The Giver Narrative Writing Assignment

1. The Giver Narrative Writing Assignment You are going on a journey unlike any other. You and your classmates from English Language Arts have been stranded in Jonas’s community. The plane you are riding in breaks apart and crashes. All survive and head off in different directions out of panic, and fear. You see others from your class and are found by members of the community. To chronicle your experience you will write letters to home about the time in the community.

2. Narrative Letter Writing Assignment You are to write an imagined narrative in letter format that chronicles your time in the community including your thoughts, feelings and most cherished memories from home. The letters must be detailed and use descriptive word choice and proper conventions. The events of your narrative must be well- structured and use transitions. It is to be written in first person point of view and include dialogue. • Form: narrative letters • Audience: classmates and teacher • Topic: describe your time in Jonas’s community • Purpose: to entertain • Planning: pre-writing

3. Narrative Letter Writing: Content Your prewriting and ideas for this assignment will be at first generated in class. In your letters consider addressing the following: • Mental and physical health • Contrast between the community and your daily life • Home – friends, family, pets, activities, traditions, foods, luxuries • Conflicts – external and internal You are to follow the directions/guidelines given in class on how to start and continue your writing. Although there are a few limitations, please remember to keep your content school appropriate. For example, your writing should not include death, drugs, violence, romance, or excessive silliness.

4. Writing: These will be letters home and are to be in first person point of view. You must personalize the letters and add details that are specific to you and your family life. Though you have been stranded with your classmates, they are not to be included in your narrative as characters. Be sure to clearly label the following specific/mandatory letters. They all must be able to stand independently, but also together create a cohesive story of your experience. All rough drafts need to be in your writer’s notebook. The following are the topics for each required letter: • Letter #1 – Exposition • Letter #2 – Missing Home • Letter #3 – A Conflict (internal or external) • Letter #4 – Heading Home - Escaped Your overall writing grade will be determined as follows: • Rough drafts in writer’s notebook (due dates, checks, sharing) • Final Copy submitted to turnitin.com (rubric)

5. Exposition: Groups As a group, you must now create the EXPOSITION for your narrative. Together answer the following questions to establish background, setting and characters in your writer’s notebook. • Discuss the setting of the community and your reaction to the surroundings you have found yourselves in. What are the first things you see? • Describe who you meet. These will be characters from the book or new characters that you create. • Describe the community’s reaction to your presence and what they have decided to do with/for you and your classmates? Where will you stay? Who will you be with? This is the background you will later use to create a conflict and action.

6. Instructions: Label your paper: You will be submitting the letter of your choice to Turnitin.com Before you do so, the following MUST be highlighted. There will be a 10 point penalty for non-highlighted papers. • Dialogue in yellow • 4 Transitions in pink • 5 Writing tricks in blue • Satisfying conclusion in green • Letter #1 – Exposition • Letter #2 – Missing Home • Letter #3 – A Conflict (internal or external) • Letter #4 – Heading Home - Escaped