Unit 11.2: Identity – The Personal Narrative
English as a Second Language
5 weeks
Stage 1 - Desired Results
0B
Unit Summary
3B
In this unit, students will focus on the genre of personal narrative by reading and listening to high
quality examples and by writing their own pieces. Students will examine character development, parts
of the plot, theme and cause and effect through the novels they read and essays they write.
Transfer goal: Students will leave the class able to better understand the genre of personal narrative
by making connections from the readings to themselves, their peers, and other people in society, and
applying what they learn to their writing.
Content Standards and Learning Expectations
4B
Listening/Speaking
L/S.11.5 Analyzes the main idea or topic and important details from learned concepts or readings from
a variety of persuasive texts; summarizes, explains, clarifies, and discusses effectiveness of text,
performance, speech, or literature.
15B
Reading
R.11.2 Analyzes character development; infers the setting in fiction and nonfiction; classifies point of
view.
R.11.3 Classifies parts of the plot, establishes cause and effect, makes connections, predictions, and
inferences in a variety of texts; draws conclusions; analyzes and compares and contrasts conflicts and
resolutions across texts.
R.11.4 Distinguishes between fact and opinion, infers, and supports the main idea in a variety of texts;
analyzes the theme.
16B
Writing
W.11.1 Analyzes and selects appropriate words to convey meaning; incorporates transitions, correct
grammar, syntax, and style.
W.11.2 Determines the purpose of writing; analyzes and constructs organizational patterns to connect
ideas; writes narrative, expository, and persuasive essays.
17B
Big Ideas/Enduring Understandings:
Essential Questions:
5B
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Experiences, relationships, history, and
culture influence identity.
Identity affects perceptions and behavior.
Effective readers make inferences about
characters in a text.
Content (Students will know…)
7B
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Parts of the plot
Theme
Correct grammar (sentence fragments and
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6B
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What is to identity and how is it shaped?
How does self-concept affect perceptions and
behavior?
How does culture affect identity?
Skills (Students will be able to…)
8B
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Summarize, explain, clarify, and discuss
effectiveness of text.
Analyze character development.
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Unit 11.2: Identity – The Personal Narrative
English as a Second Language
5 weeks
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run-on sentences)
Appropriate words to convey meaning
The difference between narrative and memoir
The structure of a narrative
Content Vocabulary
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18B
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Exposition, inciting incident, conflict, rising
action, climax, falling action, denouement,
resolution
Dynamic and static characters
Memoir, narrative
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Establish cause and effect, predictions, and
inferences in a variety of texts.
Draw conclusions.
Analyze the theme.
Analyze and select appropriate words to
convey meaning.
Write a narrative essay.
Stage 2 - Assessment Evidence
1B
Performance Tasks
Other Evidence
9B
10B
A Defining Day in My Life
19B
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Students will write an engaging personal
narrative essay about an event in their life
that took place over a period of time no
longer than a day. The students should think
about an event that made an impact on their
lives (ex. First day at a new school, the day a
baby sibling was born, the day they got
exciting/sad/interesting news).
The students should limit themselves to one
paragraph of background information leading
up to the event in order to capture the events
of the moment in the essay.
The students will choose their words carefully
to convey meaning and adhere to appropriate
structure of a narrative (exposition, inciting
incident, conflict, rising action, climax, falling
action, denouement, resolution).
The students should be sure to use
appropriate sentence structure to avoid runon sentences and sentence fragments.
The students should follow the steps of the
writing process to produce a high-quality final
copy.
Students will be assessed using a rubric, such
as the example available here:
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printab
les/07AAAM18.pdf
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Literacy Journal – which will include:
o Double-Entry Journal – The students will
make a 2 column chart in their notebooks
with the titles “A sentence I like” and “This
makes me think…” Students will write
quotations from what they read and
respond to them making text-to-text, textto-self, and text-to-world connections.
o Dialogue Journal – the student will write
an entry, the teacher will write a response
directly in the journal, the student will
respond, and so on.
o Reading Log – Students will record titles
and pages read each day.
o Reading Response Journal – Students will
answer response questions on their silent
or group reading as assigned by the
teacher.
Anecdotal evidence collected during group
work and discussions.
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resource
s/lesson_images/lesson1006/observation.pdf
Analyzing Characters graphic organizer (see
attachment: 11.2 Learning Activity –
Characters)http://www.readwritethink.org/fil
es/resources/lesson_images/lesson1006/rubri
c.pdf
Establishing Cause and Effect (see
attachment: 11.2 Other Evidence – Cause and
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Unit 11.2: Identity – The Personal Narrative
English as a Second Language
5 weeks
Effect)
Narrative Book Report
20B
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Students will write a book report about the
novel they are reading independently.
They should include details about character
development, the narrative structure
(Exposition, inciting incident, conflict, rising
action, climax, falling action, denouement,
and resolution), cause and effect of events in
the book, and theme.
The following website will be helpful for
teaching students to write the book report:
http://www.scholastic.com/resources/article/
create-a-first-rate-book-report
The students should follow the steps of the
writing process to produce a high-quality final
copy.
Students should present their work orally to
the class after completing the essay.
Students written work will be evaluated on a
rubric such as
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resource
s/printouts/Essay%20Rubric.pdf
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Stage 3 - Learning Plan
2B
Learning Activities
1B
Personal Narrative Read Aloud
21B
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The teacher will read aloud a personal narrative novel (see Literature Connections for suggestions.)
The teacher should model fluency in reading as well as the think-aloud strategy as it relates to
character development, theme, plot structure, effectiveness of text, and author’s word choice.
The teacher should also model a Reading Response Journal Entry.
This novel can be used as a basis for examples during lessons throughout the unit.
Personal Narrative Choice Novels
2B
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The students will read novels throughout the unit from the suggested list provided by the teacher.
The students should be given a chance to preview the novels and choose something that interests
them. This “silent reading” will take place during assigned times during class (perhaps first 10 or
last 10 minutes of class) and outside of class. Students should complete a reading log with titles of
texts and pages read. The teacher may also assign reading response questions to be answered in
the reading log. Sentences frames can be provided to the students if they need scaffolding.
Analyzing Characters
23B
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After discussing the names and personalities of several characters, students will create and present
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Unit 11.2: Identity – The Personal Narrative
English as a Second Language
5 weeks
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a visual that illustrates a particular character.
Students analyze and connect to the characters in the read aloud or individually-read novel using
attachment 11.2 Learning Activity – Characters.
Establishing Cause and Effect
24B
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Students will identify cause in and effect in the novels read during the unit using attachment 11.2
Other Evidence – Cause and Effect. Students will use this graphic organizer for each novel they
read.
Students will participate in a group discussion about cause and effect in the read aloud novel using
their graphic organizers as preparation for the discussion. They can also add to the graphic
organizer during the discussion as they get other ideas from their classmates.
Making Predictions and Inferences
25B
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Students will make predictions and inferences about the novels they read during the unit using
attachment 11.2 Learning Activity – Predict and Infer. Students will use this graphic organizer for
each novel the read.
Students will participate in a group discussion about their predictions and inferences in the read
aloud novel using their graphic organizers as preparation for the discussion. They can also add to
the graphic organizer during the discussion as they get other ideas from their classmates.
Sentence Fragments and Run-on Sentences
26B
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The teacher will review subject and predicate and discuss sentence fragments. The following link
contains a brief explanation on avoiding sentence fragments and includes exercises for the
students to use to practice. (printable)
The teacher will use attachment 11.2 Learning Activity – Run-on to review run-on sentences with
the class. The students will complete the exercise to practice appropriate sentence structure in
regard to run-on sentences.
Sample Lessons
12B
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Analyzing Character Development in Three Short Stories About Women
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/analyzing-characterdevelopment-three-1006.html
Narrative Paragraphs http://www.barrettsbookshelf.com/files/week14.pdf
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Additional Resources
13B
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Full-text short stories, novels, poems, etc from a variety of genres:
http://www.searchlit.org/elibrary.php
Perdue Online Writing Lab – The Narrative Essay
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/04/ The Narrative Essay
http://edhelper.com/ReadingComprehension_33_33.html
The Fact Monster - Narrative Essay http://www.factmonster.com/homework/writingskills4.html
Personal Narrative Collection – includes prompts and rubrics /~jhholly/pnarrative.html
Script Preparation Guidelines for women’s stories listed in literature connections below:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1006/script.pdf
Collection of Short Stories about True life experiences http://www.mariolvazquez.com
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Unit 11.2: Identity – The Personal Narrative
English as a Second Language
5 weeks
Literature Connections
14B
The Color of My Paint by Mario L. Vazquez http://www.mariolvazquez.com
My First Free Summer by Julia Alvarez
Taking Sides by Gary Soto
The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1006/question.pdf
• A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell
• A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner
• Literature Timeless Voices, Timeless Theme, Bronze
o Cat on the Go by James Herriot page 382 (Story: Character Traits)
o Rikki-tikki-tavi by Rudyard Kipling page 464 (Story: Plot)
o Papa’s Parrot by Cynthia Rylant, page 481 (Story: Identify With a Character)
o Stolen Day by Sherwood Anderson, page 484 (Story: Characterization)
o Ribbons by Laurence Yep page 524 (Story: Ask Questions)
o The Treasure of Lemon Brown by Walter Dean Myers page 532 (Story: Theme)
o The Cremation of Sam McGee page 736 (Narrative Poetry: Compare and Contrast)
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Adapted from Understanding by Design by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe
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