SHS
Creative Nonfiction
Module 7
HUMMS - Creative Non-Fiction
Module 7
First Edition, 2020
Copyright © 2020
La Union Schools Division
Region I
All rights reserved. No part of this module may be reproduced in any form without
written permission from the copyright owners.
Development Team of the Module
Author: Mark Alvin Jay R. Carpio
Editor: SDO La Union, Learning Resource Quality Assurance Team
Illustrator: Ernesto F. Ramos, Jr., P II
Management Team:
ATTY. Donato D. Balderas, Jr.
Schools Division Superintendent
Vivian Luz S. Pagatpatan, Ph.D
Assistant Schools Division Superintendent
German E. Flora, Ph.D, CID Chief
Virgilio C. Boado, Ph.D, EPS in Charge of LRMS
Belen C. Aquino, Ph.D, EPS in Charge of English
Michael Jason D. Morales, PDO II
Claire P. Toluyen, Librarian II
Creative Non-Fiction
Module 7
Target
Previously, you have learned the different know-hows in revising a draft of a
short piece using any of the literary conventions of a genre. In this module, you will
encounter pieces of information and varied activities that will help you understand
the different forms of Creative Nonfiction.
In addition, this module will be an avenue for you to apply the things that
you have learned about the elements of nonfictional writing and the different
literary conventions of genre in assessing a form of creative nonfiction.
After reading this module and finishing all required activities, you are
expected to:
1. differentiate the different forms of creative nonfiction;
2. determine ways on how to write the different forms of creative nonfiction;
and
3. present a commentary/critique on a chosen creative nonfictional text
representing a particular type or form.
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Jumpstart
Activity 1. Text Twist!
Directions: Rearrange each set of letters to reveal the hidden word. Write your
answers on a separate sheet of paper.
1. TAOUGRIOBAHPY
7. TERRYAIL
2. PHGYRABOI
8. NMIOOTTESI
3. GLBO
9. ETARVOLUGE
4. RREOPTGEA
10. PREOANLS
5. MSROUJANIL
11. RUTE
6. FLERETCNIO
12. RRANAIEVT
Activity 2. Top of Mind!
Directions: Write the ideas that come into your mind when you encounter each
concept. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.
CONCEPTS
IDEAS
1. Auto
2. Biography
3. Blog
4. Essay
5. Fiction
6. Literary Journalism
7. Journalism
8. Narrative
9. Nonfiction
10. Personal Narrative
11. Reflection Essay
12. Reportage
13. Testimonio
14. Travelogue
15. True Narrative
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Discover
Creative nonfiction is genre of writing that combines different literary styles
and techniques in presenting factual information which differentiates it from the
usual genres of nonfiction. Though it is regarded as a relatively young genre of
writing, creative nonfiction comes in different forms.
A. Autobiography
Etymologically, the word autobiography is composed of the Greek words
auto meaning “self”, bio, bios meaning “life”, and gráphō, graphien meaning
“write”. Thus, autobiography can be defined as any of the following: 1) a written
account of the life of a person written by that person himself or herself, 2) a written
record of the author or writer’s life, or 3) a narration that tells the life story of the
author or writer.
In contrast to autobiography, biography is a description or account of a
person’s life story presented through the eyes of another person. The person who
writes someone else’s life story is called a biographer. In this genre of writing, the
biographer has to extensive research in order to tell accurate facts about the
person’s life.
Basics in Writing Autobiography and Biography
1. Jot down all life events and arrange them in a timeline. Using a timeline
makes it easier for you to chronologically arrange the events. Also, it helps
you not to mix up events that may have similarities with one another.
2. Identify the people involved in each event. Every good story has interesting
characters, friends and foes who help move the plot along. Knowing the
names of the people involved as well as their roles in each event helps you in
making the story more accurate and real.
3. Determine the best events. The entire life story will start to get pretty longwinded and you are going to make some choices about what stories you are
going to include and to discard. Start by writing the key stories that will be
put together to create an image of your life.
4. For autobiography, write down the story using the first person point of view
pronouns such as “I”. For biography, write down the story using the third
person point of view pronouns such as “he/she/they”.
5. Reading the output helps in identifying strong spots to be retained and weak
spots to be enhanced while rewriting it is the chance for you to improve and
polish the autobiography/biography.
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Examples:
Autobiography of a 2nd Generation Filipino-American
by Michael Espe
Looking back at my life, so many influences and events have shaped the way
I am, now being a 2nd generation Filipino-American UCLA student. From the time I
was born on April 29, 1985 until I entered my second year of college at UCLA, I
grew up being oblivious as to how and why I was the way I was, with my
personality, my dealings with other people, and more approach towards education.
It wasn’t until halfway through my college career that I began to realize the impact
that history had on my life. Coming from a low-class family background, born and
raised up mostly in Los Angeles and for a few years in a city in the Philippines
called Baguio, my decisions in life and consequently my experiences leading up to
the present times have been linked to history. Specifically, the history of my own
parents and the history of the Philippines are ultimately related to how my life
experiences in the past 21 years have come about.
Beginning with the history of my parents, it all traces back to our homeland,
the Philippines. Both of my parents grew up in small rural farming towns, miles
away from the main city center of Manila. Growing up in small towns, the only
exposure they had to American life were their relatives who lived in Manila during
the 1970s. From these urban dwelling relatives, they had notions about the U.S.
from television and newspapers. My father was first exposed to the idea of joining
the U.S. Navy from one of those relatives. With the allure of gaining economic
success, modern conveniences, and eventually a life of prosperity, my father made
the critical decision to move to the United States by joining the Navy. From this
decision, my father was able to come to America and settle in Los Angeles after his
term was over. As for my mother, she was never really exposed to American life as
well, except from her own uncle who was living in Los Angeles for about 20 years
after migrating from Hawaii where he worked at the Dole Pineapple Plantation
during the 1930s. She was also told about the riches and more prosperous life one
can have while living in the United States compared to the life they already had in
rural Philippines. From this experience, my mother made the crucial decision to
immigrate to the United States in hoping to experience a new and better life.
Clearly, both of my parents were highly influenced by other Filipinos’ perspectives
about American lifestyles.
Coming to America, they began to absorb and understand the American
culture and with it, its cultural beliefs and practices. This exposure to such
American ideologies greatly influenced the decisions I made growing up, especially
when it came to education and the lifestyle I led. As a child born and raised in the
urban areas of Los Angeles, I grew up mostly around Latinos since there weren’t
many Filipinos in my neighborhood. From this lack of cultural connection to most
of my friends, I never really understood my own identity as a Filipino American.
Even from my own parents, they never really pushed for me to learn Tagalog or
about the history of the Philippines. I did not know back then, but the main reason
why my parents never really promoted my brother and me to understand our
Filipino heritage was the fact that they themselves had an “American” mentality.
This mentality included the American cultural beliefs which they were exposed to
and taught when they first came to the United States. These American beliefs
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incorporated the idea that the only way to be successful in America is to assimilate
into the American way of living, one in which going through the American
educational system, with its lack of cultural/ethnic studies, will help in that
success. Any other form of education, such as learning about one’s own culture
and history, was not seen as important. From this mentality that my parents had,
all they ever wanted me to do was to be very successful with my academics in order
for me to go to a top notch university and gain a degree that can get me a wellpaying career. As I was growing up, the family pressure to succeed well in
academics for my parents dream to be realized was always present in my mind and
encouraged me to do successful which ultimately did occur. It was not until my
experiences in college and specifically, my involvement in a Filipino organization
that my whole life turned into something new and more challenging.
I came into UCLA as a naïve first year in the fall of 2003. During my first
year, my only focus was to become a pharmacist while being a chemistry major.
However, my decision to choose chemistry as a major and pharmacy as a career
was highly influenced by my parents, not my own. This decision became the worst
decision of my life. I was nearly dismissed from the university and for the first time
in my life, I felt like I was a failure to myself and more importantly, to my parents.
Additionally, I became anti-social and I did not join any organizations, especially
Samahang Pilipino, because of my lack of connection and exposure to people of my
own culture. From that down point of my life, I made an important decision during
my second year that helped me develop into the person I am today. During that
year, I decided to change my life around to make it completely different from my
first year. I began attending Samahang Pilipino meetings and decided to become a
cast member and performer of Samahang Pilipino’s cultural night and I switched
my major from chemistry to history and then double majoring in Asian American
Studies. From these decisions, I became exposed to all the things I never knew
about myself, my parents, and of being a Filipino living in America. Being a
progressive advocacy group, Samahang Pilipino was able to introduce to me the
historical reasons as to why my parents had the “American” mentality. By going to
Samahang events, I learned that due to the American occupation of the Philippines
during the early half of the 20th century, Filipinos were placed in an Americanized
educational system, which promoted American beliefs about education and careers.
Both of my parents had relatives who had general exposure to such American
beliefs, including education. My parents took those concepts into their minds and it
ultimately transpired onto me and my brother. From this historical fact of the
American colonization of the Filipino mind in the Philippines, it became clear to me
during my second year at UCLA that all of the influences that my parents had on
me in my decision to come to UCLA and originally pursue a career in medicine was
ultimately linked to the history of the Philippines. My own discovery of the
intersection of my life and Philippine history became the turning point in the way I
began to view the world, my Filipino culture, my family, and of myself. Ever since
that turning point in my life and my mentality, I have grown to recognize that
Philippine history and consequently my parent’s history undeniably account for
why my own personal history has been shaped the way it has.
Now, being a 2nd generation Filipino American fourth year UCLA student
and an active member of Samahang Pilipino, my life experiences and all the
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knowledge I have been exposed to in the past three years have contributed to my
desire to continually challenge myself in understanding the world and while being a
Samahang peer counselor, to help in developing the mentality of Filipinos/Filipino
Americans at UCLA into a less “colonized and Americanized” mind. The various
aspects of my college career, from being a history and Asian American Studies
double major to my involvement in Samahang Pilipino, have all influenced my own
awareness of myself, something that I hope to develop with other Filipinos/Filipino
Americans for the future. After learning from my own life history, I have come to
understand that in order for one to begin to recognize the forces that influences
one’s life, one must look back to the history of one’s parents and more significantly,
the history of one’s culture.
The Biography of Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo, (born March 22,1869, near Cavite, Luzon, Philippines—
died February 6, 1964, Quezon City), Filipino leader and politician who fought first
against Spain and later against the United States for the independence of the
Philippines.
Aguinaldo was of Chinese and Tagalog parentage. He attended San Juan de
Letrán College in Manila but left school early to help his mother run the family
farm. In August 1896 he was mayor of Cavite Viejo (present-day Kawit; adjacent to
Cavite city) and was the local leader of the Katipunan, a revolutionary society that
fought bitterly and successfully against the Spanish. In December 1897 he signed
an agreement called the Pact of Biac-na-Bató with the Spanish governor general.
Aguinaldo agreed to leave the Philippines and to remain permanently in exile on
condition of a substantial financial reward from Spain coupled with the promise of
liberal reforms. While first in Hong Kong and then in Singapore, he made
arrangements with representatives of the American consulates and of Commodore
George Dewey to return to the Philippines to assist the United States in the war
against Spain.
Aguinaldo returned to the Philippines on May 19, 1898, and announced
renewal of the struggle with Spain. The Filipinos, who declared their independence
from Spain on June 12, 1898, proclaimed a provisional republic, of which
Aguinaldo was to become president, and in September a revolutionary assembly
met and ratified Filipino independence. However, the Philippines, along with Puerto
Rico and Guam, were ceded by Spain to the United States by the Treaty of Paris,
which was signed on December 10, 1898.
Relations between the Americans and the Filipinos were unfriendly and grew
steadily worse. On January 23, 1899, the Malolos Constitution—by virtue of which
the Philippines was declared a republic and which had been approved by the
assembly and by Aguinaldo—was proclaimed. Aguinaldo, who had been president
of the provisional government, was elected president.
On the night of February 4 the inevitable conflict between the Americans
and Filipinos surrounding Manila was precipitated. By the morning of February 5
the Filipinos, who had fought bravely, had been defeated at all points. While the
fighting was in progress, Aguinaldo issued a proclamation of war against the United
States, which immediately sent reinforcements to the Philippines. The Filipino
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government fled northward. In November 1899 the Filipinos resorted to guerrilla
warfare.
After three years of costly fighting, the insurrection was finally brought to an
end when, in a daring operation on March 23, 1901, led by Gen. Frederick
Funston, Aguinaldo was captured in his secret headquarters at Palanan in
northern Luzon. Aguinaldo took an oath of allegiance to the United States, was
granted a pension from the U.S. government, and retired to private life.
In 1935 the commonwealth government of the Philippines was established in
preparation for independence. Aguinaldo ran for president, but he was decisively
beaten. He returned to private life until the Japanese invaded the Philippines in
December 1941. The Japanese used Aguinaldo as an anti-American tool. He made
speeches and signed articles. In early 1942 he addressed a radio appeal to U.S.
Gen. Douglas MacArthur—who at that time was with the U.S. garrison holding out
against the Japanese on Corregidor Island—to surrender (the troops there did
surrender in May 1942, but MacArthur had already been evacuated).
The Americans returned to the Philippines in late 1944, and, after they had
retaken Manila in 1945, Aguinaldo was arrested. He and others accused of
collaboration with the Japanese were imprisoned for some months before they were
released by presidential amnesty. In 1950 Aguinaldo was appointed by Pres.
Elpidio Quirino as a member of the Council of State. In his later years he devoted
much attention to veterans’ affairs, the promotion of nationalism and democracy in
the Philippines, and the improvement of relations between the Philippines and the
United States.
B. Reportage/ Literary Journalism
Reportage also known as literary journalism reports an event, history or an
actual case based on direct observation, investigation or thorough research and
documentation. Writers use interviews and reviews in order to look outside of the
straightforward, objective world that journalism creates. It uses literary practices to
capture the scene or setting of the assignment or the persona of the person being
interviewed. It can often be narrative or heavily imagistic.
Basics in Writing a Reportage / Literary Journalism
1. Get the facts straight by observing and researching. Keep all your interview
and observation notes in order not to miss out relevant information. Take
note of all details from smallest ones to biggest ones.
2. Conduct interviews. First-hand information about the topic help in
describing and detailing the subject matter.
3. Outline the story. Outlining helps you in organizing the events according to
your style.
4. Use literary elements and devices in writing. Using the different literary
elements helps you not to leave important elements that enhance the
reportage. Also, the literary devices help you to make the reportage more
dramatic, appealing, and interesting.
5. End with a point. Your goal is to get your readers entertained, informed, and
enlightened. Make sure to leave your reader an important point for them to
reflect from.
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Example:
The explosion of new coronavirus tests that could help to end the pandemic
(excerpt)
by Giorgia Guglielmi
The timing couldn’t have been worse. In March, just as Thailand’s
coronavirus outbreak began to ramp up, three hospitals in Bangkok announced
that they had suspended testing for the virus because they had run out of
reagents. Thai researchers rushed to help the country’s clinical laboratories meet
the demand. Looking for affordable and easy-to-use tests, systems biologist
Chayasith (Tao) Uttamapinant at the Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and
Technology in Rayong reached out to an old acquaintance: CRISPR co-discoverer
Feng Zhang, who had been developing an assay for the coronavirus inspired by the
gene-editing technology.
Within days, Uttamapinant received starter kits from Zhang’s lab at the
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and tested them
on samples from a hospital in Bangkok. “The kits are quite cheap and work well,”
says Uttamapinant, who hopes to get the test approved for clinical use by the end
of the year. He has teamed up with biochemists in Thailand to produce the testing
reagents locally, with Zhang on standby for support. “This effort to produce
everything locally will have a lasting impact on infectious-disease monitoring and
diagnosis in this part of the globe,” says Uttamapinant.
Epidemiologists say mass testing for SARS-CoV-2 — requiring millions of
tests per country per week — is the most practical way out of the current crisis. It
allows officials to isolate those who test positive, limit the spread of disease and
help to determine when it is safe to relax restrictions.
But countries are struggling to ramp up testing. One reason is that the
standard test to detect SARS-CoV-2 — based on a mainstay lab technique called
the reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, or RT-PCR — requires trained
personnel, specific chemical supplies and expensive instruments that take hours to
provide results and are often available only in labs that provide routine, centralized
services. This limits the number of tests that can be done, especially in developing
countries. Even in wealthy regions such as the United States, providers have
reported a severe shortage of test kits and required materials — from nose swabs to
chemical reagents — because of supply-chain problems. Scaling up reliable tests
quickly has proved challenging, too: early RT-PCR tests developed by the US
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention malfunctioned, for example, leading to
a series of delays.
Research groups around the world are now devising tests that go beyond
PCR. Dozens of diagnostic methods are in development, all of which detect viral
material but in different ways: some are tweaks for RT-PCR that make the test
faster or easier to use; others use the gene-editing tool CRISPR to home in on
genetic snippets of SARS-CoV-2; and some identify the virus using proteins that sit
on its surface. Many of these tests, such as Zhang’s, are being validated using
clinical samples, and some are already in the clinic. In April, the US National
Institutes of Health earmarked US$1.5 billion for coronavirus-test development,
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aiming to enable millions of tests per week by the end of this summer. “The sooner
we can come up with a solution,” Zhang says, “the sooner we can resume some
form of normalcy.”
The most promising way to perform large numbers of tests, says Mitchell
O’Connell, a biochemist at the University of Rochester in New York, will be to use a
mix of methods that rely on different instruments and supply chains so that a
sudden worldwide demand won’t deplete any key materials. “Any new technology
that is able to expand the number of tests that we can do is good news,” he says.
If those tests are ready soon, it would be good news for the current
pandemic and for future outbreaks. Many of the assays in development could be
readily adapted to an emerging pathogen once its genetic sequence is decoded, says
Isabella Eckerle, a virologist at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Eckerle
says that, even though the ideal test doesn’t yet exist — one that is accurate, rapid,
inexpensive, and easy to use and scale up — “there are many things in the pipeline
that could be useful.”
C. Personal Narratives
Personal Narrative is a person’s true story. The author narrates what
happened to them in a particular event which makes it autobiographical in nature.
A personal narrative is close to an autobiography; however, they differ in scope. An
autobiography tells the author’s life story which is composed of several events,
while a personal narrative focuses only on a specific event that the author wants to
share.
Basics in Writing a Personal Narrative
1. Think of an event in your life that you want to share through a story.
2. Focus on the topic and write down all the details of that event in order to
recall the event well. Remember to use the 5Ws and 1H in identifying details.
3. Organize your ideas according to your own style. Using an outline helps you
in organizing the details.
4. Write the story and use language in expressing what you really mean to say.
You may utilize different devices in order to successfully show rather than
tell the story.
Example:
I stabbed my student, countless times…
by Jethro Nocom
I walked towards the campus, wearing my white barong. Smiling, I always
replied to students greeting me with good mornings. The leisure walk ended when I
looked at my watch - it was almost 7:30. I started running to beat our biometrics.
Luckily, I made it - the first challenge of the day was accomplished, I wrote 7:29 on
the logbook with my name and a scribbled signature.
"Are you alright?" A question asked by one of my colleagues as she pointed
the dark circles around my eyes and said that I was pale.
"This is my usual look", I laughingly replied while I remember how I stayed
late at night almost every day, doing dozens of paperwork that we are required to
accomplish according to some mandatory memo. It would have been an easy task,
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only if I did not need to study for my lessons and check and record hundreds of
students' outputs.
I shove the negativity off as I was about to enter my class. I entered the
room, and saw the lively students. They are always lively. They are always too
lively.
I stood front, I put my teaching materials on the table and waited for them to
settle down. Seconds turned to minutes, but still, they are not in their proper seats.
I've been using the "teacher glare" for three minutes now but it seems to have no
effect. My bright mood started to deplete as I started lecturing them about respect
and some cliché do's and don’ts in the classroom.
Majority of the students became quiet. But there was one who kept talking
and laughing, and even rolled her eyes while I was speaking. It was Jessica.
The usual disrespectful Jessica. Her ignorant grin really pisses me off, but I
just gave a sigh and continued my class. It was really hard to hold back anger, but
months of experience trained me. I also bear in mind that a co-teacher was
terminated months ago because she slapped a student and she was filed a case
under Child Protection Policy.
As I continued my lesson, Jessica continued talking to her classmates. I
called her attention many times, but she just doesn't listen.
Fifteen minutes left before the time, I grabbed my daily test cards and
randomly picked a student to sum up the hour's lesson. The 'forced volunteer' from
the draw lots was Jessica, so I asked her to go in front and sum up the lesson.
She stood, and walked towards me. She then faced the class, and shouted "class
dismiss, stop listening to this nonsense!"
I didn't know what to say. But my hand, it moved on its own. I started
stabbing Jessica. Once, twice, my hand didn't stop. It was pleasurable. Really
pleasurable.
I stabbed Jessica, countless times.
. . . and then I stopped my imagination, once again, I opened my eyes, and
remembered that the only thing I did earlier was to ignore the humiliation that I
received.
It was already 3 am. I reached my antidepressant and continued checking
my students' output. It was a tiring day.
Hopefully, I pray for a more favorable tomorrow.
Because I might really end up stabbing a student, countless times.
D. Travelogue
A travelogue is an account of a person’s experiences while touring a place for
the pleasure of travel. It includes vivid descriptions, illustrations, historical
background, and possibly maps and diagrams.
Basics in Writing a Travelogue
1. Write all the things that you notice like the sceneries, community, food,
culture and others while on travel.
2. Get the facts straight about the place, people, events, culture, etc. Factual
accuracy must be observed so that the readers will be well-informed.
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3. Start with a clear story line. Make sure that the storyline arouses the
curiosity and interest of your target audience.
4. Describe the things that you are going to include in your travelogue using
the different kinds of imagery so that the readers can also visualize what you
witnessed in your travel.
Example:
Baguio
by Ringo Bunoan
I always head up to Baguio whenever I want to cool off. A small city located
in the Cordillera Mountains north of the Philippines, Baguio is one of the country’s
most favoured summer getaway. With its pine trees and foggy air, it is quite a
postcard image that lures both local tourists and foreign backpackers.
In March, just when the temperature was starting to rise in Manila, I took
the midnight express bus to Baguio to take part in the twentieth anniversary of the
Café By The Ruins, probably the country’s longest-running artist-run space.
Founded by members of the Baguio Arts Guild and other friends, the café is
literally built upon the ruins of the former residence of the governor of Benguet.
I remember Santiago Bose, one of the café’s co-founders and leaders of the
guild, telling me that Baguio locals never paid much attention to artists. They
perceived artists as good-for-nothings, just idling away with their drinking and
other vices. They were proved wrong when a powerful earthquake hit the city in the
early ’90s, flattening everything and causing widespread destruction. The Baguio
artists were one of the first groups to mobilize help, opening the café as a soup
kitchen for the hungry and homeless. Since then, the artists in Baguio have gained
respect and café has become an iconic place for the community.
Almost all of the people who played a part in the café were there on the first
day of the celebration. More than an event, it was a get together of artists and
friends, a time to unwind, catch up and reminisce — a homecoming. It was so nice
to see Su Llamado, the real ‘mama’ of the café, who flew in from the U.S. where she
has been living for the past few years, just to organize the anniversary. Just like old
times, Su was there, all smiles, offering food, while the sound of brass gongs and
bottles of tapuy (homebrewed rice wine) welcomed everybody.
A bulol, the ubiquitous symbol of the Cordillera, carved in pink ice, presided
over the dap-ay (an outdoor circular platform where elders meet). There were also
collaborative outdoor installations made by young local artists. Works by founding
members of the guild lined the wall inside the café. But it was the board full of
photos of the café, the artists and the happenings throughout the years that was
probably the most meaningful. It was history.
In the evening, Showman Shaman, a documentary on Roberto Villanueva,
was shown. Everyone was quiet. In this part of the world, silence does not mean
indifference but deep respect. Villanueva was truly one of Baguio’s visionary artists,
combining indigenous culture with the contemporary. He played the role of a
shaman well, touching lives of people from the lahar-affected Aeta communities in
Central Luzon, Philippines, to the well-heeled urbanites in New York. He died in
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1995, as he was planning on making a monumental acupuncture needle to heal
the earth.
Towards the end of the film, there was an interview with Santiago Bose
talking about the profound influence of Villanueva on the Baguio art community.
Bose is another pillar of the guild, as instrumental in the organization of the
Baguio Arts Festival from the ’80s to early 2000s. The festival was a very successful
initiative that drew international participation even before the idea of biennales
became common in the Southeast Asian region. Like Villanueva, Bose was able to
incorporate traditional leitmotifs in contemporary work, strongly laced with humor
and sardonic wit. He died in 2003, a year after the last festival.
On the second day, there was a thanksgiving cañao, a ritual feast involving
the sacrifice of a few pigs. It’s a gory affair that was quite difficult to explain to my
six-year-old daughter, who asked me why God would be happy with animal killing.
Coincidentally, curator Okwui Enwezor was recently questioned for including a
work by Adel Abemessed, which showed the image of an animal being beaten to
death, in an exhibit in San Francisco. He had to remove the work due to pressure
by animal rights activists. Such are examples of cultural differences that need
understanding.
Musical performances by two groups capped the evening. It was a good
study in contrast: the first group called Open Space Productions, led by Carlo
Altamonte and Ferdie Balanag, did a comic repertoire on sex, drugs and rock and
roll while the older Pinikpikan group (named after a local dish made, again, with a
chicken beaten to death) jammed, mixing traditional and modern instruments to
come up with a cross-over global sound.
Unfortunately, I missed Yason Banal’s After Andromeda performance, since I
left early. It was a poetic memoir to the café made with recorded narratives and
sound played inside the cars parked outside the café’s entrance.
Before heading down to Manila, I took time just to walk around Baguio. Yes,
much has changed throughout the years. Even the locals admit it.
Overdevelopment is a real threat, represented by the huge SM Mall that stands at
the top of Session Road, the city’s main street, overshadowing the Convention
Center, which was the venue of the Baguio Arts Festival for many years.
Also on Session Road, the Victor Oteyza Community Art Space (VOCAS),
owned by filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik, could be full of promise. There was a photo
exhibit by a young artist when I dropped in. But Kidlat was not there and these
days his energies are more concentrated in building his home higher up in the
mountains far from the city. Everyone seems to be moving on.
One has to realize something particular about Baguio. Traditionally,
communities are led by the elders, who gather around the dap-ays, charting and
deciding the future of their kin. What happens when the elders are gone? Just like
the ice bulol in the café’s dap-ay that melted away even before the celebration
ended. All that’s left are the traces and fleeting reminders of what has been. I put
on my coat and head to the bus, cooled off, but feeling that I am missing
something.
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E. Reflection/Reflective Essay
Reflective essays describe an event that happened, then analyze the meaning
and what can be learned from that experience. What makes an essay insightful is
that the writer analyzes present-day historical occurrences.
To paint a true picture of their past, temperament, and human
characteristics, reflective essays allow the writer to open up about their thoughts
and emotions. They should contain a vivid summary and description of the
experience in order for the reader to feel the experiences as well. They should also
include an explanation of your feelings, thoughts and reactions.
Basics in Writing a Reflective Essay
1. Think of what you want to consider as your topic in writing your reflective
essay.
2. Assess your feelings towards your chosen topic. Construct questions that
you will answer based on your experiences.
3. Answer the questions that you selected. Your answers will be your basis in
making a reflective essay.
4. Based on your responses, enhance your reflective essay by adding other
significant elements of writing as well as utilizing literary devices.
5. Make sure to always have your strong introduction and conclusion.
Example:
Family Community
by Maria Angela Sarte
To this day, I constantly question myself as to who I am and what my
purpose in life is. In answering this question, my family is my biggest influence as
to shaping me to who I am today. My parents, especially my mother, is my role
model that I always look up to. Taking past Ethnic Studies courses, I sought to
look back at my own family history and I have become more appreciative as to
where my family came from as they struggled with their own identities especially
being immigrants to America's "Land of Opportunity." This is the common term
used on the depiction of the United States especially from third-world countries.
However, in looking at my own family immigration history, that was not always the
case.
Because I was born in the states and grew up in exposure to American
society, I would always show amazement and awe every time I hear stories that my
mother would tell me in sharing her experiences growing up in her homeland of the
Philippines. Although she lived a poor, simple life, she showed me that it is possible
to attain happiness without the need of a luxury through loving one another. The
love that her parents have shown her emotionally passed down to my own family as
she is the one who holds us together. As a new immigrant to this country, she
experienced a strong depression as she struggled assimilating to the American
lifestyle. In hopes of finding a good occupation, her teaching credentials as an
educator did not appear valid, so she was limited to becoming a paraeducator. She
felt very belittled as she was not able to teach how she did in the Philippines.
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Moreover, many people looked down at her due to her thick accent and brown skin.
However, instead of looking at these hardships negatively, she did her best to see
these unfortunate occurrences as a reason to push harder in showing more
compassion to my family and those around her. Through the cultural barriers that
my mother faced, she believed best that my family keep our traditions in order to
preserve our Filipino culture which have shaped my values.
My family taught me many of these important values that we still continue
to use in the Filipino culture such as respect. In particular, my parents taught me
of the significance of receiving "mano" from the elderly of the Filipino community, in
which the young bows and holds the elderly’s hand to his or her forehead,
symbolized as a blessing. This tradition that we have as Filipinos is especially
important to me as I realized how much of a sacrifice my family has made to get to
where we are today. I am reminded deeply of my grandfather who came to America
working in the fields alongside my great-grandmother, not too long after fighting in
World War II. The challenges he faced to make a living with little recognition as a
war veteran makes me more appreciative toward the sacrifices my family has made
just to put food on the table. There's a famous quote from the Filipino National
Hero by the name of Jose Rizal who states, "She/he who does not know how to look
back at where she/he came from will never get to her/his destination." Looking at
my grandfather, I am eager to learn more about my own history in order to thrive
and learn more about my own identity. Under the influence of my family, I aspire to
continue to learn more about my culture and I also enjoy learning more of my
native language of Tagalog since I did not speak it growing up. My parents as well
as my three older siblings also set the example on valuing my education as they
taught me the importance of studying well in order to expand my knowledge to
making a difference in the world.
Through turning back to my family history, I feel that I have gained a better
understanding as to who I am. In looking at the theoretical framework of power and
resistance, I continue to strive for a better future in order to thank my elders for
the sacrifices they made as they lived a life of difficulties and injustice. Such ways
to help me attain this goal is through finishing my college education. Especially
because I grew up in a family who values the importance of finishing school, their
constant motivation and passion for education also inspires me to want to pursue a
career in Higher Education. Thus, in looking at this community analysis, my family
is the ultimate influence to my perspective of life and prosperity. They are the core
to helping me identify myself with other communities as they have shaped my
culture, my beliefs, and my personal and career goals.
F. True Narrative
A true narrative is a story based on real life experiences or events; however,
its form is still undefined. The narrative must clearly come from or be based on real
life situations and events or else it will be called a fictional narrative as it includes
fictional embellishments. The purpose of it is to express a point or observation.
14
Basics in Writing a True Narrative
1. Think of an event in your life that you want to share true a story.
2. Focus on the topic and write down all the details of that event in order to
recall the event well. Remember to use the 5Ws and 1H in identifying details.
3. Organize your ideas according to your own style. Using an outline helps you
to easily organize the details.
4. Write the story and use language in expressing what you really mean to say.
You may utilize different devices in order to successfully show rather than
tell the story.
Example:
Filipino shares his experiences as coronavirus survivor
by Kiko Rosario
When Carlo Navarro, his wife and 15-year-old daughter visited Japan from
the Philippines in February, they knew they were taking a chance with the
coronavirus, but thought they would be spared if they took precautions. They wore
masks and gloves and always had alcohol handy to sanitize their hands.
But Navarro, a 48-year-old tax lawyer, began showing symptoms after they
returned home. He was the fourth case in the Philippines, but the first Filipino to
be confirmed with the disease.
An enhanced community quarantine has been in place since March 16 in
the northern third of the Philippines, which nationwide had 636 cases with 38
deaths and 26 recoveries from Covid-19 as of Wednesday.
Navarro is among those who have recovered, and as someone who felt he
had been close to death, he has vowed to spread awareness. The Associated Press
asked Navarro five questions about his experience in a Skype video interview as he
continues his self-quarantine on his farm in Lipa, Philippines.
When asked about where did he suspect getting the virus, he answered, "The
entire time that we were in in Japan, there was really no contact with anyone that
had a cough or cold. But on our way back ... I was seated in front of a person, a
Filipino person who was coughing vigorously. My daughter told me, 'Dad, I think
it's dangerous to sit there. You need to move right now.' I couldn't move because
the plane was about to take off. So it took me another 20 minutes before I could
transfer to another seat. And true enough, seven days after we arrived back in the
Philippines, I started to develop chills and my temperature was fluctuating. And
that night of March 3, I started coughing vigorously. So the following morning, I
decided to go to St. Luke's (hospital) ... to have myself tested. That's the start of my
journey as a COVID-19 patient."
He was also asked on how did it feel staying in the hospital. He immediately
replied, "In the hospital, the coughing persisted. The chills were still there. And
then there were muscle pains. My entire body was aching. On the third day, it
started to disappear. Like the muscle pains are gone. The chills ... they came and
went. But my cough was still there. It was on the fifth or sixth day that I started to
have diarrhea. And the doctor got scared. ... That evening, they X-rayed me and
they were able to confirm that pneumonia was beginning to develop in my lungs.
By then, the chills were back. And then, that evening of the sixth day, I got a fever.
... Those were the symptoms that I was experiencing."
15
Carlo was also asked about his coping strategies. He answered, "I was alone
in the hospital room because nobody can visit you, not even your family members.
So we are really in isolation. It's a negative pressure room. My wife and I had video
calls almost every hour. She was checking on me to make sure that I've eaten, that
I drank enough water. ... And every time I felt fear, I would immediately call my wife
and my daughter just to suspend the reality that I was in a hospital."
When he was also asked of the scariest moment for him, he answered, "The
scariest moment was maybe starting on the fourth day when people who got
admitted at the same time as me started dying early in the morning. You know, you
would hear people crying or wailing because they had lost their loved ones.. ... I
could hear the running of the nurses and doctors outside of my room. And that
really scared me. When I asked the nurses, ''How are the other patients doing?" one
of them said, 'Sir, number 5. number 6, they died already.' And they were just
beside me. That was the most frightening moment of my life.
Lastly when he was asked to give a message to the public about his
experience, he said, "I want you to know that once you have symptoms, you need to
immediately isolate yourself. There's no way you can take the risk that the elderly
or high-risk groups in your family will get contaminated or will get the virus. You
need to go to the hospital to get yourself tested. If they don't have the testing kits,
you just need to stay home and isolate yourself. It's important that people know
that they should not fear going to the hospital and that's the only way you can
protect your loved ones."
G. Blog
Blog is the abbreviated form of the words “weblog”. It is a website containing
short articles called posts that are changed regularly. The person who writes blogs
on regular basis is called a blogger. Blogs are different from vlogs. The former is
textual in nature as it is a product of writing, while the latter refers to video
blogging or video log which is a social media account where a person regularly
posts short videos.
Some blogs are written by one person containing his or her own opinion,
interests and experiences, while others are written by many different people. The
following are some kinds of blog based on the blogger’s field of interest. A blogger
who has interests in food writes food blogs. A food blogger goes to different
restaurants, food stalls, snack houses, and others that offer food to eat and write
his or her own food review. Travel blogs are written by individuals who loves travel
and blogging. Travel bloggers experience and review different travel destinations.
Lifestyle blogs, mostly written by women, may focus on the following but not
limited to improving the quality life, happenings in everyday life, doing interests,
and attaining personal goals.
Basics in Writing a Blog Post
1. Plan your blog post by choosing a topic that is in line to your interest.
2. Create an outline of the information that you are going to put in you blog.
3. Craft a headline or a title that is both informative and captivating to the
reader.
16
4. Conduct a thorough research to check facts and attain accuracy of data
based on the outline that you crafted.
5. Write your post according to your style and technique however the properties
of a well-written text: organization, coherence and cohesion, language use,
and mechanics should be considered.
6. Use images to enhance your post, improve its flow, add humor, and explain
complex topics.
7. Read to assess the strength and weakness of your output. Also, assess on
how interesting it is to make someone else read your work. Rewrite to ensure
that the necessary changes are incorporated.
Example:
Top 10 festivals to look out for in the Philippines (2020 Edition)
by Melo Villareal
Filipinos love to get together for a good time. Hardly a day goes by without
there being a celebration somewhere in the country. Vibrant festivals characterized
by lots of creativity, artistry, and passion last anywhere from one day to a full
month.
These celebrations are hugely cultural, displaying the fun-loving spirit of
Filipinos around the world. In these celebrations, the history, traditions, and
spiritual side of the Filipinos come to the forefront. Indeed, so grand are some of
these celebrations that they’ve birthed many of the entire region’s most popular
festivals. If you happen to be touring the Philippines any time this year, here are
ten festivities that you can be a part of.
Ati-Atihan Festival
The Ati-Atihan Festival is regarded as the granddaddy of all festivities in the
Philippines, and for a good reason. This religious festivity is one of the oldest
Philippine celebrations and is widely touted as the best and biggest Mardi Gras in
the country. The celebration takes a whole week, reaching its peak on the third
Sunday of the New Year. There’s usually a frenzied parade on the streets where
celebrants with colorfully painted faces and indigenous costumes come out for a
fun-filled march along the streets of Kalibo. The highlights of this popular
celebration include mesmerizing tribal dances, loud drum beats, and Catholic
rituals. Even if you only prefer to watch the proceedings from a distance, the
experience is still truly memorable. It’s a mix of ingenious drama and religious
ritual that has no equal.
Sinulog Festival
On the third weekend of January, Cebu City serves its own festival dish to
rival any the world over. This festival, fondly known as Sinulog, brings together
gifted residents of the city and the provinces beyond to showcase their talent
through pageantry, street dancing, sports, and other acts. Millions of people from
the Philippines and the rest of the world attend this festival every year, putting it
right there at the top with the other most attended festivals in the world. Added to
this kaleidoscope parade are numerous concerts that host Philippines’ biggest and
most exciting raves, making Cebu a haven for fun-loving partygoers.
17
Dinagyang Festival
On the fourth weekend of January, all roads lead to Iloilo City for an annual
street party that brings the whole city to a standstill. Streets are usually closed
during this festival, with bands playing in every corner and people enjoying endless
food and drinks. There are towering boom boxes everywhere. Different tribes come
together in this festival, with each making entertaining presentations. There are
highly competitive performances from different high schools, too. Once a simple
celebration of Child Jesus, this festivity has become such a force that it has
received several awards in the past, one of them for Best Tourism Event of the
Philippines from Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines.
Panagbenga Festival
February ushers in the “season of blooming.” This festival is a treat by
Baguio City, one whose charm especially lies in its flora and fauna theme. Expect
beautiful parades of floral floats in the city, as well as children adorned as flora and
fauna. Feast your eyes on Session Road in Bloom where the street is closed to allow
for gorgeous flower carts, beautiful street dancing, and outdoor cafes. It’s a
refreshing celebration for those coming from the frenzy of January celebrations.
Moriones Festival
Come Holy Week in the Philippines, people flock to Marinduque for a
weeklong celebration of St. Longinus. Scores of people wear helmets to reenact the
search of the saint by fellow centurions once he has converted to Christianity. This
is the same centurion who pierced Jesus’ side with a lance. The locals reenact the
hunt theatrically, with one of the locals playing the saint while the rest, dressed as
centurions, search for him.
Pahiyas Festival
In May, Lucban treats people to a unique harvest festival known as the
Pahiyas. Residents of the area colorfully decorate their homes with farm produces.
The display is done competitively, which adds to the glamor of the affair. Come out
with a basket and pick the produce from the walls without paying if you wish. All
those lush vegetables and fruits mentioned on the Bahay Kubo song are usually on
display, especially the sigarilyas and talong.
Pintados Festival
This festival is the highlight of June for residents of Tacloban City. It is the
fourth celebration in honor of Sto. Niño-the baby Jesus. Yes, the Filipinos love to
remind everyone to be childlike in their ways and treasure their children, placing
their hopes in them. This festival has been growing in popularity over the years as
it sends a lot of participants to the next festival in this list, the Aliwan Fiesta.
Aliwan Festival
The Aliwan Fiesta takes place in the last week of April. This festival is one of
the newest in the country, having started in 2003. However, its wild popularity is
rivaled by few others in the country. Currently, the festival, which takes place in
Pasay City, is lauded as the mother of all festivities in the country. The festival is
meant to promote the different cultures in the country and brings together
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thousands of young men and women to competitively showcase their cultures, with
the winner bagging a million pesos.
Kadayawan Festival
Well into the second half of the year, Davao City brings together residents
and visitors in the biggest celebration hosted by Mindanao. This festival takes place
during the third week of August and features floral floats, beauty pageants, street
dancing, and fireworks displays. This festival has all the hallmarks of a traditional
Filipino festival.
Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta
The Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is back and everyone is
excited about it. The 4-day festival, which previously held in Pampanga has a new
venue. The festival features activities to do with flying, skydiving, paragliding and
stunning hot air balloons among others. This festival is Asia’s longest-running
event and will bring together aviators and tourists from around the world.
With a major celebration happening somewhere in the country virtually
every month of the year, the Philippines is indeed the land of festivals. For the funloving tourist looking for some unforgettable action, there’s always something on
offer all year round.
H. Testimonio
Through literature, it is an oral or written autobiographical story known as
"testimonial literature." The word "testimonio" refers to a genre of writing that
comes from Latin America dealing with human rights abuse experiences. However,
its definition changed as time passed by. A testimonio is generally defined as a
first-person narration of socially significant experiences in which the narrative
voice is that of a typical or extraordinary witness or protagonist.
Basics in Writing a Testimonio
1. Describe the problem. Write a short description or the background of your
problem to inform the reader about what you are going through.
2. Tell the pros and cons. Share the effects, both good and bad, of having the
problems. Tell the things that you did to solve your problems.
3. The closing of the testimonial. Tell what you have learned from the problem
and what you want the readers to learn from you and from the experience.
Example:
I grew up in a Christian family, so I was surrounded by God and the church
from the very beginning. I was raised in a Christian home, but just followed
through the motions of doing “Christian things” that I thought you were supposed
to do. I didn’t know Him, I just knew about Him.
I found myself searching for purpose and meaning in people and also in
myself. Whether that was my friends or in relationships, I poured my whole heart
into them. I also became very fixated on myself and my image. I became very
consumed with what people thought of me and was living for the acceptance of the
world.
19
At my lowest point when I was alone and afraid, God drew me to Himself.
From growing up in a Christian home, I knew what to do. I knew that He could
save me if I just let Him. I confessed that I am a sinner and that I was trying to find
life in other people and myself. I acknowledged that He sent Jesus to die on the
cross so that I can be saved from my sin and have eternal life. I committed to living
for God instead of others.
Since knowing Him, God showed me that being a “Christian” isn’t about just
doing good works. He made it clear that I do not have to earn my salvation or His
love (Eph. 2:8-9). He has given me fulfillment and purpose and joy. I am not perfect
and I still mess up, but God loves me despite my flaws and imperfections. And
when the things I was pursuing before continually let me down, God has never
once left me. He has shown Himself to me in His Word, the Bible, in (verse of
scripture). God loved me even at my lowest point and He rescued me from myself
and eternal separation from Him.
Explore
Enrichment 1. Remember Me!
Directions: Recall the definition of each form of creative nonfiction by giving a key
word related to each form. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.
Form
Definition
Autobiography
Biography
Blog
Literary
Journalism
20
Testimonio
Travelogue
Personal
Narrative
Reflective Essay
True Narrative
Assessment 1. Name it!
Directions: Identify/ supply what is being asked and described in each question.
Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper (10 points).
_______________1.
A form of creative nonfiction that focuses on a travelers’
experiences in their journey to a particular places is called
____________.
A form of creative nonfiction that uses websites that maintain
_______________2.
an ongoing chronicle of information is called ____________.
The form of creative nonfiction which originated in Latin
_______________3.
America that aims to report human rights exploitation is
called ____________.
A form of creative nonfiction that pertains to a story of a
_______________4.
person’s life written by another person is called ____________.
_______________5.
The form of creative nonfiction that utilizes the techniques of
journalism such as interviews and reviews in order to look
outside of the straightforward, objective world that
journalism creates is called ____________.
_______________6.
What form of creative nonfiction is used if you want to share
what you have learned from an event in your life?
Which among all the forms of creative nonfiction is used if
_______________7.
you want to tell a story of one special memory in your life?
_______________8.
What form of creative nonfiction is used when a certain news
was made creatively?
Which form of creative nonfiction is used if a person shares
_______________9.
how good Our Creator is?
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_______________10.
What form of creative nonfiction is used if your teacher is
sharing a story in his or her life?
Enrichment 2. Recall…reflect…answer!
Directions: Identify one memorable experience of you that is worth pondering on.
Answer the given questions in the table to create a guide in writing your reflective
essay. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.
What is your experience all
about?
What are the positive impacts of
your experience?
What are the negative impacts
of your experience?
What realizations did you have
while having the experience?
What changes happened in
your life after your experience?
Assessment 2. Flex your writing prowess!
Directions: Based on your answers in the enrichment, write your own reflective
essay. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper. The rubric that follows will
be used to assess your output (20 points).
Traits
Depth of
Reflection
(x2)
Use of
textual
evidence
and
historical
context
RUBRIC FOR REFLECTIVE
Very Good (4)
Good (3)
Demonstrates a
conscious and
thorough
Demonstrates
understanding
a thoughtful
of the writing
understanding
prompt and the
of the writing
subject matter.
prompt and
This reflection
the subject
can be used as
matter.
an example for
other students.
Uses specific
Uses relevant
and convincing examples from
examples from
the texts
the texts
studied to
studied to
support
support claims
claims in your
in your own
own writing,
writing, making
making
insightful and
applicable
22
ESSAY WRITING
Fair (2)
Poor (1)
Demonstrates a
basic
understanding
of the writing
prompt and the
subject matter.
Demonstrates
little or no
understanding
of the writing
prompt and
subject matter.
This reflection
needs revision.
Uses examples
from the text to
support most
claims in your
writing with
some
connections
made between
texts.
No examples
from the text
are used and
claims made in
your own
writing are
unsupported
and irrelevant
to the topic at
Language
use
Conventions
applicable
connections
between texts.
Uses stylistically
sophisticated
language that is
precise and
engaging, with
notable sense of
voice,
awareness of
audience and
purpose, and
varied sentence
structure.
Demonstrates
control of the
conventions
with essentially
no errors, even
with
sophisticated
language.
connections
between texts.
Uses language
that is fluent
and original,
with evident a
sense of voice,
awareness of
audience and
purpose, and
the ability to
vary sentence
structure.
Demonstrates
control of the
conventions,
exhibiting
occasional
errors only
when using
sophisticated
language.
hand.
Uses basic but
appropriate
language, with
a basic sense of
voice, some
awareness of
audience and
purpose and
some attempt
to vary
sentence
structure.
Demonstrates
partial control
of the
conventions,
exhibiting
occasional
errors that do
not hinder
comprehension.
Uses language
that is
unsuitable for
the audience
and purpose,
with little or no
awareness of
sentence
structure.
Demonstrates
little or no
control of the
conventions,
making
comprehension
almost
impossible.
Enrichment 3. Read…analyze!
Directions: Read the autobiography on pages 3-6 then identify the significant
events in the life of the person. Create a timeline according to the sequence of
events in the autobiography. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.
Activity 3. Critiquing Time!
Directions: Critique the autobiography on pages 3-6. Focus on the effectiveness of
the written work to convey the life of the author and the strengths and weaknesses
of the entire output. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper. Use the
following rubric as basis on what to include in your critique (30 points).
Traits
Critique /
Content
(x2)
Organization
RUBRIC FOR SCORING CRITIQUE PAPER
Highly Satisfactory
Satisfactory
Fairly Satisfactory
5 pts
3 pts
1 pt
Strengths and
Strengths and
Strengths and
weaknesses that are
weaknesses that are
weaknesses are
central to the article
peripheral to the
addressed weakly.
are addressed. The
article are addressed.
The discussion of
discussion of
The discussion of
strengths and
strengths and
strengths and
weaknesses take
weaknesses take up
weaknesses take up
up only a small
the majority of the
the majority of the
part of the
assignment.
assignment
assignment
Paper is well
Paper is organized,
Paper is not wellorganized, has a very
has an intro, body
organized in the
clear intro, body and
and conclusion. The
intro, body, and
23
conclusion. The
purpose of the paper
is clear from the very
beginning including
the name of the
author.
The article is clearly
but succinctly
summarized; major
key points of the
article are elaborated
and it has account of
all important
facts/details written
in logical order.
purpose of the paper
becomes clear within
the middle part and
the name of the
author is mentioned
within the paper.
The article is clearly
summarized; some
key points are
elaborated with few
important facts
written in logical
order.
The article
summary is poorly
summarized; major
key points are
missing including
important facts and
not written in
logical order.
Mechanics
There are no
grammatical /
typographical errors.
There are few
grammatical /
typographical errors.
There are many
grammatical /
typographical
errors.
Overall
Impact
The critique paper is
excellently made and
very scholarly.
The critique paper is
very good but needs
some improvements
The critique paper
needs revision.
Summary
conclusion. The
purpose of the
paper is unclear
including the name
of the author.
Deepen
Activity 1. I know myself!
Directions: Give what is asked in each box to come up with a comprehensive guide
in making your autobiography. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.
Details of my
life told by
people who
knew me
Details of my
toddler years
24
Details of my
teenage years
Significant
life-changing
events in my
life
Relationships
and the
people who
made an
impact in my
life
Activity 2. Meet me…know me!
Directions: Construct your autobiography using the guide that you have
accomplished earlier. Write your autobiography on a separate sheet of paper. The
rubric that follows will be used to assess your output. (40 points)
Traits
Introductory
Paragraph
Body
(Sequence of
Events)
RUBRIC FOR AUTOBIOGRAPHY WRITING
Very Good
Good
Fair
(10)
(8)
(6)
The
The
The introduction
introduction
introduction
is not
is very
is quite
adequately
interesting
interesting
interesting or
and it
and attempts
the topic is
catches the
to catch the
vague to the
attention of
attention of
reader.
the reader.
the reader.
Most events
are in a
Most events
logical order
are placed in
Some events are
but some are
a logical
missing and are
either missing
order and
not included in
or in the
keeps the
the graphic
wrong order
reader’s
organizer.
and this
interest.
distracts the
reader.
25
Poor
(4)
The introduction
is not at all
interesting and
it is poorly
constructed.
The use of the
graphic
organizer is not
utilized properly
to logically
present the
events.
Mechanics
All sentences
are well
constructed
and have
varied
structure and
length. The
author
makes no
errors in
grammar,
mechanics,
and/or
spelling.
Several
sentences are
wellconstructed
and the
author makes
few errors in
grammar,
mechanics,
and/or
spelling.
Concluding
Paragraph
The
conclusion is
complete and
specific.
The
conclusion
adequately
organized
some events.
Most sentences
are well
constructed, but
they
have a similar
structure
and/or length.
The
author makes
several
errors in
grammar,
mechanics,
and/or
spelling that
interfere
with
understanding.
The conclusion
does not
adequately
organized the
events.
Sentences
sound
awkward, are
distractingly
repetitive,
or are difficult to
understand. The
author
makes
numerous errors
in grammar,
mechanics,
and/or spelling
that interfere
with
understanding.
The conclusion
was poorly
written.
Activity 3. See thy strengths…improve thy weaknesses!
Directions: Reread the travelogue on pages 10 – 12 then write a commentary or a
critique of the written work. Write your critique on a separate sheet of paper. Use
the following rubric as basis on what to include in your critique (30 points).
Traits
Critique /
Content
(x2)
Organization
RUBRIC FOR SCORING CRITIQUE PAPER
Highly
Satisfactory
Fairly Satisfactory
Satisfactory
3 pts
1 pt
5 pts
Strengths and
Strengths and
Strengths and
weaknesses that are
weaknesses that are
weaknesses are
central to the article
peripheral to the
addressed weakly.
are addressed. The
article are addressed.
The discussion of
discussion of
The discussion of
strengths and
strengths and
strengths and
weaknesses take
weaknesses take up
weaknesses take up
up only a small
the majority of the
the majority of the
part of the
assignment.
assignment
assignment
Paper is well
Paper is organized,
Paper is not wellorganized, has a very
has an intro, body
organized in the
clear intro, body and
and conclusion. The
intro, body, and
conclusion. The
purpose of the paper
conclusion. The
purpose of the paper
becomes clear within
purpose of the
is clear from the very
the middle part and
paper is unclear
beginning including
the name of the
including the name
26
the name of the
author.
The article is clearly
but succinctly
summarized; major
key points of the
article are elaborated
and it has account of
all important
facts/details written
in logical order.
author is mentioned
within the paper.
The article is clearly
summarized; some
key points are
elaborated with few
important facts
written in logical
order.
The article
summary is poorly
summarized; major
key points are
missing including
important facts and
not written in
logical order.
Mechanics
There are no
grammatical /
typographical errors.
There are few
grammatical /
typographical errors.
There are many
grammatical /
typographical
errors.
Overall
Impact
The critique paper is
excellently made and
very scholarly.
The critique paper is
very good but needs
some improvements
The critique paper
needs revision.
Summary
of the author.
Gauge
Directions: Read and analyze the items carefully. Write your answers on a
separate sheet of paper.
I. Identify the form of creative nonfiction based on the given objectives.
Choose your answer from the box. (10 points)
A. Autobiography
D. Literary
G. Testimonio
B. Biography
Journalism/Reportage
H. Travelogue
C. Blog
E. Personal Narratives
I. True Narrative
F. Reflective Essay
_____1. To tell one special memory of your life
_____2. To create your personal website or social media account and share your
ongoing adventures
_____3. To tell the rags-to-riches story of Manny Pacquiao
_____4. To share about your experiences about the tourist spots in your region
_____5. To share how you solved a problem and the realizations that you have
earned from the experience
_____6. To narrate how a seminar that you have attended changed your life
_____7. To creatively retell a news that you have witnessed while going home
_____8. To write the life story of the president
27
_____9. To publish about your food reviews in your social media account
_____10. To narrate your own life story
II. Write A if the 1st statement is True, B if the 2nd statement is True, C if both
statements are True, and D if both statements are False. (10 points)
_____1.
A travelogue requires the writer to describe his or her travel
experiences vividly and create imagery in the mind of the readers.
Blogs are only intended for food concepts.
_____2.
An autobiography uses third person point of view. A biography
utilizes the first person point of view.
_____3.
Personal and true narratives are based on real life events. Personal
narratives focus on a topic through the lens of the personal
experiences of the narrator.
_____4.
Reflective essays focus on narrating someone else’s life. A travel
experience once it is published in a personal website is considered a
travel blog.
_____5.
Biographies and autobiographies focus on single events in life.
Testimonios contain an account of experiences of a person shared by
another person.
_____6.
A reportage presents facts in a literary way. Reflective essays can be
crafted based on any moment in one’s life that instills lessons.
_____7.
Reflective essays, testimonies, and personal narratives are
autobiographical in nature. A true narrative only tells personal
experiences.
_____8.
A written work is called a personal narrative if the author shares his
or her experience of an event in his or her life. Someone else’s
moment in his or her life written by another person is a true
narrative.
_____9.
True narratives do not necessarily contain facts. Real life lessons can
be communicated in personal and reflective narratives.
_____10. Writing creative nonfiction requires facts as basic information. Writing
styles differ in creative nonfiction.
III. Read the following reflective essay then critique it. Use the following
rubric as basis on what to include in your critique. (30 points)
My Little Brother
Unknown
In my short life, there are many experiences that could qualify as lifechanging. Every new experience was, at one time or another, the first experience.
For good or bad, each instance changed the course that my life has taken. But, the
most transformative experience was the birth of my youngest brother.
Joel is someone my parents often call a happy accident. At the time that my
mother became pregnant, I was 13, and my other brother, Jake, was 10. We were
what you would call a well-rounded, perfect family of four. We neatly fit into the
28
perfect classification in nearly every way. We didn't realize what we were missing
until the moment that my youngest brother first opened his striking blue eyes.
In truth, I resented the fact that I would be having another sibling. Nothing
needed to be added to our family, and my mother, already 38 at the time, was
considered high risk because of her age. The pregnancy itself was full of
complications that sent the straight course of my life into rollercoaster-like loops
that my 13-year-old mind had a hard time comprehending. But now, I can see how
forging through those loops helped me to roll with the punches that life inevitably
brings.
The day Joel was born, my mother took me with her to the hospital rather
than my father. It wasn't a planned move, but Jake and my father were both
feverish; I was the next best alternative. Sitting with her through every contraction,
I gained a new respect for just how powerful and strong a woman could be in what
might be considered their weakest moment. Holding her hand and feeding her ice
chips, I gained a connection with my mother that I didn't realize we were lacking.
The moment my new baby brother came into this world, I realized two
things nearly simultaneously. First, you don't realize how much you need
something until it's sitting in your lap. Second, my life after this moment would
never be the same. The moment he curled his chubby little finger around mine, I
understood the words "happy accident" completely.
There are many different experiences in life that have changed a part of me
as a person. But, nothing so profoundly changed my views and outlook on life like
the birth of my youngest brother. Joel's arrival was a life-altering event that caused
me to see the world through new eyes.
RUBRIC FOR SCORING CRITIQUE PAPER
Traits
Critique /
Content
(x2)
Organization
Summary
Highly Satisfactory
5 pts
Strengths and
weaknesses that are
central to the article
are addressed. The
discussion of
strengths and
weaknesses take up
the majority of the
assignment.
Paper is well
organized, has a very
clear intro, body and
conclusion. The
purpose of the paper
is clear from the very
beginning including
the name of the
author.
The article is clearly
but succinctly
summarized; major
Satisfactory
3 pts
Strengths and
weaknesses that are
peripheral to the
article are addressed.
The discussion of
strengths and
weaknesses take up
the majority of the
assignment
Paper is organized,
has an intro, body
and conclusion. The
purpose of the paper
becomes clear within
the middle part and
the name of the
author is mentioned
within the paper.
The article is clearly
summarized; some
key points are
29
Fairly Satisfactory
1 pt
Strengths and
weaknesses are
addressed weakly.
The discussion of
strengths and
weaknesses take
up only a small
part of the
assignment
Paper is not wellorganized in the
intro, body, and
conclusion. The
purpose of the
paper is unclear
including the name
of the author.
The article
summary is poorly
summarized; major
key points of the
article are elaborated
and it has account of
all important
facts/details written
in logical order.
elaborated with few
important facts
written in logical
order.
Mechanics
There are no
grammatical /
typographical errors.
There are few
grammatical /
typographical errors.
There are many
grammatical /
typographical
errors.
Overall
Impact
The critique paper is
excellently made and
very scholarly.
The critique paper is
very good but needs
some improvements
The critique paper
needs revision.
30
key points are
missing including
important facts and
not written in
logical order.
Answer Key
31
References
Books
Biligan, Gimbert G. (2007). Reinventing Life: A Workbook on Creative Non-fiction.
Manila: St. Augustine Publications, Inc.
Printed Materials
Department of Education. (2020). K-12 Basic Education Curriculum, Most
Essential Learning Competencies Matrix. Pasig City, Philippines.
Department of Education. (2014). K-12 Basic Education Curriculum, Creative
Nonfiction Curriculum Guide. Pasig City, Philippines.
Website
Aguinaldo, Emilo (n.d.) Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved on July 24, 2020.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Emilio-Aguinaldo.
Autobiography
Rubric.
Scholastic.
Retrieved
on
July
22,
2020.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonplans/unit_autobio_rubric.pdf.
Clark, Anne (April 3, 2012).10 Examples of Literary Nonfiction That Make Facts
Compelling.
Retrieved
July
24,
2020.
https://www.alternet.org/2012/04/10_examples_of_literary_nonfiction_t
hat_make_facts_compelling/.
Critique
Paper
Rubric.
RCampus.
Retrieved
on
July
23,
2020.
https://www.rcampus.com/rubricshowc.cfm?code=KX9B84C&sp=true&
Espe, Michael (n.d). Autobiography of a 2nd Generation Filipino-American.
Retrieved
on
July
20,
2020.
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/aasc/classweb/winter07/m116/Michael_Es
pe1.pdf
Guglielme, G. (2020, July 17). The explosion of new coronavirus tests that could
help to end the pandemic. Nature. Retrieved on July 24, 2020.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02140-8
International Reading Association (2013). Essay Rubric. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/printouts/Essay%20Rubr
ic.pdf
International Reading Association (2006). Reflective Writing Rubric. Retrieved July
23,
2020.
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson963
/Rubric.pdf
Nocom, J. (2018). I stabbed my student, countless times. Retrieved July 28, 2020
https://web.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=677651912605356
&id=100010816592751
Reflective Essay Examples. Your Dictionary. Retrieved on July 23, 2020.
https://examples.yourdictionary.com/reflective-essay-examples.html.
Rosario, Kiko (2020, March 20). Filipino shares his experiences as coronavirus
survivor.
Associated
Press.
Retrieved
on
July
24,
2020.
https://news.yahoo.com/filipino-shares-experiences-coronavirussurvivor-021257733.html
32
Sample
testimony (n.d.). Next Worldwide. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
https://nextworldwide.org/resources/sample-testimony/
Sarte, Maria Angela (n.d.) A Mold to my Identity. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
https://mariaangelasarte.weebly.com/personal-narrative.html
Shewan, Dan (2020, February 25). How to write a blog post. Retrieved on July 21,
2020. https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2015/02/09/how-to-writea-blog-post
Villareal, M. (March 19, 2020). Top 10 Festivals To Look Out For In The Philippines
(2020
Edition).
Retrieved
July
31,
2020
https://outoftownblog.com/festivals-to-look-out-for-in-the-philippines/
33