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How to Write a Narrative Essay | Example & Tips

Published on July 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

A narrative essay tells a story. In most cases, this is a story about a personal experience you had. This type of essay , along with the descriptive essay , allows you to get personal and creative, unlike most academic writing .

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Table of contents

What is a narrative essay for, choosing a topic, interactive example of a narrative essay, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about narrative essays.

When assigned a narrative essay, you might find yourself wondering: Why does my teacher want to hear this story? Topics for narrative essays can range from the important to the trivial. Usually the point is not so much the story itself, but the way you tell it.

A narrative essay is a way of testing your ability to tell a story in a clear and interesting way. You’re expected to think about where your story begins and ends, and how to convey it with eye-catching language and a satisfying pace.

These skills are quite different from those needed for formal academic writing. For instance, in a narrative essay the use of the first person (“I”) is encouraged, as is the use of figurative language, dialogue, and suspense.

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Narrative essay assignments vary widely in the amount of direction you’re given about your topic. You may be assigned quite a specific topic or choice of topics to work with.

• Write a story about your first day of school.
• Write a story about your favorite holiday destination.

You may also be given prompts that leave you a much wider choice of topic.

• Write about an experience where you learned something about yourself.
• Write about an achievement you are proud of. What did you accomplish, and how?

In these cases, you might have to think harder to decide what story you want to tell. The best kind of story for a narrative essay is one you can use to talk about a particular theme or lesson, or that takes a surprising turn somewhere along the way.

For example, a trip where everything went according to plan makes for a less interesting story than one where something unexpected happened that you then had to respond to. Choose an experience that might surprise the reader or teach them something.

Narrative essays in college applications

When applying for college , you might be asked to write a narrative essay that expresses something about your personal qualities.

For example, this application prompt from Common App requires you to respond with a narrative essay.

In this context, choose a story that is not only interesting but also expresses the qualities the prompt is looking for—here, resilience and the ability to learn from failure—and frame the story in a way that emphasizes these qualities.

An example of a short narrative essay, responding to the prompt “Write about an experience where you learned something about yourself,” is shown below.

Hover over different parts of the text to see how the structure works.

Since elementary school, I have always favored subjects like science and math over the humanities. My instinct was always to think of these subjects as more solid and serious than classes like English. If there was no right answer, I thought, why bother? But recently I had an experience that taught me my academic interests are more flexible than I had thought: I took my first philosophy class.

Before I entered the classroom, I was skeptical. I waited outside with the other students and wondered what exactly philosophy would involve—I really had no idea. I imagined something pretty abstract: long, stilted conversations pondering the meaning of life. But what I got was something quite different.

A young man in jeans, Mr. Jones—“but you can call me Rob”—was far from the white-haired, buttoned-up old man I had half-expected. And rather than pulling us into pedantic arguments about obscure philosophical points, Rob engaged us on our level. To talk free will, we looked at our own choices. To talk ethics, we looked at dilemmas we had faced ourselves. By the end of class, I’d discovered that questions with no right answer can turn out to be the most interesting ones.

The experience has taught me to look at things a little more “philosophically”—and not just because it was a philosophy class! I learned that if I let go of my preconceptions, I can actually get a lot out of subjects I was previously dismissive of. The class taught me—in more ways than one—to look at things with an open mind.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

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If you’re not given much guidance on what your narrative essay should be about, consider the context and scope of the assignment. What kind of story is relevant, interesting, and possible to tell within the word count?

The best kind of story for a narrative essay is one you can use to reflect on a particular theme or lesson, or that takes a surprising turn somewhere along the way.

Don’t worry too much if your topic seems unoriginal. The point of a narrative essay is how you tell the story and the point you make with it, not the subject of the story itself.

Narrative essays are usually assigned as writing exercises at high school or in university composition classes. They may also form part of a university application.

When you are prompted to tell a story about your own life or experiences, a narrative essay is usually the right response.

The key difference is that a narrative essay is designed to tell a complete story, while a descriptive essay is meant to convey an intense description of a particular place, object, or concept.

Narrative and descriptive essays both allow you to write more personally and creatively than other kinds of essays , and similar writing skills can apply to both.

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How to Write a Perfect Narrative Essay (Step-by-Step)

By Status.net Editorial Team on October 17, 2023 — 10 minutes to read

• Understanding a Narrative Essay Part 1
• Typical Narrative Essay Structure Part 2
• Narrative Essay Template Part 3
• Step 1. How to Choose Your Narrative Essay Topic Part 4
• Step 2. Planning the Structure Part 5
• Step 3. Crafting an Intriguing Introduction Part 6
• Step 4. Weaving the Narrative Body Part 7
• Step 5. Creating a Conclusion Part 8
• Step 6. Polishing the Essay Part 9
• Step 7. Feedback and Revision Part 10

Part 1 Understanding a Narrative Essay

A narrative essay is a form of writing where you share a personal experience or tell a story to make a point or convey a lesson. Unlike other types of essays, a narrative essay aims to engage your audience by sharing your perspective and taking them on an emotional journey.

• To begin, choose a meaningful topic . Pick a story or experience that had a significant impact on your life, taught you something valuable, or made you see the world differently. You want your readers to learn from your experiences, so choose something that will resonate with others.
• Next, create an outline . Although narrative essays allow for creative storytelling, it’s still helpful to have a roadmap to guide your writing. List the main events, the characters involved, and the settings where the events took place. This will help you ensure that your essay is well-structured and easy to follow.
• When writing your narrative essay, focus on showing, not telling . This means that you should use descriptive language and vivid details to paint a picture in your reader’s mind. For example, instead of stating that it was a rainy day, describe the sound of rain hitting your window, the feeling of cold wetness around you, and the sight of puddles forming around your feet. These sensory details will make your essay more engaging and immersive.
• Another key aspect is developing your characters . Give your readers an insight into the thoughts and emotions of the people in your story. This helps them connect with the story, empathize with the characters, and understand their actions. For instance, if your essay is about a challenging hike you took with a friend, spend some time describing your friend’s personality and how the experience impacted their attitude or feelings.
• Keep the pace interesting . Vary your sentence lengths and structures, and don’t be afraid to use some stylistic devices like dialogue, flashbacks, and metaphors. This adds more depth and dimension to your story, keeping your readers engaged from beginning to end.

Part 2 Typical Narrative Essay Structure

A narrative essay typically follows a three-part structure: introduction, body, and conclusion.

• Introduction: Start with a hook to grab attention and introduce your story. Provide some background to set the stage for the main events.
• Body: Develop your story in detail. Describe scenes, characters, and emotions. Use dialogue when necessary to provide conversational elements.
• Conclusion: Sum up your story, revealing the lesson learned or the moral of the story. Leave your audience with a lasting impression.

Part 3 Narrative Essay Template

• 1. Introduction : Set the scene and introduce the main characters and setting of your story. Use descriptive language to paint a vivid picture for your reader and capture their attention.
• Body 2. Rising Action : Develop the plot by introducing a conflict or challenge that the main character must face. This could be a personal struggle, a difficult decision, or an external obstacle. 3. Climax : This is the turning point of the story, where the conflict reaches its peak and the main character must make a critical decision or take action. 4. Falling Action : Show the consequences of the main character’s decision or action, and how it affects the rest of the story. 5. Resolution : Bring the story to a satisfying conclusion by resolving the conflict and showing how the main character has grown or changed as a result of their experiences.
• 6. Reflection/Conclusion : Reflect on the events of the story and what they mean to you as the writer. This could be a lesson learned, a personal realization, or a message you want to convey to your reader.

Part 4 Step 1. How to Choose Your Narrative Essay Topic

Brainstorming ideas.

Start by jotting down any ideas that pop into your mind. Think about experiences you’ve had, stories you’ve heard, or even books and movies that have resonated with you. Write these ideas down and don’t worry too much about organization yet. It’s all about getting your thoughts on paper.

Once you have a list, review your ideas and identify common themes or connections between them. This process should help you discover potential topics for your narrative essay.

Narrowing Down the Choices

After brainstorming, you’ll likely end up with a few strong contenders for your essay topic. To decide which topic is best, consider the following:

• Relevance : Is the topic meaningful for your audience? Will they be able to connect with it on a personal level? Consider the purpose of your assignment and your audience when choosing your topic.
• Detail : Do you have enough specific details to craft a vivid story? The more detail you can recall about the event, the easier it’ll be to write a compelling narrative.
• Emotional impact : A strong narrative essay should evoke emotions in your readers. Choose a topic that has the potential to elicit some emotional response from your target audience.

After evaluating your potential topics based on these criteria, you can select the one that best fits the purpose of your narrative essay.

Part 5 Step 2. Planning the Structure

Creating an outline.

Before you start writing your narrative essay, it’s a great idea to plan out your story. Grab a piece of paper and sketch out a rough outline of the key points you want to cover. Begin with the introduction, where you’ll set the scene and introduce your characters. Then, list the major events of your story in chronological order, followed by the climax and resolution. Organizing your ideas in an outline will ensure your essay flows smoothly and makes sense to your readers.

Detailing Characters, Settings, and Events

Taking time to flesh out the characters, settings, and events in your story will make it more engaging and relatable. Think about your main character’s background, traits, and motivations. Describe their appearance, emotions, and behavior in detail. This personal touch will help your readers connect with them on a deeper level.

Also, give some thought to the setting – where does the story take place? Be sure to include sensory details that paint a vivid picture of the environment. Finally, focus on the series of events that make up your narrative. Are there any twists and turns, or surprising moments? Address these in your essay, using vivid language and engaging storytelling techniques to captivate your readers.

Writing the Narrative Essay

Part 6 step 3. crafting an intriguing introduction.

To start your narrative essay, you’ll want to hook your reader with an interesting and engaging opening. Begin with a captivating sentence or question that piques curiosity and captures attention. For example, “Did you ever think a simple bus ride could change your life forever?” This kind of opening sets the stage for a compelling, relatable story. Next, introduce your main characters and provide a bit of context to help your readers understand the setting and background of the story.

Part 7 Step 4. Weaving the Narrative Body

The body of your essay is where your story unfolds. Here’s where you’ll present a series of events, using descriptive language and vivid details.

Remember to maintain a strong focus on the central theme or main point of your narrative.

Organize your essay chronologically, guiding your reader through the timeline of events.

As you recount your experience, use a variety of sensory details, such as sounds, smells, and tastes, to immerse your reader in the moment. For instance, “The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the room as my friends and I excitedly chattered about our upcoming adventure.”

Take advantage of dialogue to bring your characters to life and to reveal aspects of their personalities. Incorporate both internal and external conflicts, as conflict plays a crucial role in engaging your reader and enhancing the narrative’s momentum. Show the evolution of your characters and how they grow throughout the story.

Part 8 Step 5. Creating a Conclusion

Finally, to write a satisfying conclusion, reflect on the narrative’s impact and how the experience has affected you or your characters. Tie the narrative’s events together and highlight the lessons learned, providing closure for the reader.

Avoid abruptly ending your story, because that can leave the reader feeling unsatisfied. Instead, strive to create a sense of resolution and demonstrate how the events have changed the characters’ perspectives or how the story’s theme has developed.

For example, “Looking back, I realize that the bus ride not only changed my perspective on friendship, but also taught me valuable life lessons that I carry with me to this day.”

Part 9 Step 6. Polishing the Essay

Fine-tuning your language.

When writing a narrative essay, it’s key to choose words that convey the emotions and experiences you’re describing. Opt for specific, vivid language that creates a clear mental image for your reader. For instance, instead of saying “The weather was hot,” try “The sun scorched the pavement, causing the air to shimmer like a mirage.” This gives your essay a more engaging and immersive feeling.

Editing for Clarity and Concision

As you revise your essay, keep an eye out for redundancies and unnecessary words that might dilute the impact of your story. Getting to the point and using straightforward language can help your essay flow better. For example, instead of using “She was walking in a very slow manner,” you can say, “She strolled leisurely.” Eliminate filler words and phrases, keeping only the most pertinent information that moves your story forward.

Proofreading for Typos

Finally, proofread your essay carefully to catch any typos, grammatical errors, or punctuation mistakes. It’s always a good idea to have someone else read it as well, as they might catch errors you didn’t notice. Mistakes can be distracting and may undermine the credibility of your writing, so be thorough with your editing process.

Part 10 Step 7. Feedback and Revision

Gathering feedback.

After you’ve written the first draft of your narrative essay, it’s time to gather feedback from friends, family, or colleagues. Share your essay with a few trusted people who can provide insights and suggestions for improvement. Listen to their thoughts and be open to constructive criticism. You might be surprised by the different perspectives they offer, which can strengthen your essay.

Iterating on the Draft

Once you have collected feedback, it’s time to revise and refine your essay. Address any issues or concerns raised by your readers and incorporate their suggestions. Consider reorganizing your story’s structure, clarifying your descriptions, or adding more details based on the feedback you received.

As you make changes, continue to fine-tune your essay to ensure a smooth flow and a strong narrative. Don’t be afraid to cut out unnecessary elements or rework parts of your story until it’s polished and compelling.

Revision is a crucial part of the writing process, and taking the time to reflect on feedback and make improvements will help you create a more engaging and impactful narrative essay.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can i create an engaging introduction.

Craft an attention-grabbing hook with a thought-provoking question, an interesting fact, or a vivid description. Set the stage for your story by introducing the time, place, and context for the events. Creating tension or raising curiosity will make your readers eager to learn more.

What strategies help develop strong characters?

To develop strong characters, consider the following:

• Give your characters distinct traits, strengths, and weaknesses.
• Provide a backstory to explain their actions and motivations.
• Use dialogue to present their personality, emotions, and relationships.
• Show how they change or evolve throughout your story.

How can I make my story flow smoothly with transitions?

Smooth transitions between scenes or events can create a more coherent and easy-to-follow story. Consider the following tips to improve your transitions:

• Use words and phrases like “meanwhile,” “later that day,” or “afterward” to signify changes in time.
• Link scenes with a common theme or element.
• Revisit the main characters or setting to maintain continuity.
• Introduce a twist or an unexpected event that leads to the next scene.

What are some tips for choosing a great narrative essay topic?

To choose an engaging narrative essay topic, follow these tips:

• Pick a personal experience or story that holds significance for you.
• Consider a challenge or a turning point you’ve faced in your life.
• Opt for a topic that will allow you to share emotions and lessons learned.
• Think about what your audience would find relatable, intriguing, or inspiring.

How do I wrap up my narrative essay with a strong conclusion?

A compelling conclusion restates the main events and highlights any lessons learned or growth in your character. Try to end on a thought-provoking note or leave readers with some food for thought. Finally, make sure your conclusion wraps up your story neatly and reinforces its overall message.

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Exploring the art and craft of story

Story Craft

February 16, 2007, natural narratives, michael pollan, tagged with.

Book by book, project by project, it’s usually hard to say who you are as a writer or what your long-term subject is. But with hindsight you start to see threads. By my third book I realized that I was always gravitating back to nature.

Nature, by the way, is what science writing is about. Science is one of our tools for understanding nature.

But I don’t like to approach nature the way most people do – which is in nature. I’m a nature writer who doesn’t like to go camping. So I look at nature much closer to home: in backyards, on our plates, with respect to our everyday lives.

I think our usual understanding of what constitutes nature writing is narrow and constricted. The usual narrative about nature is a “Man and Nature” story, the person in the woods having big thoughts or encountering adversity. I needed to find some other way to tell stories about nature, and I found there’s enormous potential in moving beyond convention.

So here are seven principles for writing about nature and science in ways that depart from the usual approaches:

1. Get beyond the “humans-doing-stuff” definition of narrative.

Whether we’re writing about nature or anything else, we can expand our concept of what narrative is. The more traditional definition is that narrative is made up of characters and their actions, set in scenes. This is true, but I’d argue that the characters don’t have to be human.

You can build narrative out of systems: You can tell the story of how water gets from one place to another. You can build narratives out of other species. I’ve certainly done that; I’ve told stories about plants or animals and their history and used their point of view to animate a story. In my most recent book [“ The Omnivore’s Dilemma ”] I use corn as a character to thread a path through the whole history of agriculture. I could have told the story from the point of view of people, but it was more interesting to tell it from the point of view of corn, and very animating.

You can also construct a narrative out of arguments, ideas. One of the more challenging pieces I’ve written was “ An Animal’s Place ,” about animal rights, published in The New York Times Magazine in 2002. The piece is an essay of ideas, but it’s also a narrative about an argument. It’s a play with Peter Singer, the animal rights philosopher, and me as characters. The first line of the piece is, “The first time I opened Peter Singer’s ‘ Animal Liberation ,’ I was dining alone at the Palm, trying to enjoy a rib-eye steak cooked medium-rare.”

Here’s the whole drama of that piece: Do I finish the steak or not? Can I continue to eat meat while exploring this person’s ideas? (This is a principle of suspense I’ll come back to later.) I set up a drama of me, the narrator, grappling with Singer in my head. A narrative can also be people thinking stuff, or people learning stuff. When you’re stuck, when you’ve mastered a whole subject and don’t know where the narrative thread is, your fall-back is always your own education, your learning process. That’s a narrative, too – often a very useful one.

These approaches don’t have to be fancy. I organized “ Power Steer ,” a piece about beef and the industrial livestock industry, simply by telling the story of one animal. The story is a biography with a very simple arc.

So think about doing narratives of ideas, of other species, of other systems. Think about narrative in the broadest sense.

2. Follow systems.

During Watergate Woodward and Bernstein learned to “follow the money.” This is a very useful principle in writing about government and politics. There are other things we can follow, too. If you use ecology as a narrative principle, you can follow nonhuman systems. Ecology is not just a subject; it’s an approach, a way of thinking. The system could be energy. Or carbon. Or a chemical. Or water. One of the wonderful things about ecology is that it provides you with all your transitions. When you follow an ecological system you’ll find yourself being carried from place to place to place. It’s a wonderful organizing device.

When you follow systems, be sure that you:

3. Follow your “character” all the way.

What I mean by this is avoid shorthand. I was recently re-reading Rachel Carson’s “ Silent Spring ,” which is a wonderful piece of journalism. She’s the first person I can think of in the tradition of environmental journalism who truly thinks ecologically. She follows nonhuman things really effectively.

One of the things she does is follow things through to the point where they really matter. She doesn’t just say, “this organic phosphorous insecticide is a neurotoxin.” That’s the kind of dull language you find in most environmental journalism. OK, it’s true, but I want to know how it works. Carson follows the organic phosphorous insecticide until she is in a brain cell explaining how acetylcholine enables communication among our synapses. Acetylcholine, a chemical transmitter, is supposed to vanish very quickly. It’s like serotonin; it’s supposed to disappear from the system quickly once it does its work, or you get too many messages going back and forth. She writes that the insecticide stops the acetylcholine from breaking down or being taken up. So you get too many messages; it’s as if you could never remove e-mail from your queue when you’re finished with it.

In “Silent Spring,” “neurotoxin” comes to mean something. You can see it and you understand the havoc it wreaks in your brain.

I use this technique in “Power Steer.” I follow the cow through its whole life cycle. But I also follow corn. In my reporting I learned that one of the most significant things about the way we raise cattle in this country is that we feed them a diet of corn. It’s not something they’re evolved to eat. So I write about what corn is doing in their rumens.

I follow the corn from the cow’s rumen to the farm and what corn is doing on the farm and all the fossil fuel it takes to grow it. Then I follow that carbon all the way back to the war in Iraq and what we’re doing in the Middle East to keep our steaks coming, our corn-fed meat. It’s all connected.

So ecology can take you from the rumen of a cow all the way to the Persian Gulf, then forward again from the cow and the meat to our bodies and what that meat does to us.

Following a thing through a system is a powerful tool. It accomplishes something your editors are always driving you crazy about: Why should readers care? This technique can answer that question. All of us are in this ecological web, this food web. Following the web gives you a means for going wherever you want in pursuit of your subject, then traveling back to your reader, your reader’s plate, brain, experience, etc.

4. Use first person strategically.

The first person is often badly used, especially in newspaper journalism. I tend to rely on it heavily, but if you look at my work you’ll find that, even when it’s there, you learn very little about me. I use it not in confession but as a narrative device.

The key is to realize that once you’ve made the decision that you’re writing a first-person piece, you’re not done. There’s a second decision: Which first person? You have many identities when you’re writing. For example, I could approach a piece as a gardener. Or as a Jew. Or a son. Or father. As someone who lives in Berkeley, Calif. As any number of identities. When you’re writing in first person, you’re not using your whole identity. You’re choosing what is useful to your story.

With “Power Steer,” I wrote as a carnivore. This was an important choice. Because if I’d written about the meat industry as a vegetarian, nobody would have read what I wrote. I needed to start where my reader was. And odds were that my New York Times reader was a carnivore. It’s also much more interesting to find out what happens to a carnivore after he’s gone into the heart of darkness of the modern American meat industry than what happens to a vegetarian. Because you know exactly what would happen to a vegetarian: He’d say, “See, I told you so.” That’s not very interesting.

So choose your first person deliberately. Too many newspaper first persons – and a lot of magazine first persons too – are written in the voice of the neutral feature writer. They’re the voice of the Journalist. That is the least interesting first person you have. Nobody cares about journalists. They’re not normal people. So choose a first person that draws on a more normal side of your personality. And think about which one will help you tell the story. You’ll see that in very subtle ways it will shape your point of view and your tone and unlock interesting things.

You may find as you’re writing that you’ve chosen the wrong first person; in that case you need to try again. Early in the story you’re establishing your character. And you as narrator are a character. Not that you’re making anything up when you shape that character, but you’re being selective – you’re creating a character on the page.

So eschew the Journalist. Also reject the Expert. This brings me to pillar No. 5.

5. Write as an idiot. (Or at least as an amateur.)

Journalists often write as people who have mastered subjects and are telling you about them. That’s a real turn-off for readers. In my work I often begin as a naif. It’s a good place to start because it’s a lot closer to where your reader is. Instead of starting as someone who knows the answers, you begin as someone learning about something. That’s a good way to connect with readers.

I often underscore my ignorance in the beginning of pieces. By the time I write my lead I’m not ignorant, but I can begin my story at the point where I was. I’m not lying; I’m playing up where I was when I started. This way I’ve got the drama, as I said above, of learning.

6. Humor is important.

You would think that, in writing about nature, humor is hard to do, what with the environmental tragedies unfolding all around us. But finding the funny line is an important way to engage your readers. You can look at nature as this grand tragedy where we’re screwing things up, or you can look at it as a situation of amazing absurdities and ironies, of nature pulling the rug out from under our feet all the time. Nature takes our fondest conceits and arrogant ideas and puts them in perspective, ironizes them.

Depending on how you choose your first person, there will be humorous possibilities. That’s part of the reason to write as an idiot. You’ll be a fish out of water, doing things you’re ill-equipped to do. You will be falling on your face, and that’s often funny. In my own books I often have adventures where I do things I’m not equipped to do. In “Power Steer,” I bought a beef cow. I became a sort of baby rancher. I didn’t know anything. In the piece I go to a feed lot and try to find my steer, walking around through the cow manure. In other work I’ve gone hunting. I’ve had a war with a woodchuck. I often do things in my stories, and it doesn’t always go well.

Choose the right first person, or the right narrative conceit, and you will open up some prospects for humor.

7. Build suspense.

Suspense is a principle of all narrative, of course. But we can misconstrue what suspense is. Simple things can give you suspense. In “An Animal’s Place” the suspense is, “Will he still be able to eat meat? Is he going to eat the steak?” It’s very simple.

Your structure can give you suspense. Where the piece starts can give you suspense. In the Odyssey, Homer doesn’t start at the beginning but in medias res , in the middle of the story. He starts at Odysseus’s court; Odysseus is gone and suitors have taken over and chaos has broken out. Odysseus’s son is moping, and suitors are coming after Odysseus’s wife. His world is threatened. But the story is not going to stay there; it’s going to show Odysseus, who’s got to get home. So the suspense begins as, “How is Odysseus going to get from where he is to that place we just saw?” That’s the suspense. Showing us where we’re headed lends tension to the narrative. We wonder how we’re going to get there.

So sometimes when you choose to start your narrative not in the beginning but somewhere along the way, you create energy or suspense. There are other ways, too. One is to pose a really good question. If in your opening you pose a question, people will read along to get the answer.

The question “What’s going to happen?” can be posed in the world of thoughts, too. “Who’s going to win this argument?” “Who’s going to come out on top?” It’s very important in the beginning of such a narrative that you set such a question up. Because that’s what will determine whether people will keep reading or drop you.

One of the important keys to narrative journalism – and it flies in the face of most newspaper training – is that you have to withhold. You can’t put all the best stuff in the first column. No one’s going to read to the end once you’ve used up all your best stuff. It’s a tricky principle: How do you withhold and get readers interested, hooked? Plus, how do you avoid being coy? This is a real challenge, but you have to hold off some important information – and signal what you will get if you come along for the ride.

Further Reading

“words are living things. they have personality, point of view, agenda.”, by trevor pyle, using narrative digression to weave backstory, context and suspense into stories, by chip scanlan, mastering the awkward art of the interview, by ioana burtea.

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Nature Mentoring

What Does Nature Teach Us? 14 Lessons From The Natural World

When I was 17 years old, I became interested in how nature can provide practical lessons and answers to challenges I was facing in my own life.

I read many inspiring books, attended hundreds of classes and sought out the best mentors of nature awareness & wilderness skills I could possibly find.

What I discovered had a huge impact on my own life, and it just goes to show that nature is filled with amazing things to teach us.

One thing I’ve realized is that nature can only teach what you are open to discovering.

Since everyone approaches nature from their own unique perspective, you’ll find the lessons are driven by what you are personally looking for.

Nature will teach you different things depending on your goals. It can teach you how to think more clearly & scientifically, or enhance your sense of spiritual connection, or even achieve personal success. It all starts with having an attitude that aligns with your own personal interests.

Every moment we spend in nature is an opportunity to make amazing discoveries about ourselves and the world we live in.

Simply being surrounded by birds & plants has amazing beneficial effects for the mind & body.

But you can also amplify these lessons when you explore nature in a more intentional way. The more clarity you have about what you’re looking for, the more likely you are to find it!

So today let’s explore 14 things nature will teach you…

1. Naturalist Intelligence

On the most basic level, nature will teach you about the actual physical environment that sustains all life on this planet.

There’s a huge difference between learning about nature from a book, versus having your own real life experiences with birds, plants, trees & forests.

Naturalist intelligence is a recognized learning style that relates to observing patterns in the natural world and having empathy for animals.

These are inherent human skills that anyone can develop by having adventures outside, tracking animals, harvesting plants & herbs, and connecting with the birds.

But naturalist intelligence is not just about knowing things related to plants, trees & birds. It’s also about your larger capacity to observe patterns and tune into your physical surroundings in all areas of life.

Most people in the modern world have lost their innate naturalist intelligence, but human beings are animals at heart. We’re biologically designed to be surrounded by plants, birds & fresh air!

With naturalist intelligence, we gain the skills to care for our environment and make life better for everyone in the process.

(And for teachers, I made this guide to creating nature lesson plans  that foster naturalist intelligence)

2. Presence & Awareness

Many modern people lead lives that are almost entirely driven by a lack of presence & awareness. They get stuck in a loop of painful memories from the past, or worrying and planning for the future.

It’s one of the unfortunate side-effects of living in a technology obsessed world with constant screen time, computers, smart phones and high-pressure scheduling.

Almost never do we allow ourselves the space to simply sit in the present moment and observe our experience without judgement.

Being immersed in nature is like the exact opposite of being driven by technology… It’s filled with so much timeless beauty that it pulls you out of the internal world of thoughts & ideas.

It helps you become grounded in the present moment so you can have more access to mental & emotional clarity.

As nature calls your senses outwards, you’ll find yourself being less absorbed with what’s happening in your head and more tuned in with the daily experience of life.

3. Using Your Senses

One of the biggest lessons I ever learned from nature was that it’s possible to increase the capacity of human sensory awareness .

Most people dramatically underestimate the importance of basic seeing, hearing, feeling & observation skills.

Did you know that many of the most common “learning disabilities” like autism & attention deficit disorder have a strong sensory component to them?

A lot of the therapies that help people to overcome learning challenges are focused around providing meaningful sensory stimulation.

Like many people growing up surrounded by modern technology, I spent the first part of my life fairly disconnected from the ability to consciously use sensory awareness to make observations about my world.

I also really struggled with focus and attention.

But I still remember the first time I consciously practiced my sensory awareness skills outside by looking at plants & trees, and listening to distant bird sounds.

It opened up a whole new world of discovery that has dramatically transformed my mental clarity and capacity to learn faster by watching & listening carefully.

4. Unstoppable Focus

Along with the increases in overall awareness that come from being surrounded by nature, you’ll notice that your ability to focus will also really improve.

Nature teaches focus by first quieting your mind of the distractions, and then captivating or sharpening your attention through curiosity.

Nature is filled with so many unique sights, sounds & smells to tantalize your senses. There’s something around every turn to captivate your awareness.

This creates a unique kind of balance between stretching your senses outwards, and also honing your focus on specific things that make you curious.

When it comes to exploring nature… You never want to get too wrapped up in any one thing because you’ll miss out on dozens of others. But you also don’t want to miss the opportunity to really dive in and take a close look at whatever is catching your attention in the moment.

The ability to study a plant or a bird and later recall those observations so you can look it up in a field guide requires a level of focus that simply doesn’t get nurtured in an indoor classroom.

This is how nature will teach you a kind of organic scientific focus that’s driven by your own developing curiosity rather than the external desire to get good grades or achieve status.

Your ability to focus is a skill that can be improved with practice… and nature is one of the best teachers of this.

5. Stillness & Meditation

One of the simplest things to do outside is be still & meditate.

Have you ever noticed that it’s difficult to be distracted by thoughts when your mind is being stimulated by a rich tapestry of sounds, colors & experiences?

This is why many people report that simply being in nature is as effective or even more effective than sitting in quiet meditation indoors.

All you have to do is take a bit of time to drop into your body… feel the sunshine & the breeze on your skin… and listen deeply to the birds in the distance.

You’ll notice that as you center yourself in the 5 senses, you’ll naturally drop into a much quieter state of mind that is both mentally calm and emotionally peaceful.

This is a natural state of meditation. No difficult techniques… just pure nature.

6. Authenticity

Authenticity is one of the big secrets to success in life.

Nature teaches authenticity by giving you opportunities to be alone with yourself in a truly non-judgemental environment.

Most people choose their life goals based on what other people want for them, or what society deems important, rather than what’s truly in their heart.

But following other people’s goals won’t lead you to fulfillment. The right goal for one person, is not right for another.

This is why it’s absolutely critical to get in touch with your own unique path.

Nature helps you build authentic self awareness because it doesn’t try to change who you are or influence your decisions.

Instead, it removes all the outside influences of media & other people’s opinions, while amplifying the quiet voice of truth that so often gets ignored.

Nature doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. There’s no judgement. Just the pure freedom to be yourself as you are.

This is why people who spend lots of time in nature find themselves living a more authentic path in life.

7. Awe & Wonder

Many people today feel like the world has no magic… it’s like we’ve lost the romance & excitement that inspires true creativity & progress.

But immersing our senses in nature is an opportunity to bring back that genuine sense of amazement and magical wonder.

Nature is filled with so many amazing mysteries and beautiful moments that inspire the mind.

It’s also filled with the unfiltered realities of life & death in the forest.

If you spend lots of time in nature, you will eventually encounter both the gift of new life, and also the realities of death.

Witnessing the birth of new animals, and also their deaths evokes a sense of humble reverence for the preciousness and fragility of life.

These moments of awe & wonder will really put things into perspective and clear out the negativity from your mind.

Any feelings of anger or frustration, or grief become replaced by a lightness and open wonder. It’s a sign that you’re letting go of attachments and beginning to bask in the beauty of nature.

If we look back at all the greatest leaders & thinkers throughout history… many of them found their insight and inspiration through nature itself.

We can all benefit from the same.

8. Gratitude & Appreciation

This is especially apparent when we have moments of hardship and pain.

Even amidst all the problems of life… we discover that birds are still singing, the sun is still shining, and somehow life goes on.

It doesn’t change the fact that life is going to knock you around… but gratitude does enable you to embrace all parts of life with greater balance and harmony.

Many people today have lost their sense of genuine appreciation for life.

We’ve become disproportionately surrounded by negative influences like news, magazines, and countless other things that make us feel bad about ourselves and life.

We get lost in the fast-paced world of technology & business until each moment of our life is filled with things that distract us from what’s truly important.

Nature on the other hand, helps us to slow down out of the whirlwind and tune our minds with the positive things in life.

It brings balance to the daily negativity that so many of us are exposed to.

You’ll notice that simply taking time to appreciate the natural world, it reminds you of all the things we have to be grateful for in life.

9. Emotional Freedom

Nature teaches emotional freedom by providing a better strategy for dealing with the challenges of life.

Have you ever noticed that when people feel trapped in a negative emotion, they feel pressure to react fast and often make rash decisions to “fix” the problem?

But the real problem is that making decisions from a negative feeling tends to create unwanted results!

Sometimes when life gets overwhelming, the best solution is simply to take a break and go connect with nature .

Surrounding yourself with nature gives your mind a chance to catch up and unwind, so you can make decisions from a place of freedom rather than feeling trapped.

Nature has taught me that I don’t have to be a slave to my feelings.

Whenever I feel trapped by a situation or experience, I always know I can step outside and find a different feeling before moving forward.

It helps you to realize there’s a fluidity to your perspective that lets you see things from all different angles. This is true freedom.

10. Taking Pleasure In The Simple Things

Nature is the essence of simplicity.

When you learn to absorb joy and pleasure from simple things like trees & birds, you become less dependant on complex circumstances in order to be happy.

• At this point it becomes possible to gain fulfillment and joy from sitting quietly and listening to crickets chirp.
• Or drinking a hot cup of herbal tea made from wild-crafted plants.
• Or sitting around a crackling fire in the dark winter.

You find that you no longer need the latest toys or gadgets in order to be happy.

The draw of thrill-seeking behavior becomes more balanced, and you become less dependant on other people, which actually gives you more freedom to simply enjoy life to the fullest.

11. Relationships & Emotional Intelligence

Many people notice that as they become more sensitive and empathetic to nature, their interpersonal relationships also improve.

This is partially because your emotions become more manageable, and also because you’re developing greater internal and external awareness.

First – You learn to feel what it’s like when you get caught up in negativity so you can make different choices.

Rather than having a knee jerk reaction to the unwanted behaviors of other people, you’ll be more likely to step outside and find inner peace before deciding what to say or do.

As you become more prone to releasing negativity in nature, rather than passing it on to others, you’ll notice that people start to treat you better and give you less reasons to be upset in the first place.

And second – Another big part of maintaining good relationships depends on you being tuned in with the people around you.

You’ll notice that watching birds and observing nature makes you infinitely better at detecting the body language & emotions of fellow humans so you can respond more appropriately.

12. Self Acceptance & Healing

Being surrounded by nature provides a mental spaciousness & opportunity for self healing.

The inner calm & clarity found outside means there’s less inner conflict, mental distractions & negative emotions draining on your energy.

The result is you begin to have a greater capacity for self reflection and gain the ability to look at yourself with less judgmental eyes.

Rather than feeling shame about the unwanted emotions or problems you may be struggling with in life, instead you can learn to accept yourself as you are.

This self acceptance is exactly what begins the healing process.

When you’re able to drop in and stop resisting the problem areas, suddenly things begin to flow again.

You discover new ideas & choices begin to appear spontaneously. You’re able to make better decisions from a place of abundance rather than lack because you’re feeling good about yourself.

13. Unconditional Love

Nature teaches unconditional love by allowing you to be yourself without judgement.

Most people are surrounded every hour of every day by judgmental people and negativity.

But when you spend quality time in nature, suddenly you’re free to be yourself, and this initiates a gradual letting go of painful emotions, thoughts & feelings.

Nature doesn’t care about the mistakes you’ve made in the past. It doesn’t care what kind of person you are. Nature simply exists and allows you to exist with it.

This is a very freeing experience. Many people have never truly experienced a love that comes without conditions.

The result is that spending time in nature starts to feel absolutely amazing!

And as you spend more and more time simply being present with nature… it just keeps feeling better and better.

The process is so enjoyable and feels exactly like falling madly in love with nature.

At the highest levels, you can experience a unity with your surroundings that simply feels like pure love, without any attachments or conditions.

Essentially – your own capacity to love is expanding… which enables you to feel loved at a deeper level, but without all the usual associations that people have with love on a conditional level.

14. Spiritual Connection

It’s very common for people to report that nature improves their sense of spiritual connection.

Here I’m not talking about any specific religious beliefs you might have, but rather a simple awareness and appreciation for the great mystery behind life.

I’ve known people in many different religions from christians & buddhists to folks who are completely non-religious.

They all say that nature has deepened their sense of connection with the spiritual side of life.

The more you look at nature and connect with the outdoors, the more you sense there must be some kind of intelligent order and truth behind it all.

This might be described as a presence or consciousness behind life that feels somehow alive. Or simply a sense that there’s more beyond life than what we see on the surface.

This can be very healing for people who struggle with faith, or feel incapable of truly living life to the fullest because they’re preoccupied by death.

Questions about the purpose of life gradually become replaced by a feeling of faith and inner peacefulness.

Are You Ready For More?

If you’re seeking age-old tools & techniques to go deep with knowledge of plants, trees, birds and energize your natural instincts… you’ve come to the right place!

Whenever you’re ready… here are 4 ways I can help you connect deeply with nature in your local environment:

1. Try My Free Lessons & Guides

I always recommend new visitors start by watching my free training video ‘ How To Read The Secrets of A Forest ‘. This video shares lessons that will forever change the way you look at trees & forests. You can also download a free copy of my Ebook – ‘ The Wild Observer ’. It’s all about how to make amazing observations in nature.

2. Master Real Nature Awareness Skills

If you’re looking for the easiest way to start really honing your outdoor instincts and nature observation skills… try the Nature Memory Journal Program .

All the home learning products in my online store come with a money-back guarantee and cover unique aspects of the holistic deep nature connection journey from bird language & naturalist intelligence to mindfulness & goal-setting.

3. Join My Instincts Mentoring Program

Every month I gather on the phone with like-minded nature geeks, trackers, bird language & nature awareness enthusiasts to support my students on their journey with nature skills & awareness.

Would you like to join us? Click here to get a sneak peak at my instincts mentoring program.

4. Work With Me One-On-One

And if you’d like to work with me one-on-one… just send me a message and tell me what you’d like to work on together… and I’ll get you all the details!

Reader Interactions

October 31, 2018 at 8:42 pm

I’d add that nature has no concept of ‘fair’. What is, is. Be it adversity, weather, being the predator or the prey, chance circumstance and fate. There is ultimately no real sense of correctness. Most all species will do anything to survive or to ensure the survival of their offspring. And when it comes to offspring, the having of them – nature teaches that nothing is more important of a driver to actions. It is the one thing that will cause – again most species – the taking of a chance and putting life and limb on the line in order to do. Finally, nature teaches that life will end. That is the natural order.

November 1, 2018 at 11:44 am

Thanks! Great additions 🙂

November 2, 2018 at 5:55 pm

I really enjoyed this articlu n it is very true. Thak you. Karen Hill

November 3, 2018 at 12:13 pm

Thanks Karen!

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Nature Essay for Students and Children

500+ words nature essay.

Nature is an important and integral part of mankind. It is one of the greatest blessings for human life; however, nowadays humans fail to recognize it as one. Nature has been an inspiration for numerous poets, writers, artists and more of yesteryears. This remarkable creation inspired them to write poems and stories in the glory of it. They truly valued nature which reflects in their works even today. Essentially, nature is everything we are surrounded by like the water we drink, the air we breathe, the sun we soak in, the birds we hear chirping, the moon we gaze at and more. Above all, it is rich and vibrant and consists of both living and non-living things. Therefore, people of the modern age should also learn something from people of yesteryear and start valuing nature before it gets too late.

Significance of Nature

Nature has been in existence long before humans and ever since it has taken care of mankind and nourished it forever. In other words, it offers us a protective layer which guards us against all kinds of damages and harms. Survival of mankind without nature is impossible and humans need to understand that.

If nature has the ability to protect us, it is also powerful enough to destroy the entire mankind. Every form of nature, for instance, the plants , animals , rivers, mountains, moon, and more holds equal significance for us. Absence of one element is enough to cause a catastrophe in the functioning of human life.

We fulfill our healthy lifestyle by eating and drinking healthy, which nature gives us. Similarly, it provides us with water and food that enables us to do so. Rainfall and sunshine, the two most important elements to survive are derived from nature itself.

Further, the air we breathe and the wood we use for various purposes are a gift of nature only. But, with technological advancements, people are not paying attention to nature. The need to conserve and balance the natural assets is rising day by day which requires immediate attention.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Conservation of Nature

In order to conserve nature, we must take drastic steps right away to prevent any further damage. The most important step is to prevent deforestation at all levels. Cutting down of trees has serious consequences in different spheres. It can cause soil erosion easily and also bring a decline in rainfall on a major level.

Polluting ocean water must be strictly prohibited by all industries straightaway as it causes a lot of water shortage. The excessive use of automobiles, AC’s and ovens emit a lot of Chlorofluorocarbons’ which depletes the ozone layer. This, in turn, causes global warming which causes thermal expansion and melting of glaciers.

Therefore, we should avoid personal use of the vehicle when we can, switch to public transport and carpooling. We must invest in solar energy giving a chance for the natural resources to replenish.

In conclusion, nature has a powerful transformative power which is responsible for the functioning of life on earth. It is essential for mankind to flourish so it is our duty to conserve it for our future generations. We must stop the selfish activities and try our best to preserve the natural resources so life can forever be nourished on earth.

{ “@context”: “https://schema.org”, “@type”: “FAQPage”, “mainEntity”: [ { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “Why is nature important?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Nature is an essential part of our lives. It is important as it helps in the functioning of human life and gives us natural resources to lead a healthy life.” } }, { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “How can we conserve nature?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “We can take different steps to conserve nature like stopping the cutting down of trees. We must not use automobiles excessively and take public transport instead. Further, we must not pollute our ocean and river water.” } } ] }

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10.1 Narration

Learning objectives.

• Determine the purpose and structure of narrative writing.
• Understand how to write a narrative essay.

Rhetorical modes simply mean the ways in which we can effectively communicate through language. This chapter covers nine common rhetorical modes. As you read about these nine modes, keep in mind that the rhetorical mode a writer chooses depends on his or her purpose for writing. Sometimes writers incorporate a variety of modes in any one essay. In covering the nine modes, this chapter also emphasizes the rhetorical modes as a set of tools that will allow you greater flexibility and effectiveness in communicating with your audience and expressing your ideas.

The Purpose of Narrative Writing

Narration means the art of storytelling, and the purpose of narrative writing is to tell stories. Any time you tell a story to a friend or family member about an event or incident in your day, you engage in a form of narration. In addition, a narrative can be factual or fictional. A factual story is one that is based on, and tries to be faithful to, actual events as they unfolded in real life. A fictional story is a made-up, or imagined, story; the writer of a fictional story can create characters and events as he or she sees fit.

The big distinction between factual and fictional narratives is based on a writer’s purpose. The writers of factual stories try to recount events as they actually happened, but writers of fictional stories can depart from real people and events because the writers’ intents are not to retell a real-life event. Biographies and memoirs are examples of factual stories, whereas novels and short stories are examples of fictional stories.

Because the line between fact and fiction can often blur, it is helpful to understand what your purpose is from the beginning. Is it important that you recount history, either your own or someone else’s? Or does your interest lie in reshaping the world in your own image—either how you would like to see it or how you imagine it could be? Your answers will go a long way in shaping the stories you tell.

Ultimately, whether the story is fact or fiction, narrative writing tries to relay a series of events in an emotionally engaging way. You want your audience to be moved by your story, which could mean through laughter, sympathy, fear, anger, and so on. The more clearly you tell your story, the more emotionally engaged your audience is likely to be.

On a separate sheet of paper, start brainstorming ideas for a narrative. First, decide whether you want to write a factual or fictional story. Then, freewrite for five minutes. Be sure to use all five minutes, and keep writing the entire time. Do not stop and think about what to write.

The following are some topics to consider as you get going:

The Structure of a Narrative Essay

Major narrative events are most often conveyed in chronological order , the order in which events unfold from first to last. Stories typically have a beginning, a middle, and an end, and these events are typically organized by time. Certain transitional words and phrases aid in keeping the reader oriented in the sequencing of a story. Some of these phrases are listed in Table 10.1 “Transition Words and Phrases for Expressing Time” . For more information about chronological order, see Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” and Chapter 9 “Writing Essays: From Start to Finish” .

Table 10.1 Transition Words and Phrases for Expressing Time

The following are the other basic components of a narrative:

• Plot . The events as they unfold in sequence.
• Characters . The people who inhabit the story and move it forward. Typically, there are minor characters and main characters. The minor characters generally play supporting roles to the main character, or the protagonist .
• Conflict . The primary problem or obstacle that unfolds in the plot that the protagonist must solve or overcome by the end of the narrative. The way in which the protagonist resolves the conflict of the plot results in the theme of the narrative.
• Theme . The ultimate message the narrative is trying to express; it can be either explicit or implicit.

Writing at Work

When interviewing candidates for jobs, employers often ask about conflicts or problems a potential employee has had to overcome. They are asking for a compelling personal narrative. To prepare for this question in a job interview, write out a scenario using the narrative mode structure. This will allow you to troubleshoot rough spots, as well as better understand your own personal history. Both processes will make your story better and your self-presentation better, too.

Take your freewriting exercise from the last section and start crafting it chronologically into a rough plot summary. To read more about a summary, see Chapter 6 “Writing Paragraphs: Separating Ideas and Shaping Content” . Be sure to use the time transition words and phrases listed in Table 10.1 “Transition Words and Phrases for Expressing Time” to sequence the events.

Collaboration

Please share with a classmate and compare your rough plot summary.

Writing a Narrative Essay

When writing a narrative essay, start by asking yourself if you want to write a factual or fictional story. Then freewrite about topics that are of general interest to you. For more information about freewriting, see Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” .

Once you have a general idea of what you will be writing about, you should sketch out the major events of the story that will compose your plot. Typically, these events will be revealed chronologically and climax at a central conflict that must be resolved by the end of the story. The use of strong details is crucial as you describe the events and characters in your narrative. You want the reader to emotionally engage with the world that you create in writing.

To create strong details, keep the human senses in mind. You want your reader to be immersed in the world that you create, so focus on details related to sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch as you describe people, places, and events in your narrative.

As always, it is important to start with a strong introduction to hook your reader into wanting to read more. Try opening the essay with an event that is interesting to introduce the story and get it going. Finally, your conclusion should help resolve the central conflict of the story and impress upon your reader the ultimate theme of the piece. See Chapter 15 “Readings: Examples of Essays” to read a sample narrative essay.

On a separate sheet of paper, add two or three paragraphs to the plot summary you started in the last section. Describe in detail the main character and the setting of the first scene. Try to use all five senses in your descriptions.

Key Takeaways

• Narration is the art of storytelling.
• Narratives can be either factual or fictional. In either case, narratives should emotionally engage the reader.
• Most narratives are composed of major events sequenced in chronological order.
• Time transition words and phrases are used to orient the reader in the sequence of a narrative.
• The four basic components to all narratives are plot, character, conflict, and theme.
• The use of sensory details is crucial to emotionally engaging the reader.
• A strong introduction is important to hook the reader. A strong conclusion should add resolution to the conflict and evoke the narrative’s theme.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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8 Lessons to Learn From Nature

• Self-development

As we become more and more detached from nature, we start to realize how much we depend on it. Nature is our primal home, our roots, and our remedy .

In search of valuable lessons in life , we ask for wisdom, experience, knowledge, and intuition. And who’s been around in this world longer than mother nature? In it, everything that lives is connected, and its endless cycles seem to be unstoppable. Everything comes from the Earth and goes back to it.

Thinking about the mesmerizing effects nature has on our mind and body , we’ve decided to reflect on what lessons nature can teach us. And we found eight.

1. Nature is flexible and resilient

Flora and fauna tend to adapt to the conditions they’re in. For example, take something as fragile as a leaf . Its flexibility is what helps it endure. If there’s a lot of sun in the area, the leaves of a particular plant will be smaller, thicker, and will change their pigmentation. Leaves growing in the shade, on the other hand, will be larger, greener, and thinner, so they could absorb more sunlight.

Flexibility and adaptability are two things all life has in common–plants and animals alike. Water lilies are aquatic plants that mostly feed on water nutrients, but they get the necessary amount of sunlight by stretching out their leaves to the surface of the water. Saguaro cactuses can stand to go for months without a drop of water in the desert.

Flexibility and fluidity are what makes us strong. The ability to adapt quickly and take what’s best for us is an important ability.

2. Nature knows what’s good for her

In the world of nature, everything revolves around self-preservation and reproduction. Plants need sunlight, soil, and water to survive, while animals strive to feed themselves and their young. These processes help preserve the ideal balance in their habitats. Thanks to its cycles, nature succeeds at balancing its constructive and destructive tendencies.

As humans, we have a strong potential to be constructive. We are creative , able to connect with each other , and live through life-changing experiences . We can become fused with nature. We can also enjoy our solitude . But, sometimes, our destructive side can dominate within us and we might engage in things that are harmful to us or our environment.

By listening to our intuition , developing a growth mindset, and doing the inner work, we will be able to understand our intentions, values, and purpose better, recognize and respond to our emotions adequately, and maintain a balanced life .

3. Nature is ever-changing

As the daily, monthly, and yearly cycles change, everything in nature changes, too. Leaves change their color, flowers turn into fruits, some animals sleep throughout the whole winter, and when they wake up, it’s spring again–a new beginning.

We, on the other hand, cling to things. We want to eat fresh tomatoes and lettuce in wintertime. We want to stay young forever. The fact that we’ve evolved to this level of self-awareness is both a blessing and a curse.

It’s a blessing because we are able to experience so much, have fun, and change the world by our ideas, but it’s a curse because, at the end of the day, that’s what makes us aware of our own mortality. We can find it difficult to embrace change even when we deeply desire it because change reminds us that everything is transient. What we need to learn is that that is a good thing. Accepting change makes us more adaptable, and that sets us free.

4. Nature is never in a rush

Nature never hurries, and yet, everything is accomplished sooner or later. When you spend time in nature, by the sea, in the forest, or in the desert, you’ll notice nothing really happens in a rush.

On the other hand, human beings are alway in a hurry. We overload ourselves with work that we can’t fit into 24 hours and then we get stressed out. Stop for a moment. Breathe. Disconnect in order to reconnect with yourself. Set your priorities and change your life’s tempo.

5. In nature, everything has a purpose

Humans tend to value nature and things in general by the level to which they help their own survival. This kind of fixed , self-serving attitude is how we’ve managed to endanger so many species that are crucial for the survival of a healthy ecosystem (like bees, for example).

If we observe nature more closely, we’d come to realize that everything in it has a purpose. Every single movement is geared towards preserving the homeostasis within the system. Some animals feed on other animals, but they never eat every potential prey. This has the purpose of maintaining a balanced habitat and ecosystem.

Humans sometimes spend their entire lives trying to find their purpose in life . We think that it must be something very deep and difficult to comprehend, so we often focus on the wrong things, like thinking that work and career are everything and that our purpose can only be accomplished if we succeed professionally.

What we often forget is that there is so much more to life. We can sometimes seemingly do nothing, like lying on the grass gazing at the stars, or chilling by a lake on a hot summer day, and this can suddenly give us a sense of meaning and purpose. How? Because our purpose hides in things that are closer or inherent to our nature: connection to other beings and nature, creating and executing ideas, helping others find their happiness, and genuinely enjoying life.

6. What goes around, comes around

In nature, everything circles back to where it came from. All the actions have their natural consequences. If you know how the system works, it’s not too difficult to figure out what the right thing to do is.

This is something we often forget in life. We can’t just do whatever we want. For example, living a careless life in which we don’t care about our environment has to backfire sooner or later. Irresponsible consumption, lack of care for our personal environment, and lack of sustainability consciousness and sustainability practices in many industries have led to the environmental changes we are facing today.

The principle of endless circulating of energy applies to everything. Whatever we do, positive or negative, it will eventually come back at us.

For example, those who regularly practice gratitude, gradually experience positive change in all other aspects of their lives: their relationships with other people improve and they become more intimate and close. Their mood and mental health start to improve, and this positively affects their physical well-being, too. People who are genuinely happy and satisfied with their life are the ones who change this world, by empowering and supporting other human beings find their meaning and joy.

7. An ocean is a sum of water particles

We often feel alone in this world. This can make us anxious, lost, and disconnected from our purpose in life.

In nature, every individual thing is a part of a larger system. An ocean is a sum of the many water drops, and each drop is equally important in making an ocean what it is. Humans are no different. After all, we, too, are nature. Each and every one of us has a role in this Universe, no one is “a surplus.”

8. Nature is collaborative

More often than not, surviving in nature means collaborating with other members of the same species or even with other species. It’s not survival of the fittest–it’s survival of the most adaptable.

Humans sometimes forget about the importance of working in groups. Our current society teaches us mostly about the values of individual success. So many people want to be the best, the number one, the game-changers. Many of us fear blending in with the crowd, so we want to stand out, be seen, and be remembered.

We sometimes forget how gratifying and rewarding it is to collaborate and work together as a team. Having mind-alike companions we trust makes every experience so much richer. It puts all the other accolades into perspective–being the best, getting to the top. Winning the race by yourself is a great success, but, sometimes, simply finishing the race together with your team is more valuable.

Spending time in nature makes us better humans. It helps us relax, disconnect, and discover the depth of life. Nature is also an incredible and wise teacher. Unless the human factor changes the balance of a certain natural habitat, in nature, everything functions flawlessly and in perfect harmony.

All elements of nature are resilient in their flexibility; they’re intuitive; they take their time; they have a purpose. There are so many useful takeaways from our primary home–nature. It’s the matter of paying attention and acknowledging those lessons.

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Nature: 26 Powerful Lessons to Learn from Nature

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” ~ Lao Tzu

I recently had the honor to hear the empowering Gabrielle Bernstein and Kris Carr speak at the Crazy Sexy Miracles lecture in NYC.

The evening was filled with many “AHA moments”  but one thing that stood out, in particular, was Kris Carr’s wise suggestion, “If you struggle with mastering patience, acceptance or any lesson, look to nature as your teacher. Kris said “Ask how the stars do it? How does the ocean do it? How do the birds do it?” 

Therein you will find an illustration and answer to how you should handle your issue. That struck a strong chord in my heart because I’ve had many deeply connected moments with nature and animals where time stands still and I feel one with a higher energy, yet I never thought to look to nature for answers.

It’s the moment you see a beautiful cloud formation while driving, taking in the magnitude of colors during sunset, seeing autumn foliage, watching flocks of birds migrating or deeply looking into the eyes of your pet. I began to ponder what we are supposed to learn and what other messages I missed by our silent teachers.

As I began to become present with nature, these are some of the humbling lessons and answers by tuning into nature and animals.

26 Powerful Lessons to Learn from Nature

As seasons change, we are guided to learn acceptance and non-resistance. A green leaf doesn’t resist turning red when autumn approaches. Trees don’t resist leaves falling when winter arrives. They stand deeply rooted in the ground, with their vulnerability out in the open and branches spread wide, surrendering to the Universe. Do what you will with me, I trust it is for my highest good.

The vast ocean can’t exist without each particle of water. Each human being plays its part in humanity. We are all one small part of the greater whole.

Birds soaring through the sky represents the limitless freedom and potential available to us if we release our fears. Taking off to fly for the first time can be scary and bring about feelings of fear. Without taking the risk of the first flight, we won’t find the internal freedom we desire. We must dare to take our feet off the ground, spread our wings and soar.

Pets teach us more about love than any person or thing. We understand the true nature of unconditional love without expectations. The true nature of forgiveness is forgetting and letting go of grudges. We learn uninhibited, unreserved affection by giving our full attention. Understanding love is a feeling and doesn’t require words. Love is felt in the heart by making eye connection, being in someone’s presence and through physical touch.

5. Ants and Bees

The community of bees and ants all participate together to benefit all those in their community. We each have our own calling that is best performed by us. Each part is necessary for a functioning family, community, nation and world. Embrace your special responsibility, share it proudly with the world, and always do your best.

6. Bamboo and the Maple Tree

Who said that the bamboo is more beautiful than the maple tree and maple tree is more valuable than the bamboo because it gives out maple syrup? Does the bamboo feel jealous of the maple tree because it is bigger and its leaves change color? The idea of trees comparing themselves to others is ridiculous as should humans comparing themselves to one another. We must compare our growth to who we were yesterday not to the growth of another. Everyone is incomparably unique.

7. Flocks of Birds

I’ve never seen two birds run into each other when they are flying in a flock. Why is that if they never talk to each other? True communication doesn’t always need words. Body language, sensing others` energy and tone can say much more than the actual words we speak. At all times we are communicating through our thoughts and the energy we dispel. Be mindful of your thoughts as the energy behind them affect others and the world.

8. Night Sky

Darkness is necessary to appreciate the light. We need to experience the opposite of what we want so we can appreciate and experience the thing we desire.

No matter what storms are passing, know it is always transient because beyond the clouds, the sky is always blue and the sun is always shining.

Water is required to cleanse negativity in the world and allow a space of clarity. It is through showering and soaking in a tub, that we clear our bodies from the stagnant, negative energy of yesterday and replenish our positive energy. Shower with the intent of cleansing your body, spirit and mind.

The sky is the backdrop of our mind. The clouds with different formations, speeds and heights represent the frequency, types and speed of our thoughts. As clouds, our thoughts too shall pass. Glide through your thoughts like birds glides through clouds. Don’t resist the clouds, fly through them.

Stars bring beauty and light in the darkness. Instead of succumbing to the darkness of the world, be one of the radiant stars that shines their bright inner light. As we inspire others to be stars, we can light up the night sky with our intentional beams of star light.

Not all things that exist can be seen or heard. Some things need to be felt. Don’t be limited to your 5 senses. Use your intuition and develop the practice of believing in the things you feel.

14. Sunrise and Sunset

The breathtaking colors of a sunrise and sunset show us that colors vibrate energy and have the power to elicit certain emotions and feelings. Be mindful about the colors you surround yourself with.

15. Animals

Zebras do not look at tigers and wish they could hunt like tigers. Accept yourself as you are, know your weaknesses and strengths and embrace your unique beauty and gifts.

Animals who are prey don’t over analyze and plan in advance the ways they are going to outsmart a predator in the future. When the threat approaches their fight or flight kicks in, when the threat is gone, they go back to grazing without a thought in mind about the predator. Don’t dwell in a space of fear of the future and regret of the past when the threat doesn’t exist. That’s the breeding ground of stress, anxiety and regret.

17. Gardens

Have faith in tomorrow. We plant seeds of hope today, nourish them with love and attention with the faith that our labor will result in fruits in the future. We can’t impatiently force a garden to grow on our terms. A seed will sprout into a plant when the time is right. A fruit will fall from the tree when it is ripe and ready. They grow not because they are forced to, because they let go and allow divine energy and timing to run its course. Be persistent, patient and have trust in divine timing.

18. Natural Disasters

Our earth absorbs the negative energy humans expel as do our bodies. There are times when the earth and our bodies need to recalibrate and dispel the negative energy we absorbed. Mental breakdowns and hitting rock bottom will bring chaos, change and discomfort, but it can be the most positive, life-changing event. Sometimes, we need to be brought to our knees to remember what we are grateful for and start on a new life path.

19. Mountains

Stand firm, poised and majestic like a mountain. Regardless of the external situations life will bring you, remain strong like the mountains do when faced with avalanches, rain storms, and water erosion. Your emotional guidance system should be tough like a rooted mountain, immune to the actions and reactions of others.

20. Flowers

We all carry a different fragrance, color and beauty for the world to enjoy. Flowers don’t discriminate who they share their beauty and fragrance with. They share with all friends, strangers and enemies. True compassion and love comes from sharing your beauty with all you meet.

It’s necessary to shed your own skin and personality to allow an improved and better version of ourselves to emerge

22. Gravity

The Universe has its own sets of laws that are not man-made and trumps any rule, law or limiting belief set by man. Figure out the Universal laws and make sure you are working with them and not against them.

23. Flow of Water

As we set sail in our life, we take sail through a calm stream. As our dreams get bigger, we are guided to a river with faster currents and more opportunities. Eventually, for our dreams to be realized, we must end up in the vast ocean. We won’t always have the protection of the river banks as our safety net. To achieve our dreams we have to lose sight of the land and sail into open waters, where there are unlimited possibilities for our dreams to manifest. Anything and everything is possible.

24. Butterflies

Butterflies symbolize our entire life cycle metamorphosis. Life is short and from the moment of birth we are constantly changing our form, inside and out. Don’t resist change. Some of the most beautiful wisdom and changes occur as you grow older and transform from a caterpillar to a butterfly. Appreciate each phase of your life before you transform to a new cycle.

25. Streams

There is always a natural undercurrent to water. We have the choice to either flow with the current of life or paddle against the stream. We dispel our energy, creativity and time working against the flow of the Universe.

Throw your paddles in the water and let your boat take course in the natural direction of the current. You are being guided to go in the direction you are meant to go.

26. Weather

Just like weather forecasts, nothing is certain in life. We can’t control and prepare for everything. On days when there is suppose to be sunshine, the rain may unexpectedly fall. Don’t let your mood be affected by the weather. Looking to nature and animals, we see beauty and wisdom in the simple and ordinary.

We easily take this beautiful world and its many messages and lessons for granted. Don’t wait for extraordinary moments to take your breath away, look to nature and bring that beauty into all that you do and every moment of your life.

Tending a garden, folding laundry, consoling your child having a tantrum or cooking a meal- all regular tasks take on a sacred quality when we perform them with the total involvement, acceptance and love.

What is one lesson nature has taught you? You can share it with us in the comment section below 🙂

Tejal Patel

Tejal Patel is a former divorce attorney reinvented her life, based on her terms and is now a new generation spiritual inspirer, a children’s yoga teacher and Reiki healer. Tejal is the creator of Astitva Seekers, a place she inspires others to spread love, live consciously and create lasting happiness. Stay connected to her weekly Vlogs at www.astitvaseekers.com and on Facebook.

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Home :: Storytelling and Nature Education

Storytelling and Nature Education

Storytelling is an important part of children’s play in nature because stories help children understand their outdoor experiences. Adults can learn from children’s stories and can encourage their storytelling by helping them observe closely, and by telling stories to and with them.

What is a story? And why do we tell them?

First of all—stories include characters. As those characters work through conflicts and problems, as they take a journey or make a discovery, the story unfolds in a plot. Stories are organized by time: first this happened, then that happened, and so on. Finally, a story takes place in a certain time and place—the setting.

We tell stories before, during, and after our experiences because stories help us make sense of the world. E.O. Wilson, biologist and writer, argues that “the stories we tell ourselves and others are our survival manuals” because they help us filter and sort the sensory information that could otherwise overwhelm our senses and brain. Wilson notes that “science consists of millions of stories,” “tested and woven into cause-and-effect explanations,” and that those stories are our evolutionary legacy. “We all live by narrative, every day and every minute of our lives.” According to Wilson, only cognitive processes underlying stories and music come naturally to humans, so it’s no surprise that children tell stories, and that they use stories to shape their play.

When children are outside, the characters of these stories are the plants, animals, rocks, and landforms around them. Usually the children themselves become characters in a story, too. The life histories and natural processes of those characters become the plot, and the setting of the story is the place where they are playing.

Children discover the world through their senses. Wonder and curiosity guide their outdoor exploration. Author David Sobel observed children playing outdoors in a variety of settings around the world. In his book, Children and Nature: Design Principles for Educators, he identifies seven ‘play motifs,’ common to all children regardless of economic status, ethnicity, and ecosystem when they have safe free time in nature.  Here he discovered that children:

• Make forts and special places
• Play hunting and gathering games
• Shape small worlds
• Develop friendships with animals
• Construct adventures
• Create fantasies
• Follow paths and figure out shortcuts

And no surprise: as children do these activities, they tell stories.

What do stories tell us about children’s understanding of nature? Listen to children’s stories outside: they express children’s awareness, their understanding, and their connection to nature. We can discover a child’s growing edge of understanding by listening closely to her story. And a child’s story can reveal confusions and misconceptions—keys to scientific learning and teaching.

Adults as Story Mentors

Adults tend to offer premature abstraction and lectures when they’re outside with children. Rather than build on children’s natural tendency to tell stories, we often spout exposition, which, unlike plot-driven stories, is organized by logic (i.e., big ideas supported by details; topic and supporting sentences). As the adults in children’s lives, how can we encourage and strengthen their storytelling outdoors? Here are some tips:

• Allow children the time to play outside; let it be unstructured free play.
• Recognize, listen to, encourage, and join in children’s play and stories. (You need not join in. Remember: children can tell stories without you.) Listen for the ‘growing edge’ in children’s outdoor stories.
• When you do become part of narrative play, take assignments: be a character, not the narrator of the story.  Let the children do the narration and maintain control of the story.
• -Tell children the stories of the land so they add these stories to their play.
• -Encourage children to help you tell those stories.
• -Landscape history stories (What happened in this place before we got here? What will happen after we leave?)
• -Ecological process stories (What’s happening between these ‘characters’? How do you think __ and ___ are connected?)
• -Life history stories (How is ____(a plant/animal/rock/landform-character) changing?)
• -Culture-land interface stories (How did/are humans change/ing this place?)
• -Tell stories of your own experiences outside. Invite children to do the same.
• -Tell hero stories (local, mythical) of the place. Imagination is enhanced by myth.
• -Tell stories within the context of Sobel’s seven play motifs.
• -Incorporate facts into a story. Be judicious; the story is the key.
• Model how to interpret the story of the landscape. (Look at/smell/touch/listen to this. What could it mean?)
• Help children interpret natural ‘evidence’ as stories (e.g., scratch marks on trees, smooth stones, tracks in snow and mud, holes in trees, chewed leaves). Specifically:
• Carefully observe and share aloud what you notice and wonder. (Model: “I notice…” “I wonder…”)
• Ask about previous experiences the children have had with that kind of the evidence. (Have you ever seen/smelled/heard ___ before?)
• Figure out/make up/tell a story based on the evidence. (What do you think happened/is happening?) Tell a group story about the evidence. Invite individual children to add a piece of the plot.
• Encourage children to use ‘evidence’ from the landscape. Don’t short circuit the story by disputing facts; instead bring attention back to the evidence. (Why do you think that? What makes you think so?)
• Ask: who, where, how, what, when, why to spur on the story. (Where do you think it was going? When do you think that happened? What happened after that?) This approach is great when the evidence is animal tracks or signs.
• Help children feel part of the natural story that’s unfolding around them: Encourage them to get to know the ‘characters’; see themselves as a character; understand the plot; and feel connected to the place.

Since all stories take place in a certain time and place—a setting–stories can connect us to a specific place. As children tell the stories of a place, they will grow to understand its characters and its unfolding plots. From that understanding will grow familiarity and love, and from that love, the desire to care for that place.

Note: This essay is an abridged version of a workshop, The Importance and Forms of Storytelling in Nature Education , given by the author at the Greater Baltimore Children and Nature Conference—2011. It is reprinted with the permission of the author.

When she’s not tutoring children and adults with learning differences, Linda Davis likes to explore outdoors and volunteer as a nature educator for the Natural History Society of Maryland ( www.meetup.com/marylandnature ).  She and her husband facilitate a monthly Moss Study Group in Baltimore, MD.

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Blog > Essay Advice , Personal Statement , Supplementals > Writing a College Essay About Nature? 5 Questions to Ask First

Writing a College Essay About Nature? 5 Questions to Ask First

Admissions officer reviewed by Ben Bousquet, M.Ed Former Vanderbilt University

Written by Kylie Kistner, MA Former Willamette University Admissions

Key Takeaway

Writing an effective college essay about nature requires a focus on outcomes and personal growth. Ask yourself questions about what you've gained, whether it relates to your field of study, and how it presents your interdisciplinary interests.

Working in admissions at a college in the Pacific Northwest, I can’t tell you how many essays I read that were about nature. It can be a great topic, especially if you’re applying to a school that prides itself on its outdoor opportunities.

But you can’t just write any old essay about nature. It still has to serve the purpose of a personal statement .

In this post, we’ll go through five questions that will help you assess whether to write about nature and, if so, how to approach it. Plus, stick around until the end to see a few examples of college essays about nature.

A quick word

I want to start with a quick refresher on why you write college essays in the first place.

Each part of your application works together to form a cohesive application narrative . Your personal statement anchors this narrative, and your supplementals add to and diversify it.

Remember that admissions officers are strapped for time and overwhelmed with applications. Your application has to make a good first impression and keep your admissions officers’ attention.

It also has to tell admissions officers something distinctive about you that will make them want to offer you one of their limited spaces on campus. Everything must connect back to who you are.

Whether you’re writing a personal statement or a supplemental about nature, never lose sight of this question: what do I want my admissions officers to learn about me from this essay?

Let that question guide your topic selection.

5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Writing a College Essay About Nature

Alright, with that quick note out of the way, let’s move on to these questions. College essays about nature can take on endless shapes and sizes, but these questions should get you started out on the right foot.

1. What is the outcome of my time in nature?

There’s no point in writing about a topic in your college application if it’s not clear what the outcome was. Is your story related to an internal, contemplative hobby? Or did you build something, hike a challenging trail, or go on some sort of distinctive outdoor adventure?

What were the intangible outcomes? In other words, what did you learn, how did you grow, how did it change who you are today?

And what were the tangible outcomes? Did you improve yourself or the world around you? Did you clean up a park? Feel physically empowered after climbing a mountain you thought you couldn’t?

Writing with an eye toward outcomes will keep your essay focused on what matters most.

2. What new knowledge have I gained through my interactions with nature?

The outcome of your time in nature can also be about what you learned.

Whether your big takeaways were academic, intellectual, creative, or personal, exploring the knowledge you gained while interacting with nature can be a compelling way to emphasize the personal meaning nature has in your life.

Let’s pretend you want to take a more academic approach. You might choose to write about how looking through your telescope was the first time you felt like a physicist. Or maybe you did fieldwork for your biology class and it made you realize you actually hate the outdoors and want to be in a lab all day.

Or perhaps the way a sunset reflected on the water inspired a painting you created. Or a walk you took resulted in the biggest epiphany of your life. The possibilities are endless.

3. Is nature related to my field of study?

Your essay doesn’t have to relate to your intended major, but finding a connection is one way to approach writing about nature.

If you want to go into biology or environmental studies, for example, then writing about your love of nature, a conservation project you worked on, or a special outdoor skill you have might make a lot of sense.

In these cases, focusing on outcomes is especially important. You want to show admissions officers that your academic interest is also something deeply and personally meaningful to you. You aren’t just interested in it as an academic matter. You’re ready to step out into the real world and make it happen.

4. If not, how does nature show my interdisciplinary interests?

If your topic doesn’t relate to your intended major, then you might also consider how you can relate the idea of nature to any interdisciplinary interests you have.

Whether you’re applying for a major in the humanities or the sciences, interdisciplinary thinking skills are always good to demonstrate.

Taking this approach can help you tie together your application narrative. Maybe you want to study public health but are also an avid rock climber. Your personal statement about rock climbing could lead into the idea that everyone has a right to access outdoor recreation as a public health matter.

5. Am I writing a supplemental essay?

Of course, how you approach your college essay about nature will depend on whether you’re writing a personal statement or a supplemental essay.

A personal statement should be a meaningful representation of who you are, while a supplemental essay should show strong school or academic fit.

If you’re writing a supplemental essay about nature, think about what kinds of connections to the school you might be able to make. Are there relevant natural features nearby, like mountains, wetlands, or lakes? Are there co-curricular clubs that you can reference, like ecology club or backpacking club?

In supplemental essays, making specific connections between your interests and what the school has to offer can show admissions officers that you’re a natural fit.

College Essay About Nature Examples

Ready to read some great examples of college essays about nature?

Our first example, Gone Fishing , talks about the writer’s journey learning to love nature.

Kayaking the Missouri shows a student’s leadership in nature, and Ski Patrol dives into the lessons the writer learned while working on ski patrol.

Key Takeaways

Nature is a common college essay topic, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t write about it. The topic can lead to really impactful personal statements and supplemental essays, as long as you keep your focus on outcomes and meaning.

Ask yourself these questions before you get started on your college essay about nature to make sure you’re keeping your attention on what will have the greatest effect on admissions officers.

And when you’re ready to take your college essays to the next level, consider signing up for the Essay Academy, our all-in-one digital college essay course.

Liked that? Try this next.

How to Write a College Essay (Exercises + Examples)

The Incredible Power of a Cohesive College Application

12 Common App Essay Examples (Graded by Former Admissions Officers)

20 College Essay Examples (Graded by Former Admissions Officers)

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2.2: Autobiographical Narrative

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An autobiographical narrative is one of the most personal types of essays. Not only are you writing a paper that expresses your own views and thoughts, but autobiographical narratives are based upon your own life experiences. Thus, it follows that the organization of the paper will also be more personal in nature. Unlike a narrative essay based on another individual, an autobiographical narrative will always contain your personal thoughts, desires, and motivations. While it is hard to know the motives of other individuals when writing a biographical narrative, unless you know the individual well, you always have access to the motivations for your own personal development. Hence, when you organize your autobiographical narrative you must format your essay around the events that promote your personal growth and the feeling you experienced before, during, and after these events.

There are several ways to incorporate your thoughts, feelings, and motivations into the organization of your paper. First, you can consider integrating your description of certain events with your motives and thoughts for the events. This way, you present the events and your motivations both in chronological order and simultaneously. This means that you are describing the events and your feelings as they occurred, or at the same time. Second, you can consider blocking your description of your events and your feelings, providing a paragraph describing the event followed by a paragraph describing your motivations. Also, you could also reverse this blocking format to first provide your motivations and then the description of the event.

How do these two examples compare? Although they both narrate the same event, is one more effective than the other? Generally, the first organizational scheme (when you integrate description and motivations together) is the most seamless. By incorporating the two together, you provide the reader with a more complete picture of the event – as if the reader is experiencing the event as it unfolds in your narration. However, sometimes this formatting does not work, specifically with complicated events. If you feel that the event you are narrating is too difficult to explain or clarify, then you should consider breaking your description and thoughts into two separate paragraphs. Although, you need to be aware of how this affects the story you are telling. Do you want the importance of the event to be at the end? In doing so, you make the event seem more suspenseful, and you can make the reader more compelled to finish your narrative. Nevertheless, organizing your paper in this way places more of a burden on you as a writer because you must clearly connect the separate ideas in the paragraphs.

Regardless of the organizational scheme you choose, you must properly describe your personal growth. In order to do so, you must organize your essay around one significant event or a collection of interrelated specific events. Generally, the number of events you include defines the amount of detail you put into describing your events. If your paper centers around one main event that helped shape your personal growth, the majority of the body would describe the one event while the introduction and conclusion would include your thoughts and feelings from before and after the event to help clarify how the occurrence helped shape you. However, if your paper details a succession of events that culminate in your personal growth, the description of each event, including the insights and feelings associated with it, would be limited to a single body paragraph. In this case, the introduction and conclusion would still indicate how you felt and thought both before and after the transformation.

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4.2.1: Memoir or Personal Narrative- Learning Lessons from the Personal

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Figure \(4.1\) Personal narratives and memoirs give the narrator’s perspective on a life experience. Here, a Florida family is having a makeshift meal together at a shelter set up during Hurricane Charley in 2004 for people who had to evacuate their homes. How do you imagine the parents and children are feeling and getting along during this time? What might the children, now adults, say about their memories of the hurricane? Family relationships and living through natural disasters are frequent subjects of personal writing. (credit: “Photograph by Mark Wolfe” by Mark Wolfe/Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain)

Chapter Outline

• 4.2.1.1: Exploring the Past to Understand the Present
• 4.2.1.2: Trailblazer
• 4.2.1.3: Glance at Genre- Conflict, Detail, and Revelation

Introduction

Since pen was first put to paper, authors have been recording their personal experiences in order to perpetuate them, share meaningful lessons learned, or simply entertain an audience. Indeed, even as far back as Roman ruler Julius Caesar (100–44 BCE), who wrote accounts of his epic battles, authors have written to preserve history, seek acclaim for accomplishments, and pass down wisdom. Writing about your own life can feel alternately satisfying, terrifying, and exhilarating. It allows you to share meaningful personal experiences, to reflect on them, and to connect on a new level with your audience. Personal writing can reveal more than just events you’ve experienced—it tells your audience who you are as you relate personal experiences to convey humor, compassion, fears, and beliefs.

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A personal narrative is a form of nonfiction writing in which the author recounts an event or incident from their life. A memoir is a type of nonfiction writing in which the author tells a first-person version of a time period or an event in their life. Because the two genres, or forms of writing, share more similarities than differences, they are covered here together. Personal writing, whether a narrative or a memoir, is an opportunity to share your lived experiences with readers. A personal narrative tells a story and often includes memories and anecdotes (short, amusing, or interesting stories about something that happened in real life) to relate events and ideas. Like all good writing, personal narratives have an overarching theme (message you want to impart to your readers) and a purpose beyond the story itself. Although personal narratives usually follow the traditional narrative arc of exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, personal writing has several unique features. Unlike some forms of academic writing, personal writing welcomes the use of first-person point of view (narrator participates in events), and narratives and memoirs often have a narrow focus.

The key to effective personal writing is to know your audience and purpose. You may write to relay an event, to teach a lesson, or to explore an idea. You may write to help provide relief from stages of deep emotion (a process called catharsis ), to evoke an emotional response, or simply to entertain readers. Above all, a personal narrative or memoir tells about an individual's experience or a series of events in a way that emotionally engages readers. The more clearly and vividly you share your experience, the more likely readers will be moved.

This chapter presents an excerpt from American writer Mark Twain’s Life on the Mississippi (1883), a memoir about his years as a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River. Studying this text and Twain’s use of the components of personal narrative will help you understand how authors create meaningful accounts of personal events. Later in the chapter, you too will create a personal narrative about an important event in your life.4

Imagination and Narratives to Tell Stories About Natural History

• Arena of Imagination
• Published: 29 June 2020
• Volume 4 , pages 563–576, ( 2021 )

Cite this article

• Gonzalo Peñaloza   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-1591-1128 1 &
• Jairo Robles-Piñeros   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8403-3066 2 , 3  

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Biology is a science that tries to explain “how” and “why” living being became what they are, in this sense, it has a historical nature. We try to discuss the tension between the concepts of “reproductive” and “productive imagination,” proposed by Paul Ricoeur, to show its importance to describe and to explain historical events and facts. Within the Ricoeur’s theory of narrative we show that, to tell a story, the imagination is necessary in at least three process: Firstly, the author reconstructs facts and actions; secondly, the author relates these elements around a plot, as necessary conditions for the formation of a coherent and meaningful sense of story; thirdly, reader engages with the story through a refiguration of it. In the light of this framework, we analyze Natural History and its usefulness to teach evolution. We denote that evolutionary stories could be an effective tool to learn about evolution. However, to fulfill this goal, evolutionary stories should use narratives not only like a simply recount of information but also to capture the imagination of readers in such a way that they are involved in and by the story, “providing oneself a figure of...” In this respect, it should be noted the risk of managing, on the one hand, the realism of facts and events and, on the other, the idealism of the narrative or the text, which could well do without “real” to present an artificial reality. We conclude that Natural History could be combine reality and imagination in order to tell and to explain biology’s big questions: “how” and “why” life became what it is.

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Gonzalo Peñaloza

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District University Francisco Jose de Caldas, Bogota, Colombia

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All authors contributed to the study. Conceptualization: Gonzalo Peñaloza and Jairo Robles-Piñeros; Writing—original draft preparation: Gonzalo Peñaloza; Writing—review and editing Gonzalo Peñaloza and Jairo Robles-Piñeros. All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Peñaloza, G., Robles-Piñeros, J. Imagination and Narratives to Tell Stories About Natural History. Hu Arenas 4 , 563–576 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42087-020-00124-8

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s42087-020-00124-8

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The Rhetorical Nature of Narrative

I thought my eyes and ears were deceiving me. The scene before me was a rare sight at best and certainly not one I expected so late in the year. Here it was two weeks after the AP English exam and my students were carrying on an in-depth analytical discussion amongst themselves of a chapter from Tim O'Brien's novel The Things They Carried . Please don't misunderstand me; I was not leading the discussion, nor was it based on questions or worksheets that I had handed out. Rather it was the result of their own findings in the text, their own decisions about what mattered. Animated, passionate, and full of constant references to the text, how had they come to this? What had I done to achieve this moment of classroom nirvana? As I pondered this scene I realized that much of the credit could be laid at Hollywood's feet.

In true Hollywood fashion then, let me establish the scene before advancing the narrative. I am the English Department Chair, the AP English teacher (both Language and Literature), and the Film & Video teacher at a visual and performing arts magnet public school in Charlotte, North Carolina. The student population is approximately forty-percent free and reduced lunch. Our physical location is in an urban setting from which we draw a portion of our population. We are a relatively small school (approximately 600 high school students) and while we have auditions they do not determine entrance; they are only for placement. We do not draw only the artistically inclined. About one third of our students are dedicated to their art, one third are art enthusiasts, and one third are just enthusiastic, though rarely about art or academics.

Our district is keenly aware of test scores and attempts to structure curriculum so that high test scores will result. The district is more concerned with tests that are counted in No Child Left Behind; it has begun to offer suggestions as to how to teach AP English classes. Alongside of this our district has made the decision that if a student is interested in an AP class, regardless of their previous English grades/abilities, then they can enroll in the course. While fears of the workload may keep a few intrepid souls at bay, my classes are usually comprised of students with a variety of backgrounds and abilities. However what they almost all do not bring to the class is a developed ability to skillfully use textual evidence to construct meaning in their discussion and their writing. In order for them to be successful on the AP exams, this is an absolute necessity. It is one of the goals of this unit to bridge that gap and in order to do so I find myself turning to cinema.

The majority of available films, both foreign and domestic, is constructed in narrative form. 1 Narrative can be defined as "the art and craft of constructing a story with a particular plot and point of view." 2 The key words in this definition are "constructing" and "particular," both of which imply the drive towards specific goals or viewpoints. Stories are manmade, not found in nature, so they must be built. In this construction process several key things happen. One is that stories acquire a particular voice because of who is doing the telling and a significant part of this voice is the perceived audience for the story. The linguistic sophistication of the narrative is pitched to the appropriate audience level so that the events of the narrative are clearly conveyed. For example, the initial audience for Dr. Seuss books is quite different from the audience for James Joyce novels. Each of these narratives imagines a different audience that requires different linguistic abilities and that is built into the story from the outset.

Along with the author pitching the story in a specific voice, s/he at the same time is using that voice to create a particular plot, a unique sequence of events, generally involving characters who go through some kind of conflict and achieve some kind of resolution to the conflict, though not always. The audience listens, reads, or views all of this because they want to find out what will happen to the characters in the story and they are hoping that it will be different from many of the other narratives they have already been told. The particular-ness of the story can be in the sequencing of events, which can be rather simplistic or extremely intricate and convoluted. As with the language of the story, the complexity of the plot is also constructed with the audience in mind.

The final key event in narrative construction, for our purposes, is the crafting of a point of view within the narrative itself. This is closely aligned with the linguistic voice of the story but differs in that this viewpoint exists within the narrative itself. Whether it is told in first, second, or third person, this is decision is made in an attempt to achieve particular effects. Within each of these possibilities are variations as well and a skillful author will take great care in choosing which to use. How different would Huckleberry Finn be if instead of being told from Huck's point of view we knew what each character was thinking? Or if we did not know what any of them thought, only what they did? Who is talking to us within the story will affect how we perceive the events of the narrative and will help the narrative achieve a sense of being unique or particular.

Taking into account just these three keys begins to reveal that much that goes into narrative construction is done with the audience in mind. Storytellers strive to make their stories stand out and that building process leads us to consider the particularity, the uniqueness of the narrative plot and point of view. What is this story about? Who is telling this story? The worst thing a storyteller can hear is that the listener has already heard that one. Thus new stories are continually sought out or old ones re-told but constructed differently so that the audience will remain and listen.

Narratives vary widely in many of their characteristics but overwhelmingly, the goal of all narratives is to create an effect in the reader/viewer. This goal could be to elicit an emotional response, to teach, to warn, to entertain, or to do any number of things but they are seldom crafted just to exist for themselves. The more I taught AP English Language and Film, the more I could not help but notice the similarities between narrative construction and argument. Both are designed to elicit a response and in the best ones everything in them is working towards getting something specific across to the reader/viewer. Slowly I have found myself thinking of narrative in rhetorical terms. Literary texts, films, and arguments are arranged in a very specific order, are delivered in a specific style, and are striving to deliver specific results. In this sense then, they are all functioning in a rhetorical fashion and thus I began looking for similarities in the way we make meaning out them. 3 It was this quest that eventually developed into the technique that comprises this unit, which I feel can be used universally. Thus my goal for this unit is to give the fellow AP English and/or film teacher a method for examining texts — be they film, prose fiction, or argument - that can be used again and again as well as freely modified. While it would not make all students into budding scholars instantly, I feel that through repeated use it will begin to make them more sophisticated readers and, hopefully, writers of deeper substance. 4

In film studies there exists an analysis technique that is called "narrative segmentation." In this process, an attempt is made to divide the film into its narrative parts or components. 5 One basic way to analyze the meaning of a narrative text — visual or written — is to break it into its component parts and examine the relationships between them. Segmentation gives us a means to do this and helps us understand the connections from micro units to macro units. By making these connections apparent and studying the relationships from segment to segment and then overall, one can begin to see that it is these relationships that attempt to control our understanding of and responses to the text. Using segmentation to dissect a text is the main teaching strategy of my unit.

Segmentation works because the students themselves are the ones performing the slow unraveling of the text, not necessarily the teacher. They begin to take responsibility for textual interpretation and understanding. When I have done this in my classroom, it places me immediately in more of an advisor role, shifting the class to a student-centered classroom and away from a teacher-centered classroom. When I am coaching them from the sidelines during a discussion of the components of a text, it slowly becomes apparent to them that they are the ones making the knowledge, making the text mean. The long-range goal of this practice is to then help them take ownership of this skill so that they will be able to perform throughout the year. Hopefully by revisiting this practice throughout the year they become so proficient at it that they can perform a mini-version of it on the AP exam.

The best way to teach students to segment a text is with film. Film is something that the students are immediately familiar with and tends to elicit a larger positive response than an assigned story/poem/novel. Students also regard themselves as equals in the realm of film interpretation. They expect others (English teachers, for example) to have deeper interpretations of literary texts but concerning film, in part because it is so ubiquitous, they do not see any one interpretation as being more sophisticated then another. By the time they reach eleventh and twelfth grade, many students have already imposed on themselves a limit on their abilities to understand a literary text. These limits work to hinder student growth because some students will have convinced themselves that they just "don't get" novels, poems, etc. . . and in doing so they have set limits on their abilities that in turn have an indirect effect on the classroom. Fewer students contributing means fewer minds being put together to build comprehension skills. By starting with a film, hopefully this "tune-out" will be prevented.

Strategy (Past and Present)

Most students, by the time they get to AP English, are familiar with Aristotle's plot line of introduction/rising action/ climax/falling action/denouement that is usually understood to be underlying most narratives. Still, a quick review of this structure could be helpful because a narrative segment is usually considered a micro-version of this pattern. Inside the text, these segments can be demarcated by a significant change in setting, action, or any other kind of shift in the flow of the narrative, not necessarily in the characters' lives. The narrative space in between these shifts can be thought of as a narrative segment.

In my experience I have found that it is best to start with a fairly innocuous film, one that is easy to follow and does not give rise to a lot of emotional investment, something light and enjoyable. Whatever film you choose, I strongly encourage you to preview it with pen and paper in hand so that you can perform your own quickly sketched segmentation. This will give you a feel for the rhythms of the film and help you facilitate the students' own segmentation. It is important though that you do not impose your segment divisions on your class. Once they have begun their work, then you can guide, but you will find that they will generally agree with one another. Nor is it necessary that they all always agree about where to break it up, though they should be asked to defend and justify their decisions, either in discussion or in writing. My first segmentation was done with Richard Linklater's School of Rock , which worked wonderfully.

The ideal situation is to show the film all the way through once before beginning to work on it. This may seem like a lot of time given over to watching movies but I have found that it is time well invested. If they can master this skill then the pay-off will be ongoing. I did this with School of Rock and it worked very well. As they watched it, they did take brief notes on it and we had a short follow-up discussion to ensure that everyone had the basic synopsis of the film. It is important that this discussion not be one of "Well, I liked it because. . ." or "I didn't like this part. . .." We are not interested in their tastes but rather their ability to parse a narrative to justify how meanings are crafted. I then showed it a second time, in five-minute increments, so that it was divided arbitrarily but in small enough portions that they could remember clearly what had gone on. At each five-minute mark I would pause the film and give them a chance to take notes on the narrative and to begin the dividing of it. They should be formulating in their notes the reasons for their segments. A discussion of this allows them to consolidate their choices and provides for a dividing of the entire film. Many of their choices follow existent edits in the film and this is exactly what you are hoping for because it moves the discussion to the choices the filmmaker made when constructing the narrative. In this case, why did Richard Linklater make the choices he did? What is he trying to convey by constructing segments the way he does? Going through the film in short increments also allows students to begin picking up on some of the basic film techniques that help to craft our understanding of the segments. An example from this particular film is the use of soundtrack music. Anytime an edit to a new scene includes upbeat "classic" rock music, Jack Black's character, Dewey, is going to solve another of the obstacles that are keeping him from his goal. For this kind of analysis the students do not need a sophisticated understanding of all the film techniques, just some basic knowledge which can be gained through a basic film text or can be found on the Yale film studies website 6 .

What we found the second time through is that nearly all of the choices that Linklater made about how to craft the film are working together to drive the narrative, to focus our attention on how Dewey will reach his goal. Within the opening seven minutes of the film Linklater has used an overhead shot of Dewey lying facedown, first on the floor of a club after an unsuccessful stage dive which transitions to the same camera angle, this time to Dewey facedown in bed. Linklater uses this "Dewey on the bottom" shot to introduce us to the myriad of problems that are weighing him down. He is confronted by a lack of money to pay his share of the rent, an extreme dislike for his roommate's girlfriend, lack of a job, and being fired by his band. All of these conflicts set in motion the events that will set Dewey on the pathway to discovery and on this journey he will learn ways to resolve these conflicts. These small events inter-relate and work together to comprise the larger concerns of the film. Breaking them into segments begins to demonstrate to the students that the overarching narrative was driven by decisions at the micro-level. This is where they began to see that it was more than just a movie about a guy trying to form a band. By looking at the film in small segments, they began to see connections between these segments. These links, when stretched over several segments, began to bring forth some of the themes of the film. Dewey comes to understand that education is not a waste of time; he both learns to teach and in turn is taught by the students. The sarcasm and outright contempt he has for his roommate's desire to become more than a substitute teacher is repeated for the school's policies when he becomes a substitute teacher. Yet when he begins teaching rock history, rock appreciation, etc, he finds himself imposing structure and work on the students. Both the students and Dewey have their perspectives on life broadened. Dewey learns that not all revolutions are loud noisy ones that physically tear down societal structures, some are quiet ones that infiltrate and change societal thinking by using the means of society. This is the case when, at the end of the film, he starts his own school, a school of rock. All of these larger themes are slowly revealed to us by much smaller events, the order in which they are revealed, and the way these events are delivered to us in the film.

At this point I placed the students in small groups with instructions to craft a completed segmentation for the entire movie as well as to place the multiple smaller themes into larger categories. A follow-up discussion allowed the students to exchange perceptions and their understanding of the interlocking categories. This then gave them the necessary foundation to demonstrate their new-found skill in writing. To ensure that they have mastered this analytical skill, I asked them to identify one of the major themes and justify its importance by demonstrating that it permeates the film. Another closing assignment might ask them to evaluate Linklater's success in building one of his overarching themes. This would also require them to be able to point to specific moments in the film and use them to advance an argument as to the merits of Linklater's construction of the film. Both of these assignments are good practice for the kinds of writing that students will have to do on the AP exams where they will have to be able to marshal evidence from a text to build a case for a specific interpretation.

Essentially what segmentation does is give the teacher another means to develop close reading skills in the students. It also immediately capitalizes on these skills by asking the student to use the information that they have unearthed to formulate an argument. Very little of what happens in a segmentation unit is actually teacher directed. Rather, what you are doing is giving the students the means to develop the classroom discussion. If they all participate (and that is why using film is such a great hook), then they all have the means to contribute to the discussion and to any kind of group or individual writing that you choose to use as follow-up.

Since the students are developing close reading skills of narrative in this exercise then it becomes transferable to literary works as well. Narratives, whether in film or literature, share many of the same characteristics and thus are subject to similar methods of reading. Without drawing the parallels too closely, the devices that make a film — the edits, shots, sequences, lighting, camera moves, soundtrack, etc. - function as a kind of language and thus can be read as such. So the jump now to literature should not be that dramatic for the students. In order to make the transition as easy as possible, I use either short stories or works told in vignettes, like Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried or Sherman Alexie's The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven , which I will be using this fall. These two novels are both comprised of short chapters, some as brief as two pages, and the chapters can, if necessary, be understood in isolation from the rest of the novel. Thus they make good works to use as they allow for any difficulties to be worked out without any student being left behind.

I have used the chapter from O'Brien's novel entitled "The Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong" and it has worked well. The basic principle remains the same. Ensure that all of the students have the same text (important if you are in a place where the students will be purchasing their own texts). Then have them go through the same process, though now you can have them do the first reading and the segmenting in one move or over the course of several days as you discuss the text in class. On an assigned day they should have their segmentations in class with them. I have found success in placing them in groups at this point, asking each group to arrive at a master segmentation. This gives them the chance to interact with each other with regard to their findings and I have found that many of these conversations are full of debate with students referencing the text in order to make their case. From here I had them appoint a spokesperson from their groups and we organized their group segmentations into one for the whole class.

Once we have an agreed upon segmentation, I send them back to the text to look inside each narrative unit and re-examine them for possible thematic elements, smaller conflicts, character development, anything that seems to advance our knowledge or understanding of the text. In "The Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong" this includes Rat Kiley's discussion of storytelling and lies in the first pages, Maryanne's dancing to music (occurs twice in the story), the descriptions of Maryanne's attire and the way she and her boyfriend, Fosse, set up housekeeping in the early part of the chapter. These and other details that fill out the narrative in small but soon to be revealed important ways were spread out throughout the text. As they revealed themselves in our readings and discussions, we moved from the micro details to macro issues or themes such as of the nature of storytelling, descriptions of the emotional side of war, the very specific use of music as a marker of an important reversal, as well as early 1960's gender roles and their reversal.

The students' conversations and the work that they performed while they developed their narrative analyses resulted in the class discussion mentioned in the first paragraph, the one that helped me to realize that this might be more than just another exercise. The close reading that a successful segmentation demands gave the students a sense of power over and ownership of the text. It gave them the tools necessary to take a text apart in such a way that not only their understanding improved, but they also realized that they had the skills to get what they needed from a text in order to craft and justify their own interpretations. If segmentation can bring this dynamic to my classroom on even an occasional basis, then it is worth the time and effort it may take to teach students to do it. It gives them the means to engage with texts on a critical analytical level, providing them with the feeling of confidence in their abilities that I want them to have when they take the AP exam.

Strategy One (Future)

Giving the strengths of segmentation for developing close reading skills, I intend to keep using it and expanding it in various ways. In what follows I am going to lay out some of the strategies I will use to develop my students' abilities to read closely and write careful analytic papers.

As mentioned previously, I use Alexie's The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven in my AP English classes. It is written as a series of vignettes making it an easy place to start working with textual segmentation. It also has the added benefit of having a film made from some of the chapters in the book. Where the book is not a strict linear narrative, to make the film the director, Chris Eyre, and Sherman Alexie reconfigured some of the events of the novel into a linear narrative. The novel is a more open-ended text whereas the film is a more tightly constructed one. This allows for further exploration into the nature of narrative and the rhetorical way it strives to construct meaning. It would allow for a discussion concerning the very definition of a narrative: how open-ended can a text be and still be a narrative? Which text is closer to the construction of our own real-life experience? The differences between the two types of texts and what our expectations are when we think of a novel versus a film provide immediate discussion of our expectations when we confront a text that we deem a "narrative." Consideration of these issues would also allow for a variety of written assignments that could be used to assess the students' abilities with narrative analysis as well as their skills in using textual evidence to support their argument.

Lesson One Methodology

Start the unit by introducing the film and the novel. Explain that you will be working extensively with both and that they should start reading the novel immediately so that they are ready to go once we have segmented the film. Then go over a list of general questions that the will help students begin to understand how films use technical and structural devices to craft narrative. Most good college film books will contain a set of basic film analysis questions that you could use. My district uses The Art of Watching Film and there is an extensive question set on pp. 83-84 that I use. 7 Have the students work on these questions while watching the film. A helpful website to look at for information on the film is imdb.com. It is a valuable resource for technical info and reviews. Now show Smoke Signals . (While there is nothing too strong in the film, it is always a good idea to preview the film so that you will be ready to answer any questions that may arise.) The movie is readily available on DVD and is rated PG-13 so it should be no problem for the AP classroom.

Once you have introduced and shown the film and gone over the questions in discussion, you are ready to begin the segmentation part of the unit. Model a segmentation for them using the opening several minutes of the movie. Demonstrate that many of the thematic elements of the film are laid out in the opening sequences. By working with them for the first five to ten minutes, they should be able to go through the rest of the film by themselves with you stopping it every five to seven minutes and giving them time to write notes. Essentially you are following the procedure laid out above for School of Rock . Once you have finished this, allow time for a brief discussion, then break them into small groups (I find that three students to a group keeps the distraction level down) so that they can work on a group segmentation. As above, this should be followed by coming back together as a class to develop a single segmentation that hopefully everyone agrees on. This process allows students to work on their analytic skill since they will be examining their notes and divisions for their effectiveness. It also allows them to work on their persuasive abilities, especially if they feel strongly about particular moments. They should be ready to ably defend the segment divisions they chose.

Right after the discussion that crafts the overarching segmentation is a good time to evaluate the students' progress. A written assignment that requires them to draw upon their segmentation as a resource for understanding issues, theme(s), and the consequences of these issues and themes would fir in nicely here. It does not have to be long but it should require them to justify their assertions by referencing the text. This is an effective way to assess what is working for the students and what needs to be revisited. It also gives them good practice in making interpretive choices that need defending.

Once there is mastery of the skill of segmentation, it is time to turn their attention to the novel. I will use the first chapter, "Every Little Hurricane," to teach the basics of literary segmentation. The procedure for this should follow the procedure given for the O'Brien chapter, dividing it at those moments when the story takes a turn or there is a new development in character, plot, action, or setting. As with the movie they should do this singly, then in groups, then as a class. As you work through this chapter it will allow for further discussion of setting, characterization, conflict, and point of view. By discussing them in this context, it serves dual purposes. The more time spent on these elements in preparation for the AP exams the better. It also allows the students to explore the ways in which these elements work together to develop and construct a particular story. The close reading necessitated by segmentation will force them to spend time examining the ways these elements are built up from the micro level into macro structures that shape our understanding of the text.

Once the class has achieved a general comfort level with segmentation, you can assign one or two chapters to individual students for them to segment on their own. In this fashion the whole work will wind up segmented and can be compiled into a master layout enabling a variety of practices to be brought into use. By examining how Alexie has structured the entire work you will have the means to see how he develops particular themes or concepts throughout the book and you will be able to pinpoint the specific devices he uses to do this. It will begin revealing the way that he uses literary devices to construct the narrative and control the reader's response to it.

At this point in this particular unit I begin to branch out into assessments that require higher order thinking skills. Because we are working with a film that the director drew from a novel without trying to duplicate the novel, it is not quite a full adaptation, though there is enough overlap that it is worth exploring that connection. It also opens up plenty of other areas for exploration. One higher order thinking skill that can be engaged is that of synthetic thinking by asking the students to evaluate the effectiveness of Eyre's choices in including some sections and not others. They can evaluate the differences in the way the movie and the novel handle the narrative voice as well as the differences in the way the mood and tone of the texts were handled. How did Eyre change them? Where and how did they stay the same? Why? These and other questions regarding the basic literary elements are readily available because of the choices the filmmaker made in bringing this book to screen.

Lesson One Plan

Goal: To develop the students' ability to read a narrative closely and analytically through use of segmentation.

Objectives: As a result of this lesson students will be able to:

• Examine the ways in which narratives are crafted at the micro level, and the way that small constituent parts work together to create a larger narrative,
• Defend their segmentation choices,
• Write an essay in which they defend a particular understanding of the text by using the information gleaned in the segmentation process.

Student materials: pen, paper, copies of Sherman Alexie's The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven .

Teacher materials: The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven , Smoke Signals (preferably on DVD), DVD player with remote, TV, board, markers, set of questions for watching films (to be distributed to the class).

• Watch the movie using the questions to guide discussion afterwards.
• Assign the novel.
• Have the students segment the film while you show it in short (5-7 minute) increments. This can be modeled for the students by using the opening five minutes.
• Divide the class into small groups where they will compile a collaborative segmentation.
• Use the group segmentations to create a master segmentation based on the whole class's work.
• Assign an essay, or other written assessment that requires them to draw from the choices they have made and use thee class's textual analysis to defend their understanding of the text.
• Using the novel, work through a segmentation of the first chapter together as a class.
• Divide the novel up to be segmented by individual students
• Compile a master segmentation of the novel using the students' work. Copy and distribute it to the class.
• Using the two segmentations (film and novel), have the students evaluate (in writing) the choices made by the director, the effect of the differences on the viewer/reader, and/or the way these decisions affect our understanding, especially as they pertain to literary elements.

Strategy Two (Future)

In this lesson, I use a variation on segmentation to give my students an approach to poetic mood and effect. Segmentation looks at what is already there visually and divides it into discrete narrative/textual units. For this lesson I reverse the process. Instead of looking at what is already there, the way segmentation does, I teach them to start with the text and craft what is to come visually, as if they were the filmmaker. They, in effect, become the ones creating the segments because I am asking them to break a poem into small constituent units and storyboard it. This approach helps them to analyze a poem and the effects that poetic elements have on their understanding of it. By looking at it in small pieces they begin to see how the poet structured the poem to craft specific effects and mood. I call the resulting storyboard a "film poem" and I have found that it is especially useful for getting those resistant readers of poetry into the often more difficult lyric poetry. By using the film technique of storyboarding, students are forced to examine the poem in small units and are able to understand how the poet builds an overall effect through diction, syntax, and stylistic choices.

Lesson Two Methodology

The work to be done to get this lesson started begins with deciding on a list of poems to be used. The text my district uses is Michael Meyer's The Bedford Introduction to Literature , which includes an extensive amount of poetry to draw from. This text allows me to compile the list with regard to the poetic elements or types of poetry my students need practice working with. At this point you can choose to create a list that is long enough so that no two students will have the same poem or you can structure it so that there will be more than one student per poem. It all depends on whether you want to allow them to work together later on in this lesson. It is crucial to pick poems that are not overtly narrative or too long. While I hesitate to give a specific length suggestion in terms of line numbers, try to judge the appropriate length by bearing in mind what you are asking the students to do with the poem.

At this point, ask the students to choose a poem from the list. I recommend that you not tell them exactly what they will be doing with the poem just yet, only that they will be working with it rather extensively. This helps eliminate any tendency to choose a poem based on what they will be doing with it. I would rather they choose a poem that appeals to them, even if it is for reasons that they do not understand yet. I also recommend that you give them a day or two to look over the poems on the list in their text. Encourage them to read some of them and consider their choice. Not every student will do this, of course, but if you tell them that they will be answering a set of poetry analysis questions to go along with the poem of their choosing, it tends to spur them on.

Once they have chosen their poem, then assign them the questions to answer. These should be basic "getting into poetry" type questions, general enough to be used for any poem. Meyer's book gives a useful set of suggestive questions early in its introduction of poetry. 8 Most literature anthologies have something like this. Give them a day to complete this and ask general questions in class, though try to steer clear of in-depth interpretive questions. The goal is to give them the tools and practice at teasing out meanings and effects so that they can improve their reading and interpreting skills that are necessary for the AP exam rather than you telling them what the poem means.

Now you may introduce the lesson proper by teaching the students to storyboard. Storyboards are used by many filmmakers to lay out each shot in their film. They look like a comic strip in that they tell the story in images without dialogue but they also give information regarding the camera angles, movements, and composition of each shot. The images in each square will closely resemble the image for that shot in the final film though at times there are differences. Many DVDs have storyboard — shot comparisons in their special features and bringing in a few of these would be helpful for students. 9 Work through this with the students, showing them a few scenes from a film and then looking at the storyboards, or even asking them to storyboard a film clip. The breaking down of a scene will reveal the thought process that goes into filming. By looking at this they will be enhancing their ability to dissect texts as they begin realize how the seemingly smallest decisions of a filmmaker work to create meaning and effect. With all of this in mind, they are now ready to begin storyboarding their poems. Remind them that each frame in a storyboard conveys a limited quantity of information and that is the whole storyboard that conveys the overall meaning. Likewise their frames should focus on small but significant units of the poem — a line, a phrase, an image created by figurative language. They must be cautioned against trying to capture the whole poem in a shot or two. This would gloss over too much of the author's work instead of revealing it, which is their goal.

In their storyboarding they also need to include the text of the poem. One of the goals of this lesson is to have the students explore the relationship between the language of the poem and the images that language creates. This can be done in several ways. They can plan it as a voice-over narration in which case they must then plot out which lines will be said in which shots. They can run it as subtitles, again carefully laying out where the lines go. Or they can do it in the style of silent films; they can show the text on intertitles. This is a good place for a discussion of the power of language to control the way we see images, which is precisely the work of the poet. This similarity can be drawn upon and is useful for establishing a relationship between the work the students will do in this lesson and the work of a poet. Any chance to demystify the work of the artist and reveal the processes behind it are useful for engaging the students' in their attempts to interpret the artwork. So requiring them to include the text asks them to look at it again and consider how to segment it to achieve maximum effect in their film. At this point a student is bound to ask about incorporating music into the storyboard. I usually say "No," simply because it tends to clutter up their thinking when I want their focus to be on the text and their response. If it gets to a point where we will actually make the films, then I will reconsider music but only if it is adequately justified. This is also the time to discuss what can be used as images. There are two ways to approach this. One is to let them imagine anything they want, so long as it is appropriate for the classroom. The result will generally be something that is impossible for most students to actually film. That is fine if you only want to focus on the text and your time is limited. The second way is to tell them that the images are constrained by what is immediately film-able at school. While this initially limits their choices, it forces them to think deeply about what images in their location carry the multiple meanings that they will need. It also holds out the possibility that it could be filmed if there is enough time. This can provide a great incentive to the students and if it can be pulled off, it is richly rewarding.

Normally, under each frame in a storyboard the filmmaker will give information about the camera angle, movement, lighting, etc. In addition to that you should ask for a little more. The students need to include under each frame several sentences that briefly justify that image with regard to the actual text of the poem, specifically the diction and the syntax. While the images themselves can be almost anything, this is where the assessment of the students takes place. In these short paragraphs they need to demonstrate the relationship between the image and the poem. This is where they should be invoking the text of the poem, the elements of poetry, and exploring how these things work to create effects. Because this type of analytical justification is precisely what they will have to do on the AP exam, this lesson helps them to start thinking about the relationships between language and its effect.

At this point you have several options for the rest of the lesson. The first option is to collect the work and move on. This is enough to get the students to begin thinking about the nature of language to craft images and makes for an excellent starting point for the study of poetry.

Your second option is place them in groups and have them develop a Hollywood style pitch on which film poem deserves to be made. This is especially useful if there are several students who did the same poem. They can then decide whose film poem is the best and provide written justification for their choice. This provides another opportunity for them to argue their decision based on the text and one of their peer's interpretation of it. Again it takes them back to the text and forces them to wrestle with the actual diction and syntax of the poem. This also has the advantage of not having a right or wrong answer. Instead the evaluation is based on their ability to marshal the text in support of their reading of it. This ability is necessary for success in AP as well as college.

The last option is generally the students' favorite option and that is to make the film poems. This requires a video camera and the means to edit the footage as well as the time to do this. This can be done very easily and inexpensively on a computer, if not the one in your room then there is probably one on campus that can. Some of your students will have the means to do this at home and though I discourage that, the choice is yours. If they do it at home, you have much less oversight into what they are doing, how on task they are, and your deadline is at the mercy of their equipment and any possible failures of it. By doing it at school, on your school's equipment, and during your class time, you exercise far greater control over how they use their time and what gets done by the deadlines. However, you will probably want to put them into groups and go through the process described above in the second option since you will not have time to have everyone make a film poem. This time though you will allow them to act upon their Hollywood pitch provided that their choice is filmable at school. While one group is filming, you should go ahead with teaching the others. This is often a good time for AP test practice and review. Once all the films (if you have time for more than one) are made then they can be shown in class as a little festival and the students, who by now should be familiar with all the poems, can argue, in writing, for which one is their favorite. By now they have spent more time with a poem than they ever thought possible and have dug more deeply into it than a normal research assignment would have prompted them. They have had to wrestle with the complexities of the poem, its language and structure, and how to make meaning out of those complexities. It is another way that literature can be seen as rhetorical.

Lesson Plan Two

Goal: To develop students' abilities to read a poem closely and analytically through the use of storyboarding.

• Examine the ways in which poems are crafted and gain understanding that poets use strategies at the micro level to create larger effects,
• Defend the choices they make regarding the images the poem invokes in them, especially by appealing to the poem's diction and syntax,
• Write an evaluative essay in which they argue for a particular interpretation of a poem.

Student materials: pen, paper, a textbook from which the poems will be pulled or a separate handout of poems to choose from.

Teacher materials: textbook, board, markers, 11x17 paper for the students to use for their storyboards, rulers, a set of questions for introducing the study of a poem to students.

• Craft a list of poems that you want the students to work with, either from a textbook or on a handout.
• Allow the students to choose a poem from the list. The list should be sufficiently long to minimize the number of students choosing the same poem or, conversely, if you will want them collaborating later, then the list should be short enough so that there will be overlap.
• The students are then given a day to work with the poem, using poetry analysis questions drawn from the textbook or your own set.
• Introduce the students to the concept of storyboarding. Use examples from films if you have them or demonstrate on the board.
• Give the students the first part of the assignment — to storyboard the poem as if it were being turned into a film. They also must include the text of the poem in this, either in voiceover narration, subtitles, or intertitles. You should also hand out the 11x17 paper here and rulers if they are needed.
• In addition to shot information, the students need to justify the shots they are using, they need be able to connect and justify the images they associate with the text. They should include a short paragraph for each shot explaining how the poet's diction and syntax generate the image/shot they are suggesting.
• At this point you can collect their work and move on. However, if you have the time and the means there are several extensions of this assignment that can be carried out that will further enhance the students' abilities to work with poetry.
• You can put them in groups and have them work with the set of poems they have and/or group them by overlapping poems. Out of this group they must choose the one film poem that they decide is the best interpretation of the poem. They then defend their choice in writing with appeals to both the storyboard and the text.
• If you have the means you can also have them decide as a class on the best film poems. These can then be made into actual films if your school or your students have the means. Devise your own deadlines for this. The result can be fun and eye opening, especially if you have the time to have little film poem festival in class where they are all shown and discussed. Again there is room here for a written assessment of the filmmakers' interpretation with appeals made to the text and the film.

Strategy Three (Future)

Again taking its cue from film studies and segmentation, this lesson is built on the idea that narratives, in both literature and film, keep readers/viewers engaged by either denying their expectations or fulfilling them in unexpected ways. Thus the reader/viewer, having seen "A" expects and receives "B." This leads to an expectation of "C" but instead they get "D." This both confounds, though not overwhelmingly so, and also tantalizes; it keeps the reader/viewer guessing and slightly unsure of what will happen. This is part of the appeal of narratives, they attempt to keep us slightly unsettled and curious as to what comes next. These parts of the narrative, the "A", "B", "D" and so on, can be thought of as segments but they can also be thought of as lines in a poem. As each line is read, the poet has made deliberate choices about what is to come next, even down to the word that starts the next line. In this fashion, non-narrative poems can also be said to be working with reader expectation. Because an examination of how a story or poem plays with our expectations of conventions will inevitably lead us to a closer study of the text itself and its component parts, a lesson of this sort can be of benefit in an AP English classroom. It will lead to various written assignments and discussions that will range from the text itself to the function and work of narratives in our culture.

Lesson Three Methodology

This lesson is designed to work with either short stories or poems. It could be used for a section of novel, especially if the novel were written in the form of vignettes and you could use just one chapter, but to try this on an entire novel would be rather unwieldy for a classroom. This lesson's power stems from the understanding that a text can be broken down into smaller parts and that these smaller parts work towards creating larger effects and understanding. One of the jobs of these smaller segments is to create expectations and then delay the gratification of those expectations. If you are going to do this with a short story, then you should read it in advance and break it into smaller units. These units should be relatively short but long enough so that the reader's expectations are built up but not answered. The next segment should provide the fulfillment of the previous expectation and then work to build up a new one. If you are going to use a poem, then I recommend that you use each line as a segment.

Choose a work, a short story or poem that hopefully all of the students will be unfamiliar with. Because the text's unfamiliarity is important this is a good exercise to use with poetry that your students may initially perceive as difficult. If you choose a story from your textbook, then make sure that you have already decided where the breaks are going to be before reading. They will need to close their books periodically as you have them work through the written components of this lesson. If you are doing this with a poem, then it is best to project the poem onto a screen one line at a time. The students should not be looking at a copy of the poem in their books while they work through this. The lesson depends on their working only with limited amounts of information.

If it is possible as you work through the text to read it aloud, then that would be optimal. Often the very vocalization of the text will betray expectations on the part of the reader and these 'predictions' can provoke valuable discussions. At each pause point ask the students to write out what they think is coming next, what they expect to happen or be told. They need to provide as much detail as possible with regard to their expectations without going overboard (give them just 4-6 minutes). They need to then justify their expectation in writing immediately below their prediction. This also needs to be as in-depth as possible focussing on questions such as: What has come prior to this that justifies that prediction? What has been revealed about the characters, narrator, authorial persona, action, etc. that suggests their expectation? They need to point to specific things in the previous text that brought their expectations to bear.

After each pause and their written response, you will want to discuss the options they have brought up. What is usually revealed is that many of the students will be close in their expectations of what comes next. This is a great place to discuss the nature of narratives and how we are set up for certain things. It also lends itself to a discussion of how culture and ideology work to shape our expectations. This is also a good spot to head off any budding 'surrealists' who think that any random prediction is an acceptable answer in an AP classroom. However instead of just shutting down that student and moving on, it is worth the trouble to discuss why some of those outlandish responses will not work. On the one hand, it is entirely possible that Father Christmas could ride in on a sleigh and save Miss Emily Grierson from the townspeople in William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily," and yet, on the other hand it is not really possible at all. The conventions surrounding a Southern gothic short story by Faulkner prohibit precisely this kind of intervention and if there had been that kind of intervention into her life then you would not be reading it in an AP English class. You might not even be reading Faulkner at all. The reasons behind these kind of narrative constrictions are worth talking about, especially since they will take the discussion into the realms of narrative, culture, and ideology to a certain degree. In the academic classroom, certain kinds of texts will get read and others will not. How these decisions are made and who makes them and for what reasons reveal much about the nature of the ideology that drives our culture's schools. If you have this discussion though, do remember that there is still a text to be finished. Ideology waits for no one.

Continue going through the text in these discrete pieces until you are done. Having gone through an entire text this way, the students can now look back over their notes and examine how their expectations were shaped, met, or left unfulfilled. This is a good place for a written response, perhaps one less academic and more reflective in nature where they can do some self-analysis as to why they expected certain things to happen and what the author did to surprise or disappoint them and why that was the case. You may want to follow that up with a more academic assignment, one that asks the students to examine the nature of narrative and how poems or stories can either constrain interpretation or open it up by their very structure.

Lesson Plan Three

Goal: to develop the students' abilities to read a text closely and analyze how it uses narrative conventions to establish reader expectations.

• Closely analyze how the narrative elements of a text (point of view, character, authorial persona, diction, syntax, etc.) work together to control a reader's interpretation,
• Write a reflective essay on how they understand narratives to work in literature as well as in the culture they inhabit.

Student materials: pen, paper, textbook

Teacher materials: textbook, markers, board, screen, means to project the poem on the screen (overhead, computer with LCD projector)

• Choose a short story or poem that the students are unfamiliar with from your textbook. Read it in advance and divide it into small segments based on how the text establishes reader expectation. If you are choosing a poem, it is better if the students can not see the poem immediately. You can either read it to them or place it on a screen in such a fashion that they can only see one line at a time. If it is a short story from the textbook, then they will need to close the book at specific points so that they will not read ahead.
• At each pause, ask the students to write out what they think is coming next, what do they expect to happen or be told. They need to provide as much detail as possible.
• Immediately following that they should provide the justification for their prediction.
• After each pause and their written response, discuss the options they have brought up.
• Having gone through an entire text this way, the students can now look back over their notes and examine how their expectations were shaped, met, or left unfulfilled. This is a good place for a written response, perhaps one less academic and more personal in nature where they can do some self-analysis as to why they expected certain things to happen and what the author did to surprise or disappoint them and why that was the case.

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