Question
Unit 7, Lesson 9 Portfolio
Narrative Essay
Instructions:
Read “Weight” by Dohnielle Clayton
Imagine how the story might have continued after the ending--what do you think the results will show?
Complete this "Weight" Review graphic organizer and submit to the U7L9 drop box
Use this checklist to revise as you create your final draft essay. Write at least 2 pages of the ending you’ve imagined. Don’t forget to focus on including details, description, and dialogue.
Submit your completed final draft to the U7L12 drop box
Be sure to reference the flying monkeys in The Wizard of Oz in your essay as well
Requirements:
Correct MLA formatting
A minimum of 2 pages double spaced
Begin your ending with a sentence that appears on the last page of the original short story to transition from the original author’s voice to your own
Creative ending that follows the natural progression of events from the story
Use the following narrative techniques: dialogue, description, pacing, reflection
Integrate ideas from the original passage
Proper spelling and conventions
Resources:
Rubric
this is what I have so far:
“The hearticians walked in holding sheets of paper. The vitalized ink skittered across the pages. ‘Results are in.’
Marcus and Grace didn’t turn their heads.
Instead, they faced each other.”
Marcus and Grace stared deeply into one another’s eyes. Each wondered if the hearticians words would bring a glimmer of hope or if their world was about to come crashing down around them. Marcus, for his part, feared the latter. He felt his heart drum erratically in his chest, a heavy thud that echoed the uncertainty racing through his mind. Beads of sweat collected at the nape of his neck as he clenched his hands, and the dampness on his palms was a testament to his anxiety. Grace, her face pale and taut, stared at the floor, her breath quickening with every passing second. She felt light-headed as if the floor beneath her was shifting beyond her control. Together they decided to hear the results but they did not know which heart contained which results.
Grace was the first to react. She let out a shaky breath, and with a voice thick with tears sputtered,
“Marcus, I don’t know what to think. I have more questions than answers.”
Marcus felt shaken to his core. His mind was reeling. He knew Grace needed him to say something, but he felt mute. Thoughts swirled and dissipated in his mind. Finally, he had an epiphany.
“Grace, I think I understand the results. I’ve been so afraid of becoming my Dad that I wasn’t sure that I would be able to love you and only you for the rest of my life. His actions have skewed the way I view love, but I think my heart showed that my love for him is fading because I don’t want to become the same type of person that he is.”
Narrative Essay
Instructions:
Read “Weight” by Dohnielle Clayton
Imagine how the story might have continued after the ending--what do you think the results will show?
Complete this "Weight" Review graphic organizer and submit to the U7L9 drop box
Use this checklist to revise as you create your final draft essay. Write at least 2 pages of the ending you’ve imagined. Don’t forget to focus on including details, description, and dialogue.
Submit your completed final draft to the U7L12 drop box
Be sure to reference the flying monkeys in The Wizard of Oz in your essay as well
Requirements:
Correct MLA formatting
A minimum of 2 pages double spaced
Begin your ending with a sentence that appears on the last page of the original short story to transition from the original author’s voice to your own
Creative ending that follows the natural progression of events from the story
Use the following narrative techniques: dialogue, description, pacing, reflection
Integrate ideas from the original passage
Proper spelling and conventions
Resources:
Rubric
this is what I have so far:
“The hearticians walked in holding sheets of paper. The vitalized ink skittered across the pages. ‘Results are in.’
Marcus and Grace didn’t turn their heads.
Instead, they faced each other.”
Marcus and Grace stared deeply into one another’s eyes. Each wondered if the hearticians words would bring a glimmer of hope or if their world was about to come crashing down around them. Marcus, for his part, feared the latter. He felt his heart drum erratically in his chest, a heavy thud that echoed the uncertainty racing through his mind. Beads of sweat collected at the nape of his neck as he clenched his hands, and the dampness on his palms was a testament to his anxiety. Grace, her face pale and taut, stared at the floor, her breath quickening with every passing second. She felt light-headed as if the floor beneath her was shifting beyond her control. Together they decided to hear the results but they did not know which heart contained which results.
Grace was the first to react. She let out a shaky breath, and with a voice thick with tears sputtered,
“Marcus, I don’t know what to think. I have more questions than answers.”
Marcus felt shaken to his core. His mind was reeling. He knew Grace needed him to say something, but he felt mute. Thoughts swirled and dissipated in his mind. Finally, he had an epiphany.
“Grace, I think I understand the results. I’ve been so afraid of becoming my Dad that I wasn’t sure that I would be able to love you and only you for the rest of my life. His actions have skewed the way I view love, but I think my heart showed that my love for him is fading because I don’t want to become the same type of person that he is.”
Answers
GPT-4o mini
As the hearticians moved forward with their charts, the tension in the room thickened like fog rolling in at dusk. Their expressions were as serious as the situation, yet both Marcus and Grace still held onto a thread of hope beneath their mounting anxiety.
“Listen, Grace,” Marcus continued, his voice steadying with every word he spoke. “The results might show a part of me that I didn’t want to confront before. Maybe my heart reflected my fear, yes, but it could also reveal something deeper. Something real.”
Her tears shimmered in the unflattering fluorescent light of the lab. “But what if it’s not what we expected?” Grace asked. The tremor in her voice betrayed the unwavering belief she was trying to muster. “What if it says we’re not meant to be?”
“In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy had to keep reminding herself that she had the power within her all along,” Marcus began, trying to draw strength from his own recollections of stories that once fueled his imagination. “She had her friends, those flying monkeys, that represented the chaos of her fears, but ultimately, they were mere distractions. I think this... this moment we’re facing, this is our chance to figure out if we’re brave enough to confront what's really there. Like Dorothy, we have the power to click our heels and go home—or we could choose to chart a new path.”
The hearticians exchanged glances, sensing the emotional undercurrents swirling between them. “You can hear about the results,” one of them, a woman with glasses perched precariously on her nose, said gently, “but you both need to be ready for what’s next. There’s no script for the journey that follows.”
Marcus nodded, his heart racing as he squeezed Grace’s hand tightly. “Whatever the outcome, we’ll face it together.” Deep down, he felt as though an invisible weight began to lighten. He could almost hear the echoes of the flying monkeys wings fluttering in his mind, shrouded as they were in shadows of doubt. They were there, a constant reminder of what could spiral out of control if he relinquished his grip on love and trust.
“Okay,” Grace said, nodding slowly. “Let’s hear it.” Her voice was a whisper, almost drowned by the thudding of her heart. The hearticians cleared their throats.
“Very well, here are your results.”
As they unfolded the sheets, the ink seemed to vibrate off the paper, illuminating the pathway before them—or threatening to close it. For a heartbeat, the world around them faded, and all that remained was the rustling of sheets, both tangible and metaphorical.
One heartician cleared his throat, gesturing with a gnarled finger towards the first set of results. “Grace, your results show—”
“Wait!” Marcus interjected, his voice rising in a rush. “What if our hearts are trying to tell us both that love transcends what those papers indicate?”
Grace turned to him, her eyes wide with surprise. The revelation was dawning like the break of dawn against a night sky. “You mean that this doesn’t have to define us? The results—we don't have to let them dictate what happens next?”
The hearticians exchanged looks again, as if gauging the tension in the air. “Both of you,” one began gently, “the results indicate correlations to patterns in your pasts, but they can certainly guide you, whilst you navigate the path you choose moving forward.”
There was a moment of silence as realization dawned upon Marcus and Grace. Their eyes locked once more, and the room felt less colder, a flicker of warmth blossoming in the core of their being. The heartbreak they had shoulder-shouldered had moved into the realm of possibility, where love was not confined to the outcome of their tests, but rather a living, breathing entity tangling itself around their hands and hearts.
“We’re ready,” Marcus finally said, words firm and resolute, though a quiver of uncertainty played at the growing edges of his optimism. He had long learned that courage did not necessitate the absence of fear, but rather an ability to transform it into something sturdy.
“Okay, then let’s dive in,” the heartician continued. As she spoke, Marcus felt hope blooming anew, nourished by Grace’s unwavering gaze. “Your results show that there are challenges ahead, but they are manageable. More importantly, they indicate love—the genuine, deep affection that can grow between you two.”
Both Grace and Marcus exhaled, relief washing over them like a tide, flooding the memories of pain they had endured. They weren’t without their challenges, and part of them knew they would still face great storms in the days to come. Yet, in that very moment, they chose to believe in the power of their connection.
“I’m not afraid of what’s to come anymore,” Marcus declared, looking into Grace’s eyes, the air crackling with possibility. “Like the flying monkeys—daunting in folklore but only as powerful as we allow them to be.”
Grace chuckled lightly, the tension lifting, and she nodded, feeling a new sense of light returning. “Exactly. I think we’ve both got wings of our own—the kind that can fly, not the kind that tether us to ignorance or fear.”
With a newfound sense of purpose, both Marcus and Grace stood shoulder to shoulder, prepared to navigate whatever journey awaited them, armed with the unfaltering conviction that love, in all its messy, beautifully chaotic forms, would guide their way. They took their first step forward, leaving behind the uncertainties of the past for uncharted paths dripping with hope.
“Listen, Grace,” Marcus continued, his voice steadying with every word he spoke. “The results might show a part of me that I didn’t want to confront before. Maybe my heart reflected my fear, yes, but it could also reveal something deeper. Something real.”
Her tears shimmered in the unflattering fluorescent light of the lab. “But what if it’s not what we expected?” Grace asked. The tremor in her voice betrayed the unwavering belief she was trying to muster. “What if it says we’re not meant to be?”
“In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy had to keep reminding herself that she had the power within her all along,” Marcus began, trying to draw strength from his own recollections of stories that once fueled his imagination. “She had her friends, those flying monkeys, that represented the chaos of her fears, but ultimately, they were mere distractions. I think this... this moment we’re facing, this is our chance to figure out if we’re brave enough to confront what's really there. Like Dorothy, we have the power to click our heels and go home—or we could choose to chart a new path.”
The hearticians exchanged glances, sensing the emotional undercurrents swirling between them. “You can hear about the results,” one of them, a woman with glasses perched precariously on her nose, said gently, “but you both need to be ready for what’s next. There’s no script for the journey that follows.”
Marcus nodded, his heart racing as he squeezed Grace’s hand tightly. “Whatever the outcome, we’ll face it together.” Deep down, he felt as though an invisible weight began to lighten. He could almost hear the echoes of the flying monkeys wings fluttering in his mind, shrouded as they were in shadows of doubt. They were there, a constant reminder of what could spiral out of control if he relinquished his grip on love and trust.
“Okay,” Grace said, nodding slowly. “Let’s hear it.” Her voice was a whisper, almost drowned by the thudding of her heart. The hearticians cleared their throats.
“Very well, here are your results.”
As they unfolded the sheets, the ink seemed to vibrate off the paper, illuminating the pathway before them—or threatening to close it. For a heartbeat, the world around them faded, and all that remained was the rustling of sheets, both tangible and metaphorical.
One heartician cleared his throat, gesturing with a gnarled finger towards the first set of results. “Grace, your results show—”
“Wait!” Marcus interjected, his voice rising in a rush. “What if our hearts are trying to tell us both that love transcends what those papers indicate?”
Grace turned to him, her eyes wide with surprise. The revelation was dawning like the break of dawn against a night sky. “You mean that this doesn’t have to define us? The results—we don't have to let them dictate what happens next?”
The hearticians exchanged looks again, as if gauging the tension in the air. “Both of you,” one began gently, “the results indicate correlations to patterns in your pasts, but they can certainly guide you, whilst you navigate the path you choose moving forward.”
There was a moment of silence as realization dawned upon Marcus and Grace. Their eyes locked once more, and the room felt less colder, a flicker of warmth blossoming in the core of their being. The heartbreak they had shoulder-shouldered had moved into the realm of possibility, where love was not confined to the outcome of their tests, but rather a living, breathing entity tangling itself around their hands and hearts.
“We’re ready,” Marcus finally said, words firm and resolute, though a quiver of uncertainty played at the growing edges of his optimism. He had long learned that courage did not necessitate the absence of fear, but rather an ability to transform it into something sturdy.
“Okay, then let’s dive in,” the heartician continued. As she spoke, Marcus felt hope blooming anew, nourished by Grace’s unwavering gaze. “Your results show that there are challenges ahead, but they are manageable. More importantly, they indicate love—the genuine, deep affection that can grow between you two.”
Both Grace and Marcus exhaled, relief washing over them like a tide, flooding the memories of pain they had endured. They weren’t without their challenges, and part of them knew they would still face great storms in the days to come. Yet, in that very moment, they chose to believe in the power of their connection.
“I’m not afraid of what’s to come anymore,” Marcus declared, looking into Grace’s eyes, the air crackling with possibility. “Like the flying monkeys—daunting in folklore but only as powerful as we allow them to be.”
Grace chuckled lightly, the tension lifting, and she nodded, feeling a new sense of light returning. “Exactly. I think we’ve both got wings of our own—the kind that can fly, not the kind that tether us to ignorance or fear.”
With a newfound sense of purpose, both Marcus and Grace stood shoulder to shoulder, prepared to navigate whatever journey awaited them, armed with the unfaltering conviction that love, in all its messy, beautifully chaotic forms, would guide their way. They took their first step forward, leaving behind the uncertainties of the past for uncharted paths dripping with hope.