Students have been learning about the elements of a personal narrative, and have started brainstorming and planning for their own narrative. We have read several examples, and have discussed plot structure, beginning/introduction, turning points, topic sentences, leads, transition words, emotions & feelings, and ending/resolution.
Elements of a Personal Narrative
For social studies, students have been learning about early humans. We started with reading a book about Otzi the Iceman, a 5,300-year-old mummy, in the Tyrolean Alps. Two German hikers discovered Otzi while hiking in 1991. The book explains the scientific theories of how the Iceman might have lived, survived, and died. As we learned about Otzi, students developed their own theories about his life and death. We have also started learning about the various human species; Australopithecines, Homo Habilis, Homo Erectus, Neanderthal, Homo Sapien, and Cro-Magnons. We have learned about the origin and meaning of each species name, where they lived and other important facts (tools, language, brain size, etc.).
Elements of a Personal Narrative
- A nonfiction text that recreates an experience from an author’s life
- Usually has a strong point of view
- Communicates a distinct mood or overall feeling
- Most personal narratives are about important moments or places
- Writers use sensory details—what they saw, heard, touched, smelled, and tasted
- Writers use important events, characters, and dialogue
- Focuses on one particular event in the author’s life— a clear small moment
For social studies, students have been learning about early humans. We started with reading a book about Otzi the Iceman, a 5,300-year-old mummy, in the Tyrolean Alps. Two German hikers discovered Otzi while hiking in 1991. The book explains the scientific theories of how the Iceman might have lived, survived, and died. As we learned about Otzi, students developed their own theories about his life and death. We have also started learning about the various human species; Australopithecines, Homo Habilis, Homo Erectus, Neanderthal, Homo Sapien, and Cro-Magnons. We have learned about the origin and meaning of each species name, where they lived and other important facts (tools, language, brain size, etc.).