Creative Nonfiction

Quarter 1 – Module
12
Creative Writing– Grade 12
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 3 – Module
First Edition, 2021

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Published by the Department of Education Secretary:

Undersecretary:
Assistant Secretary:

Development Team of the Module

Authors: Francis Elaine T. Boque, Pemi A. Lloce, Melencio T. Reformado Jr., and
Aileen G. Valle

Editor:

Reviewers: Mrs. Annnabelle H. Nava

Illustrator:
Layout Artist:
Management Team: Dr. Joel T. Torrecampo, Dr. Juan C. Obierna,
Mrs. Annabelle Nava, and Mr. Joemar L. Furigay

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 12
Creative Nonfiction
Quarter 1 – Module

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from public schools. We encourage teachers and other education stakeholders to email

their feedback, comments, and recommendations to the

Department of Education at [email protected].

We value your feedback and recommendations.

Department of Education • Republic of the Philippines

1
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:
Welcome to the Creative Writing Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) for Grade 12!

This learning resource hopes to engage the learners in guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also aims to help learners
acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking into consideration their needs and
circumstances.

To the parents:
As parents, you play a vital role in educating your child’s life; hence, you may also help
provide the support and stimuli that your child needs to make sense of the world. Since we
are currently facing the coronavirus pandemic, now is the perfect time for you to make your
home a school and act as a teacher to your child.

For the learner:

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities for
guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be enabled to
process the contents of the learning resource while being an active learner. The module is
divided into eight lessons:
• Lesson 1 - Themes
• Lesson 2 - Identifying Themes
• Lesson 3 - Literary Elements
• Lesson 4 - Narrative Text
• Lesson 5 - Factual and Non-factual Elements
• Lesson 6 - Analyzing Factual and Non-factual Elements
• Lesson 7 - Writing Personal Essay
• Lesson 8 - Revising and Editing a Literary Text

In this module, you are expected to:

• Analyze the different literary themes and elements.
• Interpret a narrative text.
• Explain the different elements.
• Revise and edit a literary text.

2
 Lesson Themes
1

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

Literary texts are used for different purposes. It can be used to entertain,
teach a lesson, convey meaning, or share ideas. Through their work, writers can
express
their ideas by using universal themes.
In this lesson, you will be given tasks that will let you identify the theme in a literary text and
how supporting details contribute to the development of a theme.

As you go through this lesson, you are expected to:

1. identify the theme used in a text;
2. list supporting details that support the theme; and
3. value the importance of the theme in understanding the text.

WHAT IS IT
A theme is a central idea or underlying idea in the literature that may be stated
directly or indirectly. All novels, stories, poems, and other literary works have at least one
theme running through them. The writer may express insight about humanity or a worldview
through a theme.

SUBJECT VERSUS THEME

Don’t confuse the subject of a text with its theme:

➢ The subject is a topic that acts as the foundation for a work of literature, such as
marriage in 19th-century France.
➢ A theme is an opinion the author expresses on the subject, for instance, the
author's dissatisfaction with the narrow confines of French bourgeois marriage
during that period.

WHAT’S MORE
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MAJOR AND MINOR THEMES
There can be major and minor themes in works of literature:
➢ A major theme is an idea that a writer repeats in his work, making it
the most significant idea in a literary work.
➢ A minor theme, on the other hand, refers to an idea that appears in a
work briefly and that may or may not give way to another minor theme.
➢

WHAT I CAN DO

Activity 1
Write TRUE if the statement is correct and write FALSE if the statement is correct.
_________ 1. A theme is the central message of a story that the author wishes to convey.
_________ 2. A theme should not be supported with details in the text.
_________ 3. Not all literary works contain themes.
________4. The plot, character development, setting, and tone of the text contribute to the
development of the theme.
_________5. A theme is not essential in understanding the text.

Activity 2.
To begin with, our activity, read carefully each statement. Write the letter of the answer to match
the message to its corresponding word.
A. Friendship B. Courage C. Peace D. Remembrance E. Hope F. Perseverance

_______1. Don’t give up.

_______ 2. The opposite of violence.

_______ 3. Face your fears and don’t be afraid.

_______ 4. Remember those people in your life.
_______ 5. Stand by your friend in good and bad times.

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Activity 3.
Answer the following question: (5 points for each number)
1. How are the words above related to the message?
___________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
2. Why do authors embedded these kinds of messages in a literary text
__________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

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 Lesson Identifying Themes
2

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

In every literary text, there is a theme that stands as the central idea.
Readers tend to look for the theme of a literary text to fully understand the meaning
of the
whole story.
In this lesson, you will be given tasks that will let you identify the theme in a literary text and
how supporting details contribute to the development of a theme.

As you go through this lesson, you are expected to:

1. determine the steps on identifying the theme;
2. identify the theme of a literary text; and
3. value the importance of the theme in understanding the text.

WHAT IS IT

HOW TO IDENTIFY THEMES

1. Note the plot of the work: Take a few moments to write down the main literary elements:
plot, characterization, setting, tone, language style, etc. What were the conflicts in the work? What
was the most important moment in the work? Does the author resolve the conflict? How did the
work end?

2. Identify the subject of the work: If you were to tell a friend what the work of literature was
about, how would you describe that? What would you say is the topic?

3. Who is the protagonist (the main character)? How does he or she change? Does the
protagonist affect other characters? How does this character relate to others?

4. Assess the author's point of view: Finally, determine the author's view toward the
characters and the choices they make. What might be the author's attitude toward the resolution of
the main conflict? What message might the author be sending us? This message is the theme. You
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may find clues in the language used, in quotes from the main characters, or in the final resolution of
the conflicts.

Note that these elements such as characters, setting, plot, tone, and point of view of

the author contributes to the development of a theme. These are essential tools that

will help you identify the theme when reading a literary text.

WHAT’S MORE

COMMON THEME EXAMPLES

There are numerous themes found in different books, but there are a few common themes
seen in those books. These popular themes are seen among authors and reader as they
are experiences which can be related to in day to day life. These themes may be common,
but in each story, they may have a deeper meaning.
They include the following:
➢ Love – this is a very common theme in literature, and there are numerous
examples of it. Love goes beyond the romance depicted in the story. In some cases,
they may be connected to other themes in the story. This can be seen in stories
such as Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Wuthering Heights by Emily
Bronte, and R.J. Palacio’s Wonder.
➢ Peace and war –the paradox between peace and war is common among authors.
Characters in the story are often caught in the mayhem of conflict. More often you
get the characters hoping for a good life and days of peace. The characters are
seen casting their minds back to the days of peace. Examples are War and Peace
by Leo Tolstoy and Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.
➢ Good and evil – another popular theme is the existence of good and evil. These
themes are often found in cooperation with other themes such as war and love. A

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 famous example is The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien where it talks about the
tale of hobbits, elves, and mean teaming up to defeat Sauron and his armies.

WHAT I CAN DO

Activity 1.

Now that you have learned how to identify a theme, define and enumerate the key steps in
identifying the theme.
1. Theme is _______________________________________________________________
The steps in identifying the theme are:
2. _________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________________________
5. _________________________________________________________________

Activity 2.
Read each item carefully. Write T if the statement is true and write F if the statement is false.
_____ 1. A theme is a subject that acts as the foundation for the work of literature.
_____ 2. A minor theme refers to an idea that appears in a work briefly and that may or may not
give way to another minor theme.
_____ 3. It is important to take note of the plot of the text.
_____ 4. There is no need to look for the essential elements of a text when identifying the theme.
_____ 5. A major theme is an idea that the writer repeats in his work, making it most significant in
his literary work.

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Activity 3.
Read the story carefully and identify the important elements and theme of the story by completing
the chart below.
Tammy and Sammy were both students in Mr. Morton's reading class. Mr. Morton wasn't too strict
about deadlines, and Sammy took advantage of that. He did all of his homework in his other
classes but never bothered to complete Mr. Morton's reading assignments, figuring that he could
complete them later. Tammy, on the other hand, completed each assignment Mr. Morton assigned
the night that he assigned it. She had to stay up a little later, but she didn't want to get a penalty for
turning in her reading work late. Tammy knew reading was a core subject and that she had to keep
a "C" average for the entire year or she would have to go to summer school. When the end of the
quarter came, Tammy and Sammy had both planned on going to the Enchanted Castle
amusement park, but Mr. Morton called Sammy's mother, and she grounded Sammy until he
turned 38in all of his work. That weekend was horrible for Sammy. He stayed up until 2:00 AM
each night and still couldn't complete all of the assignments. The whole while, Tammy had a great
time eating pizza at Enchanted Castle, watching movies late at night, and enjoying her weekend
free of stress and pressure. At the end of the quarter, Sammy was lucky to squeak by with a "C"
minus in reading while Tammy earned an "A." Sammy still hasn't learned his lesson and probably
won't complete this activity either.

CHARACTERS:

SETTING:

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WHAT HAPPENS IN THE STORY THAT
LEADS YOU TO YOUR THEME?

THEME:

Lesson
Literary Elements
3

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

To construct a narrative text based on one's experience, one must be able
to identify the different elements of a text. Understanding the elements of a text also provides
readers a structure on how the author made his or her literary work and somehow applies it in their
writing.

In this lesson, you will learn to organize and weave together your ideas to come up with a
well-structured literary text.
As you go through this lesson, you are expected to:
1. identify the different literary elements; and
2. complete the story outline highlighting the different literary elements.

WHAT IS IT
A literary text is composed of different fictional elements so that the readers
will fully understand and comprehend the text. These elements are essential to fully
grasp the story. These elements include the following:

1.Plot – refers to the sequence of events in a story. The plot is a planned, logical
series of events having a beginning, middle, and end. There are five essential parts of a plot

1.1. Exposition – refers to the beginning of the story where the

characters, background, and setting are revealed.

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 1.2. Rising Action – refers to the events in the story that become complicated and
where the conflict is revealed. A conflict has four types.
➢ Character vs. Self - the character struggles with his soul, physical
limitations, or himself
➢ Character vs. Character – the character struggles against other people
➢ Character vs. Nature – struggles against animals, weather, or
environment
➢ Character vs. Society – struggles against ideas, practices, or customs
of others
1.3 Climax – refers to the turning point of the story. It reveals the highlight of the
story

1.4 Falling Action - refers to the arts where resolution begins; events and
complications start to fall into place.

1.5 Resolution/Denouement – refers to the outcome of events in the story

2.Setting – refers to the time and location that a story takes place.

3. Character – refers to the people involved in the story or the qualities of a person.

3.1 People in a story can either be a:

➢ Protagonist – clear center of a story

➢ Antagonist – opposition or enemy of the main character

3.2 Characteristics or qualities of a character can be revealed through:

➢ His/her physical appearance

➢ What he/she says, think, feels, does, or does not do
➢ What other say about him/her and how others react to him/her

3.3 There are four kinds of character. These are:

➢ Round - Fully developed personalities that are affected by the story's

events; they can learn, grow, or deteriorate by the end of the story.
Characters are most convincing when they resemble real people by
being consistent, motivated, and life-like.
➢ Flat - One-dimensional character
➢ Dynamic - Character who does go through change and "grows"
during a story
➢ Static - Character does not go through a change.
4. Point of view – refers to the angle from which the story is told. There are several variations of
point of view (POV):
4.1 First Person - Story told by the protagonist or a character who interacts closely
with the protagonist or other characters; speaker uses the pronouns "I", "me",
"we". Readers experience the story through this person's eyes and only know
what he/she knows and feels.

4. 2 Second Person - Story told by a narrator who addresses the reader or some
other assumed "you"; speaker uses pronouns "you", "your", and "yours".

11
 4.3 Third Person - Story told by a narrator who sees all of the action; speaker uses
the pronouns "he", "she", "it", "they", "his", "hers", "its", and "theirs". This person may
be a character in the story. There are several types of the third person POV:

• Limited - Probably the easiest: POV for a beginning writer to use

“limited" POV funnels all action through the eyes of a single character;
readers only see what the narrator sees.

• Omniscient- God-like, the narrator knows and sees everything, and

can move from one character's mind to another.

4.4 Stream of Consciousness - Story told so readers solely experience a

character's thoughts and reactions.
5.Theme – refers to the central message or moral of the story that the authors want to
convey to his or her readers.

WHAT’S MORE

Now that you are familiar with the different literary elements, try to answer the activity below.

Read and analyze the sentences carefully. Write TRUE if the statement is correct and write
FALSE if the statement is incorrect.
____________ 1. There are many types of characters.
____________ 2. The place and idea where the story takes place is called atmosphere.
____________ 3. Literary elements are characteristics of the text as a whole.
____________ 4. Literary elements is not important when writing fiction
____________ 5. Tone is the attitude of the writer towards the material on the hand, the
atmosphere or also called mood is the overall feelings invoked in the reader while reading the
story.

WHAT I CAN DO

Activity 1.

This time, look and examine the cover of the book below and try to answer the following
questions: 1. What is the title of the story? ______________________

2. Who is the author? ____________________

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3. Is the book an example of creative nonfictional text?
What word from the title gives you this idea?

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________

4. What type of creative non-fictional text is the book from the picture?
________________________

5. What elements are there in this kind of creative nonfictional text?

_________________________________
_______________________________________________

Activity 2. Complete the table below by providing the characteristics of the different literary
elements.
Literary Elements Characteristics
1. Plot
2. Point-ofview

3. Characters
4. Setting
5. Tone
6. Conflict
7. Theme
Activity 3. Complete the chart by supplying the missing information.

The Woodcutter and the Axe

Long ago, there lived a woodcutter in a small village. He was sincere in his work and very honest. Every
day, he set out into the nearby forest to cut trees. He brought the woods back into the village and sold them
out to a merchant and earn his money. He earned just about enough to make a living, but he was satisfied
with his simple living.
One day, while cutting a tree near a river, his ax slipped out of his hand and fell into the river. The river
was so deep, he could not even think to retrieve it on his own. He only had one axe which was gone into the

13
 river. He became very worried thinking about how he will be able to earn his living now! He was very sad and
prayed to the Goddess. He prayed sincerely so the Goddess appeared in front of him and asked, "What is the
problem, my son?" The woodcutter explained the problem and requested the Goddess to get his axe back.
The Goddess put her hand deep into the river and took out a silver axe and asked, “Is this your axe?”
The Woodcutter looked at the axe and said “No”. So the Goddess put her hand back deep into the water
again and showed a golden axe and asked, “Is this your axe?” The woodcutter looked at the axe and said
“No”. The Goddess said, “Take a look again Son, this is a very valuable golden axe, are you sure this is not
yours?” The woodcutter said, “No, It’s not mine. I can’t cut the trees with a golden axe. It’s not useful for
me”.
The Goddess smiled and finally put her hand into the water again and took out his iron axe and asked, “Is
this your axe?” To this, the woodcutter said, “Yes! This is mine! Thank you!” The Goddess was very
impressed with his honesty so she gave him his iron axe and also the other two axes as a reward for his
honesty.

Title
Characters
Setting
Plot Exposition:
Rising Action:
Climax:
Falling Action:
Resolution:
Point of View
Theme

Lesson
Narrative Text
4
WHAT I NEED TO KNOW
Writing is one of the important macro skills that one should develop and
improve. One must be able to organize his or her thoughts and ideas to come up
with
a well-structured literary text that readers could easily understand.

As you go through this lesson, you are expected to:

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 1. identify the parts and features of narrative text; and
2. write a narrative text using multiple elements.

WHAT IS IT
Parts of a Narrative Text

1. The Introduction – is the part that begins the story. It usually includes the
setting, characters and prepares your audience for the action to come. The
introduction
should have a hook and a thesis.

• A hook is usually the first few sentences that grab readers' attention
• A thesis states the main idea of the essay and tells what the
• organization of the information will be.
2. The Body – contains most of the plot – the supporting information which is arranged in
chronological or time order.

3. The Conclusion – includes the concluding ideas which can either be a moral of the story,
prediction, or revelation about future actions that will happen as a result of the events in the story.

WHAT’S MORE
Narrative writing is best described as an account of a sequence of fictional or
non-fictional events, usually arranged in chronological order. It is a story created in a
constructive format.
Several important elements make up a good story. These elements have already been discussed
in the previous lessons.

1. Setting – The setting is the location where the action in a story takes place.

2. Theme – The theme is the basic idea of the story. Very often the theme will deal with a topic that
is common in life or human nature, such as independence, envy, courage, failure, and success.

3. Mood – The mood is the feeling or atmosphere that the writer creates for the story.

4. Characters – The characters are the people in the story.

5. Plot – The plot is what happens in the story or the sequence of events.

Just like any other narrative, it also includes these elements:

1. a thesis that sets up the action in the introduction;

15
2.transition sentences that connect events and help the reader follow the story; and

3. a conclusion that ends the story's action and provides a moral, prediction, or revelation.

Now that you are familiar with the parts of a narrative text, try to answer the activity
below.

Write TRUE if the statement is correct and write FALSE if the statement is incorrect.

_________1. Narrative writing is an account of a sequence of fictional or non-fictional events.

_________2. A thesis ends the story and provides a moral, prediction, and revelation.

_________3. A hook is a few sentences at the beginning of the story that grabs the readers'
attention.

_________4. The introduction must include the sequence of events that happened in the story.

_________ 5. There are four parts of a narrative text.

WHAT I CAN DO

Activity 1. Write a narrative text based on your own experience using the different literary elements
of a text. Check the rubric below for your guidelines on how your story will be graded. Write it on a
separate sheet of paper.

Guidelines in writing:

• It must have an introduction, body, and conclusion.

• Include the literary elements discussed in the module.
• It must consist of at least 10 sentences or 20 sentences at most.

Criteria 1 2 3 4
Character Students fail to Character A student uses The main character is
Development use descriptive development some descriptive thoroughly developed
details to develop needs details to develop through direct and
improvement, but the character. indirect
the character.
the reader gets a
The character Characters are characterization such
sense of the
lacks depth. somewhat as speech, actions,
character and
interesting and description, etc.
who s/he is.
have some depth.

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 Plot Story Story development Story The story contains
Development development does needs to be development exposition, rising
not exist and does improved or follows story action, climax, falling
not follow a revised. sequence but action, resolution.
sequence. Pieces are some The story is easy to
missing. components follow
could be better
developed for the
reader to follow.

Theme Cannot describe Has trouble Can describe the Describes the theme
the theme of the describing the theme of the story of the story and how
story. theme of the story in some detail they can learn from
needs to be and general the theme. Uses
prompted to
descriptions. details.
complete train of
thought.

Use of the Identifies two or Identifies three of Identifies four of Identifies all of the
Literary less of the literary the literary the literary literary elements of the
Elements of elements of the elements of the elements of the text.
the Text text. text. text.
Adapted from RCampus (2020): Irubric: Creative Writing Short Story Rubric

17
 Lesson Factual and Non-Factual Elements

5
WHAT I NEED TO KNOW
At this point, you may have encountered different texts that are considered.
Nonfictional. Some texts are considered Nonfictional, but they might contain
fictional elements.
In this lesson, you will discover the features and elements of Nonfictional literary works.

After this lesson, you are expected to:

1. analyze factual/nonfictional aspects involved in written works; and
2. determine the factual/nonfiction elements.

WHAT IS IT
Creative Nonfictional
Elements Here are some of the creative nonfictional elements:
1. Structure - a way in which the parts link or work together (chronological,
problem and solution, compare and contrast, cause and effect).
2. Point of View - the angle of considering the perspective from which
people see things or the mode of narration that an author employs to let
the readers "hear" and "see" what takes place in a text, an example of
which belongs to one of these three major kinds: first-person (involves the

18
 use of either of the two pronouns "I" or "we") second person (uses the
pronoun "you")third person (uses pronouns like "he," "she," "it," "they", or
a name)
3. Characterization - the quality of the character disclosed through actions
or descriptions.
4. Figures of Speech - a word or phrase having a different meaning if
compared to its literal meaning (for example, using irony in which words
are used in such a way that the intended meaning is different from the
actual meaning of the words)
5. Atmosphere a prevailing tone, mood, or attitude associated with a
specific place or time.
6. Dialogue - conversations spoke between characters that can be inner
(characters speak to themselves and reveal their personalities) and outer
(simple conversation between characters)
7. Symbol - Something that stands for or represents something else,
especially an object representing an abstraction.
8. Symbolism - the practice or art of using an object or a word to represent
an abstract idea. Scene - a division of a play or an act of a play.
9. Theme a central idea that is weaved through the essay or work.

WHAT’S MORE
Now is the time to look at a creative nonfictional text. Kindly answer the questions to
be familiar with the creative nonfictional elements of the
excerpt below.

An Excerpt from “The Jacket” by Gary Soto

“We paraded out into the yard where we, the sixth graders, walked past all the other
grades, to stand against the back fence. Everybody saw me. Although they didn’t say out
loud, “Man, that’s ugly,” I heard the buzz-buzz of gossip and laughter I knew was meant for
me.

19
 And so I went, in my guacamole-colored jacket. So embarrassed, so hurt, I couldn’t
even do my homework. I received C’s on my quizzes and forgot the state capitals and the
rivers of South America, our friendly neighbors. Even the girls who had been friendly blew
away like loose flowers to follow the boys in neat jackets.”

1. What is the setting?

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
2. What is the point of view?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
3. Did the author use figurative language?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
4. What is the theme?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
5. What is the text structure?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

WHAT I CAN DO Activity 1

Directions: Look at the picture below and describe it. Write one
paragraph containing the descriptions.

Source:
https://www.insidehighered.com/sites/def
ault/server_files/media/online-library-
andknowledge-vector-id943117712.jpg

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 ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Lesson Analyzing Factual and Non-Factual

Elements
6

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

At this point, you may have encountered different texts that are
considered. nonfictional. You may also have discovered that these
texts may contain
fictional elements.

After this lesson, you are expected to:

1. analyze factual/nonfictional aspects involved in written works using the
adapted Nonfiction Analysis Framework; and
2. determine the factual/nonfictional elements.

WHAT IS IT
Prose that is nonfictional should be somehow connected to reality.
With that, here are creative nonfictional elements under its journalistic elements.
a) Fact- Anything that is not completely made-up.
b) Exposition- Explaining the details concisely and clearly.
c) Supporting details- expanding beyond your character or topic.
i. Research- researched information is best to include in the essay to
gain more coverage about the topic.
ii. Reportage- referencing events.
iii. Thoughts and Opinion-the author’s say about the topic.

21
 d) Format- the format of a creative nonfiction work: Introduction, supporting
paragraph (body), and the conclusion.

WHAT’S MORE
Directions: Read and analyze a creative nonfictional text .
Taban Massacre
This tragic infamous incident etched in the annals of Alimodian history and
forever ingrained in the memories of the townsfolk took place in the early morning of
August 17, 1942. It was a fine busy Tuesday morning and people of all ages and
gender crowded the marketplace and were busy trading farm products. All of a
sudden, the Japanese appeared in a flash; the first impulse is to escape but it was
too late for most of the people there to get out. The preconceived plan of getting all
the able-bodied men from the crowd was carried out, seizing them and tied their
hands and feet by the Japanese forces.
About 50 men were captured by the Japanese. Bayonets and sabers were
immediately put into action after lining up the captured 50 men who were securely
tied up. One by one, the captives were made to stand against the trunk of a coconut
tree. Immediately, each one of them was subjected to bayonet thrusts and later
beheaded with sabers; the massacre is completed, and the severed heads of the
victims were left scattered around to be eaten by the dogs after the murderers had
gone.

What can you say based on the contents of the text? Write your answer below.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

22
 ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

WHAT I CAN DO

Directions: Answer the Nonfiction Analysis Framework below using

the text from the previous activity.

1. Title of the text:

___________________________________________________________________
2. Give a summary of the text:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
3. What are the underlying themes of the text? Does the author seem to be implying
anything without outright saying it?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
4. Select lines that reflect one of the themes you indicated above. (Copy the quote
here with quotation mark)
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
5. Do you feel any connection to the main character or narrator’s feelings or situation?
___________________________________________________________________

23
 ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
6. Does the text engage with any topics or issues that you think are especially
important for the people to know about?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
7. List some positive points about the text that you believe made it an interesting or
engaging read.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
8. Describe some aspects of the text that disappointed you or caused you to feel
frustrated as a reader.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
9. How do the ideas in the text connect with the real world and/or your own life?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
10. Describe anything you saw in this text that you'd like to remember to include in your
writing.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
(Nonfiction Analysis Framework // Purdue Writing Lab)

24
 Lesson
Writing Personal Essay
7

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

Writing is one way that someone can share his/her thoughts, ideas, opinion,
feelings, or even his or her experiences. Sharing one's experiences can cover a
variety
of different topics. It could be about a family, something that happened in school, or simply about
life.

Thus, in this lesson, you will be given tasks that will let you apply what you have learned in the
previous lessons.

As you go through this lesson, you are expected to:

1. share experiences related to the text; and

2. write a personal essay based on real-life experiences

WHAT IS IT

A personal essay is a piece of writing that serves to describe an

important lesson gathered from a writer's life experiences. The essay
often describes a significant event from a first-person perspective and
can be done in various
writing styles, like a formal essay or as creative nonfiction. Personal essays usually have a
conversational tone that creates a connection with the reader. This type of essay can be
inspiring and uplifting, or it can serve as a warning to others to avoid the author's mistakes.

25
It can cover a variety of different topics as long as it is something that happened in your life
that sparked growth or changed you in some way. It is enriched by your personal opinion.

WHAT’S MORE

How to Structure a Personal Essay

A good personal essay should contain an introductory paragraph,

body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The standard length is about five paragraphs, but
personal essays can be longer or shorter, as long as they contain all three basic sections:

1. Introduction: The first sentences of your essay should include a hook that captures
the reader’s attention. Provide a personal statement that you plan on proving in the body of
your essay. Avoid common cliches like opening with a famous quote (especially if this is a
college essay), and try to form a unique connection with your audience.

2. Body: The body of your essay is the meat of your story that should include your
main points and personal evidence supporting the thesis statement of your narrative
essay. This is where you, as a writer, share how your personal experiences shaped your
point of view, and reflect on the knowledge gleaned.

3. Conclusion: Your conclusion should restate your thesis and contain the moral of
your story or a revelation of a deeper truth. Review why this essay matters and sum up the
things you want the reader to take away from this particular piece.

Tips for Writing a Personal Essay

1. Create an essay outline. Drafting a personal essay outline first can help you layout
the main points and tone of the message you are trying to share. Your outline will help you
figure out early on if this specific moment is worth writing about. Whichever topic you
26
choose for your essay, must have had a strong emotional impact on you or have taught
you a lesson in some way.

2. Start with your intro. Include your hook, state your thesis, and form an emotional
connection with the reader. Set your audience up for what your piece will be about and
give them something to look forward to.

3. Fill your body paragraphs. Use sensory details about the sequence of events
surrounding your thesis to guide the reader through your essay. Build up your personal
story here to eventually lead the reader to your main point.

4. Be specific. A descriptive essay about a significant moment in your life is much

more engaging than a general overview of something that happened to you. Provide the
details necessary about real-life characters or any particular feelings experienced.

5. Include a conclusion. Summarize what you learned from your experience and
what message you hope to pass on to the reader. It might be a difficult or unsettling
revelation, but ending on a generally positive or hopeful note can help it feel more
aspirational or uplifting.

6. Proofread your work. Aside from checking spelling and grammar, make sure your
intent is clear and your narrative is easy to follow. No matter how good your writing skills
are, it’s always helpful to reread your work and ensure you've solidified your story.

Adapted from Masterclass (2019), How to Write a Personal Essay

Read and analyze the sentences carefully. Write TRUE if the statement is correct and write
FALSE if the statement is correct.

_________1. A personal essay is a piece of writing that serves to describe an

important lesson gathered from an audience’s life experiences.

_________2. A personal essay has an introduction, body, and conclusion.

_________3. A conclusion should include your main points and personal

evidence supporting the thesis of your essay.

_________4. Proofreading is a must when writing.

27
 _________5. A personal essay often describes a significant event from a

first-person perspective.

WHAT I CAN DO

ACTIVITY 1. Think of a memorable incident that happens in your life. Complete the outline
below by supplying the necessary information.
I. Memorable Incident: ___________________________
A. Setting: _______________________________
B: People involved: ________________________
II. List major events that happen
A. ______________________________________
B. ______________________________________
C. ______________________________________
D. ______________________________________
E. ______________________________________ III. Moral/Realization:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Activity 2. Write a personal essay based on your outline in your previous activity and
make sure to follow the guidelines below. Write it on a separate sheet of paper.
Guidelines in writing:
• It must have an introduction, body (composed of at least 3 paragraphs), and a
conclusion. Each paragraph is composed of at least 5 – 7 sentences.
• The story should be based on your memorable real-life experience.
• Double–space your essay.
Check the rubric below on how you will be graded.
Traits 4 3 2 1
Focus & Details There is one clear, well-focused There is one clear There is one topic. The The topic and main ideas
topic. The main ideas are clear wellfocused topic. Main main ideas are are not clear.
and are well supported by ideas are clear but are somewhat clear.
detailed and accurate not well supported by
information. detailed information.

Organization The introduction is inviting, The introduction states The introduction states There is no clear
states the main topic, and the main topic and the main topic. A introduction, structure,
provides an overview of the provides an overview of conclusion is included. or conclusion.
paper. Information is relevant the paper. A conclusion
is included.
and presented in a logical order.
The conclusion is strong.

28
Voice The author's purpose of writing The author's purpose of The author's purpose The author’s purpose of
is very clear, and there is strong writing is somewhat of writing is somewhat writing is unclear.
evidence of attention to the clear, and there is some clear, and there is
audience. The author's evidence of attention to evidence of attention to
extensive knowledge and/or the audience. The the audience. The
experience with the topic is/are author's knowledge author's knowledge
evident. and/or experience with and/or experience with
the topic is/are evident. the topic is/are limited.

Word Choice The author uses vivid words and The author uses vivid The author uses words The writer uses a limited
phrases. The choice and words and phrases. The that communicate vocabulary. Jargon or
placement of words seem choice and placement of clearly, but the writing clichés may be present
accurate, natural, and not words are inaccurate at lacks variety. and detract from the
times and/or seem meaning.
forced.
overdone.

Sentence All sentences are well Most sentences are well Most sentences are Sentences sound
Structure, constructed and have varied constructed and have well constructed, but awkward, are
Grammar, structure and length. The author varied structure and they have a similar distractingly repetitive,
Mechanics, & makes no errors in grammar, length. The author structure and/or length. or are difficult to
Spelling mechanics, and/or spelling. makes a few errors in understand. The author
The author makes
grammar, mechanics, makes numerous errors
several errors in
and/or spelling, but they in grammar, mechanics,
grammar, mechanics,
do not interfere with and/or spelling that
and/or spelling that
understanding. interfere with
interfere with
understanding.
understanding.

Adapted from ReadWriteThink Essay Rubric (2013)

Lesson Revising and Editing a Literary

8 Text
WHAT I NEED TO KNOW
Writing is one of the important macro skills that one should develop and improve. One must
be able to organize his or her thoughts and ideas to come up with
a well-structured literary text that readers could easily understand.
As you go through this lesson, you are expected to:
1. edit and revise the given excerpts;
2. do peer-editing; and
2. evaluate and revise drafts of a short piece using any of the literary
conventions of a genre.

29
WHAT IS IT

Revising and editing allow you to examine two important aspects of your writing
separately so that you can give each task your undivided attention.

• When you revise, you take a second look at your ideas. You might add, cut, move, or
change information to make your ideas clearer, more accurate, more interesting, or more
convincing.
• When you edit, you take a second look at how you expressed your ideas. You add or
change words. You fix any problems in grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. You
improve your writing style. You make your essay into a polished, mature piece of writing, the
end product of your best efforts.

Source: Revising and Editing. Retrieved from

https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_businessenglish-for-success/s11-04-revising-and-
editing.html

WHAT’S MORE

Now that you are familiar with revising and editing, answer the activity below.
Edit and revise the following excerpts. Write it on a separate sheet of paper.

Peer-editing and Revising a Story

This weekend I earned lots of money pet sitting My neighbors had to go to a family
funeral in Ohio and asked me to take care of their Irish setter Duffy and their cat Ginger.
They were going to be away for three days, so I had to feed them in the morning and the
late afternoon. I also had to walk Duffy three times a day and clean out the kitty litter once
a day. Ginger likes to be brushed every day, but she is pretty much a house cat. I didn't

30
want to let her out anyway because I was afraid she might not come back in. She could
also run away or get in a fight or be attacked by a coyote. I’ve never seen one, but I have
heard stories about coyotes in the area and I think they eat cats. So I made sure Ginger
stayed in the house where she likes to be anyway. And I made sure Duffy got three good
walks every day. When they came home my neighbors were very happy with the way I
took care of their pets, so they gave me $20 for every day they were gone and then a
bonus of $20 for doing such a good job. Wow! I got $80 for taking care of animals I like and
doing a job that was easy (by Penny Jones).

Source: Ruth Townsend Story and Cathleen F.Greenwood, Revision Lessons You’ll Love to Teach
(Scholastic Teaching Resources Inc., 2008),30.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

WHAT I CAN DO

Activity 1. Choose a partner and do a peer – editing of your narrative text that you have done in
the previous activity (Personal Essay – Lesson 7). Use the peer–editing sheet below as your guide.
Be sure to offer positive suggestions and comments that will help your partner improve his or her
writing. Use your partner's feedback to revise your narrative text.

31
 Peer Editing Sheet

Writer’s name: _______________________________________ Date: __________ Peer

editor’s name:___________________________________________________

1. Does the title relate to the story? ___ Yes ___No 2.

How many sentences does the paragraph have?
_____ Introduction
_____ Body (Paragraph 1)
_____ Body (Paragraph 2)
_____ Body (others)
_____ Conclusion
3. Do all the sentences relate to the story? _____ Yes ____ No
4. Does the writer uses all fictional elements? ______ Yes _______ No If no, what is/are
lacking?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
5. If you have any suggestions to improve the story better, write them here.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

Activity 2. Write your revised personal essay. Go back to the comments and suggestions of your
classmate. Write it on a separate sheet of paper.

ANSWER KEY

References:

"Essay Rubric". 2013. Readwritethink.Org.

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/printouts/Essay%20Rubric.pdf.
Folse, Keith S, Keith S Folse, April Muchmore-Vokoun, and Elena Vestri Solomon.
2014. Great Writing. 4th ed.
32
"How To Write A Personal Essay". 2019. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how to-write-a-
personal-essay#6-tips-for-writing-a-personal-essay.
Ruth Townsend Story and Cathleen F.Greenwood, Revision Lessons You’ll Love to Teach
(Scholastic Teaching Resources Inc., 2008),30.
https://www.ramapo.edu/fa/files/2013/04/Writing-Rubric-3.pdf
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/teacher_and_tutor_resources/teaching_resources/remote_teaching_res
ources/nonfiction_analysis_framework.html
https://www.insidehighered.com/sites/default/server_files/media/online-library-and-knowledgevector-
id943117712.jpg
https://www.fortthomas.kyschools.us/userfiles/448/Classes/27589/The%20Jacket%20by%20Gary
%20Soto.pdf
https://www.rcampus.com/rubricshowc.cfm?sp=yes&code=K56455

https://www.moralstories.org/the-woodcutter-and-the-axe/

https://www.troup.org/userfiles/929/My%20Files/ELA/MS%20ELA/6th%20ELA/6th%20Unit
%202/Identifying%20Theme%20Worksheet%20Answer%20Key.pdf?id=17031#:~:text=Ta
mmy%20and%20Sammy%20were%20both,Morton's%20reading%20class.&text=She%20 had
%20to%20stay%20up,to%20go%20to%20summer%20school.

33