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Lesson 2

We will begin writing our individual reflections of our group’s research process and our own reading, writing, collaborating, and presenting skills.

We will individually write a multiparagraph reflective narrative to our teacher that describes our research process and explains our strengths and areas of growth as readers, writers, collaborators, and presenters.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I use devices, techniques, descriptions, reasoning, evidence, and visual elements to support and elaborate on reflective narratives and explanations?

  • Can I apply correct and effective syntax, usage, mechanics, and spelling to communicate ideas and achieve intended purposes?

  • Can I sequence and group sentences and paragraphs and use devices, techniques, descriptions, reasoning, and evidence to establish coherent, logical, and well-developed explanations?

  • Can I think about and evaluate personal and group development?

Texts

There are no texts for this Lesson.

Materials

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read

We will review the characteristics of a reflective narrative and prewrite our reflective narratives.

Read the explanation below:

A reflective narrative is a type of writing that explains some kind of personal growth. The writer details who they are to the reader and focuses on a short event or series of events in their life. Most importantly, the writer shares how they have grown as a result of an experience.

In a reflective narrative, the writer determines a concise organizational structure and does not merely answer a series of questions. They use questions to inspire their thinking or organize their ideas. These questions should not be answered numerically, but should be woven into the narrative.

The reflective narrative allows you as a writer to share your experiences. Take a minute to brainstorm important experiences you had while working on your pathway presentation. These experiences can be important to you, individually, or important for your group.

Now, free-write for three minutes on the following prompt:

  1. How will this research experience enhance the reading, writing, collaborating, and presenting skills you will practice later this year?

Additionally, identify several areas where you grew personally in your mastery of these skills.

Activity 2: Write

We will prewrite our reflective narratives.

Review the requirements in the reflective narrative prompt.

In a way that makes sense to you, respond to each of the requirements to begin prewriting. You might do the following:

  • Make a T-Chart with numbers on the left-hand side and quick, jotted-down answers on the right side.

  • Free-write the process you and your group took to create your pathway presentation.

  • Organize your thoughts in questions and answers: What did I do? What did I learn about myself during that experience? What did I learn about the Central Question?

  • Analyze your individual reading, writing, speaking, communicating, and collaborating skills by asking yourself such questions as, “What was it like for me to read the texts?” “Where did I feel confident?” “Where did I struggle?” “What would I like to be able to do?”

  • Take another process to begin generating thoughts for your reflective narrative.

Next, organize your thoughts by answering the following questions:

  1. What information will you include, and what will you omit?

  2. What is the best way for you to structure your reflective narrative?

  3. Will you organize it chronologically, through problem-solution, with vignette and explanation, or will you use another organization strategy?

Finally, respond to the following questions about the purpose and audience:

  1. What is my purpose for writing a reflective narrative?

  2. Who is my audience for my reflective narrative?

  3. What is the best way for me to communicate to that audience?

  4. What should the tone of my reflective narrative be?

Activity 3: Write

We will begin drafting our reflective narratives in class, and we will finish our drafts at home.

Draft your narrative. Do not worry too much about perfection now. Just get your thoughts on paper.

Drafts should be messy. You might find that you forgot an idea and need to write it in the margin, or that your thoughts come more quickly than you can write them down.

Begin your draft in class and finish it for homework. You will need it for the next lesson.