Menezes 1

Tristan Menzes

Ms. Wilson

3rd

2-28-2019

Personal Narrative

I grew up in Texas until I was about 11. My grandparents, aunts, uncles and even distant

relatives all lived in the area. My family and I spent every Christmas, Thanksgiving and birthday

at my grandma's house. We lived in a small town so everyone knew each other, all of my best

friends were in walking distance of my house. Everyday after school my friends and I would all

walk over to our friend Jason’s house because his parents would always buy him the new games

for his gamecube and wii. I don’t remember what my parents did exactly for work but I

remember my mom would clean houses and my dad worked in the church. Everything in my life

was simple and made sense, I had my best friends, my family, I knew my way around the small

town and had all my favorite spots to go with my friends. Everything was simple until one day I

came home from school and my dad was packing stuff into boxes and he told me that we were

moving.

Packing didn’t take long, we lived in a two bedroom trailer so it took just 2 days. To this

day i'm still not sure why we moved but I know it had something to do with an opening position

with my dad with some job. I remember how devastated my siblings and I were when our parents

told us that we were gonna have to say goodbye to our friends, family, and our house. We had

about 2 weeks left in Texas when our parents told us that we were moving. Two weeks to say
 Menezes 1

goodbye to my life and start a new one. We spent the last few days eating at our favorite

restaurants, being with family, and spending time with the people we’d miss. The day finally

came and we said our final goodbyes and started the drive. The closer we got to North Carolina

the more I dreaded the move. Everything would be different. New people I didn’t know, a new

town, and new house and a new school. After a long drive we arrived in North Carolina. We

arrived to a house with a big yard, two stories high, an actual backyard, a path to the front door,

and in a real neighborhood. This was lot different because I grew up in a trailer with a dirt yard

and no backyard, just woods. We unpacked our things and had dinner. We moved towards the

end of summer so it was only a few weeks until school started. I spend those weeks staying

inside and being with my siblings because I didn’t know the area and had no friends. Twas the

night before the first day of school and I was very nervous. A new school with new people, new

halls, and new classrooms. The first day of school came and our parents drove us to school.

Narrative Essay Rubric (Honors)

Score: 27/50
W.9-10.3​. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and
well-structured event sequences.
Standard
3.a​. ​Introduction​ -
Engage and orient the
reader by setting out a
problem, situation, or
observation, establishing
one or multiple point(s)
of view, and introducing
a narrator and/or
characters; create a
smooth progression of
experiences or events.
8.5
Exceptional (10-9) Proficient (8-7) Emerging (6-1) Not Evident (0)
❏ Effectively hook the ❏ Hook the reader with
reader with a creative, a compelling hook
original, and
compelling hook ❏ Effectively sets out a
problem, situation, or
❏ Effectively sets out a observation
problem, situation, or
observation in a ❏ Establish an insightful
compelling and/or point of view
creative manner
❏ Introduce a narrator,
❏ Establish an insightful, characters, setting,
original, or creative and main idea
point of view
❏ Introduce a ​complex
and/or creative

3.b. ​Narrative​ - ​Use
narrative techniques,
such as dialogue, pacing,
description, reflection,
and multiple plot lines,
to develop experiences,
events, and/or
characters.
3.5
3.c​. ​Organization​ - ​Use a
variety of techniques to
sequence events so that
they build on one
another to create a
coherent whole.
8 create an original plot
3.d.​ ​Language​ - ​Use
precise words and
phrases, telling details,
and sensory language to
convey a vivid picture of
the experiences, events,
setting, and/or
characters.
3.e.​ ​Conclusion​ - ​Provide
a conclusion that follows
from and reflects on
what is experienced,
observed, or resolved
over the course of the
narrative.
0 complex and original
narrator, characters,
setting, and main idea
❏ Utilize ​two or more
(teacher discretion)
narrative techniques
with purpose:
dialogue, pacing,
description, reflection,
multiple plot lines,
etc…
❏ Develop experiences,
events, and/or
characters and to
clearly develop a
purposeful theme
❏ Use ​purposefully
narrative techniques
such as
foreshadowing,
dramatic irony,
suspense, and/or
flashbacks in a ​highly
effective manner​ ​to
structure
❏ Create a smooth
progression of
experiences or events
that is logical, ​creative,
and sophisticated ​and
that uses ​highly
engaging devices
❏ Use precise, detailed
and ​sophisticated
words, phrases, and
sensory language​ to
engage the reader ​and
convey a​ ​vivid picture
❏ Provide a conclusion
that reflects on what is
experienced, observed,
or resolved
❏ Extends the meaning
and purpose to
connect to the
audience ​and​ ​convey a
theme
Menezes 1
❏ Utilize narrative Narrative is not
techniques such as developed
dialogue, pacing,
description, enough to
reflection, and convey a theme
multiple plot lines
(story is
❏ Develop experiences, incomplete)
events, and/or
characters in attempt
to convey theme
❏ Use appropriately
techniques such as
foreshadowing,
dramatic irony,
suspense, and/or
flashbacks
❏ Create a smooth
progression of
experiences or events
that is logical and
engaging
❏ Use precise and
detailed words,
phrases, and sensory
language to convey a
vivid picture
❏ Provide a conclusion No conclusion;
that reflects on what narrative is
is experienced,
observed, or resolved incomplete
❏ Extends the meaning
to convey a theme
Menezes 1