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Many of the prompts that are commonly tested on  district and state writing assessments fall under the category of Personal Narratives. In these prompts, students are often asked to write about a personal experience they've had and explain why this particular experience was memorable. They are also asked to reflect on how this experience might have affected their life in a significant way.
For many students it can be difficult to think of topics off the top of their head when they are in a timed assessment situation. When students are able to practice brainstorming these "memorable moments," they might have an easier time doing so when in a more pressured situation.
You might enjoy having students practice generating ideas with these Memory Boxes:
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Times I laughed a lot
My first slumber party |
Times I was surprised
My dad brought home our puppy |
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Times I thought my heart was going to break
My grandma died |
Times I learned a lesson
I got caught cheating on my math test |
Encourage students to brainstorm one box each day for four days. Have them try to list at least three examples in each box. On the fifth day, have them select the example that they think would be the most meaningful story to share. Let them "turn and talk" to a classmate, telling them the story of one of their examples. Remind them during the storytelling that they need to have a beginning, middle, and end to their story, as well as, characters, setting, a series of interesting events, and an explanation as to why this particular incident was memorable. |
