Westbury+Court,+Edwidge+Danticat,+and+the+Narrative+Arc+Standard+2.2

** Advanced Composition: Personal Narrative Day 2 ** ** Lesson Objectives: ** 1. Students will be able to define narrative arc. 2. Students will be able to name and define the four elements of the narrative arc 3. Students will be able to identify the elements of the narrative arc within a narrative piece **. **
 * Personal Narrative Unit Lesson Plan Day 2: Edwidge Danticat, Immigrant Authors, and the Narrative Arc**

** Standard: **Writing Processes, Reading Applications: Literary Text

**Benchmark:** Formulate writing ideas and identify a topic appropriate to the purpose and audience. B. Select and use an appropriate organizational structure to refine and develop ideas for writing. Critique an author’s style.

**Specific Lesson Goal/Link to Assessment**

**Question: What information will students be tested on from this lesson?** Students will be informally assessed on how much effort they put toward their pre-writing strategies and how they come about choosing their topic.

**Question: How does this link to previous/future learning?** Today is a continuance of day one in which students first began thinking about and developing the topic for their narrative. Tomorrow students will have their topic selected and will begin writing their first draft.

**Materials Needed:** Copies of “Westbury Court,” Copy of student checklist to formatively assess their being on task during discussion and pre-writing, Narrative Arc sheet, Westbury Court response questions

**Instructional Strategies:**

**Entry:** Yesterday we began our unit on personal narrative. Today we will read an example of personal narrative as a model by Edwidge Danticat, a Haitian born author who immigrated to New York City when she was little. The reason I chose her piece is because not only does her piece have a great narrative arc which will be the purpose of our lesson today, but also because it is important that in school you read a variety of authors from all over the world who have diverse voices and opinions. There is a tendency in English class for students only to read dead white American men. Not only will we read men and women in our time together, but we will hear from domestic and foreign voices alike. The essence of democracy is that we are free to explore the world for opinions of peoples different than ourselves and that we can accept others from other cultures like brothers and sisters into our society. Before we can begin reading; however, I must define and explain what a narrative arc is, and what its parts are. (5-10)

**Activity:** Brief mini-lesson on what a narrative arc is and how to construct one. I will model by creating a narrative arc of the fairy-tale Cinderella on the board. (5)

**Transitions:** Now that you know the elements of the narrative arc: exposition, rising action, climax, and denouement, you will get practice with this concept by reading “Westbury Court” individually looking to identify where you think the elements of the narrative arc fall in Danticat’s piece. Afterward we will get into groups and each group will be assigned an element of the arc. Your individual groups will come to a consensus as to where you think the element falls in the story, and why you think that section of the narrative is your given element. For the time being, begin reading individually and then we’ll break into groups. (3)

**Activity:** Students will read and analyze “Westbury Court” individually marking the elements of the narrative arc on their copies. (10)

**Transition:** Now that we’ve all read the piece, it is time to break into groups. Each group will be assigned one note card with one element of the narrative arc on one side, and questions regarding that element on the other. You will have 15 minutes to discuss your element and answer the questions as a group. Afterward, each group will share their element and their responses. Other groups will have a chance to agree or disagree with the other groups’ choices. (2)

**Activity:** Students work in groups to identify their given narrative arc element within the essay and to answer the response questions. (15)

**Transition:** Now that each group is finished, let’s make time to hear from each group. (1)

**Activity:** Each group shares their opinions and answers to their given response questions. (5)

**Closure:** Students will be given time to begin writing their rough draft or finish any pre-writing or brainstorming they must do. (5)

**Note:** A copy of Edwidge Danticat's Westbury Court can be found here:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fenglish.basd.k12.wi.us%2Fmocarski%2Fcollegeenglish%2FWESTBURYCOURT.rtf&rct=j&q=westbury%20court%20edwidge%20danticat&ei=Tw27Ta-HDoGbtwemktHRBQ&usg=AFQjCNFy7xbfGmwRggMd1JrUqF6a7tQUaw&cad=rja

 * I chose this lesson plan because it shows that I am aware of cultural diversity in literature and make a conscious effort to expose students to not only great American writers, but immigrant authors from different cultures, and foreign authors as well to help establish a globally tolerant and democratic classroom environment.