The Power of Narrative: Two assignments: "Three Issues" and "Before and After"

Are you looking for ways to inspire students to write compelling narrative essays? These lessons focus students’ attention on how they have overcome various struggles in their lives to emerge stronger. Students enjoy writing these narratives through which they can assess their skills and lives, and how they can improve them.

Lesson includes:

--Questions to engage the assignment

--Sample thesis and topic sentences

--Detailed outlines of how to focus and structure body paragraphs

--Sample transitions

--Standard English and MLA format checklists

--Sample Grading Rubric

--Sample introductions and body paragraphs

-Two complete essay assignments:

--“Three Issues” is focused on prompting students to identify three personal struggles and how advice from TED talks and from self-help coaches can help them.

--“Before and After” prompts students to tell a structured story about how a significant event changed them.