Narrative Writing Assessment

Narrative Writing Assessment

Narrative Writing

Opening

Since you began school, you’ve used your imagination to write many stories. These stories are called narratives .

Today you’ll write a narrative so that your teacher can see how much you know about writing a good story.

Write a brief response to this question.

What do you know about narrative writing?

Open Notebook

Share with the class.

Benchmark (Cold Write): Narrative

Work Time

Now you will write your narrative. Remember that a narrative is a story about events, both real and imaginary.

You will have 20 minutes to write you narrative.

  • Write a brief narrative in response to the prompt.

New Literacy

Work Time

In your small group, read “The New Literacy” by Clive Thompson. Note passages that stand out to you as surprising, confusing, or intriguing.

After you finish, reflect on the questions below.

  • How frequently do you communicate in writing?
  • What percentage of your own writing is school-related?
  • For you, what is the main difference in writing for peers versus writing for your teacher?

Open Notebook

Then discuss your answers with your small group members.

Secret Messages

Work Time

Staying with your small group, read “Secret Messages in the Digital Age.”

Note passages that stand out to you as surprising, confusing, or intriguing.

After your first read-though, reflect on the questions below.

  • Why does Thompson compare modern teenagers to ancient Greek spies?
  • What is “youth steganography” and why does the author suggest it is a positive development? Do you agree?
  • Can you think of a time when you have sent a digital “secret message”? Describe the message and whether it was received as you intended.
  • What similar points are the two articles you have read in this lesson making? Sum up your answer in a few sentences.

Open Notebook

When you finish, discuss your answers with your small group members.

Technology Quick Write

Closing

In a Quick Write, gather your thoughts and impressions so far on the role technology plays in shaping our lives. Focus on the articles you’ve just read.

  • In the digital world of the modern teenager that Thompson describes, what is similar to your own experience? What’s different?

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Digital Disconnect

Homework

Sometime between now and Lesson 7, you’re going to try an experiment in disconnecting. Choose an evening and digitally disconnect yourself. Stay off the Internet, phone, and anything else that keeps you digitally and instantaneously connected. Stay off for the whole evening if you can, and if you can’t, explain why you couldn’t.

Make sure you let your parents or guardians know in advance about your plan to disconnect. You don’t want to scare anybody. After your evening of digital disconnection, you’ll reflect in writing on the questions below.

  • How hard was it to stay disconnected? Why was it so hard or easy?
  • How did other people react to your disappearance? Did anybody “miss you” online?
  • Were there any positive consequences to disconnecting?
  • Were there any negative consequences?
  • For how long were you able to disconnect?
  • If you had to reconnect before the evening was over, explain why.
  • Be sure to make a note of any part of this experience that might provide personal evidence for your argument paper and add it to the document you began at the beginning of Lesson 3.

Open Notebook