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I visited you in the intensive care unit. You were placed at the end of the hall. A respirator breathed each breath in and out, in and out, in and out. You didn’t know what was happening. There was a look in your eye that was foreign to me. That was vacant, yet full of carnal fear. You ripped at the plastic tubing. You tried to pull it out. Gagging. Gagging. They had to restrain you. Had to bind your arms to the bed.
One night after visiting hours, I visited you all alone. I held your bony fingers. I stood along your bedside. You knew who I was that day. When it came time for me to leave you, you gasped for me to help you. You begged for me to take you away. I told you everything would be okay. You refused to leave me. You were getting more and more upset, and I didn’t know what to do—I needed my mom to tell me, but my mom was begging for rescue. You came out of your restraints and started pulling at the tubing. I had to call the nurse to sedate you. The last words you said were “don’t leave me.” A tear rolled from your eye. The nurse asked me to leave you. And I walked out the door.
to Emptiness {narrativeswallow.jpg}
As I pulled up to the house around 11, I saw your car was gone. My sister sat in the kitchen and told me you got the call.
XII. Selflessness

Students will enter into a classroom community that respects diversity and participation
Unit Activities
Mission - Get students describing the aims, values, and overall plan of the student for the course
Memoirs - Gets students thinking in terms of using concise language that evokes meaning
Manifesto - Gets students to generate a list of beliefs--similar to Tarak McLain's "Thirty Things I Believe"

Are our beliefs static or in flux?
Why is it important to identify and write for an authentic audience?
Objectives
Students will engage in the explication of a narrative essay with emphasis placed on imagery
Students will write for an authentic audience
Students will enter into a classroom community that respects diversity and participation
Unit Activities
Memoirs - Gets students thinking in terms of using concise language that evokes meaning

There Is No Such Thing As Too Much Barbecue
{StrengthWeakness.png} After examining sample essays, the students constructed this venn diagram of what makes a strong narrative and what makes a weak narrative. The items that are placed in the overlap can strengthen or weaken the essay depending on how the student uses the item.
{NPR - TIB - School Poster.pdf}
Ideas for Student Sharing:
Play one at the beginning of each class

Memoir 1
Write a six-word memoir that provide an account of your personal life and experience as a teacher, mentor, coach or parent OR as a student, learner, apprentice or child
Response:
What does the memoir tell you about the writer? What word is most evocative to you? What questions come to mind?
I envision your memoir situated in (insert scenario or setting here)
Memoir 2
If you had but six words to create a snapshot of your personal life or experiences, what six words would you choose? What is the most important thing for you to convey about yourself today?

Memoir: An account of one's personal life and experiences; autobiographical (but in a snapshot sense)
Memoir 1
or parent OR as a student, learner, apprentice or child
Memoir 2
Write a six-word memoir that provide an account of your personal life and experience as a student, learner, apprentice or child
Memoir 3
If you had but six words to create a snapshot of your personal life or experiences, what six words would you choose? What is the most important thing for you to convey about yourself today?
ONCE YOU GET A FEW IDEAS ON THE PAGE, SELECT THE ONE THAT SPEAKS TO YOU MOST. PLAY WITH THE WORDS. MANIPULATE THEM UNTIL YOU ARRIVE AT THE MEANING YOU WANT TO EVOKE.
Drafting your This I Believe essay
be written?
Take 15 minutes to begin drafting your This I Believe essay; be aware of the story that emerges and the description that forms.

Record essay and post on a course web space
Have students publish on NPR (this would likely require parent permission)*
Student Digital Writing Portfolios
This year I am having my students create online writing portfolios. Since there is much concern over student privacy, the students will create their online writing portfolios on a private wikispace that only their peers can access. Quarterly, students will need to update their writing portfolios and comment on their peers' portfolios. Ideally, this will expand the student's audience from the teacher to their peers. The Voki introduces students to the writing portfolio.
My Questions and/or Concerns:

Why is it important to identify and write for an authentic audience?
Unit Activities
terms of using concise language that evokes meaning
Manifesto - list of beliefsbeliefs--similar to Tarak McLain's "Thirty Things I Believe"
Mantra* - Gets students to consider what words guide their lives
What is Narrative? A Discussion
Exploration of Sample Essays
Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses
Prewriting activities help the student to identify a belief they carry that they can convey in a personal narrative
PSSA Style Draft- Used as a formative assessment of student writing
Descriptive Writing - this activity is exactly like the artifact exercise we did at LVWP, but instead of selecting an artifact from your peer's artifacts, the student is to bring in an artifact that is reminiscent or identifiable in their personal essay. The student directs his or her attention to the "Who?" "What?" "Where?" "When?" "How?" "Why" *Inspired by " "
Conventions
Identify Conventions Weakness
Crafting stage helps students articulate and strengthen their beliefs
Due Draft
Have students publish on SmithTeens (this would likely require parent permission)*
What makes good narrative writing? Identifying strengths and weaknesses.
{StrengthWeakness.png} After examining sample essays, the students constructed this venn diagram of what makes a strong narrative and what makes a weak narrative. The items that are placed in the overlap can strengthen or weaken the essay depending on how the student uses the item.
How do we adhere to the curriculum while effectively teaching writing? Narrative or Informational?
This I Believe has served as a partial answer to this question. I am mandated to do three (narrative, informational, persuasive) PSSA-style essays with my juniors. While PDE provides a thorough explanation about what a narrative is, PDE has not posted a sample narrative prompt or essay. When I have seen examples identified as narrative, I struggle because I tend to see the prompt as leaning toward the informational or narrative modes. Thus, I push for my students to write essays that incorporate narrative elements, so that I can enter the lives of my students' through this piece.
Finding the Flexibility to Survive
There Is No Such Thing As Too Much Barbecue
{StrengthWeakness.png} After examining sample essays, the students constructed this venn diagram of what makes a strong narrative and what makes a weak narrative. The items that are placed in the overlap can strengthen or weaken the essay depending on how the student uses the item.
Ideas for Student Sharing:
Since This I Believe originated as audio essays, I have my students record their essays using GarageBand (Mac)Play one at the beginning of each class
Record essay and post them toon a class pagecourse web space
Have students publish on the wiki.NPR (this would likely require parent permission)*
This year I am having my students create online writing portfolios. Since there is much concern over student privacy, the students will create their online writing portfolios on a private wikispace that only their peers can access. Quarterly, students will need to update their writing portfolios and comment on their peers' portfolios. Ideally, this will expand the student's audience from the teacher to their peers. The Voki introduces students to the writing portfolio.
My Questions and/or Concerns:
this dichotomy. What approach would you take in your classes?
It seems as though the girls in my class thrive with narrative writing; whereas, my boy do not. Possible inquiry.
Links
NPR: This I Believe