PERSONAL RESPONSE ESSAY

Your Story

WRITING/READING PREP
Pick up a rubric and assignment specification sheet from the front table (the yellow sheets). Spend the next five minutes acclimating yourself to the requirements of the rubric. I want you to look at the language for the 3 and 4 grades. With your partner, or someone around you, try to provide some hypothetical, but concrete, examples that can help you differentiate between the two levels.

WHAT WERE DOING

PRE Intro and Explanation of Dates and Important Stuff Reading two very short PREs and then talking about why one is good and one is sub-good. WHAT YOU NEED TO TAKE AWAY FROM TODAY Fish Cheeks is a very good example of how to write a PRE. Use it as a model if you find yourself stuck. Engage with the material so that it has meaning. This process, this skill, is something that the successful can performeven when what theyre reading isnt the most exciting thing ever. Do not base a materials importance upon its entertainment quotient.

Why write a personal response essay?

Many colleges require an essay as part of their admissions process. This essay could be used when you go through the application process. Learning to reflect on your own experiences will help prepare you for job interviews. To improve your writing skills which you will use the remainder of your life.

So what is this personal response essay about?

There is a HUGE variety of topics. You can pick a very general topic such as a your favorite book or even your family. You can pick a college-focused topic such as where you see yourself if ten years. You can even search college websites to see what prompts and topics about which they want their applicants to write.

Story and Reflection

Your essay must have BOTH! You want to highlight a personal trait that an application or resume might miss. You are telling a story and reflecting on what you have learned or how you have grown from it.

Language

Vivid language

show, dont tell imagery

Specific Detail Figurative Language

Similes, Metaphors, Alliteration, Allusions, Analogy, Symbolism

Voice make it your own

The Process

You have class days to work on your draft. First draft is due March 19/20 (B Day). You will receive teacher and peer feedback on your draft Rough drafts are different than final drafts. A good grade on a rough draft does not ensure the same grade on the final. Your final draft is due March 28. No exceptions. No late assignments will receive credit. No reassessment on final.

READING
We will spend the remainder of the class reading two short PREs. You will have ten minutes to read each PRE. After the ten minutes, we will breakdown both and talk about why they are successful, or unsuccessful. Cross out the instructions at the top of Fish Cheeks. Look at the instructions given on the first page, My Dogs Death, and act accordingly. With a partner, compare the details of each piece. Which one has the stronger, more vivid details. Explain. Why do you think Amy Tans PRE is titled Fish Cheeks? What part does the fish cheeks play in the narrative?