1. DO NOW (IN YOUR WRITING SECTION) Today is September 11, 2015 (fourteen years since the Twin Towers and the Pentagon were attacked) In the next 5-10 minutes, reflect on this incident. You might answer: What do you already know about this event? Do you have any personal stories or connections to it? What are your thoughts/feelings? How does this affect us as a country today? Or, write about anything else that you feel is meaningful and related to this topic.

2. NARRATIVE POETRY (CONTINUE IN WRITING SECTION) Narrative is another name for story. A narrative poem is a poem that tells a story. Write your own narrative poem inspired by 9/11. You might write about… The attacks themselves Tragedy, more generally Revenge Being grateful for your friends/family/life/freedom Or anything else that you feel is meaningful and related Poems should be at least 10 lines long and they do not need to follow any rhyme/rhythm pattern, unless you would like them to

3. HOW TO MAKE SURE IT’S A NARRATIVE If it doesn’t tell a story from beginning to end, then it’s not a narrative poem. Somebody Wanted But So”- Are there characters? Is there a conflict and resolution? Possible ways to start a narrative poem: I was walking down the street when all of a sudden… When my mom turned on the t.v., I couldn’t believe what my eyes were seeing… The last time I spoke to him, his cell phone was cutting out. All I heard was… Examples of non-narrative poem starters… The horror, the madness, who could be so cruel?... Two buildings, so tall and proud. Two symbols of our country’s… A day that lives in infamy. A day we’ll never forget…

4. CHARACTERIZATION (CLEAN SHEET OF PAPER) Today we will be watching two short episodes of “Rugrats” While you watch, make note of each characters’ behavior (what he or she says, does, how other characters react to him or her, etc.) Focus on the babies: Tommy, Susie, Chuckie, Phil & Lil, Angelica After the episode is over, you will fill out a characterization chart, in which you list… The name of the character The trait you would use to describe that character (an adjective) The moment from the episode that helped you infer that trait (text evidence) Try to come up with around 2-3 traits for each character (about 10-15 in total)