Finish a unit on Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea with a narrative essay. Based on Santiago's harrowing adventures, the essay prompts readers to think about a time when they were faced with a challenge, overcame a disability, or were afraid of something.

Concepts

the old man and the sea, Narrative Writing, ernest hemingway, sensory language, the writing process

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Have readers incorporate evidence from the book to make connections between the novel and their own narrative
• Encourage writers to exchange essays before turning them in, and have them use the rubric to peer edit
• Use the writing prompts as journal entries earlier in the unit, so that writers can choose which of their shorter responses they could expand into a larger essay

Classroom Considerations

• Directions for the activity are vague

Pros

• Comes with a rubric for clear and straightforward assessment
• Prompts are general enough for readers to be able to relate to at least one
• Provides a space for writers to jot down sensory details that they can include in their writing

Cons

• You'll need to fix some of the formatting issues, particularly with the rubric and grade sheet, before providing the materials to writers

Common Core

W.9-10.3.a W.11-12.3.a