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Owned by the Archdiocese of Cotabato
Managed by the Diocesan Clergy of Cotabato (DCC)
“Service for the Love of God through Mary”
(B.E.S.T)
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CREATIVE NONFICTION
HUMSS 101 – BEED/BSED 2 Bridging Class
Week 1 and 2
Course Title : Eng 11
Program/Year : BEED2/BSED 2 English
Descriptive Title : Creative Nonfiction
Course Instructor : Rosalie M. Blanca
[email protected]
Mobile #09300351868

Week 1
Unit 1: Understanding Conventions and Traditional Genre
Lesson 1: Poetry and Creative Nonfiction
Learning Objectives:
The learner is expected to:
 express insights on the different definitions of poetry
 describe some of the elements of poetry and their importance to creative nonfiction
 analyze sample texts for sensory images, concrete and evocative details and significant human
experience
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Provide your own activity or log notebook (2 pieces big 50 leaves notebook) for records of your online
and offline readings and activity tasks.
2. Part of answering these activities are the instructions, so you must follow all of the given instructions.
3. In every performance/product-based activity, rubrics are given to be used as the bases of checking your
output.
4. Assignments should be submitted on the date given.
5. Create an e-mail account.

Take a good look at this picture of a seashore. It was taken in a small island near the island
province of Guimaras in Western Visayas.

Individual Activity#1: On your log notebook, write your thoughts about the picture? What feelings do they
evoke?
Essential Questions:
1. What is poetry and creative nonfiction?
2. What are the elements of poetry and their importance to creative nonfiction?

Comparing Notes
According to Laurence Perrine (1977,4.) poetry may be defined as a kind of language that says
more says it more intensely than does ordinary language. In other words, poetry uses a “heightened
language.” For poetry to achieve this, the poet uses “imagery” by employing figurative language. Imagery is one
of the most important elements of poetry.
Imagery, according to Palanca Hallof Famer and Metrobank Outstanding Teacher Dr. Leonicio P.
Deriada, is “painting with words.” A writer, a poet in particular, uses words to paint image while a painter uses

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forms and colors. The easiest way to paint with the words is to use the figure of speech. For example, instead of
saying “ the tree is being blown by the wind” a good writer will say “ the tree is being blown by the wind” a good
writer will say “ the tree is dancing with the wind.” Personification is used.
Creative nonfiction is a branch of writing that employs the literary techniques usually associated with
fiction or poetry to report on actual persons, places, or events. Christina Pantoja Hidalgo (2003, 9) defines
creative nonfiction as “nonfiction” prose which utilizes the techniques and strategies of fiction. “One strategy
fiction (and therefore nonfiction) that is shares with poetry is the inclusion of” Concrete and evocative details”
which can also be achieved by employing imagery and other literacy devices. The use of imagination, as Hidalgo
(2015,61) declares in another article, “might embellish or distort in the interest of more effective storytelling, i. e.
in the interest of art.”

Reader’s Corner
Individual Activity#2: Online Assignment
A. Pre-reading
Google the following and look for pertinent information. Share the details through your e-mail
accounts.
1. Palawan
2. St. Paul Subterranean River National Park
3. El Nido
4. Largen Island
5. Malampaya Sound

B. Cultural-Historical Background
Palawan is considered as the “Last Frontier” of the Philippines meaning, it is one of the very few
provinces in the Philippines whose natural environment is intact. Therefore, the congress passed a special law
called the Strategic Environment Plan for Palawan to protect its natural resources from exploitation and
destruction.
Today, Palawan is the famous tourist destination because of this beautiful beach. Both international and
local tourists are enjoying the beauty of many resorts like Dos Palmas, Puerto, Kawayanan, and Tarabanan,
among others.
The widest and healthiest coral reefs, a favorite among scuba divers, are the Tubbataha Reefs, It is under
the jurisdiction of the island municipality of Cagayancillio.

C. Previewing
Individual Activity#3: Scan and copy/print the poem on your log notebook “Moonset at Central Park Station of
St. Paul Subterranean River National Park” for answers the following questions:
1. What did the persona nearly step on? How big was it?
2. What shall it brag out in the persona’s next visit?
D. Vocabulary Building
Individual Activity#4: Complete each word by filling in the blank with the missing letters. The corresponding
definitions is given to serve as clue. The incomplete words can be found in the selection.
L_NDS_AP_- a picture of the land like the rice field or a meadow
MAR_ _ _- of the sea
_ARROT_ISH- a kind of fish with the color of a parrot that can usually be found in a corral garden
R_ _F FLA_S- is the corals by the seashore that are exposed during low tides
S_A_CA_E- picture of the sea

Individual Activity#5: Chose three words above and look for two images or pictures that can be associated with
the words you have chosen. Prepare a Power Point presentation for the picture with an accompanying sentence
using the word.

E. Reading
Research and read the poem “Moonset at Central Park Station of St. Paul Subterranean River National
Park” about an underground river in Palawan, which has become a popular and iconic tourist attraction in recent
years. Pick out the “concrete and evocative details” while reading and answer the questions given below on your
log notebook.

F. Guided Questions
Individual Activity #6:
1. Who is the persona in the poem? Describe him/her.
2. One example of sensory imagery in the poem is the parrotfish. What do you think is the significance of the
image to the overall image?
3. Give other examples of sensory image used in the text.
4. What is the poem saying about the significant human experience?
5. What feelings do you get after reading the poem?
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 Writer’s Bloc
Individual Activity#7:
A. In the midst of industrialization, it is heartening to note that there is growing concern for natural
wonders such as Palawan’s famed Underground River. On your log notebook answer the following questions in a
paragraph form.
1. What natural tourist spots have you visited?
2. Did you find the experience memorable?

“Poetry, even when apparently most fantastic, is always a revolt against artifice, a revolt, in a sense against actuality.”
-James Joyce
End of the lesson 1

Week 2:
Lesson 2: Fiction and Creative Nonfiction
Learning Objectives:
The learner is expected to:
 describe the elements of fiction
 analyze the difference and similarities between creative nonfiction and fiction
 analyze sample texts according to the elements of fiction
 write preparatory notes for an easy employing the elements of fiction

Think of one unforgettable experience from grade school. On your log notebook, write an
outline, in bullet form, the details for that experience. Be ready to share your story through video
call.
Essential Questions:
1. What are the elements of fiction?
2. What are the similarities and difference between creative nonfiction and fiction?

Comparing Notes
The elements of fiction are the following: plot, point of view, character, setting, tone and
atmosphere, symbol and irony and theme and meaning.
A story is made up of events and arranging these events in a logical and casual manner is called plot. A
plot has four parts: beginning, middle, climax, and end. Climax is the highest point of the story.
Point of View is the angle from which the story is told. There are two kinds of point of view: first person
(the “I” point of view) and third person (the “he” or “she” point of view. There is also the second person (the
“you” point of view) but is rarely used. Point of view has two types: Limited and omniscient. In limited type, the
story is only limited with what the narrator can see her, smell, feel, and is thinking. This is mostly done in the first
person point of view. In the omniscient type, the narrator is all knowing. He/she can even know what the other
characters are thinking. This is mostly done in the third person point of view.
The characters are the one doing the actions in the story. But there are stories with characters that are not
human, like in the case of fables where animals are the characters. There are two types of characters: major or the
protagonist, and minor or the antagonist. A character may be complex or simple. A complex character is round or
three-dimensional-meaning, there are contradictions and shifting of character. A simple character is flat and two-
dimensional which is week kind of character because it is static or there is no change in the story.
The time and place of the story is called setting. The setting gives the sense of reality in the story. Tone is
simply defined as “the attitude of the writer towards his/ her material. Atmosphere is also called mood and is
closely related with tone. It has something to do with the overall psychological and feelings invoked in a reader
while reading the story.
A symbol is an object in a literary work that represents something other than what it is. For example, a
yellow boat in a story or an essay is not just a literal boat.
Irony connotes a disparity. There are three types: verbal irony which is about the disparity between what
the characters says and what he/she means; situational irony which is the disparity between what the character or
the reader expects and what actually happens: and dramatic irony which is the disparity between what the
character knows and what the reader knows.
The theme of the story is about the general idea or general observation about life and people. The theme
will lead us to the meaning of the story.
Reader’s Corner
Individual Activity#1
A. Pre-reading
Have you heard a case involving violence against women and children? Answer the following
questions on your log notebook.
 Who are usually responsible for the violence?
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  In what ways can it be stopped?
B. Cultural-Historical Background
Manuel E. Anguilla is one of the Philippines ‘canonical short story writers in English. He was born in the
barangay called Nagrebcan in Bauang, La Union. This place is the setting of his famous story How My Brother
Leon Brought Home a Wife.

C. Previewing
Individual Activity#2: Search and scan the story How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife to answer the
following questions:
1. Who are the characters in the story? How are they related?
2. What domesticated animal also plays a role in the story?
3. Based on the title of the story, what do you think is its mood?

D. Vocabulary Building
Manuel Anguilla Is known for the “local color” of his writings. Local color is a detail that is particular to
the setting of the story. For example, mentioning a jeepney ion a poem, story, or essay would make the reader
think and imagine that the settings in the Philippines because jeepney is a unique form of mass transportation in
the country, Jeepney is also used as a tourism image for Metro Manila.
Individual Activity#3
Find out what each phrase below means, and how it suggests local color. Write it on your log notebook.
1. bamboo footbridge
2. bare feet
3. live coals
4. rice straw
5. husky legs
6. piece of firewood
7. slender stalks
8. fuzzy green leaves

E. Reading
While the countryside is often depicted as less stressful and more tranquil than the city, this may not be
the case all the time. Find out how these complications are shown in the story “Morning in Nagrebcan” by
Manuel E. Arguilla. Make a log of your readings.
Individual Activity#4:
E. Questions for Comprehension
1. Analyze the story by completing the following table.
Elements of Fiction
Elements Aspects Answer/Explanations
Point of View
Main Characters
Other Characters
Setting
Tone and Atmosphere
Symbol/s
Irony
Theme
Meaning

Writer’s Bloc: Online Assignment

Individual Activity#5
Using the Elements of Fiction table above, write the notes of an easy you want to write.
Your topic should be based on your experience and describe your own hometown. Being fateful to
reality will not stop you from inventing details to make your storytelling more exciting. You may add or subtract
details as long as the essence of your story is retained.
“I have two pairs of reading glasses. One pair is for reading fiction, the other for nonfiction. I’ve read the Bible twice wearing each pair,
and it’s the same.” - Steven Wright

End of the lesson

KEEP ON HAVING FUN IN LEARNING!!

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critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copy right law. 4
Week 3:
Lesson 3: Creative Nonfiction and Drama
Learning Outcomes:
The learner is expected to:
 describe the elements of drama
 analyze the difference and connections between drama and creative nonfiction
 analyze sample texts according to the elements and aspects of drama
 narrate and explain “dramatic” personal experiences

Bring to class an old issue of a tabloid. Look for stories with so much drama. Choose a leader who
will preside over the discussion and the process of selecting of a “dramatic” news article in a
tabloid. The leader will serve as the director. You will be given 30 minutes to organize and
rehearse a 10-minute skit dramatizing the news.
Essential Questions:
1.What are the elements of drama?
2.What makes drama different and connected to creative nonfiction?
3. If you were to tell or share your dramatic personal experience what would it be? Support your answer?

Comparing Notes
A drama or a play is a script that is meant to be staged. According to Hans Guth and
Gabrielle Rico mention that drama has five elements: namely situation, character, dialogue, plot, and
style. These five elements of drama are useful in writing an engaging essay.
In situation, the early scenes of the play answers basic questions in the spectators’ mind. It will give the
audience the background of the story.
The character in the drama is always in motion, in each action. We know the character by what he/she is
doing and by what he/she is saying which brings us to dialogue as element of drama.
The element of plot in drama is also like that in fiction, for drama is also a fiction. A plot is a series of
events arranged logically to make the story more interesting.
Style has something to do with the playwrights’ or the writers’ use of language.
According to Christina Pantoja Hidaldo(2003,58), the key to good creative nonfiction is dramatic writing.
And the key to dramatic writing is action.

Reader’s Corner
A. Pre-reading
Read the classic drama “Scene II Capulet’s Orchard from William Shakespeare’s and John
Iremil E. Teodoro’s essay Caught in the Forest Fire a creative nonfiction piece full of drama.

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 For Romeo and Juliet, look for Cliff Notes or other literature guide books in reading this play. Read
about the background of the Shakespearean Theatre. Know the profile of the characters, and the plot of this drama
masterpiece.

Individual Activity#1:
For Caught in the Forest Fire, scan old newspapers and look for news about forests---tree planting
activities, deforestation, forest fire, illegal logging, remaining forest covers, among others. Clip the article on your
log notebook and be prepared to share it.

B. Cultural-Historical Background
In Romeo and Juliet according to Folger Shakespeare Library, “Shakespeare creates a world of violence
and generational conflict in which two young people fall in love and die because of that love. The story is rather
extraordinary in that normal problems faced by young lovers are here so large.
Romeo and Juliet were first published in 1597 as An Excellent Conceited Tragedies of Romeo and Juliet.

C. Previewing
As a preview to reading Romeo and Juliet, you may watch the two movies at home: Romeo+Juliet (dir
Baz Lhurman,1996) and Shakespeare in Love (dir John Madden,1999). The two films will give you a very good
background about the play and will help you in understanding it.

Individual Activity#2
C. Vocabulary Building: Copy and answer on your log notebook
Identify the meaning of each underlined word below and paraphrase each line or set of lines from the
excerpt.
1. But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks.
Meaning: ______________________.
Paraphrase: ___________________.
2. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,
That thou her maid art far more fair than she
Meaning: ______________________.
Paraphrase: ___________________.
3. What man art thou that thus bescreen’d in night
So stumblest on my counsel?
Meaning: ______________________.
Paraphrase: ___________________.
4. How camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore?

Individual Activity#3
D. Reading
You learned earlier that creative nonfiction requires “dramatic writing”. Search and read “Caught in the
Forest Fire” by John Iremil Theodore. Analyze the text based on the dramatic elements identified earlier-
situation, character, plot, and style. Write your answer on you log notebook.

Individual Activity#4
E. Writer’s Bloc
Recall five “dramatic” events in your life and explain why you consider them dramatic. Out
of five dramatic life events choose one that you can write about and serve as the possible subject of a
creative nonfiction text. Using this familiarity, try to complete the table and answer the questions.
Topic (Most Dramatic Experience):
How do I use my Knowledge of the elements of fiction
to write my composition? What details in my
composition would correspond to the elements of fiction
explained earlier (point of view, character, setting, tone
and atmosphere, symbols, irony, and theme)?
As in poetry, what concrete or evocative details would I
include in the composition?
What details in my composition would correspond to
the elements of drama (situation, character, dialogue,
plot, and style) cited earlier.
Be guided by the following criteria for scoring (60points):
Details-10 points
Organization-10 points
Conventions-10 points
Word Choice-10 points
Task Completion-20 points

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 “The odes lives upon the ideal, the epic upon the grandiose, the drama upon the real.” - Victor Hugo
End of Unit

Week 4
Unit 2: Principles, Elements, Techniques, and Devices of Creative Nonfiction
Lesson 1: Plot and Characterization
Learning Objectives:
The learner is expected to:
 Describe plot and characterization as elements of creative nonfiction
 Describe the interplay between plot and characterization
 Interview a person as a possible subject for creative nonfiction
Essential Questions:
1.What are the components of plot?
2. Why is character an important element of creative nonfiction?

Know your classmate/friend. For 15 minutes, converse with your classmate over the phone or
messenger and ask him/her life that you wish to know. Just be sure not to be offensive. When
your classmate/friend would not answer your question, respect his/her decision. The following are the questions
that you may ask:
1. Where do you live? Do you like the place where you live in?
2. What are the occupations of your parents?
3. How many are your siblings? Are you the eldest or the youngest? How do you feel about it?
4. What is your favorite food Why?
5. What is your hobby? Why?
6. What do you like most or do you like least in a person?
7. What is your ambition? Why?

For another 15 minutes write a paragraph describing your classmate/friend. Do not forget to include
his/her physical description-like her body built, color of the skin, color and style of hair, among others.

Comparing Notes
In the book Discovering Literature, plot is defined as “the story line, the sequence of actions
or events that gives to the story as a whole. When you study the plot, you focus on what drives,
motivates, or shapes the story. Plot maps out the itinerary that takes the reader to the conclusion.”
Plot can be divided into the following
1. Beginning- the initiating event
2. Exposition- background information
3. Rising Action with conflict-the tension or problem experienced by character
4. Climax- the most intense part of the story
5. Falling Action or resolution-how the tension or problem is resolved
6. Ending-Completes the story

Sometimes, the ending is open-ended in which case the narrative lacks a clear closure. Let it also be said
that in some stories, the events are not arranged chronologically. Flashback is one literary device that
circumvents the principle of chronological arrangement of events.
A good plot will define a good character. The logical arrangement of events in the story will give the
character proper motivation. The reader will understand why a character behaves in such a way.” Know your
characters as well as you know your best friend (Parra,13),” as stated in the book Playwrighting for Dummies.
Although this book is essentially for playwriting, the guidelines of creating good characters are vey useful in
creative nonfiction.

Reader’s Corner
Activity #1
A. Pre-reading
Surf the internet and read about ovarian cancer, especially in the Philippines. Find a person
testimony about this cancer, whatever by the cancer patient or by the people around a cancer patient. Present to
the class the most interesting information and story you have found. Make a log of your readings.

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critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copy right law. 7
 B. Cultural-Historical Background
Drug company Pfizer conducted a study about cancer in Asia showing the following
results:
 Among the 15 Asian countries, the highest incidence rates (age-standardized) for total cancer (all sites) in
males are in Taiwan, Korea, and Japan; female total cancer incidence rates are highest in Taiwan,
Singapore, and the Philippines.
 Lung cancer is the most common or second- most common cancer among males in all Asian countries but
for India, Japan, Mongolia and Taiwan.
 Stomach cancer is the most common cancer among both males and females in Korea; it is the most
common among females in China, and the most common among males in Japan.
 Among females, breast cancer is the most common cancer in seven countries Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia,
the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Taiwan.
 41% of all new cancers diagnosed in males, and 37% of cancers diagnosed in females are in the fifteen
Asian countries-about three times as many cases as that in the United States.
 Liver, stomach and, esophageal cancer is relatively common in Asia. Three-fourths of worldwide liver
cancer cases in males and two-thirds in females occur in the fifteen Asian countries. China has more than
half of newly diagnosed liver cancer cases in the world.

C. Previewing
Scan the selection to answer the following questions:
1 What is the occupation of the narrator?
2. Who was Mrs. J? What was her job?
3. Who are the other characters in the selection?

D. Vocabulary Building
Look for the meanings or the following medical terms:
1. ectopic pregnancy
2.abdominal enlargement
3. ovarian malignancy

E. Reading
The following selection is an introspective, even heart-rending, text about how a patient
touched lives while confined in the hospital. Give the plot of the story and note the details about the main
character and the other characters.
Mommy J. at San Vicente Ward
Alice M. Sun-Cua

F. Question for Discussion

1.Why was Mommy J. in the hospital?
2.What makes mommy J. likeable and lovable?
3.What is the attitude of the narrator toward Mommy J?
4.What are the lessons learned by the other people in the essay from Mommy J?
5.Give the plot of the narrative by filling in the story chart below.

Beginning
Exposition
Rising Action with Conflict
Climax
Falling Action
Ending

6. Complete the chart below by giving the name of the characters and their corresponding descriptions.
Character
Mommy J.

Writer’s Bloc
Interview a person that you can have as the subject of creative nonfiction text. Ask the
interviewee about his/her life, particularly the details tat he/she wants to share, Use the story chart
above as your guide. Add descriptive details about the character-his/her personality. You shall be
graded according to the 5Cs of writing (with five points each): clarity, conciseness, correctness, completeness,
and cohesion.
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 “Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destination.”
- Ray Bradbury
End of the Lesson

Week 5
Unit 2: Principles, Elements, Techniques, and Devices of Creative Nonfiction
Lesson 2: Setting and Atmosphere
Learning Objectives:
The learner is expected to:
 describe setting and atmosphere as elements of creative nonfiction
 analyze a sample text according to setting and atmosphere
 express reflective insights on and appreciation of indigenous cultural practices
 write a composition using his/her knowledge of atmosphere and setting

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 You will go on a short house tour. There will be three ‘destinations.” (1) in the garden,
(2) in the kitchen (3) in the living room. You will observe the areas using your five senses. You
may stay for 10 minutes in each place. Go back in your study room and take down notes of your
observations using the table below. Share your observation through social media/messenger.

Table of the Five Senses

The Five Senses Garden Library Canteen/Cafeteria
Sight
Smell
Hearing
Touch
Taste
As an assignment for next meeting, you will revisit the areas in your home and share your observations
through social/messenger. Is there now a significance difference in the atmosphere of these areas because of the
time lapse?

Comparing Notes
According to the book “discovering Literature,” a story creates its own world. It takes us to a
setting in space and in time. In a successful story, that place becomes a small universe of its own,
consistent.” In a creative nonfiction text, the world being created by the narrator is based on a real world and the
role of the writer is to make this world real and exciting for the reader to enter. The atmosphere created by the
world of the essay will bring the reader to this world, at least in his/her mind.
In the book, Magazine Writing, Christopher Benson and Charles Whitaker (2014,171) say something
about literary nonfiction (another way of calling creative nonfiction): “ Through lucid and detailed descriptions,
we experienced the atmosphere, hear the sounds, smell the aromas, and see the sights of the surroundings of our
subjects.” The most successful pieces of creative nonfiction are rich in details” and “details are also extremely
useful in evoking a sense of time and place,” says Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo in her book Creative Nonfiction: A
Manual for Filipino Writers.

Reader’s Corner
A Pre-reading
Refer to the map of the Philippines below. Identify the approximate location of the Cordilleras
and Palawan.

1. How far from each other are the Cordilleras and Palawan?
2. Is it possible for the two places to have connections?
3. Have you been to the Cordilleras (Baguio City, Sagada, Banaue Rice Terraces are the popular
tourist destinations) and Palawan? How different are the two places from each other?

B. Cultural-Historical Background
Kamrikutan is a Cuyonon word for “wilderness” or a place with many trees in Puerto Princess City,
Palawan, there is a restaurant called Kamarikutan Kape at Galeri. It is a three-story bamboo structure with cogon
roof surrounded by trees and flowers in a two-hectare piece of land. What is fascinating about the place is how it
blends the elements of Palawan’s indigenous culture with that of the Cordilleras. During summer, there is the
Kamarikutan Arts Festival where artists from all over the Philippines gather to celebrate art and friendship.

C. Previewing
Scan the selection for the answers to the following questions:

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1. What descriptive details show that the artists who come to the festival vary in appearance?
2. What is pinikpikan?

D. Vocabulary Building
1. To enrich your vocabulary, surf the internet to read about the indigenous Filipino musical instruments.
Enumerate at least five instruments using the table below.
Musical Instrument Indigenous Description
(Write the indigenous name with People’s
English translation.) Group
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
2 Based on the context clues, identify the meaning of the underlined word or phrase in each sentence below.
Questions are added to serve as additional clues.
a. The gallery serves as a haven for souls looking for respite from worldly activities. Does it
mean rest or Continuation?
b. The artist is often stereotyped as someone with unkept appearance. Is the appearance clean
or dirty?
c. Her performances on stage are described as celestial by awed critics and audiences. Is the
description positive or negative?
E. Reading
The next selection is a detailed description of the narrator’s trip to an art gallery café in Puerto Princesa
City, Palawan. Note how the text also describes some of the people who would hobnob in the place, not just
partaking of the meals and the drinks that the café had to offer but have easily pushed into oblivion.
Kamarikutan Jam
Jasmien D. Arquiza
F. Questions for Discussion
1. What kind of place is Kamarikutan Kape at Galeri? What kind of people go there?
2. Why did the child seem to be bothered by the pinikpikan?
3. How would you describe the atmosphere? Cite details from the txt to support your answer.
4. Why is the place important to the narrator? Give details that suggest the narrator’s attitude toward
Kamarikutan.
5. Which place in your area could be considered an equivalent of Kamarikutan? Explain your answer.
6. Picture yourself in Kamarikutan. How would you describe the setting atmosphere using the “senses” chart
below?
Sense Description
Sight
Smell
Sound
Touch/Feel
Taste

Writer’s Bloc
While there are places that we like, there are also those that we do not. Revisit a place that
you do not like. Stay there as long as you can and take down notes using the Table of the Five
Senses. Back home, write a short paragraph about this place using your notes. Apply what you learned
about atmosphere setting. Be guided by the rubric below.

Criteria Proficient Nearly Proficient Attempted Proficiency

(8-10 pts) (5-7pts) (0-4pts)
Clarity All ideas are expressed Some ideas are expressed Many ideas are confusing.
clearly. clearly.
Vividness All ideas are articulated Some ideas are articulated The manner in which ideas
convincingly. convincingly. are articulated is not
convincing enough.
Organization All ideas are presented in an Details mostly evince a sense Details are not organized
organized way. of organization. properly.

Correctness Grammar, Syntax, and Grammar, syntax, and The composition is riddled
mechanics are correct, with mechanics are largely correct, with errors (six or more).
just one or two errors. with three to five errors.

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electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the writer except in the case of brief quotations embodied in
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Week 5
Unit 2: Principles, Elements, Techniques, and Devices of Creative Nonfiction
Lesson 3: Angle and Grammatical Point of View
Learning Objectives:
The learner is expected to:
 describe point of view and angle as elements of creative nonfiction
 analyze a sample text according to angle and grammatical point of view
 write a short paragraph describing a place

Using one gadget (preferably a camera phone with wide screen. Request three family member
to take pictures of your living room from three points of view or angles: (1) sitting in the
middle of the living room taking a picture at mother/sister in front of the television; (2)
standing in front of the window taking picture of father/brother sitting on the sofa/chair;(3) standing in front of
the door taking a picture of the mother/sister and father/brother inside the living room. Print the pictures that
have been taken and answer the table below.

Photographer’s Location Description of the Picture

Chair in the middle of the living room
In front of the window
By the door of the house

Questions to Ponder:
1. What are the major differences among the three pictures?
2. Based on the picture-taking activity, what did you learn about angles and point of view?

Comparing Notes
According to Christina Pantoja Hidalgo (2003.32) point of view has to do with perspective. When
writing your essay, you ask yourself the following questions: Whose story is this? Who can best tell this story?
What is the relation of the point of view character, the narrator, to the events narrated? These questions should be
answered adequately before proceeding with writing.
The most commonly used point of view in a personal essay is the first person. In an older school
of writing, you may notice that the writer is using the third person to refer to himself or herself (with phrases like
“this columnist” or “this writer”). Today, using the first person point of view even in an academic lecture of paper
is acceptable. In fact, it is becoming common.
A distinction should be made here between perspective and point of view. Perspective answers
the question from whose angle the story is being told, while point of view refers to whether the story is told in the
first, second, or third person. In a piece, the writer may be using the first person-using “I,” “me”, “my”, or “mine”
in narrating-while the perspective may be that of a minor or major character.
When writing a creative nonfiction piece, the general rule of thumb should be this: It should
reveal” the writer’s unique perspective on, or attitude toward, the subject” (Kneel, 1991,6).

Reader’s Corner
A. Pre-reading
Using the Internet, research on the island of Lagen and what it is known for. You may also download
and print some pictures. Share the information and pictures you have searched in a personal narrative way.

B. Cultural-Historical Background
In a previous lesson, you learned about an example of Palawan’s natural beauty. The Philippines
is one country in which such wonders are seemingly boundless. While the country may not be among the world’s
or for that matter, even this region’s top economies, it boasts of a long list of “world-class” wonders of nature.
Many of the country’s natural wonders, unfortunately, remain untapped. Worse, their beauty is compromised by
people who do not have enough appreciation of our natural resources even before the rest of the world gets to
know about them. The good thing is that, efforts are now being made by concerned individuals and groups to
preserve nature’s beauty and with it, a sense of ecological balance. Nonetheless, the responsibility of taking acre
of nature is not limited to such groups and people. All of humanity, as a matter of fact, regardless of socio-
economic status, culture, or geographical location, should raise the alarm and take appropriate action over
environmental issues whenever they see one.
C. Previewing
Scan the selection to complete each sentence below.
1. The lights of Lagen do not look like diamonds, but___________________.
2. As soon as I entered the room, I could sense the presence of ________________.
3. When I opened the French windows to the verandah, I was greeted by ________________.
D. Vocabulary Building

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electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the writer except in the case of brief quotations embodied in
critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copy right law. 12
 Using a dictionary, look for the meaning of the following words. Words have contexts, meaning,
their usage has an effect on their meaning. In the dictionary, a word may have several meanings. So, in choosing
the meaning, consider how a particular word is used in the selection. Be ready to use these words correctly in
sentences for class recitation. In your activity notebook, use the table that follows.

Words Meanings Sentences

aroma
deposit
exotic
rebellion
rug
tourist

F. Reading
The selection below is a bout a journey to one of the country’s proverbial “Last Frontiers.” While
reading, identify the sensory images and figure out how they contribute to the overall effect of the text. Identify
also the angle and grammatical point of view in the text.

LONGING FOR LAGEN

John Iremil E. Teodoro
The moment I saw the lights of the Ten Knots resort in Lagen from our boat, I immediately knew that I
would love the place and will be longing for it after our brief visit.
Sunset had brought cool breeze when we boarded a big bumboat from Lio beach for the 45-minute trip to
the island Lagen. The fiery colors of the silently changing sky were painfully beautiful. The silhouettes of dozens
of island in Bacuit Bay were like gentle giants lying and sitting on the water, listening to the ancient song of the
sea wind. The dusk, and the whole world, was waiting for the appearance of the last blue moon of the millennium.
From a distance, the lights of Lagen do not look like diamonds, but tiny balls of gold. Their brilliance is
not intimidating, like the light from the lamp of a lover waiting by the seashore. Their glow is like a beacon
calling you home, promising a blissful and restful sleep to the tired traveler.
Lagen is perfect for writing. As soon as I entered the room, I could sense the presence of the Muses of
Metaphors. I couldn’t help but sit down and scribble lines and lines of prose and poetry in my diary. It was like
my pen and my hands had acquired their own creative mind.
Perhaps, they can also hear the giggling of the green sea turtles in the pastel painting hanging on the wall
by an artist named Raralio. I was certain it is the portrait of the same turtle that greeted us that morning when our
boat from Malampaya Sound entered Bacuit Bay. I could hear the faint but familiar giggle.
The night, after a sumptuous dinner, I washed the tiredness from the previous day’s travel that clung to
my skin like dust, in the surprisingly warm water of the pool. While swimming and floating noiselessly like a
turtle, I watched the blue moon perfecting its shape before the invisible bell of midnight tolls.
When I laid my head on the pillow, I fell asleep thinking of the seafeathers gracefully swaying beneath
the blue waters of El Nido when we arrived that afternoon. The blueness of the water was a blessing to my tired
soul.
I I woke up early the next day. When I opened the French windows to verandah, I was greeted by the
twittering of dozens of birds inhabiting the trees and the crevices of the massive limestone cliffs that embrace the
landscape of Lagen.
From my knapsack, I took out a copy of my latest acquisition- a book of love poems. I sat on the rattan
lounging chair and read the poems aloud to myself, and for the tress and the birds to hear.
The next time around, I would like to stay in Lagen for a longer period. And when I sit down in my room
guarded by Raralio pastel sketches of seascapes and marine lives, I will remember that moment when I was
floating on the warm water of the pool, watching the quick maturing of the blue moon, and that morning when I
read poetry to feed my soul.
For now, I will just cherish in my heart the sweet sadness of my longing for the beauty of Lagen.

E. Questions for Discussion

1. What is the point of view in the selection? its grammatical point of view?
2. How would you describe the feelings of the narrator during his/her journey?
3. Pick out the images from the text. What do they suggest about the narrator?
4. Why did the narrator say that “Lagen is perfect for writing?”
5. Have you ever had the same feeling as the narrator’s in any of your journeys?
6. What do you think is the central message of the text? Express it in one sentence.

All rights reserved. No parts of this document may be reproduced, distributed in any form or by any means including photocopying or any
electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the writer except in the case of brief quotations embodied in
critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copy right law. 13
 Writer’s Bloc
The ending eloquently sums up the text, “For now, I will just cherish in my heart the sweet
sadness of my longing for the beauty of Lagen.” Think of a place
that you have visited before and want to visit again. Write a short, first-person paragraph describing the place,
including the aspects that make it special and unique. Add sensory images to make your description compelling.
Be guided by the rubric below.

Criteria Proficient Nearly Proficient Attempted Proficiency

(8-10 pts) (5-7pts) (0-4pts)

Clarity All ideas are expressed Some ideas are expressed Many ideas are confusing.
clearly. clearly.
Vividness All ideas are articulated Some ideas are articulated The manner in which ideas
convincingly. convincingly. are articulated is not
convincing enough.

Organization All ideas are presented in an Details mostly evince a sense Details are not organized
organized way. of organization. . properly.

Correctness Grammar, Syntax, and Grammar, syntax, and The composition is riddled
mechanics are correct, with mechanics are largely with errors (six or more).
just one or two errors. correct, with three to five
errors.

All rights reserved. No parts of this document may be reproduced, distributed in any form or by any means including photocopying or any
electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the writer except in the case of brief quotations embodied in
critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copy right law. 14