Course Source: Reading and writing Theme: Narrative essay lesson introduction/warm-up activity

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Title of subject: Reading and writing 
Author and Email Address: Nematjonov Sh. 
[e-mail]
  
Grade Level: 2
nd
 course  
Source: Reading and writing 
Theme: Narrative essay 
LESSON 
Introduction/warm-up activity: 
Ask students to write out three examples of how they are different now than 
they were on their first day of high school. NOTE: You may want to distribute 
the Personal Narrative Essay worksheet to help students generate ideas, or hold 
that for later in the lesson. 
• Invite students to share some of their self-observations with the class. As they 
share their observations, encourage them to give examples of behavior, or 
actions that demonstrate the changes they have identified. See if they can also 
articulate how they used to think/behave/act before the changes took place. 
Discuss WHY these changes occurred. Define CATALYST, CAUSE, EFFECT. 
Discuss the standard structure of the before and after essay; i.e., describe how 
you were before the change, describe the catalyst/cause for your change, 
describe yourself after the change. 
Main activity: 
• Distribute and read aloud (or ask a student to read aloud) 
“A Home Destroyed,”
 
a personal narrative essay by Nina, a student applying to Johns Hopkins 
University. 
• Discuss how Nina SHOWS her changes rather, than just telling about them. 
• Briefly address the senior assistant director of admissions’ comment and how 
Nina was able to write about something very personal that had a larger 
universal theme. 
• Ask students to select an important change in their lives/character as a topic. 
• 
Students brainstorm ideas for their cause-effect/before-after essays using the 
Personal
 
Narrative Essay worksheet
.
 
• Have students write a descriptive paragraph for the BEFORE or 
CATALYST/CHANGE section of their essay. 
Closing: 

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• 2–3 students share and receive commentary on their descriptive paragraphs.