Mini Lesson: Experience Narrative Development

Name: Stephie Scism, Matthew Alcorn

Grade Level: 11th

Subject: English (Writing)

Date: 12 Feb 2016

Focus: This mini-lesson is geared towards developing the theme of the universal in students personal
experience narratives inside of a unit on Personal Narratives. This mini-lesson addresses CCSS.ELALiteracy.W.11-12.3 standard, focusing on point C which requires development in techniques of writing. In
this mini-lesson students will learn to shift focus from individual experiences to experiences that are
considered universal experiences and how these experiences build into a layered system of writing.
These developments in writing from this mini-lesson will influence the overall comprehension of the unit
on personal narratives.

Objectives: (The student will be able to)

1. Standard Addressed:
a.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.3.C : Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they

build on one another to create a coherent whole and build toward a particular tone and outcome
(e.g., a sense of mystery, suspense, growth, or resolution)

2. Lesson Objectives
a. recognize the idea of a universal theme
b. develop individual writing to reflect universal theme
c. build understanding of connections between a personal experience and an
universal experience

Materials:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

First Draft of Personal Experience Narrative

Notecards (1 for each student)
Computer + Projector
Access to wordle online
notebook paper
pen/pencils

Modifications:
1. Without Access to Technology: To conduct this lesson without the assistance of technology,
modifications would include: using whiteboard to display words instead of online wordle

i.
ii.

Students can come up and write their words onto the board
Students who have used the same words would circle the word/tally
marks in a different color marker
iii. discussion of commonly used words would continue as planned
2. Learning Levels: To conduct this lesson in a classroom with various learning levels,
modifications can be made for amount and depth of work required in the classroom
a. Advanced Levels
Multiple drafts written out of class / class time reserved for discussion and growth
i.
ii.
Supplemental Assignments: comparative work from different cultures (compare/
contrast) / Project to Combine individual essays into compiled work for
publication
b. Struggling Levels

i.
ii.

Work with co-teacher on development / re-configure time management to allow

for more time in class
Supplemental Assistance: work within groups to develop ideas for 2nd draft / give
shorter writing requirements for each draft *work with co-teacher or group to
ensure that it meets requirements by due date

Content Outline:
1. Introduction (2 min.)
a. Lesson is focused on expanding personal narratives to explore the universal
experience found within experience narratives
b. Opening Discussion: What is universal?
2. Activities (11 min.)
a. Class wordle : first day of school move-in day
i.
Each students writes 5-10 word associations (2 min.)
ii. plugged into wordle (1 min.)
iii. Reviewed as a class (2 min.)
b. Free-write about a universal found in the wordle (3 min.)
c. Students share with class what they have developed (3 min.)
3. Closure (1 min.)
a. Prepare for next step in writing
i.
2nd draft
ii. individual wordle
b. Time for questions about lesson, activities or homework

Activities and Procedures:

1. Introductory Activities:
At the beginning of the lesson, students will have a chance to discuss the
concept of a universal experience and how it can apply to their personal narratives that are
currently in progress. Co-Teachers will guide this discussion towards the idea of shaping their
narratives into an experience narrative, focusing on the same event of their first day of school.
2. Development Activities:
After the discussion period, students will be given note cards, on which they will
write 5-10 words that represent their thoughts or feelings going into their first day of school.
Once theyve written their thoughts, the cards will be collected and entered into a wordle to
create a word cloud. The largest words represent the most commonly mentioned words. These
words will be used for a brief discussion of how our universal experience is connected by these
common themes. Following the discussion students will be given a period of time to free write
on the words that were most highly represented in the wordle as a way to generate ideas for
their second draft.
3. Concluding Activities:
After the short free writing period, the students will be encouraged to share their
writing with the class. Once the activity is concluded, students are to take their writing home to
incorporate into their second drafts of their personal narratives. Once they have written the next
draft, they will take advantage of a wordle based on their own paper, to identify their own
individual focus and see how it connects to the universal focus of the group.

Evaluation and Assessment:

1. Formative Assessments:
a. Class Discussion on the concept of universal experience: This will allow the
teacher to identify if students have understood the main idea behind the lesson
and what needs be addressed in future instruction
b. Shared Freewriting: By sharing their freewriting at the end of the lesson, teachers
can identify in actual student writing the concepts covered in the Experience
Narrative minilesson
c. Individual utilization of wordle: By using the technology displayed in class on their
own, students will be able to visualize the most universal themes in their writing
and compare it to the group as a whole, allowing for the teacher to witness
students making connections to the universal experience in their own time
2. Summative Assessments:
a. Final Experience Narrative Essay (DUE AT END OF UNIT): This finished product
will allow students to demonstrate the skills taught throughout the unit, including
those that were covered in this specific lesson
b. Publication of Student Work: After finishing their final drafts, students can compile
their narratives into a group work for publication, showing a full, classroom
understanding of the concepts presented in the unit

Rationale:
1. Bibliographic Citation
Smagorinsky, Peter. The Dynamics of Writing Instruction: A structured Process
Approach for Middle and High School. Heinemann. 2010.
2. Audience
a. This mini-lesson is geared to 11th English students
b. Modifications have been included for technology impairments and for various
learning levels
3. Summary
a. This mini-lesson uses The Dynamics of Writing Instruction as the foundation for a
process by which students use their creativity and individuality to develop essays
that are inspired by classroom activities that foster procedures for exploration of
details, structure and the theme of the universal
4. Impact
a. This mini-lesson will provide substantial development of personal narrative
writing, by using the theme of the universal to aid the construction of students
work
5. Obstacles / Problems
a. Personal Narratives draw mostly on a persons experience. Caution must be
taken to assure that everyone has had a similar, relatable experience to write
about
b. Not all students have access to the technology needed for completion of this
lesson, which brings the need for modifications to suit the educational needs of
all students
c. Not all students are at the same level of writing ability. Some may have the
experience needed to adequately address and discuss the ideas presented in the
mini-lesson, but it should not be assumed that all students have that ability