Name: Caroline Rhude High School: Hamilton High School- Academy of Music Magnet Date: 23 July 2012 Student

Voice Project 2012 Lesson Plan

Topic: Writing a personal statement Time Required: 90 minute class Objective: Students will write a narrative/ personal statement describing a significant event that shaped who they are today (UC Statement #1, 2011-2012 application) Common Core or California standard: (for example, CCSS Writing 4 (9-12 grades): Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience) ELA 2.1 Writing Applications Write fictional, autobiographical, or biographical narratives where students (a) narrate a sequence of events and communicate their significance to the audience. Lesson description: Students will start their personal statement writing by first writing a six-word autobiography. Then, student will use their six-word autobiography to narrate a sequence of events and communicate their significance to the audience or Materials: Paper and pen, copies of the following articles: Off the Shelf by Patti Smith, A summer serenade to L.A. by Hector Tobar, Crazy Salad by Nora Ephron. Excerpts or students samples of past personal statements. Also use 50 Successful Harvard Application Essays, Second Edition: What Worked for Them Can Help you Get into the College of Your Choice. Procedures Do Now (5 min) Think about an event from your life and tell a story about that event in six words. (Ex: Ring! Overslept. First day of school.) [pass out sample from 50 Harvard Application Essays]
Beatrice Motamedi, Student Voice Project, 2012

Read through this sample and summarize it in six words. Opening (3 min) This week, we will practice the art of writing a narrative by writing your college application personal statement. Six words can say a lot. It can even define you as a person. Hemmingway wrote an autobiography in six words, For sale: Baby shoes. Never worn. It can also be used as the opening line to your personal statement. Activities Use bullet points here if you like for example: 1. Write your six-word story the story of you 2. Read/ share your six-word story. If you wrote more than one. Share those as well. 3. Discuss: How does that six-word story entice your audience? How did you select what words to use? What can be inferred? What is direct? 4. Read Off the shelf by Patti Smith. 5. Discuss in pairs, the Smiths style of writing. 6. Now read, A summer serenade to LA by Hector Tobar 7. Discuss how Tobars writing differed from Smiths 8. Using your six-word story as a foundation, write the rest of your story. Include details about chronology using key transition words outlining sequence. How does this author use compression and deconstruction? How does sentence length contribute to the essays structure? 9. In pairs, swap your narratives. Then using what information is provided write an outline of events that is conveyed in your partners narrative.
Beatrice Motamedi, Student Voice Project, 2012

10. Look at the outline your partner wrote about your story draft. Does your six-word story capture/summarize your partners outline of your story? Does your partners outline of your story contain key words or details you wish you selected for your own six-word story? 11. Discuss with your partner what elements of the narrative need improvement. Focus on sequence of events. It must contain a beginning, middle and end but not necessarily in that order. 12. Rewrite your six-word story. Use language that captures the significance and image youd like to portray about this event. 13. Now, use the revised six-word story as your opening line to your personal statement. 14. Review your draft of your own narrative. After placing the six-word story as the opening line, make revisions to your narrative. Be sure to use language that captures the significance and image youd like to portray about this event; language that reflects the six-word story. Closing Statement (1 min) Reflection or take-home assignment (2 min) Using the six-word story as an opening line, or a closing line is a great way to start writing a narrative. It captures enough of your story without spoiling the actually telling of it. Use it sparingly. Using the samples of narratives as inspiration. Polish your narrative for homework.

Beatrice Motamedi, Student Voice Project, 2012