Chapter 5 Writing a Narrative 9-10 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning ® Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 1 Activity 7A Writing a Narrative (p. 97) A. Writing a Historical Narrative Write an imaginative narrative of a historical event based on a summary of the event found in reliable sources. Use your imagination to create dialogue or description, but what you create should be consistent with the facts you find.

Chapter 5 Writing a Narrative 9-10 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning ® Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 2 Activity 7A Writing a Narrative (p. 97) First Draft: Difficult Journey July 16, 1847 Today I finally felt well enough to walk on deck. Father says the fresh air will help my seasickness. The air below deck stinks. There are hundreds of passengers. We must all stay below deck. The ceiling is low. The area is filled with narrow bunks and there is very little water to drink or to clean up with. The slop buckets are filled with waste. The only (continued) Does the writing contain a problem or situation?

Chapter 5 Writing a Narrative 9-10 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning ® Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 3 Activity 7A Writing a Narrative (p. 97) air and light comes through a small hatch that isn’t open that much. My little brother Johnny cries from the heat and the stench. Mother does her best to comfort him by singing lullabies. He is hungry. We are all hungry, because the only food we get is yucky oatmeal. Most of the time the crew merely opens the hatch and throws the oatmeal down the opening. The crew is really mean. Once I saw a sailor kick and hit an old man who stumbled and knocked over a slop bucket on the sailor’s boots. Our only (continued) Does the writing reflect the events and emotions of the source text? Are descriptive words and sensory language used effectively? Where does the writing style seem choppy and disjointed?

Chapter 5 Writing a Narrative 9-10 Writing Companion © Perfection Learning ® Reproduction permitted for classroom use only. 4 Activity 7A Writing a Narrative (p. 97) nourishment is our dreams of a better life in America. On deck I walked with Father and looked at the blue water. I hope this beautiful ocean is a prelude to a better place and a better life. I asked my father if we will be rich and happy once we get to America. He only said that things can’t get much worse. Where could dialogue be used to make the story more interesting?