UNIT 4: PERSONAL STATEMENT 3. Drafting Students should take the " golden nuggets " identifi ed by their classmates and choose which ones to focus on. They can then begin their fi rst draft. sample freewrite excerpt and goldmining session Freewrite Excerpt: " ... I can't wait until school is over because next week I get to go to Six Flags. The summer's almost over and I haven't even been yet. I haven't been in so long. Last time I went I didn't even get to go with my friends. I was bringing a group of kids there. Trying to impress her with my community work. Getting here was a heroic eff ort. Up at 4:30 this morning in the cool dark, alarm clock blaring fuzz from the radio - just how I felt. Headache of awakening and stomach hungry but not ready to eat ... " Teacher asks: What do you remember from the freewrite? What was cool? Student in the class: She can't wait to go to Six Flags. She hasn't been yet this summer. Teacher writes: can't wait to go to Six Flags/hasn't been yet this summer Teacher: Okay, great. What else did she mention about Six Flags? Another student: Last time she went, she didn't get to go with her friends. Teacher writes: last time at Six Flags, didn't get to go with her friends Teacher: Who did she go with? Student in the class: She took kids to Six Flags to impress someone with her community work. Teacher writes: took kids from community to impress someone Teacher (to the author): Who were you trying to impress? Author: I wanted to impress my mom. She keeps saying I don't do enough for the church. Teacher writes: wanted to impress mom/don't do enough for church Teacher: Do you agree with what your mom said? Author: I didn't then, but I do now. Teacher: What's diff erent now? What did you learn from your Six Flags trip? Author: I really enjoyed myself. I started volunteering to help kids more after that. Teacher: What have you done with kids since then? Author: I mentor a group of students every week now at church. Teacher writes: enjoyed Six Flags with kids/volunteers to mentor kids at church Teacher: What else did you fi nd interesting in her freewrite? Another student: She's tired. Teacher writes: tired Teacher: Good. And what else? What imagery did she use? How do we know she was tired? Another student: She had a headache and was tired. Teacher (to the author): Would you mind reading exactly what you said? Teacher writes: alarm clock blaring fuzz from radio/headache of awakening and stomach/ hungry but not ready to eat LESSON 17: GOLDMINING AND DRAFTING 177