Page 1 of 3 Ingram

High School Literacy Narrative Its helpful to examine where weve been as we prepare for where were going. It seems only fitting to begin your college careeras well as our inquiry into the differences between high school and college with an essay assignment that will allow you to reflect on the high school literacy experiences that shaped you as a writer and reader. This assignment will allow you to flex your writing muscles in personal and creative ways. The Details: The purpose of this essay is to tell a detailed and engaging story of one literacy experience you had in high school. You probably cant do this in fewer than 3-4 pages (MLA format). Please note that this assignment is not to relay your entire high school experience in 3-4 pages: that would a very vague, rushed, and bland essay. Rather, you are giving a detailed account of one experience. For instance, writing about my entire 10th grade year in Mrs. Whitmans class would be too much to cover in 3-4 pages, but writing about the time I raced Mrs. Whitman in the Mark Antonys Friends, Romans, Countrymen Competition would be doable. Your audience for this essay is your ENGL 1101 class community. One of the biggest challenges writers face is connecting with their audiences. You have a big advantage here: your audience is just like you! They are also fresh out of high school and have probably had some similar experiences. So youll have to ask yourself, As a writer, how can I best relate to my audience? How can I ensure they are engaged in my writing? Three ways to keep your audience engaged are with relatable details, sensory details, and dialogue. Relatable details are details that your audience can grasp on to, that will resonate with them because theyve experienced the same or similar things. (E.g. Instead of writing that you always drink coffee when you have to pull an all-nighter, tell us specifically what kind of coffee you drink: Maxwell House International Cappuccino? A Starbucks Caramel Macchiato? Black coffee from Waffle House?)
Sensory detail: Explain things in terms of all your senses so that your audience can

more fully understand what youre talking about. (E.g. That spot in the local library you always camp out at to finish your schoolworkWhat does it look like? What does that comfy chair feel like? How does it feel to touch that old book? What do you smell when youre there? What snacks do you taste as youre working? What is the background noise that you hear, or the music coming from your headphones?)
Dialogue: Use spoken dialogue to bring scenes to life and to help your audience

know your characters. (E.g. My mom always emphasized the importance of a good breakfast. Eat your Frosted Mini-Wheats so that you have energy for your math test! shed yell from upstairs as I was getting ready to leave for school. Oh how I wished Id taken her advice that day.) Or use internal dialogue to show us your thoughts. (E.G. Holy hell, I thought to myself as I entered the classroom where I was to give my

Page 2 of 3 Ingram

presentation. How am I ever going to get through the next ten minutes without my note-cards?

-See your syllabus for due dates. -Remember that draft = your best attempt at a complete piece. -Challenge yourself to use relatable details, sensory details, and dialogue in your first draft. Brainstorming (to help you invent your topic and begin to plan your essay): First, its always helpful to understand why your professor titles an assignment a certain way. Define all the words in this essay assignment title: High School = Literacy = Narrative = Next, lets make a timeline of all our literacy experiences from our high school years. And lets compose our Reading and Writing Territories from our high school years. Brainstorming Questions: Whats the most interesting event on your timeline? Why?
What jumps out to you from your territories? Why? Who was involved in your literacy development in high school? Explain. What was your favorite book in high school? Your favorite piece of writing? Your

favorite project?
What types of reading and writing did you do outside of school during your high

school years? How did those activities affect your schoolwork?

Whats the most positive experience youve had with literacy? Whats the most

negative? Explain. Talking is also a great way to brainstorm. Perhaps chatting with your family members and/or high school friends and teachers could jog your memory about your previous experiences with literacy? Also, dont forget to look back through any of the work weve already done this semester. A reading or blog post youve already completed might come in handy.

Page 3 of 3 Ingram