Literacy Hunt  Today you will meet with a partner you do not know. It needs to be someone you did not know before the first day of school.  You will be answering their questions for them, and they will answer your questions for you.  Please make sure the answers are very specific, you will need this information for another assignment and the more information you have now, the easier the second piece will be.

Literacy Bio A literacy biography is “an account of significant factors and events that have contributed to your development as a reader or writer.” The role language plays in your life is the product of numerous experiences that have shaped the way you think, write and read. Writing a literacy autobiography is your chance to tell a compelling story of how you past experiences, with written and spoken words, have created your present-day relationship with language.

TIMELINE Make a literacy timeline by brainstorming as many significant memories and experiences with language as you can. For example, you might write about what books you most enjoyed reading as a child, your attitudes toward writing and how they have changed, or personal writing you did when you were younger, such as poetry or diary entries. Literacy can also mean experiences with communication; therefore, you might think about the role language played in your family or social groups when growing up. Then, consider what your views of literacy are today and how these experiences helped to create them.

Focus Once you’ve brainstormed the major events of your literary development, look through the list and identify the most significant ones. Consider what themes you see in your life experience. For example, certain stories or characters may have inspired you to gain confidence or see yourself in a new light, or because of a teacher or parent’s encouragement, journaling or creative writing have become lifelong pastimes. Focus your material to the events that have most shaped your current relationship with literacy.

Narrative A literacy autobiography is primarily a personal narrative. As you write, think about how to implement devices like characterization, setting, description, and dialogue. Think about how you might make your teacher come to life as a character, or have your favorite place to read as a child might become a vivid setting. Consider what descriptions might make your audience feel the thrill of a brush with a good story, or the frustration of a school struggle. The most successful literacy autobiographies don’t just tell a story, but make readers interested and invested in it.

Your Task 1.Create the timeline 2.Narrow your focus to find the most significant event or the event you feel would make the most interesting narrative 3.Write the narrative (1-3 paragraphs)  Be engaging  Create clear characters  Consider including dialogue REMEMBER: It should be clear for the reader why and how this literacy experience is so significant and worthy of writing about.