Personal Essay Writing Workshop - College Application Prep - High School ELA

What does every student need for college and scholarship applications? A personal essay! Whether a teacher or parent, this no-prep Personal Essay Writing Workshop contains everything you need to prepare college-curious and college-bound students for application season! This step-by-step comprehensive unit will make sure your students are ready for college and scholarship application season!

Personal Essay Writing Workshop facilitates the analysis, development, research, and creation of personal narratives designed to guide students as they answer actual application essay prompts. This product is appropriate for any high school creative writing unit, but it functions best as an opportunity for students to jump-start the college application process.

This 24-page and 19-slide unit includes the following activities and assignments (Click PREVIEW for more):

• A "Personal Essay Writing Workshop" presentation file that addresses the definition and structure of personal narratives, the characteristics application reviewers search for in essay prompt responses, literary elements and devices prominent to the genre, and a step-by-step unveiling of the 6 tasks that make up the unit
• A presentation note-taking handout (w/ answer key)
• TASK 1: The short personal essay "The Mile," by Richard Post (written exclusively for The Language of Educational Art) and NINE accompanying response questions (w/ answer key) designed to further your students' understanding of the structure and thematic concepts found in personal essays
• BONUS: A self-checking Easel activity version of the analysis questions for "The Mile"
• TASK 2: A literary analysis essay assignment that builds on students' thematic understanding of "The Mile" and how personal narratives are structured (40 points - tied to FOUR Common Core Standards)
• TASK 3: An application research and brainstorming activity designed to assist students as they search for a prompt question relevant to their college, scholarship, and/or life goals
• TASK 4: A narrative map template that assists students on selecting their narrative’s setting, personal character traits, conflict, and theme, as well as a narrative outline activity that allows students to take their map’s visual guidelines and begin drafting their essay
• TASK 5: A personal essay writing assignment that includes information on application prompt selected, an assignment description, personal essay writing tips, a self and peer writing checklist, and TWO (!) standards-based grading rubric (a 40-point short form rubric tied to FOUR Common Core standards; a 90-point long form rubric tied to EIGHT Common Core standards)
• Links to THREE editable rubrics that allow for grading customization and seamless integration into Google Classroom and many other Learning Management Systems (LMS's)
• TASK 6: A peer editing activity worksheet (with teacher assessment rubric)

WRITING WORKSHOPS:

Argumentative Essay Workshop : Group Research Essay Workshop : Fantasy Writing Workshop : Horror Writing Workshop : Literary Analysis Essay Workshop : Mystery Writing Workshop : Personal Essay Writing Workshop : Realistic Fiction Writing Workshop : Research Essay Workshop : Science Fiction Writing Workshop : Theme Essay Workshop : Tragedy Writing Workshop : Creative Writing Workshops Bundle : Expository Essays Workshops Bundle : Expository Essays MEGA Bundle : ELA Writing Workshops Bundle

LESSONS, UNIT, AND  BUNDLES:

A Christmas Carol Complete Unit Bundle : Childhood Game Narrative Bundle : Childhood Memory Narrative Bundle : Choice Reading Unit : ELA Essays Assessments Bundle : ELA Writing Workshops Bundle : End-of-Elementary Reflection Essay : End-of-Middle-School Reflection Essay : End-of-Senior-Year Reflection Essay : End-of-the-Year Reflection Essay : End-of-the-Year Time Capsule Activity (FREE) : Create Your Own Children’s Book : Create Your Own Holiday Children’s Book : Create Your Own Superhero Project : Creative Writing Workshops Bundle : Daily Writing Prompts Bundle : Deepfake Awareness Training : Experiential Learning Projects Bundle : Expository Workshops MEGA Bundle : Family Narrative Bundle : Great Expectations Complete Unit Bundle : Growth Mindset Writing Prompts : Greek and Latin Vocabulary Bundle : Letter to Your Future Self (FREE) : Literary Devices: Creative Writing Prompts (FREE) : Literary Devices: Creative Writing Worksheets (FREE) : Literary Terms Units Bundle :Narrative Guides: 6-Genre Creative Writing Bundle : Personal Hero Essay Project : Persuasive Letter to Santa : Research Guide: 50 Topics Bundle : Research Unit Bundle : SAT Words of the Day Bundle : Seasonal Narrative Guides: 7-Holiday Creative Writing Bundle : Show & Symbolism Narrative Writing Assignment : Six Word Autobiography : Song Lessons: Analyzing Literary Devices Through Pop Music : Student Choice Biography Research Project : To Kill a Mockingbird Complete Unit Bundle : Travel Writing Prompts : Veterans Day Research Project : Writing Literary Analysis Bundle

EASEL BY TpT RESOURCE:

Student assignments for this resource are available as EASEL by TpT activities, which create a seamless link between our content and your learning management system (LMS). Additionally, all of our EASEL activities are immediately ready for student use; no prep work  is required on your end! Simply grab the link and go. NOTE: to access other resource files for this product (presentations, rubrics, Google Forms, answer keys, terms of use, or teacher notes) be sure to also download the product PDF.

FILE FORMATS:

All The Language of Educational Art’s writing workshops are provided in print-ready PDFs and Microsoft PowerPoint Macro-enabled presentation files. All of my resources can accommodate many digital delivery strategies. Please contact me if different file types or page edits are desired. I can accommodate most requests within 24 hours.

L-EA’S CLASSROOM:

The Language of Educational Art produces ready resources for the overworked English teacher. All L-EA content is created to be straightforward, engaging, digital-delivery ready, and clear enough for a “10-second sub plan.” If there is content you wish I had, let me know and I’ll create it. Easier still, give me a follow and enjoy my store.

EMAIL: ben@langofedart.com

WANT 60 FREE PROMPTS? Join my newsletter!