Students write a descriptive narrative essay on an important person, place, or object they learned about while visiting The Albany Institute of History & Art, the Schuyler Mansion Historical Site, or The People of Colonial Albany Live Here web site. More Overview
Content Understanding(s)
See first lesson in this unit.
Concept Understanding(s)
See first lesson in this unit.
Suggested Time Frame(s)
One class period.
Narrative
1. Hold a brainstorming session with students to recall important people, places, and things learned about during the Everyday Evidence unit.
2. Discuss the importance of the recalled information -- Why did students remember particular people, places, or things? How do the remembered example relate to the present? What is the significance of that person, place, or thing?
3. Have students decide what they would like to write about and begin a rough draft of their narrative. Require an introduction, body paragraph(s), and a conclusion.
4. Review rough drafts and help students edit for clarification.
5. Have students complete a final copy.
6. Have students present their essays to the class as oral presentations.
Possible Extended Assignment/Homework:
1. If you can spend additional time on writing, have students complete rough drafts and/or final copies as homework.
2. Arrange with English Language Arts' teachers to make time for students time to work on this essay and/or ask ELA staff to build on the assignment.
Supplies Used
- Depending on how much writing your students have done, you may want to distribute guidelines for writing a descriptive narrative
- Writing paper
- Access to associated websites (see resources section)
How do you assess student learning?
Quality and content of the students' essays and/or presentations
