OBJECTIVE: Students will brainstorm a list of possible topics for a given performance task.
OPENING ACTIVITY
Watching Task:
Please identify three things from this video that you can do in your personal essay. Please identify ONE thing from this video that you need more information about. |
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Instruction on Personal Essay: Look at "Always Go to the Funeral"
"Always Go to the Funeral" is an example of a personal essay because it features a personal story and how it is connected to a personal belief.
Annotate the essay while we listen to the writer speak it. 1. Underline her claims/opinion. 2. Bracket evidence from her life that supports her claim/opinion. 3. Triangulate tough vocabulary. |
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Information about the Performance Task
Writing Prompt:
Write a personal essay describing an event in your life that has shaped one of your beliefs. Use narrative devices* to develop your personal essay and to affect your audience, which is your peers and teacher, emotionally. Your essay must be produced and published digitally, adhering to conventions of standard American English (correct spelling, usage, grammar). |
Belief Generating Practice
1. Start by generating a list of things that you believe in. Generate your list silently until my timer goes off.
- For example, one year one of my students wrote about how she believes in the power of hairspray.
- Another student wrote about how he believes that humans could improve themselves if they learned from the way that spiders live their life.
- Another student wrote about how she believes little siblings make the best teachers.
- I believe that putting yourself in a vulnerable position helps you get better.
3. Revise your beliefs. Cross out ones that don't come from stories. Cross out ones that will be difficult to write a personal essay about. Then add more to your list.
DAY 2
OBJECTIVES
- Students will brainstorm a list of possible topics for a given performance task.
- Students will create bulleted lists of stories that shaped their beliefs.
OPENING ACTIVITY
Look at the list of beliefs in red to the right.
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Thinking about the stories of our lives
Think about your proudest moment, the moment you are most ashamed of, your happiest moment (or one of them), a scary moment. I'll model with a story.
- Smartboard Partner: Turn to your partner and share one story.
- Door Partner: Ask questions about the story. Then turn to your partner and share one story.
- Smartboard Partner: Ask questions about the story. Then turn to your partner and share one story.
- Door Partner: Ask questions about the story. Then turn to your partner and share one story.
- Smartboard Partner: Ask questions. Tell your partner which story you like the most and why.
- Door Partner: Tell your partner which story you like the most and why.