UNIT 4: PERSONAL STATEMENT independent practice: choosing a story and drafting (10-20 minutes) OBJECTIVE: STUDENTS WILL WRITE A DRAFT OF THEIR PERSONAL STATEMENT. After every freewrite has been goldmined, students should consider: * What did your classmates say is the most interesting thing(s) in your freewrite? * Do you agree or disagree? * What assets or strengths in your community will this story show, not tell? * What story will you write to show this strength? Students should take notes in the Goldmining section of the handout. Use the remaining class time to have students begin their fi rst drafts of their personal statements on lined paper or on a computer. summary: next steps (5 minutes) OBJECTIVE: STUDENTS WILL SUMMARIZE PERSONAL STRENGTHS. Summarize the experience by asking willing individuals to read a few sentences from their fi rst draft where they are showing, not telling, something about their community. Celebrate student work, and then ask the class: * What strengths do we see in our community? * How can we help keep our community strong (and maybe make it stronger) by getting involved in extracurricular activities or working with organizations in the neighborhood? LESSON 17: GOLDMINING AND DRAFTING 173