of example sentences.
lesson? (Ex: guided
setting, etc.)
Modalities: What Visual: Reading and written examples
modalities did you Auditory: Discussion, song-based writing prompt
utilize in this lesson? Kinesthetic:
How? Tactile: Writing prompt
Strategies: What Discussion, technology integration/music, analysis, guided practice
etc.)
Lesson Plan 4

Names: Andrew Mosby
Lesson Title: Characterization, Three-dimensional Characters
Standard, Benchmark, Indicator W.7.3b: Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description,
to develop experiences, events, and or/characters.
W.8.3b: Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and
reflection, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
Lesson Goal Students will understand that every person has characteristics that make
them unique.
Lesson Objective By the end of this lesson, students will be able to depict a believable
character by attributing such characteristics and traits that contribute to
individuality.
Essential Question(s) What makes me unique?
Furniture/Materials/Technology Paper and pencil (per student,) iOS device (per student)
Set-up
Resources (books, articles, video Sample narrative: “Grasping at Clouds” (appendix B; uploaded to classroom
links, etc.) for student reference)
Evidence of Technology Students require the use of iPads for reading material, composition on
devices is optional
Strategy

Tim
e
of
Task
B 10 • Open with writing prompt. Have students clear their desks of everything but a sheet of
e min paper and pencil.
g
i • Instruct students to rearrange their desks into back-to-back pairs (in rows, have the second
n and fourth rows turn around.) Reseat students as necessary so that each is paired with a
n partner behind them. Try to match students with someone they don’t normally interact
i with.
n
• Deliver the writing prompt
g
o Tell the students you are going to see how much they can remember about their
classmates.
o “Without turning to look or speaking, describe, in detail, the person immediately
behind you.”
o Tell students that they should not only give a physical description but that they
should also try to describe that person’s behaviors and habits. Ask:
o “What do you think about this person?” and “What do you think they think about
you?”
• When students are finished, have them turn prompts in.
M 35 • Discuss, as a class, how characters can be made more three-dimensional in writing.

i min o Ask if anyone in the classroom has distinct way of speaking (such as an accent.) How
d
d would others translate dialogue with that student into writing?
l o Ask what traits make each student unique, aside from physical. Have students take
e turns identifying one thing about themselves that set them apart as individuals.
o What peculiar physical, social, or mental traits do they possess (ie: birthmarks,
shyness, fears?)
• Have students return to the sample narrative, “Grasping at Clouds.”
o What traits, qualities, and dispositions do you learn about the central character
throughout the narrative, and what gives them away?
• Have students take out and read through their rough drafts. Instruct them to pay attention
to how their characters are developed.
o Do they stand out as unique? If not, what could you add that gives them
individuality?
o What could make them seem more realistic?
E 15 • Students should spend the remainder of class revising or completing their rough drafts.
n min They may share and discuss ideas with others if desired.
d
with learning
A worksheet, in lieu of the writing prompt, that has students describe specific
lesson? (Ex: guided characteristics about their peers, themselves, or a family member.
setting, etc.)
Modalities: What Visual: Reading
modalities did you Auditory: Discussion
Strategies: What Discussion, self-evaluation, visualization, modeling
etc.)
Lesson Plan 5

Names: Andrew Mosby
Lesson Title: What if? Conclusions and Apocalypse
Standard, Benchmark, Indicator W.7.3e: Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated
experiences or events.
W.8.3e: Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated
experiences or events.
Lesson Goal Students will view personal experiences as sources of valuable lessons.
Lesson Objective By the end of this lesson, students will be able to draw a conclusion based
on what they have learned from or wish they could change about a personal
experience.
Essential Question(s) What can I learn from my experiences? How can I use them to teach others
an important lesson?
Furniture/Materials/Technology Paper and pencil (per student,) iOS device (per student,) Projector and
Set-up connected iOS device (instructor)
Resources (books, articles, video Image (appendix D)
links, etc.)
Evidence of Technology Lesson makes use of a projector to display an image prompt. Students have
the option of using iOS devices for composition.
Strategy

Tim
e
of
Task
B 25 • Open with a writing prompt. Have students clear their desks of everything but a sheet of
e min paper and pencil.
g
i • Tell students that the daily prompt will be a little bit history, science, and English.
n • Ask students if they know what was responsible for the extinction of most dinosaurs.
n o One widely accepted hypothesis is that a meteorite collided with Earth about 66
i million years ago, causing wide-spread natural disasters (tsunamis, volcanic
n
eruptions) as well as a cloud of dust that blocked out sunlight and caused a period
g
of global cooling followed by one of global warming.
o Note that this was not the only piece of space matter to ever strike the planet.
Debris is constantly passing through the atmosphere, and thousands of space rocks
(the size of baseballs and smaller) land in the ocean and remote lands each year.
o “In the early 2000s, the discovery of, the asteroid, Apophis caused a scare, as it had
a small chance of hitting Earth within the next few decades. Though Apophis is tiny
compared to the meteorite suspected to have ended the Cetaceous period (about
three football fields long, as opposed to 5-10 miles in diameter,) it is still large
enough to cause considerable damage—it could flatten a large city. The impact
would have the force of almost 7,000 times the bomb dropped on Hiroshima at the
end of WWII.”
o Assure students that the chance of Apophis colliding with Earth, in the near future,
have since been reduced drastically and are now near zero.
• Present an image of a destroyed city (appendix C) and deliver the writing prompt:
o If a meteorite the size of Apophis were to strike the planet somewhere near you
and you were able to survive the impact, by escaping underground, but returned to
the surface to see this (draw attention to the image,) what would you do? How
would you live in or escape from the wasteland? How do you think you would
adapt?
• Allow students to share a few of their ideas. Have them turn in their prompts once
finished.
M 30 • Ask students how they navigated this “what if” situation. What did they do for food and
i min water? Did they seek out or avoid other people, and why? What did they prioritize?
d
d • Tell students to think about the experiences they are basing their narratives on. How does
l the story end?
e • Note that the story should not end with simply the last thing that happened.
o In response to the prompt, many would have escaped to a livable area after looking
for surviving family, but a lot would have happened between the conflict and
resolution. Ask what experiences they would have had that they could learn from.
o Similarly, what things did they learn from their real experiences? Was there
anything that they regret or wish they could change? How and Why?
• Display the example narrative, “Grasping at Clouds,” on the projector, and read the last
paragraph aloud.
• Note that the author becomes reflective in the last paragraph, looking back at the event
several years later. Ask students what the author suggests was learned from his
experience. Possible inferences:
o Nothing lasts forever.
o Be curious, explore, and dream when you are young, because the wonder is often
lost with age.
• Ask students if they could use their own stories to deliver a message to readers. How
would they encourage or caution others through what they experienced and learned?
E 5 • Inform students that they will need to have their rough drafts completed for next class.
n min They will have the opportunity to revise and edit at that time. Encourage them to type and
d
double space their narratives if they plan on having peers read them. They will need a hard
copy to make marks on next time.
• Students may discuss their narratives or read quietly until class is dismissed.
with learning
Students may benefit from guided notes and samples.
lesson? (Ex: guided
setting, etc.)
Modalities: What Visual: Photographic writing prompt, Reading

modalities did you Auditory: Read aloud, discussion
Strategies: What Discussion, modeling, simulation, technology integration
etc.)
Lesson Plan 6

Names: Andrew Mosby
Lesson Title: Revision
Standard, Benchmark, Indicator W.7.3c: Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey
sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another
W.7.5: With some guidance and support from adults and peers, develop and
strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or
trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have
been addressed.
W.8.3c: Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey
sequence, signal shifts from one timeframe or setting to another, and show
the relationships among experiences and events
W.8.5: With some guidance and support from adults and peers, develop and
strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or
trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have
been addressed.
Lesson Goal By considering their own choices in wording and organization, students will
be able to craft a narrative that is both interesting and engaging to readers.
Lesson Objective By the end of this lesson, students will be able to scrutinize their own
writing and understand that ideas may change and improve through
subsequent revision.
Essential Question(s) Who is my audience?
day’s lesson.
Furniture/Materials/Technology Paper and pencil (per student,) iOS device (per student)
Set-up
Resources (books, articles, video
links, etc.)
Evidence of Technology Students have the option of using iOS devices for composition
Evidence of Math/Reading Students will make notes between the lines and in the margins of their
Strategy papers, showing thoughts about specific passages

Tim
e
of
Task
B 15 • Open with a writing prompt. Students should have completed their rough drafts before the
e min beginning of class; have them take these out as well as a blank sheet of paper and a pencil.
g
i Have the students read through their narratives and pick out ONE sentence that they are
n proud of—that they believe was written particularly well. Tell them to write it on the first
n line of their blank sheet of paper.
i
n • Once students have written down a sentence, have them put their rough drafts away.
g Deliver the writing prompt:
o “If you were to use the sentence you chose as the first sentence of your narrative,
how would you rewrite the story?”
o Some will have chosen their original first sentence. Instruct them to avoid copying
their original work but, instead, try to recreate it.
o Have students write for 10 minutes.
• At the end of the timed prompt, or when students have stopped writing, have the students
compare what they just wrote to their originals. Ask them which they like better.
o Students may keep these prompts if they would like to use them for revision. If they
do not want to, have them turn them in for credit. Instruct those who do not turn
them in to keep them and turn them in with their final copy and rough draft.
M 42 • Students will have the remainder of class to work on revising and editing their rough drafts,
i min individually or in pairs.
d
d • Write the most common editing marks on the board for them to reference (capitalize,
l lower case, remove, insert, add period, paragraph, check spelling.)
e • Tell students that they should be sure they are marking up their rough drafts. Changes
made for their final copies should be clearly reflected on the rough draft.
• Move throughout the classroom and answer any questions students may have. Make sure
they are staying on task and offer advice where appropriate.
E 3 • Have students return to their seats and prepare for dismissal.
n min • Inform students that they should have their revisions and editing completed and final
d
copies written or typed and ready to hand in by the beginning of next class.
Adaptations: What could Some students may find the classroom setting, where others are working in pairs—
you adapt to help and thereby creating a noisy environment—distracting. An alternate setting will
students with learning benefit those who find it unproductive to work around distractors.
disabilities, students
with learning
To assist students who are not particularly good at writing, the teacher should
provide more targeted feedback. Additional time may be given to complete the
lesson? (Ex: guided revision and editing process.
setting, etc.)
Modalities: What Visual: Students participate in hard copy editing
modalities did you Auditory: Direct instruction
How? Tactile: Writing
Strategies: What Direct instruction, guided practice, text marking
etc.)
Appendix A
Appendix B
Grasping at Clouds
She screamed her demands until her cries had become raspy, restricting her efforts to the
stamping of her feet and grunting of displeasure like an irate primate. Truth be told, from high
above, that is exactly what she reminded me of—a lethargic gorilla who hadn’t the conviction to
give chase among the creaking boughs. The picture of a deposed arcade Donkey Kong, pudgy fist
shaking overhead and a flyswatter brandished in anger, she swatted at the trunk of the walnut, and
the plastic weapon whispered a meager schwack! Pitiful earth-bound creature.
“Getdownfromthere NOW!” Her words slurred together, and she struck the tree trunk again.
“Kiss it!”
A full moon hung in the mid-afternoon sky, cradled in the fork of a limb some fifteen or
better feet above the ground. I slapped one of the exposed cheeks with my free hand and craned my
head around to peer over the branch that I had hooked my arm over for support. She drew her arm
back and chucked the flyswatter upwards. It sailed through the air a short distance before it caught
the breeze and, exhausted, fluttered back to the ground.
“I’m telling Gramma! You wait!” she said with finality before marching away with a sense
of urgency. She moved surprisingly quickly across the yard and had disappeared around the corner
of the house before I could taunt her into finding a barrel to lob—just like Kong.
The threat was empty. She knew just as well as I that Gramma—that is the name by which
three generations of our small rural town collectively addressed my grandmother—Gramma
wouldn’t be bothered with trying to discourage the summertime antics of a precocious, ten-year-old,
imp of a boy. Gramma knew better; she was far older, far more familiar with the workings of the
world, and far wiser than I. She knew that the half-naked and barefooted boy whose posterior was
dangling from the walnut tree in the corner of her back yard was too carefree to be provoked, too
clever to be cajoled, and too sensible to descend from the safety of its canopy if there was trouble to
be had below.
I hoisted myself back up onto the branch and flipped the waistband of my sweatpants, which
had been shorn off just above the knees, back to where it should be. They sagged a little bit as I
stood up and grabbed the limb above to steady myself—just enough that they encroached on the
limits of decency. All of my summer clothes were hand-me-downs, my brother’s worn out attire
from the previous school year that my mother and Gramma didn’t mind sacrificing to clawing
brambles, pits of mud, and currents that occasionally swept away articles carelessly abandoned on
the creek banks, where a puff of wind could toss them into the water. I wanted my own, new,
summer clothes, but we couldn’t afford much more than what was replaced each school year as I
grew.
There was still plenty of tree above me, spread out in an intricate labyrinth of footholds and
handholds, places to crawl and swing. Light filtered through the foliage from every direction but
beneath, and from the shadows, it was an overpowering glow—a wash of white into which the
edges of the green leaves and brownish-red shoots melted. If I shaded my eyes and gazed up
through the places where the canopy grew sparsely, though, I could see the clouds—some wispy,
some billowing—as they passed by, framed within an inconstant triangle formed by a tuft of
greenery on the bottom and the divergence of a branch that hooked downwards from above.
I climbed a little higher and perched in the highest crook of the tree that I would ever reach,
straddling a branch that swept outwards at a shallow angle as I reclined against the trunk. The
overwhelming scent of evergreens surrounded me and mingled with the nutty fragrance of green
walnut husks as it drifted up from the bank of trees that lined the fencerow to the south, and the
lulling melody of cicadas rose and fell in unison, only to be broken by the rumbling of a truck as it
clattered down the road. It was mesmerizing—the way the light danced on the boughs, the clouds
chasing each other across the sky, the voices of a choir of thousands and hundreds of thousands of
insect rising to a crescendo as well as any opera singer, and the pungent, spicy, odor of cedar and fir
needles.
I was only vaguely aware of Gramma calling out from the back door of the house. “Get
down from there ‘fore you fall and break your neck!” She followed it by invoking the single-most
potent incantation a child will ever hear. Whether out of concern for my wellbeing or out of
exhaustion from my interminable tormenting of my elder cousin, Gramma called out my full name.
Never mind the power of a parent calling out your name—if it had been my mother, I may well
have argued against the command; but not with Gramma. No, when Gramma calls out your full
name, it is carried on a divine wind, with all the authority of the cosmos, gentle and furious, woven
into the spell. And like any sensible rural kid, I snapped back to reality and shinnied down the tree,
because, with that, I knew she was serious, and lest the next thing she called out was “and break off
a switch on your way,” I did so with all haste.
I never had the opportunity to climb the tree any higher. That same summer, the grand
walnut tree in Gramma’s back yard, that had stood firm upon the spot since long before my
grandfather had cleared the land to build a house—and survived him by a decade still, was uprooted
by a violent storm and shook the earth as it came crashing to the ground. There no longer remains
any trace of the tree, save for a shallow recess in the earth where its remains have decayed.
Childhood must be meant to be spent in reckless abandon, in reaching for greater heights—
for that place where the sky and the earth become indiscernible. The summers don’t remain as ever
simple as they are for a youth. Eventually, the cicada’s song becomes a cacophony, the smell of
cedar sickening, and the sky returns to its proper place in the distance as eyes become fixated on the
ground—on what can be taken in hand—and lethargic apes are born anew, shaking fists, stamping
feet, and grunting at the reminders of what was left behind… somewhere in the boughs of the tree.
Appendix C
Personal Narrative Planning

A personal narrative is focused on a single event from a writer’s life and is supported by
details that emphasize the significance of the experience. For your personal narrative, you
should choose a meaningful experience. As you plan, consider:
• What major events have had a lasting impact on the way I live, choose to act, or
think?
• What experiences have influenced the way I view the world and other people?
• What individual challenges or difficulties have I faced, and how did I overcome
them?
• What important lessons did I learn from these experiences?
Name _______________________________ Date___________________
Name an important incident/event in Why is that important to you?

your life: How is it significant?
Narrow Your Topic: Put a star by the event above that you most want to write about and
answer the questions below to further expand on that idea.
Describe the Setting: (when and where; be as specific and detailed as possible!)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Describe the Other People who have an active role in your narrative: (give a brief
description for each person. Be sure to include yourself and note characteristics important
to the story.)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Drafting
Title:
______________________________________________________________________
Let your title be specific and creative. “My Personal Narrative” or a label like, “The
Day My Dog Died” should be avoided. Use your title as a space to pique the
reader’s interest or reveal something significant about your narrative.
Opening: Paragraph 1
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________
The opening paragraph of your narrative is one of great importance! In the very first
sentence, you should draw the reader in. Avoid cliched or bland openings (“It was
a… day/night/etc.;) instead, think of things that make the time/place setting stand
out:
Example
Instead of: “It was a dark and stormy night. The power was out, and my family
gathered around a camping lantern in the living room.”
The house trembled under the fury of wind and thunder as everyone inside
huddled together in the small, circular glow of a Coleman lantern placed in the
center of our living room floor.
After the first sentence (the “hook”) introduce your major characters and how you
viewed things before the event takes place. Finally, create a “bridge” or transition
into the story itself.
Body—The Story
The body of your narrative will be the sequence of events that lead up to the lesson
learned (the conclusion or final paragraph.) Be sure to organize these in the order
that they occur and group related ideas into separate paragraphs. Include sensory
details (what did you see, hear, smell, feel, and/or taste) as much as possible.
Conclusion/Reflection
In addition to telling us how the event ended, a conclusion includes some further
personal reflection. How is it important to who you are today? How has your
perspective changed (compared to
Consider these questions as you craft your conclusion:

• What did I learn in that moment?
• What was I thinking?
• What did I want to happen?
• What did I wish I could change?
• How will this change my future?
• What did I learn about myself?
• How did I impact someone else?
Conclusion:
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Appendix D

Unit Overview: Category Description 7 and 8 Grade

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Unit Overview

Content Area English Language Arts

Unit Topic Personal Narratives

Standards Addressed W.7.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or

Instructional Unit Objectives

All Students Focus Students

1 Read aloud: “Grasping at Writing prompt

Writing prompt: photograph

Discussion: editing Have students finish revising and

Date: Class Start/End Times: Varied

Est. Lesson Activities

Date: Class Start/End Times: Varied

Est. Lesson Activities

Date: Class Start/End Times: Varied

Est. Lesson Activities

Date: Class Start/End Times: Varied

Est. Lesson Activities

M 35 • Discuss, as a class, how characters can be made more three-dimensional in writing.

Date: Class Start/End Times: Varied

Est. Lesson Activities

Modalities: What Visual: Photographic writing prompt, Reading

Date: Class Start/End Times: Varied

Est. Lesson Activities

the plastic weapon whispered a meager schwack! Pitiful earth-bound creature.

the breeze and, exhausted, fluttered back to the ground.

three generations of our small rural town collectively addressed my grandmother—Gramma

a switch on your way,” I did so with all haste.

Personal Narrative Planning

Name _______________________________ Date___________________

Name an important incident/event in Why is that important to you?

Consider these questions as you craft your conclusion:

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Name _____________ Date_