CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.3.D

By Anonymous (not verified), 4 March, 2026

Revising Personal Narratives

Revising Personal Narratives

Once you draft your personal narrative, take a break and come back to it to see it freshly. When you revise, you make sure the people, places, and events are clearly described and the writing captures the experience in a vivid way. These activities will help you revise.

Revising to Add Sensory Details

To help your story come alive, you can add details about what you saw, heard, smelled, tasted, and touched. These are called sensory details.

Sensory details help you show readers what is happening, rather than just telling them. You can collect these details in a sensory chart.

See

Hear

Smell

Taste

Touch

bright pink, yellow, and red dresses

sparkly suits

big green chilis in white sauce

beat of guitar and trumpets

laughter and fast conversations

yummy smells coming from the kitchen

soupy and spicy green pepper

delicious tacos

flaky pastries

high fives

Watch the video "Sensory Details."

Hide video

See

bright pink, yellow, and red dresses

sparkly suits

big green chilis in white sauce

Hear

beat of guitar and trumpets

laughter and fast conversations

Smell

yummy smells coming from the kitchen

Taste

soupy and spicy green pepper

delicious tacos

Touch

flaky pastries

high fives

Add sensory details.

Read the first draft of your personal narrative. Think of sensory details that you could add to make the writing come alive. Record the details in a sensory chart. Then add them to your personal narrative. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

By Anonymous (not verified), 4 March, 2026

Prewriting for Personal Narratives

Prewriting for Personal Narratives

Prewriting is your first step in writing a personal narrative. These prewriting activities will help you select a topic to write about, gather important details about the topic, and organize your thoughts before you begin a first draft.

Prewriting to Focus Your Ideas

Choose your topic.

Your goal is to write a personal narrative about an unforgettable experience. Complete the following sentence starters to help you discover a writing idea. Then circle the topic you wish to write about. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

  • I’ll never forget the time when . . .

    (Answers will vary.)

  • I learned an important lesson when . . .

    (Answers will vary.)

  • I was proud of myself when . . .

    (Answers will vary.)

Gather the basic parts.

Fill in a 5 W’s memory chart to gather all of the basic details about the experience. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

By Anonymous (not verified), 4 March, 2026

Revising Personal Narratives

Revising Personal Narratives

Once you draft your personal narrative, take a break and come back to it to see it freshly. When you revise, you make sure the people, places, and events are clearly described and the writing captures the experience in a vivid way. These activities will help you revise.

Revising to Add Sensory Details

To help your story come alive, you can add details about what you saw, heard, smelled, tasted, and touched. These are called sensory details.

Sensory details help you show readers what is happening, rather than just telling them. You can collect these details in a sensory chart.

See

Hear

Smell

Taste

Touch

bright pink, yellow, and red dresses

sparkly suits

big green chilis in white sauce

beat of guitar and trumpets

laughter and fast conversations

yummy smells coming from the kitchen

soupy and spicy green pepper

delicious tacos

flaky pastries

high fives

Watch the video "Sensory Details."

Hide video

See

bright pink, yellow, and red dresses

sparkly suits

big green chilis in white sauce

Hear

beat of guitar and trumpets

laughter and fast conversations

Smell

yummy smells coming from the kitchen

Taste

soupy and spicy green pepper

delicious tacos

Touch

flaky pastries

high fives

Add sensory details.

Read the first draft of your personal narrative. Think of sensory details that you could add to make the writing come alive. Record the details in a sensory chart. Then add them to your personal narrative. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

By Anonymous (not verified), 4 March, 2026

Prewriting for Personal Narratives

Prewriting for Personal Narratives

Prewriting is your first step in writing a personal narrative. These prewriting activities will help you select a topic to write about, gather important details about the topic, and organize your thoughts before you begin a first draft.

Prewriting to Focus Your Ideas

Choose your topic.

Your goal is to write a personal narrative about an unforgettable experience. Complete the following sentence starters to help you discover a writing idea. Then circle the topic you wish to write about. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

  • I’ll never forget the time when . . .

    (Answers will vary.)

  • I learned an important lesson when . . .

    (Answers will vary.)

  • I was proud of myself when . . .

    (Answers will vary.)

Gather the basic parts.

Fill in a 5 W’s memory chart to gather all of the basic details about the experience. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

A Fable

A Fable Once there was a bunny. He had a big problem. He didn’t think he was special. He wanted to be someone different. He went for a walk. First he met a lion. The lion said, “What are you doing, little rabbit? It is a lot of work watching my kingdom.” “Well, then, I’ll be on my way,” said the little rabbit. He thought, “I don't want to be a lion!” Then he met a turtle. The turtle said, “What are you doing, little bunny? I have a long way to go and I’m really slow.” “Well, then, I’ll be off.” The last animal he saw was a mouse.

The Missing Coin

The Missing Coin It was the day after St. Patrick’s Day, and all the little leprechauns were settling down for a nap. But one leprechaun named Sly was wide awake. He had lost his magic coin! Meanwhile a little girl named Emma had found the leprechaun’s magic coin. “Hey, look at this!” she exclaimed to her mom. “Wow,” said her mom, “I think it's a real leprechaun coin. Without it the leprechaun can’t get around very fast.

The Sled Run

The Sled Run One day it snowed like crazy! So school was cancelled. I had Amy over to play. We decided to go sledding. So we started to slide down the hill. We sledded for a long time. One time we decided to go down together. Amy sat in the front seat, and I sat in the back. We started to go down the hill. Then CRASH! We ran into a bush! Amy went flying, and I got my feet caught in the bush! Amy looked like a spider caught in its own spider web. I had a lot of fun that day, and I will never forget it!

The Funny Dance

The Funny Dance I remember when my dog Murphy was really little. She was only two or three years old. It was on Christmas. My dad put on some Christmas music, and Murphy put her paws up in the air and started swirling around in circles. Then she put her paws on my dad’s hands, and they started dancing together. It was very funny, and my dad thought that Murphy was a good dancer!
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.3.D