2016-17 Grade 9 English Personal Writing: Mini-autobiography (Summative)

Task
Re-read the examples of autobiography we have looked at in class: Adrian Mitchells My father and Clive James
Autobiography
What to write
What Id like you to do for your next task is to write a mini-autobiography.
You may want to include some or all of the following:

date and time of your birth

your name and why you were called this
information about your family (mother; father; sisters/brothers and so on)
information about your childhood (memories of places lived; people; schools)
a description of a major episode or event so far in your life
a portrait of an important person in your life
your dreams for the future

etc.
Try and bring your writing alive by using some of the poetic techniques we saw writers using in the examples we
looked at in class. Note, for example, how Clive James uses humor to engage or involve his audience; how he uses
understatement or overstatement (hyperbole); his use of similes and so on. The same for Mitchell: his use of similes,
personification, metaphor and onomatopoeia bring his writing to life. So, Id like you to use these creative ways of
bringing your writing to life in your own work. Be as detailed and descriptive as you can. Use your imagination.
Remember, you are trying to write an engaging, imaginative piece of writing based on your own life but this doesnt mean
that you cant add details to enhance the effectiveness of what you say. For example: if you are describing someone who
has reddy-brown hair you could write: My uncle was six foot and one inch. He had red to brown hair and blue eyes. He
was old and, as he got older, he developed a slight hunch. Now, this may all be true but it doesnt make particularly
exciting reading. Why not try something like: My uncle is as tall as tree. His red hair sprouts from his head like the burnt
tufts of a coconut. Hes old now and is forced to bend his back like the arch of a branch in the wind etc. Now that is
more like it!
Do you get the idea?
Presentation

Give your piece a title you can be creative.

Using

You can also, if you wish, use photographs as visuals to enhance your writing.

Your piece should be around 500 words long

The deadline is Thursday 1st September.

here in the title would also help give your presentation some color.

Grading Rubric for Personal Writing/Mini-autobiography

~Do you have an opening which grabs
the readers attention?
~Do you have a title which fits your writing
and gets the reader interested?
~To what extent have you organized
your ideas into paragraphs following a
logical sequence?
~Is your piece of the right length?

~How well have you communicated your ideas with

clarity and coherence?
~How far do you show awareness of audience (who
you are writing for)?
~How far have you used an appropriate tone and
applied it consistently (i.e. personal; lively;
engaging; humorous)?

~How far do you demonstrate accuracy in spelling?

~How effective and accurate is your use of
punctuation?
~To what extent do you employ grammar correctly?
~To what extent do you use a wide and varied
vocabulary?

~How far does your writing demonstrate an

originality of approach?
~How well does your work avoid predictability?

~To what extent do you employ poetic devices in

your work for effect?
(metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole etc.)