Modeling Autobiographical Incident Step 2: Brainstorm events related to the prompt. My mom played Santa to poor kids Write about a conflict in your life I learned how to play tennis I learned not to pick on somebody bigger My uncle taught me how to fish

Modeling Autobiographical Incident Step 3: Explore your memory for details. Memorable Christmas Scenes My house (cheerful, decorated, presents) Poor house (dreary, plain, no presents)

Modeling Autobiographical Incident Step 3: Explore your memory for details. Memorable Christmas Scenes Key People Me (happy, resentful) My house (cheerful, decorated, presents) Mom (insightful, insistent) Poor kids (torn clothes, sad eyes) Poor house (dreary, plain, no presents) Poor mom (sad, glowing smile)

Modeling Autobiographical Incident Step 3: Explore your memory for details. Memorable Christmas Main Events Scenes Key People Me (happy, resentful) My house (cheerful, decorated, presents) Got doll Made choice Mom (insightful, insistent) Visit kids Watch kids Poor kids (torn clothes, sad eyes) Poor house (dreary, plain, no presents) Reflected and thanked mom Poor mom (sad, glowing smile)

I learned that people can get more joy from giving than from receiving Modeling Autobiographical Incident Step 3: Explore your memory for details. Memorable Christmas Main Events Scenes Key People Lesson Learned Me (happy, resentful) My house (cheerful, decorated, presents) Got doll I learned that people can get more joy from giving than from receiving Made choice Mom (insightful, insistent) Visit kids Watch kids Poor kids (torn clothes, sad eyes) Poor house (dreary, plain, no presents) Reflected and thanked mom Poor mom (sad, glowing smile)

Modeling Autobiographical Incident Step 5: Write an introduction. Include a grabber, some background information, and a hint of the topic. Sometimes the best lessons in life come our way when we least expect them. That is exactly what happened on December 25th in my ninth year of life. For weeks my mother had scurried around our spacious home decorating each room with traditional Christmas paraphernalia. For days, Mom had stationed herself in our kitchen preparing a special feast for all of the relatives who would arrive for Christmas dinner. This was not an unusual Christmas, or so I thought. Each year seemed to be just as festive and delightful as the previous one. Grabber Background Hint

Modeling Autobiographical Incident Step 7: Flow Map the next events (these lead up to your main point). Remember to slow down the action and use precise details. Transition 1 Rising Action Transition 2 Climax(1) Transition 3 Falling Action Saw presents under the tree Took gifts to poor kids Drove back home 1._______________ 2._______________ 3._______________ 4._______________ 5._______________ 1._____________ 2._____________ 3._____________ 4._____________ 5._____________ 1._____________ 2._____________ 3._____________ 4._____________ 5._____________

MEDIA QUESTIONS 1. What was I doing? 2. What were those around me doing? 3. What was I thinking? ***** 4. What was I feeling? ******* 5. Describe the scene

Modeling Autobiographical Incident Step 8: Write your conclusion. Remember to state or imply what happened as a result of your experience. Try to use a statement about human experience in general . Many Christmas days have come and gone as that one. No present, food, or decoration since that one Christmas when we visited the poor kids. . .Yet no Christmas has been quite as meaningful has succeeded in warming my heart like the smile of the little ragged girl who received my special Christmas doll. I learned something about life that day – real joy comes in giving, rather than in receiving. My mother taught me well. why it was memorable relate to human experience