1. I Remember…
Thanksgiving

2. My Favorite Thanksgiving Memory
“It’s not easy to travel back into your memory and gather details. But it’s worth it. The details help you remember the very important chapters in the story of your life.” – Sandy Asher, Author.
When you write a short story about something that has happened in your life – an experience, event, or a special time – you are writing a personal narrative.
A personal narrative should have a beginning, a middle and an ending. The story should be organized in time order: what happened first, second, third, and so on.
Today, you will be writing a personal narrative about your favorite Thanksgiving memory.

3. Directions First, organize your thoughts
You can brainstorm and make a list of ideas that pop into your head about your favorite Thanksgiving memory or try clustering
You can use the “5 Ws” and answer the questions – Who?, What?, When?, Where?, and Why?
You can use a graphic organizer, like a story map (here’s another story map), a story planner, a time-order chart, or a personal narrative planner.

4. Make You Story Come Alive
Describe what you remember about your favorite Thanksgiving:
What did you see, hear, feel, smell, taste?
Compare it:
What was it like?
What was it different from?
Tell why it is your favorite Thanksgiving:
What makes this Thanksgiving so special?
Tell your story in the correct sequence – or time order (the order in which things actually happened). You may use words like first, then, next, and finally.

5. The Beginning
The beginning is your opening paragraph, or introduction. The first thing you need to do is make your reader interested in reading the rest of your story. You can do this by using a “hook” – for example:
Ask the reader a question
Have you ever…?
Do you remember…?
Can you…?
Use a catchy phrase or quote
“There is no such thing as too much dessert” is what my family says on Thanksgiving.
Begin with an interesting fact about your subject
The first Thanksgiving may have been in 1621, but the best Thanksgiving was definitely in 2006, the year I made the cranberry sauce.
Make an exclamatory statement
Last year we had the greatest Thanksgiving ever!

6. The Middle
The body, or middle paragraph, provides support, details, and examples.
Your story should be organized according to time (first, next, then, finally)
Use specific details – examples:
Without details:
My cousin is nice.
With details:
My cousin Lucy loves to write friendly notes to her classmates.
Use colorful adjectives – examples:
Not-so-good adjective use:
My mom made some good spaghetti sauce.
Colorful adjective use:
My mom made some delicious, spicy spaghetti sauce.
Better!
Better!

7. A Word on Time Order
It is easy to follow ideas in a story when the facts are explained in the order in which they happened. Here is a very brief example of a story about building a tree house told in time order:
First we used a rope to raise the wood up into the tree. Next, our parents helped us make a frame for the floor. We nailed boards to the frame. Then the walls and roof went up. Finally, to celebrate, we had a picnic in our new tree house!

8. The Ending
The ending, or conclusion, wraps up or sums up your thoughts and ideas – your main points.
For example, the essay we read about the mother who remembers Thanksgiving then and now has an the following conclusion:
That's a Thanksgiving memory not too many people have. Now we make it a point to watch the parade together each and every Thanksgiving because we've been there, done that.

9. So…let’s get started!!! Why Write Your Story?
Many people write stories about their lives. These are called autobiographies, or memoirs.
Writing stories about your life is something everyone should do!
If you write your story well, it may become a treasured family heirloom.
These stories can be like home movies in print form!
So…let’s get started!!!
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