Senior English
Multiple Genre Senior Narrative
What is it?
A multiple genre senior narrative is a collection of original writing about you. Each piece of writing needs to convey something about your life experiences as they relate to each quarter’s theme; that’s the narrative part. We all like stories. We all have stories; so, what is yours? What is your narrative? It doesn’t have to be earth-shattering, but it has to be yours. These pieces can be poems, short stories, newspaper articles, lyrics, emails, etc. (as long as these are original pieces of your writing). That’s the multiple genre part. So, the multiple genre senior narrative is a year-long process that will culminate in a final polished collection of writing about you. It is expected to be your very best work—not a last-minute assignment. Remember, you have the entire year to work on it.
When is it due?
Each quarter we will develop some of the necessary pieces in class; however much of your final product will be created outside of school. There will be three checkpoints and one final due date corresponding with the end of each grading period.
How many pieces do I need?
Each quarter I expect a minimum of 2 polished pieces. Each piece has to tell a story about you. If, for instance you decide to use a text message to show something about you, there should be enough text messages (considered one piece) to show something specific about you. By polished, I mean that you’ve worked on them at length, shared them with a writing partner, and even at times had feedback from me before you’ve pronounced them adequate for your narrative.
What type of pieces do I need for each quarter?
Your pieces need to correspond with the theme of the particular quarter for which you are submitting them. Below are the quarter themes:
Quarter 1 From where do I come?
Quarter 2 Who am I?
Quarter 3 Why am I here?
Quarter 4 Where am I going?
Though each piece needs to relate to that quarter’s theme, each piece can be about a different event, person, place, etc. Each piece can be a different genre (I expect a variety of genres). Each
piece can be independent or interrelated. The commonality between the pieces is the quarter’s theme. Be sure to make that apparent.
How will I be graded?
You will receive three grades for each of checkpoints for quarters one through three. Then you will receive an overall grade when you submit your completed narrative at the end of quarter four.
How long does this have to be?
Each multiple genre senior narrative will have a different length. I don’t have set number of words or pages that I expect to see. I grade based on quality rather than quantity. I will look at each individual piece and its quality as well as the overall quality of the entire narrative. By the end of the year, the key is to have 2 or 3 pieces for each of the themes.