The Assignment
The first paper that you will be writing for this class is called a literacy narrative. Literacy narratives are written for a lot of college writing classes, and if you Google "literacy narrative" you’ll see how common they are. Maybe you’ve even written one before. In a literacy narrative you tell the story of the roles that reading and writing have played in your life.
Instead of trying to tell the whole story of your life as a reader and writer, it will be more effective to narrate some highlights. I suggest focusing on one or two specific incidents. The stories that engage readers most include sensory details and sometimes dialogue, so you should include descriptive scenes within your literacy narrative. In class we’ll be discussing distinctive features of story scenes.
You will also need to include a thesis statement and support your thesis with examples. Your examples will, for the most part, be your stories and the details in your stories, but you will also need to do some reflection on the significance of incidents that you narrate. Consider the "So what?" factor. What do you want readers to get from the story or stories you tell?
In other words, sometimes you will be plunging yourself and your readers right into the thick of your stories and sometimes you will be stepping back from them to reflect upon and analyze their significance. There is no one-size-fits-all way to write this paper, but you should strive for a balance between the storytelling and the reflection/analysis.
Paper Requirements
As I wrote above, your paper needs a thesis statement.ü
The paper needs to include at least one in-the-moment scene.ü
The paper needs to include reflection upon and analysis of the significance of yourü
story.
The paper needs to be at least four full pages long (double-spaced, word-processed, 12- pt. regular font).ü
The paper needs a title (something more original than “Major Paper #1” or “Literacy Narrative”).ü
Here are some prewriting questions to consider as you get started on this paper:
What are some of you earliest memories of reading and writing?·
How and when did you learn to read and write?·
Who most impacted your feelings about reading and writing?·
Is your view of reading and writing different now than when you were younger?·
What are some particularly vivid memories that you have of reading and/or writing?·
What books or writers have you enjoyed most or been most impacted by?·
What types of writing have you done?·
Which types of writing have you enjoyed most and which have you enjoyed least?·
What frustrations have you experienced with reading and writing?·
What has pleased you about reading and writing?·
Have you ever been particularly proud or embarrassed by your reading or writing·
abilities/skills?
Have you ever written something that you’ve later regretted making public somehow (i.e.·
by turning it in to a teacher, giving it to a friend, tweeting it, posting it on the web,
publishing it in a school newspaper, etc.)?
Who are some people in your life who have impacted your life as a reader and writer?·
What are some institutions that have impacted your literacy?·
WRIT 1301, Mark Anderson
Major Paper #1 Criteria & Points
1) Thesis and Development, Significance: 10 x 3 = 30
2) Storytelling, Descriptive Details, Voice: 10 x 3 = 30
3) Structure/Organization, Correctness, Paper Requirements: 10 x 2 = 20
4) Revision Process: 10 x 2 = 20
Total Possible = 100 Points