English Career Resources
Personal statements
in fiction
in fiction
Introduction
Stage 1: Active reading
Stage 2: Interpretation
Stage 3: Composition and re-presentation
Stage 1: Active reading
Stage 2: Interpretation
Stage 3: Composition and re-presentation
Personal statementsin fiction
Key Stage 3: Personal statements in fiction
Stage 3: Composition and re-presentation
Fun with genresIf time permits, students can have a lot of fun creating other 'official' documents which explore aspects of their chosen character. Look at the examples of school memos and students' emails. Get students to generate ideas for other personal documents which will offer different perspectives on a character. Items of personal literacy might include: telephone text messages; diary entries; blogs and posts on websites. If time permits, you could explore the differences between 'public' documents such as personal statements and 'private' documents like the ones listed above.
Writing the Personal Statement
Although you could go straight into writing a Personal Statement it is likely that the results will be disappointing. Students need to consolidate their understanding about how personal statements are organised and worded. So spend time with students reminding them about the conventions of the Personal Statement genre. This can be done by sharing real examples with the students or by showing them one for a fictional character. An example of Mina McKee's Personal Statement is provided as part of these resources. It is worth studying it with the students to compile the criteria for a Personal Statement, which might look something like this:
What makes a good Personal Statement?
- Write in the first person e.g. I me my
- Write in the present tense e.g. I am, I have
- Give clear examples to support each statement.
- Choose positive qualities to write about.
- Aim for 3-5 things per statement box.
- Keep the language simple and clear.
- Explain yourself – that means using words like 'because'.
- Qualify ideas by using words like 'but' and 'however'.
De-constructing the Personal Statement
Another way of ensuring the students learn how to write their character's Personal Statement is to demonstrate the main features by annotating it on the interactive whiteboard. See the resources entitled Mina's Personal Statement – annotated to show features of this text type (PDF).
Not to forget - alternative styles!
Finally, don't be boring. Although the Personal Statement is originally a school document you can still offer students the chance to enjoy their own creativity.
A character like Mina would probably in real life rebel against the straitjacket of a Personal Statement writing frame. With her visual awareness and artistic skills she would be far more likely to choose a graphic representation of her achievements mixing words with pictures.
Alex Rider's Personal Statement would probably resemble an MI5 document headed up 'TOP SECRET' and with a photo pinned to it.
Look for inspiration too in Tracy Beaker's book which does actually start as a Personal Statement writing frame which she triumphantly bursts out of.
Harry Potter. The J. K. Rowling books might be covered with spider's webs with the paper itself having been aged with applications of vinegar or judicious (and adult-supervised) use of the grill!