Autobiographical Narrative Example

Autobiographical Narrative

Definition: An autobiographical narrative tells the story of an experience that took place in the author’s life. It usually focuses on the details associate with the experience, but it also lets the author express his or her thoughts and feelings about what happened.

Using the following example as a model, write your own autobiographical narrative. Be sure to stay focused on one event/moment/day. The essay will be 600-700+ words, but no more than 800.  Type your essay and double-space or print it in black ink, skipping lines. Use a creative title. Use descriptive words and dialogue. Use the active voice. Rough draft due _______________________.

Writer’s Model

Introduction Attention-grabbing opener Hint at meaning Background information; main character Background information; main event Description BODY BEGINS Event one (chronological order) Dialogue Description Event two Thoughts and feelings Event three Description; action details Dialogue; thoughts and feelings Event four Conclusion Meaning of experience; thoughts and feelings Final thought

An Actor is Born      I wish I could say that I was planning my debut on Broadway the next season – or even that the experience was mildly successful. But I can’t. I don’t even know how I became involved in the first place. I’ve always known all the techniques for avoiding attention. I’m never late for class. I always sit in the back row. I keep my head down at the right times. But last year my family got involved, and life hasn’t been the same since.       The yearly drama production is always a big event around school. Last year, posters with strange objects that were supposed to be windmills, but looked more like clock hands run amok, went up everywhere. They decorated every available space and featured only two words: Don Quixote.      Not long after these decorations appeared, my parents began one of those dinner table conversations about “Susan’s Shyness and What Can Be Done About It.”      “Why don’t you sign up?” my father urged. “There are lots of things you can do offstage –lights, costumes, prompting. And it’ll be good for you. You’ll meet people and get out of yourself a little.”      Silence from me.      For some reason, this particular play really caught on at school. Maybe it was just the nuttiness—the strange, wonderful man who thought he was a knight and went off fighting windmills and showed People what it was like to have a dream. We has seen pictures of him in our world literature books, dressed up in his great-grandfather’s old, rusty armor. Anyway, my one true friend signed up and, in a moment of misguided fervor; so did I.       After that, it was all a chain of circumstances. Halfway through rehearsal, the actress playing Teresa got sick. I was leaning to work the lights, enjoying my place in the half-darkness of the theater, when Mr. Jacobs called my name. I don’t know why he ever chose me as an understudy in the first place—probably because it was a minor role and he had to have somebody, after all. It certainly wasn’t my stage presence. Anyway, no one thought for a moment that Elizabeth wouldn’t be there. I don’t think she missed a day of school since kindergarten—until opening night, that is.      Everything happened awfully fast that night. I was rushed into Elizabeth’s costume and pushed out onstage. It took a moment for me to adjust to the bright lights (the ones I was supposed to work). Then I saw John dressed up in that crazy armor, staring at me with a strained look on his face. “Oh,” I thought confusedly. “They’re all waiting for me to start. I’m supposed to say something.” But nothing came out. There in the glare of the spotlight, I stood onstage, absolutely alone and absolutely speechless.      Later, they told me that I seemed to be saying my lines but that nobody could hear them. It didn’t get easier as the longest play in history went on. I remember stumbling onto the stage each time in a kind of merciful daze. I discovered that if I didn’t look at the audience, I could retrieve most of my lines from my dim memory. No one mentioned afterward that Teresa seemed fixated on the empty space above the stage.      I didn’t suddenly blossom into Katharine Hepburn, but the world didn’t come to an end either. You still won’t find me leaping up to answer questions in class. But it was fun to go to the party with the rest of the cast, to laugh at some of the funny bloopers, and to feel good because everyone like the play so much. For once in my life, I’d been in the limelight a little. And it didn’t feel so bad, after all.

The following is another example, but please use the previous model as your guide.

On this morning in August when I was 13, my mother sent us out to pick tomatoes. Back in April I’d have killed for a fresh tomato, but in August they were no more rare or wonderful than rocks. So I picked one and threw it at a crab apple tree where it made a good splat, and then threw a tomato at my brother. He whipped one back at me. We ducked down by the vines, heaving tomatoes at each other. My sister, who was a good person, said, “you’re going to get it.” She bent over and kept on picking.

What a target! She was 17, a girl with big hips, and bending over, she looked like the side of a barn.

I picked up a tomato so big it sat on the ground. It looked like it had sat there a week. The underside was brown, small white worms lived in it, and it was very juicy. I stood up and took aim, and went into the windup, when my mother called my name in a sharp voice. I had to decide quickly. I decided.

A rotten Big Boy hitting the target is a memorable sound, like a fat man doing a belly-flop. With a whoop and a yell the tomatoee—came after me faster than I knew she could run, and grabbed my shirt and was about to brain me when Mother called her name in a sharp voice. And my sister, who was a good person, obeyed and let go—and burst into tears. I guess she knew that the pleasure of obedience is pretty thin compared with the pleasure of hearing a rotten tomato hit someone in the rear end.

~ From Lake Wobegon Days, Garrison Keillor, 1985

To get started: Make a timeline, beginning from the time you have any memory, of things that have happened to you. Include even small events. (Complicated events may have to be narrowed down)

1.                                                                                 7.

2.                                                                                 8.

3.                                                                                 9.

4.                                                                                 10.

5.                                                                                 11.

6.                                                                                 12.

PSEP 2015-2016

Standards assessed using the PSEP!

ELAGSE9-10RI1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

ELAGSE9-10W3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. a. Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events. b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. c. Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole. d. Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters. e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.

ELAGSE9-10W6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically

ELAGSE9-10W7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. 

ELAGSE9-10W8: Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation. 

ELAGSE9-10W9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

ELAGSE9-10SL4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development,substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.

ELAGSE9-10L1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

 ELAGSE9-10L2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. a. Use a semicolon (and perhaps a conjunctive adverb) to link two or more closely related independent clauses. b. Use a colon to introduce a list or quotation. c. Spell correctly. d. Produces legible work that shows accurate spelling and correct use of the conventions of punctuation and capitalization

ELAGSE9-10L3: Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening, and to write and to edit so that it conforms to the guidelines in a style manual (e.g., MLA Handbook, APA Handbook, Turabian’s Manual for Writers) appropriate for the discipline and writing type.

Post –Secondary Education Plan/Portfolio

The Post-Secondary Education Plan/Portfolio (PSEP) is designed to assist you in becoming an active participant in planning your future.  The plan will be a compilation of documents you will be required to ascertain in order to ensure success whether your decision is to attend college, enlist into armed forces, or enter the workforce.  Below you will find a list and description of the documents necessary to complete the plan.  The final product must be typed using MLA format when appropriate, and bound professionally (e.g. Staples, Kinko’s, Office Depot, Office Max, etc). Please do not wait until the last minute to work on this assignment, for you may risk receiving a failing grade.

Criteria—

            2- or 4-YEAR                             ARMED                                     THE

COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY**             FORCES                            WORKFORCE

§  Statement of Purpose §  Autobiographical Essay §  Recommendation Letter §  Resume’ §  Cover Letter §  Official Transcript (Process) §  Financial Plan: Budget (Car/Transportation, Apartment, /Credit/ Tax Info) §  College Essay/Personal Statement §  Scholarship Application(s) §  www.MyMajors.com §  College Admission Requirements §  Career Outlook §  Interview Research §  Voter, Selective Service (males only), SAT or  ACT Registration §  Reflective Essay §  Before and After (professional) pics §  Graded Essay §  Copy of Power Point Presentation §  Works Cited

§  Statement of Purpose §  Autobiographical Essay §  Recommendation Letter §  Resume’ §  Cover Letter §  Official Transcript (Process) §  Financial Plan Budget: (Car/Transportation, Apartment, /Credit/ Tax Info) §  Personal Statement §  Career Network §  www.MyMajors.com §  Admission/Rank Requirement §  Career Outlook §  Interview Research §  Voter, Selective Service (males only),  GCIS & ASVAB Registration §  Reflective Essay §  Before and After (professional pic) §  Graded Essay §  Copy of Power Point Presentation §  Works Cited

§  Statement of Purpose §  Autobiographical Essay §  Recommendation Letter §  Resume’ §  Cover Letter §  Proof of Applying to 3 jobs §  Official Transcript (Process) §  Financial Plan: (Car/Transportation, Apartment, /Credit/ Tax Info) §  Personal Statement §  Career Network §  www.MyMajors.com §  www.Monster.com &  www.AJCjobs.com §  Career Outlook §  Interview Research §  Voter, Selective Service (males only), GCIS & ASVAB Registration §  Reflective Essay §  Before and After (professional pic) §  Graded Essay §  Copy of Power Point Presentation §  Works Cited

**Research options for Vocational/Trade School (e.g. Cosmetology, Mortuary, Trucking, Dental Hygienist, etc) can be used to satisfy the requirement in lieu of a 2/4 year college/university, but follow the guidelines as directed above as it applies to your specific area if your choice is schooling, but not a 2- or 4-year college or university.

Criteria Descriptions—

§  Cover Page:  Your cover page should include your full name, instructor’s name, class title, and date in the upper left hand corner (MLA format).   Your statement of purpose should be centered in the middle of the cover page.  You must include a professional head/snapshot picture of yourself that is appropriate for and related to your future plan and/or statement of purpose.  Senior pictures if already taken will suffice.

§  Table of Contents

§  Acknowledgement Page

§  Statement of Purpose:  2-3 sentences highlighting or detailing your post-secondary plan—college or university, technical or trade school, the military service or workforce.  Workforce must only be selected if you do not plan to enroll in an institution of higher learning or enlist in the military within two (2) years.

§  Autobiographical Essay:  500 word expository essay describing an experience [one event] that has shaped your future plans (MLA format). 

TOPIC #1— Identify an event or a person who had a significant influence on you and explain the influence that it has had on your current choice for your post-secondary options (or)

Topic #2-- What are your career aspirations?

§  Recommendation Letter(s):  Find a sample of a recommendation (Do not include sample in your submitted plan) and compose a one (1) page letter of recommendation for yourself.  In addition, secure an additional letter from another source (e.g. Teacher/Counselor, Pastor, Leader o the Community); Letters of recommendations from friends and family are not acceptable] – MLA NOT REQUIRED (All Must be on Letterhead)

§  Resume’:  Find a sample of a student/academic resume (Do not include sample in your submitted plan) and compose an academic/personal student resume for yourself if your plans include college and armed forces; however, If you select the workforce your resume must be a professional resume for an entry-level position [Keep in mind this resume is not a resume for someone with extensive work experience].-- MLA NOT REQUIRED

§  Transcript Request & Transcript Request Form:  In a brief summary, report your findings on how to obtain a transcript, and also, request an official copy of your transcript from your counseling/guidance department so that you are able to determine the differences between an official and unofficial transcript.  This section of your PSEP must include all o the following: (1) transcript request form, (2) unofficial transcript, and (3) an official transcript placed in a protective pocket which will be used to secure your official transcript unbound.  Official transcript will be returned after teacher feedback is provided on project.

§  Financial Plan:  Report your findings on where and how you plan to live one year from now.  You are to research and compile your findings in a report to include visuals with color (e.g. pie chart, bar  chart, line chart, etc), which will cover the following information:

Budget	Research and itemize a living expense for where you plan to reside after graduation from high school
Savings & Investments	Research various savings and investment opportunities that will help you in your short and long term financial goals.  This should include various types of bank accounts, retirement plans, and other investment opportunities
Credit	Research the benefits and risk of obtaining credit.  This should include knowledge of the different credit cards, agencies, and credit reports
Financial Aid	Research the financial aid application process for the federal government and your chosen college or university.  Those not planning to attend college must research information on personal loans from various financial institutions
Transportation	Research the method of transportation that you plan to utilize and present the cost that you will incur
Taxes	Research the tax process.  This should include filing and exemption.

§  College Essay/Personal Statement:  Find the essay requirement for your top college choice and complete it generally you will find a section labeled “Personal Statement.”  If your college and/or university does not have an essay topic, select one (1) from below.  This can count as your College Essay. 

TOPIC #1 -- What is your approach to life? Reveal your life philosophy.

(or)

TOPIC #2 -- What is your strongest and most determined trait of character? Do you maintain strong beliefs and adhere to philosophy?

§  Cover Letter:  Find a sample letter of interest (Do not include sample in your submitted plan) and compose a letter for yourself expressing your desire to be apart of that particular organization or institution.

§  Scholarship Application:  Find 2 scholarships, other than HOPE, and complete the entire application process whether a hard copy or online.  You must show proof that these steps have been taken.  Proof should consist but are not limited of an inclusion of the scholarship requirements and rules, essay topic and essay (if applicable), deadline of submission, and where information must be submitted. 

§  Career Network: Contact at least four (4) people in your field of interest and use them as consultants while you are completing the plan.  Each consultant must complete a letter of verification stating his/her role in assisting you. You must also interview one of these individuals. This interview and be proven by showing the questions and answers in written format, a video of the interview, or recording on cd (placed in the portfolio)

§  www.MyMajors.com:  Complete the necessary step and submit the final analysis as well as the explanations of each suggestion from the website.  Do not merely print from the website, but you must copy and paste within a word document your results using MLA format.  Do not forget to cite source on your words cited page.

§  www.CareerBuilders.com /www.AJCjobs.com:  Utilize this search engine/website and report your findings as it relates to employment opportunities.

§  College Admission Requirements:  Obtain the admission requirements for your top three (3) college/university choices.  Report your findings in a three (3) column chart. Apply to at least 2 of them and provide the confirmation page.

§  Admission/Rank Requirements:  Obtain the admission and basic rank requirements for each brand of the armed forces.  Report your findings in a columned chart

§  Career Outlook:  Research your selected career to obtain the following:  Job description, job requirements, and salary comparison for three (3) different states, future demand, and advancement opportunities.  .  Report your findings in a three (3) column chart.

§  Interview Research:  Conduct research on effective interviewing skills and practices and write a one (1) page summary of your findings

§  Registration (VOTER, SELECTIVE SERVICE (males only), SAT, ACT, GCIS, & ASVAB):  Register for the ACT and/or SAT test, ASVAB and include proof of registration.  GCIS Career Interest Inventory must be completed and a final analysis included in plan.  In addition, if you are 18, you must register to vote, obtain a voter registration card, and present the process for absentee ballots.   If you are not 18, you must learn the process of how to register to vote and report our findings.  If for any other reason you can not register to vote please write a one (1) page paper explaining why and discussing what step you would need to take if you were required to register to vote. Also, all males students 18 years or older, you must show proof of registering for the Selective Service explaining its purpose and the steps necessary to complete this task.

§  Reflective Essay:  Review your statement of purpose and reflect on the assignments completed for this portfolio.  Explain in an essay how this activity has aided you in becoming an active participant in planning you future.  This essay must be at least 250 words.

§  Graded Essay: Just provide an essay that has been turned in and graded by one of your literature teachers. It can come from you freshman to senior year.

§  Before and After Pics The “before” pic should have come from your experiences prior to entering high school and your “after” pic should be a professional looking picture taken during your senior year.

§  Power Point This is a copy of the presentation you will be presenting during Senior Panel Presentation Days

§  Works Cited:  A citation is a brief citing or notation of a scholarly source. It gives credit to the author of the material utilized. A citation is imperative for readers to research the finding of one's information. It also protects the writer reusing the material from plagiarism and possible copyright infringement. SEE SAMPLE PROVIDED.

GOOD LUCK J

**NOTE**

Color may only be used for cover page, filler or divider pages, graphics, graphs, charts, etc., not the text in essays, letters and/or resumes.

English Department Statement on Style

As a student of English, you should strive to present work that is of high quality both in content and format and demonstrates your mastery of composition requirements for your freshmen, sophomore, Junior, and/or senior year. The T.C.H.S. English Department will help students practice and master the use of MLA style writing criteria.  MLA stands for Modern Language Association. This is one of several organizations that act as a governing body for writers, teachers of writing, and students of writing. The following MLA standards are common in all Humanities classrooms which include English/Language Arts. Teachers of other disciplines, like Social Studies and Science, are expected to familiarize you with the writing style appropriate for their subject area.  Essays that do not conform to MLA style requirements will be marked down. For more information, review a copy of The MLA Style Manual which can be borrowed from the T.C.H.S. Media Center, your local library, or purchased from your local bookstore or viewed on MA.org.

Essay Submission Guidelines

·         Your essay should be submitted typed on a computer and printed out on standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper (unless instructed otherwise).

·         Print in black ink, and ensure that the print quality is not smeared, blurred, or otherwise illegible.

·         Students should staple papers in the upper left-hand corner before turning them in, unless otherwise specified in the assignment. (This is a department preference, not an MLA rule. Other teachers may have other preferences.)

·         Double-space the text of your paper, and use the most legible font, Times New Roman. The entire paper should be double-spaced, including quotations and the Works Cited list, if required. Do not use more than double-spacing between your title and the text of the essay or between paragraphs, etc.

·         Your text should be left-aligned--i.e., flush and straight on the left side but uneven on the right side.

·         The font size should be twelve (12). Leave only two spaces after periods or other punctuation marks (unless otherwise instructed by your instructor).

·         Set the margins of your document to one (1) inch on all sides (unless otherwise instructed by your instructor). Always indent the first line of a paragraph one half-inch (five spaces or press tab once) from the left margin. Do not use an additional hard return between paragraphs. Remember, the paragraph is a rhetorical unit.

***See Sample Essay and Works Cited on back***

Desiree Dominique Smith

Junavember 00, 0000

Jane Doe Deer/ Block 0

Essay Writing

Creating a Header and Works Cited Page       

            Create a header that numbers all pages consecutively in the upper right-hand corner, one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin.  (Note: Make sure you always follow your instructor's guidelines.) Use either italics or underlining throughout your essay for the titles of longer works. Titles of short works should be placed in “Quotes”. Your essay should be headed with a centered title on the first page of the essay (not on a separate title page). *MLA requires that “The title should come after your name and the course information and immediately precede the text of your essay” (Gibaldi 8). The title should be specific enough to give the reader a good idea of your topic without knowing what assignment you are responding to.                                        

If you use any outside sources in your paper, you must include a Works Cited page at the end of your essay. Your instructor will review how those sources will be documented within the paper. The sources used should be accounted for in a Works Cited page. *The words Works Cited should be centered, one inch from the top margin. Each entry that follows should be double-spaced and alphabetized according to the last name of the author. If no author is listed, then the first letter of the title of the source should be used. Entries should not be numbered.  A sample Works Cited page is provided (Gibaldi 65).

Works Cited

Gibaldi, Joseph.  MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.  6th ed.  New York:

Modern Language Association, 2003. 

Stolley, Karl. "MLA Formatting and Style Guide." The OWL at Purdue. 10 May 2006.

Tri-Cities High School.  28 Feb 2008. <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/>.

“UWO English Department’s MLA Style Tips.”  22 Feb 2007. Tri Cities High School. 28          

February 2008. <http://www.uwo.ca/english/site/undrgrd/mlatips/mlaformat.html>.

Notes:

*The citations in the Sample essay are done only to illustrate what MLA Parenthetical Citation should look like for Direct Quotes, Paraphrases and/or Summaries. Page numbers do not correspond to information that really exists on that page.