S T U D E N T G U I D E

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How To Eat A Guava

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Write a personal narrative about a moment when your life changed in an important way.

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Table of Contents

Vocabulary Building

• Frayer Model

Direct Instruction Guide

• Cornell Notes: Writing Personal Narratives

STEP 1: Connect

• Finding Your Purpose for Learning
• Think-Pair-Share

STEP 2: Read

• Pause and Reflect
• Test Prep Strategy: Rephrasing Multiple Choice Questions (Optional)

STEP 3: Engage with the Text

• Highlight and Annotate

STEP 4: Think

• Begin Developing Your Ideas

STEP 5: Build your Narrative

• Collaborate: Share your Story Plan
• Peer Editing Activity
• Writing Reflection

Throughout the guide, look for the laptop icon to find steps to complete online!

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Optional Extensions

• Inquiry to Research: Asking Questions of the Texts
• Inquiry to Research: Coming of Age Stories
• Storytelling Circle: Sharing Personal Narratives

Vocabulary Word

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V O C A B U L A R Y B U I L D I N G

Frayer Model �

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The Frayer Model helps you learn vocabulary from different angles.

1. Read the words and definitions in the vocabulary list.
2. Choose one word from the list. Write it in the center circle of the graphic organizer below.
3. In the “examples” box, list examples or synonyms of the word.
4. In the “non-examples” box, write non-examples or antonyms.
5. Next, add facts or characteristics about the word.
6. Finally, write your own definition or look one up!

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Frayer Model

Read the Overview and click “Vocabulary” for this lesson at learn.thinkcerca.com.

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D I R E C T I N S T R U C T I O N G U I D E

Cornell Notes: Writing Personal Narratives

Take notes on the lesson using the organizer below:

Complete the skills lesson at learn.thinkcerca.com

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D I R E C T I N S T R U C T I O N G U I D E

Cornell Notes: Writing Personal Narratives (continued)

Summarize and Reflect

In your own words and in complete sentences, write a 3–4 sentence summary of this skills lesson. An accurate summary will cover the lesson's central ideas and include important details to support those ideas.

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Record your summary here:

S T E P 1 : C O N N E C T

Finding Your Purpose for Learning

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When you've finished reading the overview, answer the following questions in the space below:

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What else would you like to know about how the author’s life in Puerto Rico contrasts with life in New York? What more would you like to learn about why people immigrate, and about how everyday life differs depending on where you live in the world?

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Read the Topic Overview provided at learn.thinkcerca.com

S T E P 1 : C O N N E C T

Think-Pair-Share

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1. Think: On your own, think about your experiences related to the topic.

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• Pair & Share: With a partner, group, or a trusted listener, share the parts of your response that you feel comfortable sharing.

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• Reflect: If time permits, reflect on your experience. What ideas did others share that you hadn't considered? How were your ideas alike?

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Complete the writing activity in Step 1: Connect at learn.thinkcerca.com

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S T E P 2 : R E A D

Pause and Reflect

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When you’ve finished reading, go back and find the questions in the text marked “Pause and Reflect.” These questions will help you connect the text to yourself, to other texts, or to the world around you.

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Use the space on the left below to answer the reflection questions. Then, discuss your answers, noting how they were similar or different.

Record “Pause and Reflect” answers here:

Record discussion reflections here:

Read the text for this lesson at learn.thinkcerca.com

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S T E P 2 : R E A D

Test Prep Strategy: Rephrasing Multiple Choice Questions (Optional)

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�Multiple choice questions can be tricky! But, there are some tips that you can use to avoid falling for test-maker traps.

Take your time and carefully read each multiple choice question and each response. Ask yourself, “What is the question actually asking?” Then, rephrase the question and responses in your own words.

Practice rephrasing the questions that go with your reading below:

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Refer to the multiple choice questions for this lesson at learn.thinkcerca.com.

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S T E P 3 : E N G A G E W I T H T H E T E X T

Highlight and Annotate

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In this step, you will analyze the text closely, then discuss your findings to begin thinking about how you’ll respond to the final writing prompt.

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1. Read the text again, highlighting and annotating important details. Follow the prompts provided.

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The highlighting prompts will help you find details that will be helpful in the final writing task. You’ll also see models of excellence that will help you better understand a writer’s craft in narratives. The evidence you highlight will be available when you begin building your narrative in the next step.

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2. If time permits, pair and share your highlights and annotations with a classmate. Pay close attention to this conversation! Your thinking may help you discover details you’ll want to include in your final draft.

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Return to learn.thinkcerca.com to complete Step 3: Engage with the Text.

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S T E P 4 : T H I N K

Begin Developing Your Ideas

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1. ���Use the downloadable activity provided in Step 4 to begin crafting your narrative piece.
2. Use the sentence stems provided to summarize the original text you read. Your summary can help create a roadmap for your own narrative.

Your summary should:

• Be brief
• Include the main idea and key details
• Represent these ideas fairly and accurately �
• If time permits, pair and share with a classmate. Read each other’s worksheet and summary, and discuss how they are similar or different. How did you each complete the activity? Were your summaries fair and accurate? Why?

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Return to learn.thinkcerca.com to complete Step 4: Think.

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S T E P 5 : B U I L D Y O U R N A R R A T I V E

Collaborate: Share your Story Plan

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When you’ve finished a draft, share your results with others, and listen to how they responded to the same question. Ask questions and give feedback to others.

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Complete Step 5 to begin building your narrative at learn.thinkcerca.com.

S T E P 5 : B U I L D Y O U R N A R R A T I V E

Peer Editing Activity

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1. Do a self-assessment of your draft. Use the online Rubric for the lesson on learn.thinkcerca.com, checking each box where you find evidence that you have achieved the criteria.�
2. Next, collaborate with a peer or peers to read each other’s drafts. Again, use the Rubric to evaluate each other’s work.�
3. Share insights into what might make your pieces stronger. Find two positive attributes and one area of growth for each draft you review.�
4. Revise your piece using what you learned from your self-assessment and the feedback from your peers.

Complete Step 5 to draft your narrative at learn.thinkcerca.com

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S T E P 5 : B U I L D Y O U R N A R R A T I V E

Writing Reflection

Before you submit your final narrative, write a brief reflection describing your experience.

An area for growth for me on this piece or in my writing in general is…

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The strongest areas of this piece of writing are…

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Through self-assessment and/or peer editing, I learned…

Optional Extensions

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The following activities can be used as optional extensions to this lesson.

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O P T I O N A L E X T E N S I O N : I N Q U I R Y T O R E S E A R C H

Asking Questions of the Texts

As you engage with texts in any subject, you can actively ask questions about the author’s purpose, intended audience, and occasion to understand the message. The table below provides examples.

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O P T I O N A L E X T E N S I O N : I N Q U I R Y T O R E S E A R C H

Asking Questions of the Texts (continued)

Use the table below to record questions about the text you read.

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O P T I O N A L E X T E N S I O N : I N Q U I R Y T O R E S E A R C H

Coming-of-Age Stories

Background

This lesson centers on the theme of “Growing Up,” which falls into the “Coming-of-Age” genre. Coming-of-Age stories have long been a favorite topic of authors and filmmakers. Stories in this genre are marked by transformation: the main character undergoes a major shift in the course of the tale.

Coming-of-age stories can be short narratives—like the piece that you read—or longer works of fiction or nonfiction.

Research

Think of a television series, movie (for example, Star Wars), or book (for example, To Kill a Mockingbird or The Hunger Games) that you think might fall into this genre. Rewatch or re-read it. As you do, ask yourself these questions:

• Who is the main character (protagonist)? From what perspective is it told?
• What transformation does the main character undergo in the story? What event or events spark the transformation?
• Who helps the main character along their journey? Why?
• Is the story written in past or present tense?
• How does the story make the reader feel about the experience of growing up?

Share and compare your findings with other classmates. Are some of your findings the same? What is different? What does this tell you about common features of the genre?

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O P T I O N A L E X T E N S I O N : S T O R Y T E L L I N G C I R C L E

Sharing Personal Narratives�

In a storytelling circle, everyone in the group will share their personal narrative.

1. Choose a group leader who will help lead the story circle. At the outset, note that all participants should listen quietly and respectfully as each person shares their narrative.
2. Select a member of the group to go first.
3. If you are the group leader, ask participants to raise at least one question—or summarize what someone else shared—at least once during discussion.
4. Allow participants to share their story and answer the questions that were raised by this exercise.
5. Throughout, participants take notes, summarizing each story.
6. When complete, have the presenter “pass the mic” to the next presenter.
7. Monitor participants for engagement. Ask participants to snap silently to show gratitude, appreciation, or interest to the speaker.
8. Encourage participants to value dialogue and appreciate different perspectives, recognizing that learning from and understanding people who think differently or have different experiences as part of the process of dialogue.

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O P T I O N A L E X T E N S I O N : S T O R Y T E L L I N G C I R C L E

Personal Narrative Discussion Notes

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