English 11 Narrative Project
Name: _____________________________________
Period: ________
Gothic Narrative Criteria
Develop a narrative short story that
 Narrates a sequence of events around a clearly defined conflict and
communicates their significance to the audience.
 Includes plot elements: exposition/introduction, rising action, climax, and
resolution.
 Locates scenes and incidents in specific places that are common to the Gothic
genre’s settings.
 Develops the narrative elements with concrete sensory details and language
e.g., visual details of scenes; descriptions of sounds, smells, specific actions;
movements and gestures; interior monologue; feelings of characters,
figurative language.
 Includes dialogue.
 Places the presentation of actions to accommodate time/ mood changes.
 Makes effective use of descriptions of appearance, images, shifting
perspectives, and/or sensory details
 Includes Gothic genre elements such as transformation/metamorphosis,
somnambulism, revenge, revenants, ancestral curse, necromancy, the
grotesque, claustrophobia, body snatching, Gothic gadgets,
dreaming/nightmares, Gothic characters (pursued hero/heroine, unreliable
narrator, villain/hero),
 Is 2- 3 pages, double spaced, size 12 font or 500 – 1,000 words.
You will be presenting this to the class, so you must practice it and read it in
your best story-telling style so that your audience is kept engaged. Keep them
on the edge of their seats!
Narrative Project
You will be writing a narrative in the form of a short story. The short story will
be a Gothic horror story that relies on mystery and suspense: no gore. The
challenge of a successful narrative is two fold: decide the point of your story
and make certain all the material in the story contributes to that point while
staying in the Gothic genre.
Step 1: Theme and conflict (to be filled in on your Plotline or Story
Map organizer): Due date: _________
Think about the story you are trying to tell. What underlying theme, conflict, or
emotion can you find in your narrative? Once you have determined a theme,
conflict or emotion, write it in a single sentence.
English 11 Narrative Project
Name: _____________________________________
Period: ________
For example, if I were going to write a story about a witch, here is a list of some
information about my
Step 2: Plotline or Story Map: Due date: ______
Next determine an organization for your narrative. Put the information in a
logical, interesting sequence which reader can follow. This will form the basis of
your narrative. A good way to organize your information is to use a graphic
organizer. Complete the Plotline or Story Map Organizer. Be certain to put
in the conflict at the point where the exposition and rising action meet. (See
Plotline or Story Map handout)
Step 3: Specific Place Organizer: Due date: ______
Determine where scenes and incidents take place. Try to imagine where things
take place and develop descriptions of those places. Brainstorm a list of
descriptive words for each place. Use your five senses: How does it smell?
What does the place look like? What sounds does the person hear? How does
it feel? Is there a taste? For example, I might describe my character’s first day
at the steel mill:
Thick, black smoke spewed from the building. The heat and roar of the furnaces
overtook Alexander as he entered the steel mill. As men stoked the furnaces,
the fires glowed eerily as if each door opened to Hell. He wished he had not
worn wool. As he licked his chapped lips, the salty taste of his sweat made him
wonder: was it from the heat or fear?
Step 4: Character Chart: Due date: ______
Develop a Character Chart. What does the main character look like? What
does he/she do for a living? What is her age? Determine some personality
traits – shy, demanding, courageous, funny, intelligent, etc. What makes him
tick? Use this in your narrative to make the person realistic and authentic.
Step 5: Rough Draft: Due date: ______
Put it together into a rough draft. Remember to grab the reader in the
introduction. Make it interesting! Using your sequence/plot line, develop the
story, adding your descriptions of the place(s), and incorporating descriptions
of the character’s emotions and physical characteristics. Develop interior
dialogue or dialogue between the main character and other characters.
Step 6: Self Evaluation and Editing: Plot Analyzer and Proofreading
Self Assessment Handout: Due date: ______
Consider the following:
• Do you have an conflict that the reader can easily understand?
theme? Are there any portions that do not support the theme or conflict?
If so, eliminate them or rewrite them to make their relationship to the theme
or conflict more obvious. Complete the Plot Analyzer organizer. If that
portion does not further the plot or serve a purpose, eliminate it.
English 11 Narrative Project
Name: _____________________________________
Period: ________
• Do you have enough details, including dialogue? Make your details
more vivid and exact. Try to appeal to all five senses. Dialogue adds drama
and makes the story more immediate and real. Are you writing for a specific
audience? Think of your audience and use appropriate language.
• Look for opportunities to add time signals such as first, next,
after, during, while, and finally to help connect details as you
move the sequence of your story . See if you can divide the story into
separate stages, such as what happened first, what happened next, and so
on until the end. Make each separate stage a separate paragraph. These
natural shifts or logical breaks make it easier to write topic sentences for
each paragraph.
• Is your grammar correct? Are your sentences varied? Use attached
Proofreading Self Assessment Handout. Check to be certain you have
done each item correctly before you check it off.
Step 7: Peer Review Form: Due date: ______
Have a classmate read your narrative and peer edit. Have the classmate correct
grammar errors and discuss any changes they think are needed or parts that
confuse them. Have the classmate fill out the attached peer review form and
sign it.
Step 8: Rewrite: Due date: ______
Make corrections, then rewrite for a final draft to submit. Rewriting is not
merely correcting. Rewriting is examining your work and making changes to
improve it. Complete the Proofreading Self Assessment Handout again to
check for errors.
Step 9: Submit Complete Project: Due date: ______
Turn in your narrative in a folder. It must be typed, double spaced, Times New
Roman 12 font, one inch margins on all sides. Your header must be MLA format
as shown in class. Number the pages in the footer. Include all completed
handouts. You will be assessed according the rubric.
For those of you who ask, “How long does this have to be?” my response is two
– three pages, double spaced, size 12 font. That is, you are expected to fully
develop the narrative in 500 – 1,000 words. You will be assessed on the quality
of your work, not the quantity. If you find the narrative is getting too long,
make certain everything applies to the theme or conflict, and then edit
accordingly. If the narrative is too short, look for opportunities for more
description.
English 11 Narrative Project
Name: _____________________________________
4
3
2
Period: ________
Gothic Horror Story Rubric
Speaking and Listening
Narrative Writing – text types and purposes
In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications. The student will be able to:
create a consistent and
• develop an innovative central idea or impression, or complementary central ideas or
effective persona for a Gothic
dominant impressions that exemplify Gothic literature
horror story
• create an exposition/beginning that hooks the audience
adjust speaking style (for
• employ innovative or creative sequencing
example: rate, tone, volume,
• employ ambiguity for effect
gestures) and content in
• create vivid details that allow the topic to come to life
response to verbal or
• manipulate pacing to create character, mood, or evoke emotion in the reader
nonverbal audience feedback
• employ pacing to compress time or accelerate an event in order to develop the
(for example: body language,
author’s purpose
facial expressions, comments,
questions)
The student will:
The student will:
11-12.SL.6 Adapt speech to a
11-12.W.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using
variety of contexts and tasks,
effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
demonstrating a command of formal
Develop a narrative short story that
English when indicated or
 Narrates a sequence of events and communicates their significance to the audience.
appropriate.
 Locates scenes and incidents in specific places that are common to the Gothic
engage audience (for example:
genre’s settings.
eye contact, posture,
 Develops the narrative elements with concrete sensory details and language e.g.,
gestures)
visual details of scenes; descriptions of sounds, smells, specific actions; movements
vary volume, inflection, and
and gestures; interior monologue; feelings of characters, figurative language.
pace to create a desired effect
 Includes dialogue.
(for example: rate, volume,
 Places the presentation of actions to accommodate time/ mood changes.
emphasis, tone, pauses,
 Makes effective use of descriptions of appearance, images, shifting perspectives,
clarity) to enhance the
and/or sensory details
presentation
 Includes Gothic genre elements such as transformation/metamorphosis,
somnambulism, revenge, revenants, ancestral curse, necromancy, the
grotesque, claustrophobia, body snatching, Gothic gadgets,
dreaming/nightmares, Gothic characters (pursued hero/heroine, unreliable narrator,
villain/hero)
 Is 2- 3 pages, double spaced, size 12 font or 500 – 1,000 words
The student will
1. maintain eye contact,
looking up from reading
from time to time
2. maintain appropriate
volume and pace
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The student will perform basic processes, such as:
create a story that contains no gore.
develop a central theme
develop a sequence of events around a clearly defined conflict
include specific relevant details
create an appropriate exposition/introduction
follow a basic plot with plot elements including rising action and a climax.
use strategies to indicate the passage of time
divide text into paragraphs or sections
create a conclusion that creates closure
The student will recognize or recall specific vocabulary/terminology, such as:
o
Gothic Horror Elements
o
dominant impression
o
conflict
o
mood
o
pacing
English 11 Narrative Project
Name: _____________________________________
Period: ________
Step 1&2: CONFLICT & PLOTLINE – Choose either organizer
What is your conflict? Write it here: _____________________________
English 11 Narrative Project
Name: _____________________________________
Period: ________
English 11 Narrative Project
Name: _____________________________________
Step 3 - SPECIFIC PLACE ORGANIZER
Period: ________
English 11 Narrative Project
Name: _____________________________________
Step 4 - Character Chart:
Add additional traits if needed
Period: ________
English 11 Narrative Project
Name: _____________________________________
Step 6: Part 1
Period: ________
English 11 Narrative Project
Name: _____________________________________
Period: ________
Step 6: Assessment Checklist – Proofreading
1
"Don't know" spelling words are underlined,
e.g., tomorow
2
Underlined words are corrected,
e.g., lightning
lightening
3
Sentences begin with capital letters and end with full stops.
4
Capital letters are used for the important words in the title,
e.g.,
5
Capital letters are used for proper nouns,
e.g.,
6
Commas are used for lists,
e.g., I made myself a sandwich with ham, tomato, lettuce, and cheese for lunch
yesterday.
7
Commas are used to show the reader when to pause,
e.g., I left my bag, which I got for my birthday, on the bus.
8
Speech marks are put around the spoken words and a comma is used to
separate the spoken words from the non-spoken words,
e.g., "Go home, Sam," called Alison. "Dad is looking for you."
9
Each speaker's words start on a new line,
e.g., "What did you do after school yesterday?" asked Joe.
"I went to my piano lesson," replied Karen, "and for a swim."
10
Apostrophes are used where letters are left out of words,
e.g., The children couldn't reach the apples on the higher branches of the tree.
11
Apostrophes are used where something belongs to someone,
e.g., I wanted a ball just like Billy's new soccer ball.
12
Question marks are used at the end of questions,
e.g., Can you help me?
13
14
The tense is the same all through the writing,
e.g.,
Each sentence makes sense and there are no words missed out,
e.g.,
We raced along
beach towards the sand dunes.
English 11 Narrative Project
Name: _____________________________________
Period: ________
Step 7: Narration: Peer Review Work Sheet
Peer Edited by: