54 Topics for Reflective Recount
Your first kiss
Your first cigarette
Your first day at school
When you fell in love
Getting your first bra
Going to your first rock concert
Being betrayed
A great victory
A defeat
Starting a new job
An interview
A holiday disaster
Starting a new school
An adventure
Getting a body piercing or tattoo
Learning to drive
The consequences of getting drunk
Getting a pet
Your experience of death
A children’s birthday party
Going camping
An excursion or expedition
An embarrassing moment
Stealing something
A visit to the dentist
A visit to the doctor
Having a childhood disease
Getting a bad haircut or a bad hair day
An experience with a friend or friends
A first date
You as a naughty child
Learning to ride a bike
Learning to tie your shoelaces
Fights with siblings
Your experience of Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny
Losing a tooth
Giving up a dummy / blankie / comforter
An accident
Breaking a bone
Staying away from home
Wetting your pants or bed
Mean teachers
Bullying
Getting detention
Placed in Time Out
A childhood fantasy
A scary experience
Playing in a cubby house
An argument
A supernatural experience
Getting nits
Instructions:
Copy these sheets onto different coloured card to make as many sets as you wish to have groups in the class.
Oral task: In small groups shuffle and deal out the cards to students. Each student then has 3 minutes to tell their reflective recount based on their allocated card, to the rest of their group. If they have no experience of this topic then they can choose another card or tell of the experience of someone they know. The aim is to engage their audience as much as possible.
Brainstorming task: Deal out the cards to the students. They then have 5 minutes to fill in a Y chart based on the allocated card. (i.e. Looks like / Feels like / Sounds like) If they have no experience of this topic then they can choose another card or tell of the experience of someone they know.
Share these Y charts with a small group.
Written task: Deal out the cards to the students. They then have 3 minutes to write the opening of a recount based on the allocated card. If they have no experience of this topic then they can choose another card or tell of the experience of someone they know.
Then swap the stories with writing partners or small groups for critical feedback i.e. what worked well, what could be developed further, what was confusing or needs some clarification etc.
Planning task: Deal out the cards to the students. They then have 3 minutes to write the plan of a recount based on the allocated card. If they have no experience of this topic then they can choose another card or tell of the experience of someone they know.
Share these plans with writing partners or small groups and discuss any possible amendments to the plans and if such changes would improve them.
Designed by Alison Robertson, Wilderness Scho