How to write about your adventure explorer junior library how to write

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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Minden,Cecilia.
Howtowriteaboutyouradventure/byCeciliaMindenandKateRoth.
p.cm.—(Languageartsexplorerjunior)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN-13:978-1-61080-106-5(lib.bdg.)
ISBN-10:1-61080-106-7(lib.bdg.)
1.Languagearts(Elementary)2.Narration(Rhetoric)—Juvenileliterature.3.Englishlanguage—Compositionandexercises—
Studyandteaching.I.Roth,Kate.II.Title.
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TableofContents
CHAPTERONE
SharingYourStory
CHAPTERTWO
WriteAboutWhatYouKnow!
CHAPTERTHREE
HowDidItBegin?
CHAPTERFOUR
WhatHappenedNext?
CHAPTERFIVE
HowDidItEnd?
CHAPTERSIX
AFinalStepBeforeYouShare
Glossary
ForMoreInformation
Index
AbouttheAuthors


CHAPTERONE

SharingYourStory

Thinkofthemostexcitingadventureyouhaveeverexperienced.Doyouwanttoshareyourstory
withotherpeople?Trywritingapersonalnarrative!
Apersonalnarrativeisastoryaboutsomethingmeaningfulorspecialthathashappenedtothe
author.TheauthorisrepresentedbythepronounI.Thisiscalledwritinginthefirstperson.

CHAPTERTWO

WriteAboutWhatYouKnow!

Yourpersonalnarrativeshouldfocusonasingleexperienceoradventure.Lookatphotographs.
Talktoyourfamilyandfriends.Narrowdownpossibletopicsforyourpersonalnarrative.
Chooseonetobringtolifeforotherpeople!
Youcan’tincludeeverysingledetailofyouradventure.Ifyoudid,yourpersonalnarrative
wouldbecomealist!Instead,focusonthepartthatisthemostinterestingorexciting.Itishelpful
tolistanyeventsthatoccurredinchronologicalorder.Thinkofahill.Youwantyourpersonal
narrativetobuilduptothemostexcitingpartofyouradventure.Whatdetailscanyouaddtobuild
upyourstory?


ACTIVITY
PlanYourAdventureStory!PlanYourAdventure
HERE’SWHATYOU’LLNEED:
Anyphotographsofyouradventure
Apencilandpaper(oracomputerandaprinter)
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Talk to your family and friends about events you have shared, and look at
photographsofadventuresyouhaveexperienced.
2. Listthreeexperiencesthatyouwouldenjoysharingwithothers.
3. Pickonetopictowriteabout.
4. Focusonthemostinterestingpartofthisadventure.
5. Nowwritealistofalltheeventsthatmadeyouradventureexciting.
6. Putthelistinchronologicalorder.

SampleTopicList
TopicIdeas:
1. Marchinginaparade
2. Ridingahorse
3. Whalewatching

SampleListofChronologicalEvents
Whale-WatchingEvents:
1. Iwentwhalewatchingwithmyfamily.
2. Therewerenowhalesatfirst.
3. Thenwhalescamebyourboat.
4. Wesawwhalesjumping.
5. Mybrothertookagreatphotoofajumpingwhale
6. Mybrotheralmostfellintothewater.



CHAPTERTHREE

HowDidItBegin?

Closeyoureyesandthinkabouthowyouradventurebegan.Youropeningshouldmakereaders
feelthesamewayyoudidatthatmoment.Theyshouldwanttolearnmoreaboutyourexperience
afterreadingyouropening.
Whatdidyousee,smell,hear,andfeelwhenyouradventurestarted?Wereyouexcitedor
scared?Writeafewsentencesaboutwhatyouexperienced.Choosetheonethatwouldbethebest
opening!


ACTIVITY

WriteYourOpening!
HERE’SWHATYOU’LLNEED:
Anyphotographsofyouradventure
Apencilandpaper(oracomputerandaprinter)
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Thinkabouthowyouradventurebegan.Lookingatyourphotographsagainmay
behelpful.
2. Writethreepossibleopeningsforyourstory.
3. Pick the one that will make readers most interested in reading about your
adventure.


SampleOpenings
OpeningIdeas:
1. Themorningskywasjuststartingtogetlight.Itwascoldandrainy.Wewaitedinline
withtheotherpassengers.Finally,wewereallowedontheboat.Nowwecouldseethe
whales!
2. Thedrizzlingrainfrozeourhandsandnoseswhilewewaitedonthedock.Atlast,the
callcame:AllAboard!MyfamilyandIwereoffonourwhale-watchingadventure.
3. Iwassoexcitedtogowhalewatching!MyfamilyandIstoodwithotherpassengersin
therainuntilwecouldgetontheboat.Soonitwastimetoclimbaboardandsearchfor
somewhales!



CHAPTERFOUR

WhatHappenedNext?

Nowstartwritingthebodyofyourpersonalnarrative.Imagineyourstoryasamovieinyour

mind.Whatimportantdetailsdoyouinclude?Keepaddingdetailstoyournarrativethatwillhelp
readersexperiencewhatyoudid.Usewordslikeafterandthentoshowthechronologyof
events.Includingdialoguealsohelpsbringyourstorytolife!
Besuretoexplainthemainproblemorsituationinyouradventure.Asyoutellyourstory,
buildtowardtheclimax.Theclimaxistheturningpointjustbeforethemainproblemissolvedor
animportanteventoccurs.


ACTIVITY
WritetheBody!
HERE’SWHATYOU’LLNEED:
Anyphotographsofyouradventure
Yourlistofchronologicalevents
Apencilandpaper(oracomputerandaprinter)
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Lookatyourphotographsandlistofchronologicalevents.
2. Continueaddingdetailstoyourstorythatbuildtowardtheclimax.
3. Keepthesetipsinmind:
Keepyourstoryfocused.
Usewordstoshowthepassageoftime.
Usethefirstperson.
Includedialoguetohelpbringyouradventuretolife.


SampleBody
Ithoughtwewouldseewhalesrightaway.Wedidn’tforaboutanhour.Thenthecaptaincame
ontheloudspeaker.“Whalesinsight!”hecalled.
Weallrushedupondecktoseethewhales.Ithoughttheboatmighttipwitheveryoneleaning
overoneside!Mybigbrother,Sam,andImovedtothefrontofthecrowd.Hestretchedoverthe
railingtogetapictureofthewhales.

Justasawhalejumpedabovethewaves,mymomscreamed,“Sam,getback!”Samlosthis
balanceanddroppedthecamera.Luckily,mydadgrabbedSam.Igrabbedthecamera.



CHAPTERFIVE

HowDidItEnd?
Theendingofapersonalnarrativeincludesaresolution.Thispartofthestorytellshowthemain
problemwassolvedorwhathappenedafterthemaineventoccurred.Itletsreadersknowhow
youradventureended.
Afteryoufinishwritingyourresolution,giveyourpersonalnarrativeatitle.Trytokeepit
short.Choosewordsthatwillcatchreaders’attention.

ACTIVITY
WritetheEndingandtheTitle!
HERE’SWHATYOU’LLNEED:
Yourlistofchronologicalevents
Apencilandpaper(oracomputerandaprinter)
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Writetheresolutiontoyourstory.
2. Readyourstoryaloudtolistentohowitsounds.
3. Writethreepossibletitles.
4. Choose the title that you think will do the best job of getting the reader ’s
attention.

SampleEnding
“DidIgetit?”askedSam.Wecheckedhiscamera.Therewasaperfectshotofawhale
jumpingoverthewaves.MyfamilyandIhadagreatdayonthewater.Wealsosawmorewhales.
AfterSam’sexperience,Mommadesurethathestayedofftherailing.

SampleTitles


TitleIdeas:
1. AlmostOverboard
2. WatchingWhales
3. MyOut-to-SeaAdventure


CHAPTERSIX

AFinalStepBeforeYouShare
Don’tforgettorereadyourpersonalnarrativebeforeyoushareitwithothers.Checkforany
spellingandgrammarmistakes.Doyourememberotherspecialmomentsthatcouldbecome
personalnarratives?


ACTIVITY
RemembertoReview!
Askyourselfthesequestionsasyourereadyourpersonalnarrative:
DoIhaveanattention-gettingtitleandopening?
DoIshowreaderswhatIfeltandexperienced?
DoIincludedialogue?
DoIusewordsthatexplainthechronologyofevents?
DoIadddetailsthathelpbuildthestorytotheclimax?
DoIincludearesolutioninmyending?
DoIusecorrectgrammarandspelling

Glossary
adventure(ad-VEN-chur)awildorexcitingactivityorevent
body(BAH-dee)themainpartofapersonalnarrative
chronological(kra-nuh-LA-ji-kuhl)followingtheorderinwhicheventsoccur
climax(KLI-maks)theturningpointinastorythatoccursjustbeforetheresolution
dialogue(DI-uh-log)spokenwordsbetweentwoormorepeople
events(ee-VENTS)thingsthatoccuratsetplacesandtimes
personal narrative (PUR-suh-nuhl NER-uh-tiv) a first-person story about something meaningful
thathashappenedtotheauthor
resolution(reh-zuh-LU-shuhn)thepartofapersonalnarrativethattellshowthestoryends
topics(TAH-piks)subjects


ForMoreInformation
BOOKS
Fletcher,RalphJ.HowtoWriteYourLifeStory.NewYork:Collins,2007.

Jarnow,Jill.WritingtoRetell.NewYork:PowerKidsPress,2006.

WEBSITES
TIMEforKids—PersonalNarrative
www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/hh/writeideas/articles/0,28372,606653,00.html
Checkoutthissiteforadditionaltipsonwritingapersonalnarrative.


Index
body,14–15,16–17
chronologicalorder,7,8–9,14–15,16,18,19,21
climax,15,16,21
details,7,14,16,21

dialogue,15,16,21
events,7,8–9,14–15,16,18–19
excitement,7,8
experiences,4,6,8,10–11,12,14,21
families,6,8
firstperson,5
friends,6,8
grammar,20,21
I(pronoun),5
lists,7,8–9,16,18–19
openings,10,11,12–13,21
passageoftime,16
personalnarratives,4–5
photographs,6,8,12,16
pronouns,5
resolution,18,19,21
spelling,20,21
titles,18,19,21
topics,6–7,8–9