Your Assignment

ENG 151–Spring 2006
First Formal Paper
Due: 10 April 2006

I/C Pre-writing
Make a short list of detailed moments in your life that stand out as conceptual turning points, moments when you remember having some kind of significant insight into an idea or belief you had held for a long time. Do you see any patterns? If you are stumped, you may want to think in terms of identity (such as race/class/gender etc.).
Write about one of these moments using as much detail as you can muster, detailing about where you were, what you were doing, what your thoughts were, and what provoked the insight. “I remember . . .”

Formal Prompt
Write a 4-6 page personal narrative in which you express or reflect upon a “public topic” using personal stories of your own. This will be a stronger essay if you work with the free writing from class that asks you to explore points of significant realization and/or change in your life. If the free writing was not particularly fruitful for you, you may choose to further develop the work you have already done on the influence of “reading” in your life. If you are a risk taker, you can even develop another topic or explore experiences of your life you, yourself, may not yet fully understand. Specific format for this paper will be discussed in class. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Adapted from WRA, pages 19 and 146.

Personal Narrative Rubric
Grading Scale: 92-100pts. A
80-91pts. B
70-79pts. C
62-69pts. D

60% Content (What you are writing):
Do you follow the conventions of a personal narrative?
= Well focused
= Includes a personal story
= Developed with strong details
= Can the reader surmise your larger, “public” topic?
= Are there moments of reflective thinking?
= Does your tone imply that you are interested in your own subject matter?

30% Organization (How you are writing):
= Are your thoughts conveyed clearly?
= Are ideas well connected and developed into meaningful paragraphs?
= Does the paper, as a whole, follow a logical order?

10% Conventions (MLA Standards):
= Punctuation & Mechanics

Each area will be rated: 10pts All Criteria Met
8-9pts Most Criteria Met
7pts Some Criteria Met
5-6pts Few Met
4-0 Little/none Met