Create Personal Life Maps

Create character life maps on personal life experiences. Have students draw a life map plotting places, people, holidays, vacations, events, and milestones in their lives for as far back as they remember. Give students 11×17 paper and colored pencils or markers to begin drawing their life maps. Each of these “destinations” has the potential to be a topic for a personal narrative writing. When presenting this mini-lesson, reveal your own life map to give students an idea of what one looks like.