For this portfolio you will go through a group of lessons, and steps to produce your final Narrative essay.
You will plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish your narrative essay.
Your narrative can be completely made up OR it can be a personal narrative.
Your essay needs to have 4-5 paragraphs, correct punctuation, grammar, and spelling.
You will upload your final draft in the drop box within the lesson for a grade.
If you’re creating a new one:
Decide if you want to write a personal narrative or a made up story.
Think about the characters, setting, and plot of the story.
Plan your essay by creating your own outline or using the Flowchart from page 8, Unit 7, Lesson 12.
Setting: Campground and swimming bay at Fort Spokane, Spokane, WA
Main Character: Me (Laura Rammos as a 6 year old)
I set a goal to swim to the dock and back without help from an adult
Fear started increasing so I asked my grandpa to swim to the dock with me
I made it to the dock with my lifejacket and built enough courage to jump from the dock with my lifejacket
I succumbed to my fear and swam back to shore with my grandpa
I screamed in terror when I thought I was drowing
My grandmother met me on the shore
I made it back to shore
I realized I had swam all the way back to shore from the dock without my grandpa. I overcame my fear of drowning.
Write first draft of your narrative essay
“Don’t let go of me! Don’t let go of me! I can’t do this!” I hysterically screamed from the top of my lungs at the shore of the Fort Spokane swimming bay. It was a beautiful, warm, bright summer day at my family’s favorite camping site. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the sea of the heavens above inspired me. With determination, this was the day I was going to swim on my own. I wasn’t going to be the “baby” any longer and I thought there was nothing that would get in my way.
“Grandpa?”, I asked with fear in my voice. “Yeah?” “Do you think you could swim with me out to the dock? That way if I run into any trouble, you’ll be there to help me?” I asked with a pleading voice. “I thought you wanted to try on your own today? You were the one that said you were going to learn to get to the dock with no lifejacket,” My grandpa answered with disappointment in his voice, but swam with me anyways. I made it to the dock with my lifejacket and built enough courage to jump from the dock with my lifejacket. Next, It was time to succumb to my fear and swim back to shore. With great defeat and shame, I rolled on my back and let the lifejacket do it’s work. There was no way I could swim facing forward. Knowing how far away from shore I was, mounted my fear. Something didn’t seem right. It seemed as though my grandpa was way out of my reach. I began to get nervous and pleaded with my grandpa to hold onto me. With a wriggle of my life vest, I was assured he was holding on. I gazed at the beautiful, clear blue sky and counted each backstroke knowing I was getting that much closer to being safe on the beach.
Then, I screamed in terror when I thought I was drowning.“Don’t let go of me! Don’t let go of me! I can’t do this!” I looked up and noticed how close the shore was. I took a deep breath and started swimming forward to shore as fast as I could. Before I knew it, I was back on the shore and my grandmother was there. She wrapped her arms around me as she beamed with excitement!
Finally, I realized I had swam all the way back to the shore from the dock without my grandpa. I turned and saw him standing on the dock. He was cheering and had the biggest smile on his face. “I overcame my fear of drowning!” I yelled across the Fort Spokane swimming bay.
Revise your writing
Re-read your writing
Add details to make your writing more interesting
Delete any details that are not related to your story
Think of words you can change to make the story more interesting
Move parts around to make it clearer
2. Edit your writing
Proofread your story
Correct any errors in punctuation, grammar,and spelling
3. Publish
Type your final draft
Submit your final draft in the drop box within Unit 7
Finished Narrative Portfolio Example
“Don’t let go of me! Don’t let go of me! I can’t do this!” I hysterically screamed from the top of my lungs at the shore of the Fort Spokane swimming bay. It was a beautiful, warm, bright summer day at my family’s favorite camping site. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the sea of the heavens above inspired me. With determination, this was the day I was going to swim on my own. I wasn’t going to be the “baby” any longer and I thought there was nothing that would get in my way.
“Grandpa?”, I asked with fear in my voice. “Yeah?” “Do you think you could swim with me out to the dock? That way if I run into any trouble, you’ll be there to help me?” I asked with a pleading voice. “I thought you wanted to try on your own today? You were the one that said you were going to learn to get to the dock with no lifejacket,” My grandpa answered with disappointment in his voice, but swam with me anyways. I made it to the dock with my lifejacket and built enough courage to jump from the dock with my lifejacket. Next, It was time to succumb to my fear and swim back to shore. With great defeat and shame, I rolled on my back and let the lifejacket do it’s work. There was no way I could swim facing forward. Knowing how far away from shore I was, mounted my fear. Something didn’t seem right. It seemed as though my grandpa was way out of my reach. I began to get nervous and pleaded with my grandpa to hold onto me. With a wriggle of my life vest, I was assured he was holding on. I gazed at the beautiful, clear blue sky and counted each backstroke knowing I was getting that much closer to being safe on the beach.
Then, a splash of water covered my face. I rolled over off of my back and started screaming in terror because I thought I was drowning.“Don’t let go of me! Don’t let go of me! I can’t do this!” I suddenly looked up, and wiped my face off. I noticed how close I was to the shore. I took a deep breath, and started swimming forward to the shore as fast as I could. Before I knew it, I was back on the shore and my grandmother was there to greet me. She wrapped her arms around me as she beamed with excitement!
Finally, I realized I had swam all the way back to the shore from the dock without my grandpa. I turned and saw him standing on the dock. He was cheering and had the biggest smile on his face. “I overcame my fear of drowning!” I yelled across the Fort Spokane swimming bay.
In conclusion, my experience at the Fort Spokane swimming bay was one of fear, determination, and ultimately triumph. With the support of my grandpa, I was able to face my fear of drowning and push myself to swim all the way to the dock and back to shore. It was a challenging experience that taught me the importance of perseverance and overcoming obstacles. I will always remember that day as the day I proved to myself that I am capable of achieving my goals, no matter how scared I may be. It was a lesson in courage that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
make one up to 4 to 5 paragraphs but make it your own and use the example
The sun beat down mercilessly on the arid desert landscape as I stood at the edge of the towering sand dune. It was a searing hot day, and my goal was simple yet daunting - to conquer the tallest dune in the vast desert. The sand stretched out before me like an endless sea of gold, shimmering in the intense sunlight. I took a deep breath, feeling a mixture of excitement and trepidation coursing through my veins.
With each step I took up the steep incline, the sand shifted beneath my feet, making the climb even more challenging. The grains of sand stung my skin, causing me to squint against the bright glare of the sun. Despite the obstacles in my path, I pushed forward, determined to reach the summit no matter what it took. Each footstep brought me closer to my goal, my heart pounding with anticipation as the wind whipped around me.
As I reached the top of the dune, a rush of exhilaration washed over me. The view from the peak was breathtaking - a panoramic vista of endless sand dunes stretching as far as the eye could see. The sense of accomplishment and awe filled me with a sense of pride and wonder. I had conquered the tallest dune, and in that moment, I felt like I could conquer anything.
With a triumphant shout, I raised my arms to the sky, feeling the warmth of the sun on my face and the wind in my hair. I had faced my fears, pushed through the challenges, and emerged victorious on the other side. As I made my way back down the dune, a sense of peace and fulfillment settled over me. The experience had taught me the value of perseverance, determination, and the sheer joy of pushing beyond my limits. And as I left the desert behind me, I carried with me a newfound sense of confidence and strength that would stay with me forever.