Language & Literacy Narrative

Language & Literacy Narrative

The Multimodal Language & Literacy Narrative 

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Length

600-750 Words

Due Dates

First draft: February 20

Final draft: February 27

Points

First draft:

On Time: 5 points. 1 point off for every day late. No credit after 4 days late. 

Final draft: 

On Time: 15 points, 1 point off for every day late. No credit after 15 days late.

Assignment Prompt

For this assignment, you will compose a language and literacy narrative. You’re asked in this assignment to zoom into a particular moment from your life.

  1. What moments stand out to you when it comes to how you use language and literacy?
  2. Can you recall any family, cultural, or social events related to reading or writing that you found enlightening, encouraging, awkward, challenging, or unjust?
  3. A key language or literacy moment when positive or negative emotions soared, where you struggled or triumphed?
  4. An object or artifact that serves as a memory of a place, activity, or person connected to your language and literacy development?
 
Assignment Details

Your written narrative should be 2.5-3 pages and must contain:

  1. A carefully crafted and revised story of a specific moment, event, or experience.
  2. Vivid details that draw your readers into the scene.
  3. Three (or more) materials and media to support your narrative, such as pictures of artifacts, images, links, video clips, quotes, sound bites, etc. (As all of your major assignments will be placed on a WordPress site you develop, so creating multimodal texts is important.)
  4. Your interpretations of the larger social significance of the event chosen. (After all, our individual narratives reflect larger trends in society, history, where you grew up, and identities like gender, race, culture, linguistic background, and ability. (Your interpretations may be explicitly included in your narrative or implied. But if left implied, be sure to be explicit about these connections in your Cover Letter.)
 
Personalize Your Narrative

THE MOMENT you choose to write about forms the basis of your literacy narrative, so it should be a subject matter that you are comfortable sharing.

THE REFLECTIONS you include in your narrative are important. They will help readers make sense of the moment’s significance and implications.

THE DESIGN AND DELIVERY of your narrative should be personalized as you see fit.

  • You’re encouraged to carefully consider your tone and language choices.
  • You’re welcome to use your “native,” “home,” or “other” languages, literacies, and ways of being as you so choose.

Assessment Rubric

1. Appropriate Focus and Rhetorical Effectiveness of the Written Narrative

How effectively does the narrative provide 1-2 concrete examples and specific details of the writer’s language/literacy experiences? How effectively does the narrative attend to description? How effectively does the narrative appeal to the intended audience?

2. Explicit Commentary on Significance and Implications

How effectively does the narrative highlight some central idea about a larger social significance? How well does the narrative implicitly or explicitly comment on the larger implications of the story, signaling connections to national trends or to the writer’s life, family, generation, gender, race, culture, linguistic background, ability, and/or geographic location?

3. Use of Multimedia

How effectively does the narrative integrate multiples modes (such as pictures, images, objects, props, links, and music)?

5. General Requirements

Were all requirements for length and due date met?