The Egyptian American International School

HS English Department
Grade 9 Language 2023-2024
Writing
Workshop
Week 1

NARRATIVE
WRITING
– Personal Narrative
Grade 9
 Week 1 Objectives
• Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences
or events using effective technique, well chosen details,
and well - structured event sequences.

• Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning,

revising, editing, rewriting, and trying a new approach.

• Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard

English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
 Common Core
Standards
• Write a narrative to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, well-chosen details,
and well-structured event sequences.

• Develop and strengthen writing as

needed by planning
 Content
Grammar Review

Weekly Planner

3- Writing
4- Journal
1- Grammar 2-Vocabulary
2-Vocabulary Personal Narrative
A 3-paragraph journal to
Online after-class RNWIC L1hardcopy
RNWIC L1 hardcopy In-
after- Planning & Prewriting
class practice be written in class
Practice class practice Hardcopy Graphic
Organizer
 Warm-up

Watch this activity and jot down

notes answering the following
questions:
1. What is a personal narrative?
2. What is the purpose of the narrative?

3. What is the basic structure of a

narrative essay?
4. The problem is sometimes referred to
as the __________.

5. What are the basic story elements?

Part
1
What Is Narrative
Writing?
 People write for different
reasons or purposes.
These purposes can be grouped under types of writing.
• Narrative
• Descriptive
• Expository
• Persuasive
• Free writing ex. journals
 What is Narrative Writing?

Personal Narrative
Your life is a series of stories, all uniquely
yours. Each story reveals something
about you and the events that shape
your life.
When you write about yourself, you gain
a deeper understanding of why certain
experiences are important to you.

In this workshop, you will write a

personal narrative- a story that
describes a memorable event
from your past.
Narrative writing tells a story.
• If you write a story from your imagination, it is a fictional narrative.
• A true story about actual events is a nonfictional narrative.
Narrative writing can be found in: short stories, novels news articles, personal narratives
and biographies.

Examples:
- A person talking about a challenge he faced while applying in universities.
(Non-fictional narrative)
- A person talking about his horrendous experience with aliens.
(Fictional narrative)
 Narrative Writing Essentials
1. Purposes
• Describe a meaningful experience
• Better understand yourself
2. Audiences
• Classmates and Teacher
• Family members
• Web users
3. Formats
• Essay for class
• Journal
• Blog
• Documentary
• Podcast
 What is a Narrative Essay?
A narrative is a story that:
• Tells your own personal experience of a specific event.
• Strives to teach a lesson or to make a specific point. (purpose)

1- Basic Structure of the essay: 2- Language of the Essay:

• Introduction • Noun gerunds
• Body Click me to go • Descriptive language Click me to go
• Conclusion to • Sensory language to Language of
Basic Structure • Figurative language the Essay
 1- Basic Structure of the essay
Introductio
n
It introduces the story through introducing:
• Characters (who)
• Setting (where and when)
It builds on the story through Conclusion:
introducing: It introduces the end story through:
Body:• The main event (problem) • Falling action (actions taken to solve
• Rising conflict the main event)
• Climax (the most exciting part) • Wrap up
 2- Language of the Essay

Noun Adj + Noun Adj + Noun

Gerunds Terrified people Towering Skyscraper

- The scared children went through the door

Descriptive The scared children ran/ tiptoed/ hurried through the door.
- “Watch out!”, she said.
“ Watch out!”, she shouted/whispered/ cried.
- They walked through the door.
They walked quietly/ stealthily (adverbs)
Sensory The smell of rain lingers in the air. A gentle breeze soothes your aching
head. You watch the sun rays play with the golden leaves.
 Figurativ 2- Language of the
e
- The wind howled Metap
Essay hor
- The storm was angry Personificati
on and noticed Foreshado
- They opened the drawer
w
a gun.
- James ran down the street to look for James’ ball. On the way, James
Text picked…
James ran down the street to look for his ball. On the way, he pick…
connectiv
es - Huddled together under a tiny blanket, they fell asleep. They woke up to the
deafening sound of a car horn.
Huddled together under a tiny blanket, they fell asleep at around 10pm.
Soon after, they woke up to the deafening sound of a car horn
Chronologica
l Order
Standards for Narrative Writing : (Rubric)
A successful narrative should:
• Hook the reader’s attention with strong introduction.
• Use precise words and phrases.
• Include descriptive details and dialogues to develop the
characters, setting and plot.
• Have a clear beginning, middle and end.
• Have a logical organization with clues and transitions
that help the reader understand the order of events
• Maintain a consistent tone and point of view
• Use language that is appropriate to the audience.
• Demonstrate the significance of events or ideas.
 How to write a
Personal Narrative
 Planning/ Prewriting
1. Choose a Story to Tell
• Recall memorable or challenging experiences
• Create a timeline of peaks in your life le e x p eriences?
morab
1- Most me t ch a ll enges?
• Include rewarding or challenging experiences 2- Greates
I w an t to share?
3- What do
• Choose the single experience that you want to
write about
 Planning/ Prewriting

2. Think About Audience and Purpose

1- Who is my target
• Start deeply reflecting on the topic ** audience?
2- What do I want them to
• Keep in mind your purpose: describing a meaningful understand about this?
3- What kind of language
experience can they relate to?

• Consider your audience to know the language to use

 Planning/ Prewriting

3. List the Events of your Experience

• Focus on the single experience

• Outline the events that lead to the experience from

first to last. Last will lead to the resolution.

• Jot down details to describe Setting (where and

when) and the people involved.

• Include dialogue
 Planning/ Prewriting
4. Tell Why the Event is Significant -Faced a fear successfully
- Discovered the pitfall of
• Reflect on why the even is significant or
* worrying
- Recognized inner strength
important to you - Learned that fear is normal
• Think about what you learned

• Identify how the experience changed you

 Planning/ Prewriting

5. Describe your Experience

- Engage your audience by telling details

- Use sensory language

- Describe people, places and events

- Create a web to record details to use in your draft.

Summary
Part 2
Practice
 I was in the cafeteria waiting in a line to get food. The
Character TITLE??? Practice 1
Place
cook told me to wait in theDescription ??
line, so I waited in the 2line.
1 The line was long, and I was hungry. When I reached Read the following
passage and identify
the end of the line, I found potatoes, chicken,
• The story elements
macaroni, and cheese. I looked again and noticed one • the missing
Feelings
piece of pizza. I asked the cook to give me the pizza elements or
?
mistakes in the
and the cook put it in my plate. When I moved, the narrative
pizza fell into a plate with potatoes. Everyone laughed, • The purpose of the
3 narrative
including my friend. The cook asked me if I wanted
Dialogue potatoes with the pizza. I agreed. We all laughed
? Structure?
again.
??
Answers Title

Introduction

Rising Action

Climax

Falling Action

Conclusion
Differentiated Practice

1 2 3

Next
 Group 1

Comment on the Essay in

terms of:
- Structure
Title
Introduction
(character/setting)
Rising Action
Climax
Falling Action
Resolution
- Language
Figurative
Descriptive
- Purpose What is the
purpose?
What would you do
Back
 Group 2
Comment on the Essay in
terms of:
- Structure
Title
Introduction (character/setting)
Rising Action
Climax
Falling Action
Resolution
- Language
Figurative
Descriptive
- Purpose What is the purpose?

How would you write it Back

differently?
Back

Group 3
Comment on the Essay in
terms of:
- Structure
Title
Introduction (character/setting)
Rising Action
Climax
Falling Action
Resolution
- Language
Figurative
Descriptive
- Purpose What is the purpose?

Change the ending

Wrap-up

Go to Edmodo and do the

Personal Narrative Planning
and Prewriting Wrap-up
practice.
After-class Practice

We will choose a topic together

during our class

Fill in the graphic organizer handed

as a hard copy and attached to the
next slide to help organize your
thoughts and ideas for the essay.

Next
Part 3
Journal
Journal
What is a journal?

• It is a free writing essay

• It is a safe place for you to express

your opinion and talk freely

• It consists of 3 paragraphs at least

• Images and media are attached to it

• It is to be submitted on weekly basis

 Journal
Every 2 weeks, choose and write two paragraphs about one of
the following topics and then submit it as a hardcopy.

Below is a list of topics to choose from:

1- Should cameras on drones watch all public spaces to prevent crime, or is that a violation of
privacy?
2- The effects of fast food on your health
3- What causes racism?
4- What would you do if you could travel to the future?
5- What’s the worst thing about Internet?
6- Would you rather be very beautiful or very smart? Explain.
7- You can save one object before your house burns down. What is it? Why is it important to
you?
8- Who do you look up to and why? / Who is your idol and why?
9- What advice would you give your younger self?
 Journal
Every 2 weeks, choose and write two paragraphs about one of the
following topics and then submit it as a hardcopy.

Below is a list of topics to choose from:

10)How much control over your life do you have? What makes you say that?
11)Describe your ideal life 15 years from now. What is something you can do every
day to reach that goal?
12)What would your friends say is your most lovable quality? Describe that quality.
13)What is something scary that you would like to try? What makes it scary for you?
How might you overcome that fear?
14)What things do you conscientiously do to feed your brain/ to feel at ease?
15)What are three of your most profound learning experiences? Where and when did
they occur?
 Journal
Every 2 weeks, choose and write two paragraphs about one of the
following topics and then submit it as a hardcopy.

Below is a list of topics to choose from:

16)Write about a time when someone made you feel understood.
17)Would you rather be loved or respected? Because?
18)Does social media represent individuals authentically? Explain with examples.
19)Imagine that it’s the last day of high school and you’ve been asked by a teacher to say a
few words that summarize the events that have occurred over the last four years that are
most meaningful to you. What do you say?
20)Is buying /wearing a fur coat unethical?
21)Can money buy happiness / what money can’t buy?
22)What scares you the most? And how do you deal with it?
23)What qualities do you look for in a friend?
24)What do you prefer doing in your free time?
Part 4
References &
Extra
Information
Narrative Writing Summary
Common Core Traits:
1. Development of Ideas
• Focuses on meaningful experiences
• Provides well-chosen details
• Uses narrative techniques such as dialogue and
description
• Establishes and reflects on the significance of the
experience
• Provides a conclusion that follows from the
experience
2. Organization of Ideas
• Presents a logical sequence of events
• Uses effective pacing
3. Language Facility and Conventions
• Establishes and maintains a first-person point of
view
• Uses precise words and sensory language
• Varies sentence structure with compound sentences
Remember, a narrative essay should :
• Often be written in 1st person – I or we – because it is based on a
personal story.
• Have specific sensory details to get the reader hooked on the story
• be developed in chronological order
• Have verbs that help paint a picture and draw in the reader
• Dialogues that make characters come to life
Checking for Understanding
 Any
questions?