Sample Personal Essay w/ Analysis Activities – High School ELA

This no-prep short personal essay with analysis activities is perfect for a 1-2 day sub plan or as an introduction to a larger unit on writing college application essays or creative non-fiction. Richard Post’s “The Mile" will appropriately introduce the elements of personal essay and non-fiction writing to your students, and the included analysis questions and response essay assignment are designed to build strong analysis and writing skills.

Planning a week-long unit around this resource could not be easier! Start by handing out the story and analysis questions to your students and let them read the story and answer the questions (or read the story aloud and answer the questions as a discussion - your choice!). Once you feel your students are ready for their understanding of the story to be assessed, hand out the literary analysis essay assignment. The essay's prompt is based upon response questions and the worksheet also includes literary analysis writing tips, a peer review checklist, and Common Core-aligned rubric for straightforward grading.

Your download includes the following:

• - The short personal essay "The Mile," by Richard Post (written exclusively for The Language of Educational Art)

• - 9 accompanying response questions (w/ answer key) designed to further your students' understanding of the structure and thematic concepts found in personal narratives

• - A self-checking Easel activity version of the analysis questions

• - A literary analysis essay assignment that builds on students' thematic understanding of "The Mile" and the work might be viewed by a college admissions officer (40 points - tied to 4 Common Core Standards)

SYNOPSIS OF 'THE MILE':

Inspired by Roger Bannister, the author Richard Post starts his junior-year track and field season by setting a personal goal to run a sub five-minute mile. As he strives to become a better athlete, teammate, and competitor, Richard learns the true purpose of goal settings and hard work.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Richard Post came late to writing YA literature, but he has been a storyteller and raconteur his entire life. When he’s not writing short stories for The Language of Educational Art, he enjoys fishing for rock bass on Higgins Lake, hunting pheasants on the farms of mid-Michigan, bottling sun pickles (here's his famous recipe), hosting “whoopie” parties for his grandchildren, and playing cribbage. He lives with his wife Beverly in St. Louis, Michigan and Orange Beach, Alabama. 

Although this resource can be fitted for any secondary Language Arts classroom, it has been carefully designed to work best in grades 9 through 12. The included activities and rubric are subtly but specifically tied to Common Core ELA Standards for Language (1 and 2), Reading Literature (2), and Writing (2). This resource is provided as a print-ready, bookmarked, and adjustable PDF file.

This resource contains 10 pages.