1. Introductions

2.  Identify the narrator ◦ 1 st person narrator  “I was born in…..” or “My parrot’s name is Twinkie and…” ◦ 3 rd person narrator  “Amanda missed the school bus on Tuesday. She…”  “Antonio had always loved to run, but that all changed when he tripped and fell during the big track meet.”  Identify the main characters ◦ Who else is in the story besides the narrator?

3.  “I am from El Mirador, a village near the town of Ojitlan, by the city of Tuxtepect, in the city of Oaxaca, Mexico. I am a Zapotec india [Indian]. Zapotec is a kind of indígena [native] group from Mexico. The dialect we speak is Zapoteca. My grandparents are Zapotec and were born on the ranchito [small ranch] I lived on, and they worked off the land, planting seeds, harvesting the crops, and selling them if there was extra. My mother grew up there also. My real father was from around there, too. But I never really knew him. My grandmother raised me so my mother could work in Mexico City.” ◦ -from “Fitting In” by Andrea Martínez

4.  Provide a conflict (“problem”) or thesis for the story ◦ In other words, why are you sharing the story? What is the point you want to get across? Think of some of your classmates’ stories. What were some of the “conflicts” they shared?

5.  “My dad’s in the hospital. A “work-a-holic.” I didn’t think that was a real thing. I always thought it was an exaggeration. People always know when to stop. Why didn’t he know when to stop? I never realized how important he is to me until I saw him raise his hand to his chest. I was terrified.” -from “My Father: Mr. Pride” by Ixchel Lechuga

6.  Identify the narrator, main characters, and conflict or thesis in the following excerpt: “You can imagine my surprise when I walked into school and was immediately surrounded by a mob of people asking me if my best friend, Kirsten, had shaved her head. Confused, I said I knew nothing more than they did, and excused myself. What an absurd rumor. I walked to first period.”  from “Cute Memory” by Rebecca Anna Grimes

7.  Identify the narrator, main characters, and conflict or thesis in the following excerpt: “I remember when Allah erased all doubt from my mind. As in any religion, maintaining faith is highly important. My discipline of Islam believes once a follower’s loyalty is challenged, Allah answers. The legacy of my uncle’s death has transformed me into a devout Muslim.”  From “A Silent Wish of Hope” by Shakira Nesha Villanueva

8.  You need to pick your topic! ◦ Write in the space below possible topics that you could include under “The Middle School Experience” theme

9.  Choose which experience from your own life that you want to write about for your personal narrative  Brainstorm ideas about what we could call our class’s compilation of stories about The Middle School Experience