Writing a Literacy Narrative The Norton Field Guide

Writing a Literacy Narrative The Norton Field Guide to Writing

Warm-up Exercise l Make a list of “ 10 things you know to be true” about your literacy acquisition. l Compare your list with 3 other students. l http: //www. ted. com/talks/sarah_kay_if_i_s hould_have_a_daughter. html l 4: 00

What is a literacy narrative? l A literacy narrative is a first-hand narrative about reading or composing in any form or context. l Literacy narratives can be about reading stories books, cereal boxes, music, or video game cheats—anything at all that you read. l Literacy narratives can be about composing letters, Facebook pages, song lyrics, ’ zines, blogs, maps, essays in school—anything at all that you compose. l Literacy narratives can be sad or happy, poignant or funny, informative or incidental. l Literacy narratives often focus on powerful memories about events, people, situations, places—times when you tried and succeeded or tried and failed; someone who gave you a chance or took one away; situations when someone taught you how to do something or when you taught someone else. Adapted from http: //blackcolumbus. osu. edu/the. Project/whatisnarrative

Key features l Well-told story: Suspense need for resolution. Keep readers motivated to keep reading. l Vivid detail: create a mental picture of what you are saying. l Dialogues help “hear” what is being said. l Significance, not moral.

Generating Ideas l Choose a topic: focus on a single event that took place during a relatively brief period of time (see p. 28). l Consider the rhetorical situation: think about the purpose of your writing, the audience it is addressed to, the kind of tone you want to give it and the design it will have (include photos/pictures? )

Generating Ideas l Literacy Timeline : list the most important moments in your literacy development (date/time + event) Example: http: //www. timetoast. com/timelines/mistysliteracy-timeline Online tools: l http: //www. timetoast. com/ l http: //www. dipity. com/

Let’s start drafting! l Begin writing Today we shall focus on two elements that MUST be present in your literacy narrative: Setting/Environment Sponsors/people

Setting/Environment l What do you see? (materials? ? ? ) l What do you hear? l What do you smell? l How and what do you feel? l What do you taste?

Sponsors/people Describe each major sponsor in a paragraph or so. l What does s/he look like? l How does s/he dress? l How does s/he speak? l What does s/he do?

Write a beginning l Jump right in l Describe the context l Describe the setting l Talk about the event

Write an ending l End where the story ends l Say something about the significance of your narrative (not moral) l Refer back to the beginning l End on a surprising note