First-Person Narrative: What's Your Story?

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

There are Enough Combinations of Words to Reach to the Stars

In the picture above, you may see a man telling a story or explaining something while children listen very closely. You might have noticed that the man is pointing and has his lips parted as though speaking while the others look at him with interest.

You are correct if these are the things you noticed. The man who is pointing is telling a story, and from the expressions on the faces of those listening, it must be very entertaining.

• Do you have a family member who enjoys telling stories about the past?
• Do you like listening to stories?
• What about bedtime stories or books?
• Do you have a favorite?

Once Upon a Long Time Ago

There were stories before there were iPads or tablets; laptops or desktops; PlayStations or Xboxes; or even television, radio, or movie theaters.

Stories served three main purposes in the days before mass and social media.

1. to entertain
2. to teach a moral lesson or tell an important truth about life
3. to serve as a means of keeping a family's or culture's history alive for future generations

Before people began keeping a written record of stories, people would tell stories for fun and entertainment.

• Did you ever hear similar versions of the same story, such as different cultural or geographic versions of fairy tales or folklore?

This is because of the oral tradition. As people moved across the globe, they took their stories with them.

Much like humans had to adapt to new cultures, traditions, and physical environments, stories and their elements had to change to fit the new surroundings as well.

We All Have a Story to Tell

We all have memories and moments that stand out from our other experiences. Those are our stories. They don't have to be packed with a particular emotion or evoke emotions in others; they just have to be interesting, detailed stories.

• Have you ever heard the song "Story of My Life" by One Direction?

You do not need to be a fan of their music to understand the lyrics explaining how important it is to watch for moments when time seems to freeze. Those events help sculpt our stories.

Remember, it doesn't have to be anything earth-shattering — it can be anything from the birth of a younger sibling to the first time you rode a bike without training wheels. It can be a funny or embarrassing experience — as long as you feel it was important and that you learned something from the experience.

Brainstorming Topics

Now that you are hopefully more inspired, see where your creative juices lead.

Print the Story of My Life Topic Brainstorming sheet located in Downloadable Resources in the right-hand sidebar.

Write a few ideas down on this paper and reflect on how the events made you feel. Also, consider some sensory details you could include to make your story more interesting.

Finally, see if you can come up with the lesson you learned after experiencing the event.

A Personal Narrative Doesn't Need to Have All Your Details

Narrative is a word that means the same as story.

You will be asked to write multiple narratives, including personal narratives, throughout your school career. Most SAT and college essays are personal narratives, but you have some time before you need to worry about that.

All narratives follow the same storyline structure, but what sets the personal narrative apart from any other narrative is that it is based on factual events and is intended to teach a life lesson.

As you write and think about your event, ask and answer what you learned from the experience.

How to Write Your Personal Narrative

1. Write in first person (use "I" and "me").

2. Write in past tense EXCEPT for the last paragraph if you decide to write your moral or lesson learned as a reflection on the event.

Example: Looking back now on that day, I should have known that I would hate sushi, but I am a follower. I am learning to be stronger and stand up for myself, especially when it comes to eating raw creatures!

3. Include strong characters through description and dialogue.

4. Include a setting.

5. Include a well-thought-out plot that is developed in chronological order.

6. Include a conflict (even if internal) and resolution.

7. Add a resolution that contains the moral or lesson learned.

8. Base it on a factual event.

It's time to get that story outline going in the Got It? section!