You've got a whole life of things that happened to you, and one of them is worth telling. Here's how to find it, plan it and get it down on paper.
Not started yet.
Students will learn what an autobiographical incident is, test a topic with three questions, plan the piece with a four-part framework (an opening that grabs attention, background, events in order, and why it mattered), and write a first draft.
An autobiographical incident is about one event, not a whole life. The smaller the event, the more room there is for detail.
The ending is not 'and then it was over.' It says what the event meant to the writer.
Choosing too much, like 'my summer' or 'my whole year at the old school'. One afternoon is a better topic than one summer.
Stopping to fix sentences during the draft. The draft is for getting it down, and the next lesson is for revising.
Have the student write the three topic-test answers on a sticky note before he plans. If he can't answer 'am I willing to share it?', pick another event.
Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in Maryland about 1818, lived for years in Baltimore in the household of Hugh Auld, and escaped to freedom in 1838. The lesson says this in one line before the excerpts, and it's added from the historical record.
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Before You Start
The words this lesson uses. Tap a card to see what it means, then come back to them whenever a question uses one.
Part One
Questions about the story you just read. Pick your answer straight off, or press Find it in the story if you would rather hunt for the sentence first.
Part Two
The word cards are at the top of this page. Look back at them as often as you need, then answer.