My First Free Summer by Julia Alvarez

Pages 131-137 (Narrative Essay)

VOCABULARY LIST

  • Vowed: promised
  • Repressive: overly strict
  • Extenuating: giving a reason for; excusing
  • Diplomats: government employees who work with other countries
  • Summoned: called together
  • Contradiction: difference between 2 conflicting things that means they cannot both be true
  • Liberating: liberate means to release or free
  • Endured: endure means to tolerate or allow
  • Scolding: scold means to express disapproval or reprimand
  • Dictator: a person who has absolute power; unrestricted control in government
  • Imprisoned: imprison means to put into prison
  • Murmur: a low sound or expression of discontent
  • Motivation: the thing that provokes, causes, or impels an action
  • Principles: fundamental ideals or ideas that rule
  • Embassy: the duty of an ambassador
  • Ambassador: a minister of the highest rank sent to foreign court to represent his sovereign or country there; an official messenger and representative
  • Bliss: perfect happiness
  • Replete: plentiful; abundant
  • Deflated: deflate means to cause to shrink by letting air or gas out of something (tire, balloon, etc.)
  • Interrogated: interrogate means to question
  • Refugee: a person seeking safety (refuge) in a foreign country due to political persecution (political asylum), or poverty (economic asylum)
  • Clan: social group
  • Kin: relatives
  • Depart: to leave or die
  • Stern: grim in appearance; having a hardness or severity in manner

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My First Free Summer by Julia Alvarez

Pages 131-137 (Narrative Essay)

READING SKILL: AUTHOR’S PURPOSE

Answer the following questions. Use compete sentences with proper grammar.

Look on page 131 to find what information helps you understand that the author’s purpose is to reflect on an experience?

What other purposes might Alvarez have for writing this piece?

Use detail(s) to support your response for question 2.

VOCABULARY: Using your knowledge of the words in bold, explain your answer to each question.

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If you vowed to keep a secret, would you tell anyone?

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Do diplomats work outside their own countries?

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If you were summoned to a meeting, what would you do?

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Can extenuating circumstances change the outcome of a situation?

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If my statement is a contradiction, are we in agreement?

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Are citizens of a repressive government free?
LITERARY ANALYSIS: HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Complete the chart below to give twoexamples from the selection that show how the historical context of the Dominican Republic during a rebellion affects Alvarez’s actions in the story.

Historical Context / →
→
→ / Author’s Actions
Dictatorship / She goes to the AmericanSchool.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION: Small group / Share

A)Are you surprised by the Alvarez’s experience at the airport?

B)Why does Julia’s mother send her to the American school?

C)How does this school differ from the other schools on the island?

D)What is Julia’s main reason for changing her behavior in 5tgh grade?

E)How do you think Julia feels when she learns her family is leaving the country?

F)Why does it take her so long to understand that her family is escaping?

AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL NARRATIVE:

Some of the best stories are not made up; they tell of real events in the writer’s life. Such stories are called autobiographical narratives. You might use autobiographical narratives in letters, reflective essays, journals, and persuasive essays.

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What does autobiographical mean?

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ASSIGNMENT: Write an autobiographical narrative about an event in your life that helped you grow or changed your attitude or opinion. Review the elements listed below, the process to follow on the next page, and the sample essay on page 182,for more guidance. Also, see the rubric for how you will be graded.

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Your narrative should include the following elements:

  • a clear sequence of events that involve you, the writer
  • a problem or conflict, or a clear contrast between past and present viewpoints
  • a plot line that includes beginning (exposition), rising action, climax (turning point), and resolution (denouement)
  • pacing that effectively builds the action
  • specific details and quotations that help readers vividly imagine movement, gestures, and expressions
  • well-developed major and minor characters
  • error-free writing

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WRITING PROCESS– DRAFTING AND ORGANIZING

STEP 1: Review the assignment and begin with the readings required.

STEP 2: Begin by free-writing to help you select a topic if you don’t already have one picked. To free-write you write non-stop for 5 minutes about general topics: funny times, sad times, and lessons I have learned. When 5 minutes are up, look at what you have written and circle any ideas that could make a good topic.

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WRITING PROCESS – DRAFTING AND ORGANIZING

STEP 1: Make a plotline (use the plot chart) and fill out the chart to gather details to use in your narrative. Be sure to include the conflict in the rising action.

WRITING PROCESS – DRAFTING AND ORGANIZING

STEP 2: Develop a setting. A vivid setting can bring your story to life and help readers understand you characters. Use sensory words to describe your setting. Use colorful nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs.

Time(s):

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Place(s):

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Colorful nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs to use:

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STEP 5: Write your first draft using the information from the freee-writing, plotline, and setting exercises above. You may change things along the way, these activities serve only to guide you.

WRITING PROCESS - REVISING

STEP 1: Check the pacing of your narrative by reading it to make sure the events are in chronological (time) order. Add transitions to clarify the sequence of events.

STEP 2: Use specific and precise nouns. Look for nouns that are vague or general, not clear, and may leave the reader wondering “what kind”. Circle the nouns that do not answer the questions “What exactly? Or What kind? Replace these nouns with specific nouns that make things clear and easy to understand. See the examples below:

Vague:stuffSpecific: party souvenirs

General:decorationsSpecific: ruffled party streamers and glossy balloons

STEP 3: Give your draft to a classmate to read. Ask them to look for details that slow the story or ideas that are not connected to the central conflict. Use the feedback to eliminate, take out, the details that are unnecessary.

PEER FEEDBACK AND QUESTIONS

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WRITING PROCESS - EDITING AND PROOFREADING

STEP 1: Review your draft to correct any errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Re-write it and look it over one last time.

WRITING PROCESS - PUBLISHING:

STEP 1: Neatly write your final draft so it is your bestcopy.

SUBMIT FOR SHARING AND SCORING!

Students may also complete the extension part of this assignment:

EXTENSION:

Add dialogue to your story. Pay close attention to the correct punctuation of dialogue-the actual words spoken by a character. See the examples below as a guide. All dialogue should be enclosed with quotation marks. A split dialogue is when a quotation is split up with additional information in the middle, such as identifying the speaker.

“She went home,” I said. (dialogue)

“Wow!” I yelled, “I love it.” (split dialogue)

SCORING RUBRIC

CRITERIA / RATING SCALE / 3meets / 2fair / 1
needs improvement
FOCUS / How clearly does the narrative present the problem/conflict?
ORGANIZATION / How clearly is the sequence of events presented?
SUPPORT
ELABORATION / How vivid are the nouns, verbs, and other details and quotations?
STYLE / How effectively is the action of the story paced?
CONVENTIONS / How correct is your grammar?

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