11 Grade Memoir Unit Plan Elizabeth Harris

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Memoir Unit Plan The Memoir Unit Plan that follows is designed for an eleventh grade English class. My classroom is based off of a classroom at Brighton High School, a middle-class student population whose demographics are overwhelmingly biased with 97 percent of students being Caucasian. Students will have just finished a unit on bibliographies where they were required to complete a four page bibliography. Students have the knowledge of how to write successful essays. Students will be coming into this unit equipped with an understanding of proper uses of quotations and will gain further knowledge throughout this unit. I expect that students will understand what it means to write in first-person and will know what a narrative is. I expect that students will be actively engaged throughout this unit and that students will end this unit with a clear understanding of what a memoir is, the knowledge of how to write a memoir, and the skills that are needed to create a piece of narrative writing.

I strongly believe that students should be exposed to different genres of writing so that students are able to express themselves through writing. While some students appreciate and are able to create poetry, others are most apt to be a successful essayist. I believe it is essential as an English teacher to find what students are more skilled at and exploit that skill. It is impossible to capture students best qualities without presenting students with the appropriate resources and opportunities to try various forms of writing. In this unit, I will be teaching students the exciting and engaging genre of memoir. Students will be able to reflect on their lives and will write descriptive memoirs. Although some may believe that the five-paragraph essay is the best way to teach a memoir, I believe that this method is extremely harmful to students growth as students and active members of society. Not only does the five-paragraph essay take away students free choice in their writing, but it restricts students imagination. Students should be given the structure of the five-paragraph essay early in their educational career but should not be held to

that standard throughout their years of schooling. It is necessary to show students the fiveparagraph format so that students know the rules and then can break them later. Multiple times throughout this unit I will be demonstrating my own writing in front of the students. As Kelly Gallagher shows in his book Write Like This, it is necessary for students to not only see an example of the writing you will be requiring of them, but to see the teacher go through the writing process. Writing is a recursive process and it is beneficial for students to be able to see that I, as the teacher, am not nearly a perfect writer and I, too, make plenty of mistakes. I will emphasize to students that editing and revising, which are not the same thing, will take place as I write subsequent drafts. I will also emphasize that the first step in writing a memoir is to get all your thoughts on paper. Students will be able to see how the recursive process of writing takes time and energy and how this process will enhance their writing skills immensely. I believe that I bring the skill of using explicit descriptors in my writing to this unit and I hope that by the time students turn in their final portfolios, that they will have gleaned helpful resources and information that they can use in all genres of writing. Using language that properly conveys a message to the reader is essential in the writing process and provides readers with the feeling of being a part of the piece, especially in narrative writing.
Kelly Gallagher, George Hillocks, and Heather Latimer all discuss ways in which to model a classroom. I believe that students learn best through active engagement and short, but helpful teaching points. Students are most engaged when actively participating. In this unit, I will be using small and large group discussion, writing prompts, journals, writing guides, and writing workshops to enhance students participation in the classroom. Students will be greeted daily with a connection from the previous day so that students are reminded of what we are working on in class. Students will be given ample time to reflect on their readings and discuss both the required reading and their journal reflections. At the end of

each day, I will remind students of what they will need for the following day and give them an idea of how to further enhance what they have learned in class that day.

I will accommodate students using differentiated instruction who are below or above my target audience. I will accommodate students who have difficulties reading and writing at the same pace and with the same accuracy as other students in the classroom. I will remind students that I am available for before- and after-school help, if needed. I believe it is essential for students to know that I am available to answer any questions that arise during lessons. For students who are performing at a level above my target audience, I will push the students to work harder on their writings. I will challenge these students to use colorful vocabulary and to create a more vivid picture in their writing. All students who are below or above my target audience will be accommodated for using differentiated instruction. If I had more time with this unit, I would do a better, more efficient job of providing examples for students. I completely ran out of time and did not get a chance to write two of my examples, I realize I should have started this way earlier than I did. What I did complete though I worked extremely hard on and I hope that it shows. I would tweak this unit prior to using it in a class because I believe that the examples I have provided are not up to par with what I would expect for students. Having said that, it is important to point out that these are first drafts of my writing that I will be writing in front of students, so of course they are not perfect. Also, I think that it would be fun to create the lesson plans for the other days of the month to see how it all comes together. I have worked hard on this unit plan and I believe it deserves an A because of the time I put into creating this unit and the things I learned because of this assignment. I do realize that I will have to change some things to get this unit plan classroom-ready and I hope that I will receive feedback that enables me to do so. I really appreciate everything I have learned in this class and I cannot wait to put it all into practice in my future classroom.

Monday
Discus Readings: School Lunch Introduction to Memoir Genre Group Writing Activity: Group SixWord Memoir Lesson 1 Read: Origin Story Discuss Reading: How does Tina Fey tell a story about her life in only three pages? Journal: Characteristic or trait that is unique to you Journal: In what ways do you think Baehs past affected him? Group Activity: Write the ending to Ishmael Baehs memoir

Tuesday
Group Writing Activity: Group SixWord Memoir Mini Lesson: Word Choice Journal: Memoir Tweets Lesson 2

Wednesday
Journal: Characteristics of a Memoir Discuss Reading: Candy and Me: A Love Affair Writing Activity: Begin Candy Memoir Lesson 3

Thursday

Friday

Writing Workshop: Draft Candy Memoir (first drafts are due tomorrow)

Writing Workshop: Partner Question Flooding and Revising (final drafts are due Monday)

Demonstration: Special Feature Memoir Writing Workshop: Draft Special Feature Memoir Lesson 4

Writing Workshop: Draft Special Feature Memoir (first drafts are due tomorrow)

Writing Workshop: Draft Special Feature Memoir (final drafts are due to teacher tomorrow but students may continue revising until Final Portfolio due date) Student-Teacher Conferences: Finalize Drafts

Journal: Why do you think Ishmael Baeh wrote this memoir? Discuss Reading: A Long Way Gone

Group Activity: Each group will read aloud their ending to Ishmael Baehs memoir Mini Lesson: Using Dialogue Lesson 5 Student-Teacher Conferences: Finalize Drafts

Writing Activity: The Story Behind the Photo (Students will write their own stories and then swap photos with a partner and write their partners story)

Writing Activity: Finish The Story Behind the Photo Discuss: Differences when a partner writes the story and when you write the story

Demonstration: Watermark Event Memoir Journal: An event that has had longterm effects on you Lesson 6

Writing Workshop: Draft Watermark Event Memoir

Authors Chair Authors Chair Authors Chair Final Portfolio due

Lesson 1: Introduction to Memoir Genre Materials o Writing utensil o Bichs Stealing Buddhas Dinner School Lunch excerpt o Group Six-Word Memoir handout

Connection (0-2 minutes) Good afternoon class! Because we just finished working on writing biographies, I think this is the perfect opportunity to introduce a different style of narrative writing: memoirs. Memoirs are a fantastic and exciting way to write down your favorite, most vivid memories and I am confident you all will have a lot of fun with this genre of writing. Dont worry, by the time you have to write your own memoir, you will have all the information you will need to be successful. I hope you enjoyed the excerpt from Bichs memoir Stealing Buddhas Dinner that you read for today. Using this excerpt, we will be able to form a definition of a memoir.

Teaching Point (2-10 minutes) Today, I want to take the time to tell you what a memoir is and what a memoir is not so that you can see how this type of narrative writing is different from other writing genres you have learned about.

As I explain what a memoir is, I will be writing some key characteristics of a memoir on the front board for students to copy down in their notebooks. I have included this list at the end of this lesson plan.

A memoir is a written account of ones memory of certain events or people. This means that memoirs do not give a detailed account of every event or person that somebody has encountered in their lifetime, but instead, a snapshot of their life related to a specific event or person. Memoirs can be able anything: your first day of school in kindergarten, the first time you ate Chinese food, your first time in an airplane, the time you rescued a dog the list could go on forever. Thinking back on your own life, maybe to a time similar to one I just named, it can be difficult to remember every small, minute detail about the memory, but that is okay! When writing a memoir, the author can develop their memories however they would like. While memoirs are true, our memories are often shaped by what we know now and how we look back at the events of our past. With this in mind, it becomes important to try to harvest the emotion, smells, feelings, sounds, etcetera of the memory so that you can put those senses down on paper. By doing this, you will be able create a memoir full of descriptive, engaging language. You may find, as is often the case, that when you sit down to write your own memoir you may think you want to write about one memory but as you continue writing, the memoir turns into another memory. That is because the process of writing a memoir gives us time to reflect on our own lives and the events and people that we have come in contact with that have shaped who we are today. Maybe you decide that your first day of high school is the memory you want to write about, but as you begin the writing process, you may find that it wasnt the whole first day that made the event so memorable, it was the conversation with your parents when you got home that made that day so special.

Active Engagement (10-30 minutes) Now that you have some information on what a memoir is, I would like you to try it out. Dont panic, this is perhaps the shortest writing assignment you will have in your high school career. In small groups, you will be writing a memoir a six-word memoir. When you get into your groups, I will give you this writing guide (hold up Group Six-Word Memoir handout which is included at the end of this lesson plan). These directions will be on the handout, but once you are situated with your group, I would like you to take two minutes to discuss and write down some things that your group has in common. Next, I want your group to decide on one commonality that is your groups favorite and write at least four six-word memoirs that relate to the similarity that your group chosen. Remember, these six words do not have to form one sentence. Once I have numbered you off into six groups, please find your group members and begin working.

I will walk around the room to make sure that students are staying on task and that they are not struggling to find commonalities within their small groups. Once I see that students have at least attempted to write a few six-word memoirs, I will show them some examples. I have waited to show students examples because I want them to be as creative as possible and showing examples of such a short writing assignment may restrict their imagination.

Teaching Point (30-32 minutes) Alright class. It looks like you all are doing a great job at coming up with similarities and a variety of six-word memoirs. Now that you have tried to come up with these memoirs on your own, lets take a minute to look at some examples. Smith Magazine began six-word memoirs awhile back and people can post to their website with their personal six-word memoirs. From

these postings, some anonymous and others with names attached, the editors of Smith Magazine have published entire books of six-word memoirs; some books are entirely devoted to six-word memoirs by celebrities and others are devoted to six-word memoirs by teenagers like yourselves.

I will show students some examples of six-word memoirs on the Smith Magazine website. The pages I will show students are attached and the link is listed below. Link to website: http://www.smithmag.net/sixwords/

Now that you have seen some examples and have a better idea of how to create these short memoirs, continue working with your group and I will be around to help. Also, remember that language is interesting, try not to use boring words like cool, awesome, or like. There are Thesauruses available for you to use on the Resource book shelf so please take advantage of them.

Active Engagement (32-55 minutes) Students will spend time working on their six-word memoirs with their group members. I will walk around the room and point out words that could be easily replaced with a more engaging word as students write. There is a place for students to show how they changed words on the Group Six-Word Memoir handout. I will notify students when they have five minutes left so that they can finish up what they are working on.

Reinforcement (56-58 minutes) Class, you did a great job today working together. I know that finding a shared memory between multiple people can be difficult and condensing that memory into six words can be a daunting task but you all did it. Tonight, I would like you all to read more six-word memoirs so that you can see more examples. I have written the website on the board for Smith Magazine. Tomorrow, we will continue working with our group six-word memoir and sharing our final products.

Sending (58-60 minutes) As you leave class today, please have one person from each group hand me the Group SixWord Memoir handout. I will hang on to them until tomorrow. Have a great rest of your day and Ill see you tomorrow!

Formative Assessment While students work in groups, I will keep note of how well students work with their group members. I will also be going over each groups Group Six-Word Memoir handout to see whether or not they grasped the idea of what a memoir is by using descriptive language to describe a true memory.

QUALITIES OF AN EFFECTIVE MEMOIR: o The voice is first person singular: I, not we, one, or you. o The memoirist is the main character, the someone for readers to be within the story. o The writers thoughts and feelings, reactions and reflections, are revealed. o Theres enough context - background information to understand the events of the story. o The context is woven into the story. o A reader can envision the action - can see what is happening. o A reader can imaging the setting - where and when the memoir is unfolding. o A reader can imagine the relationships between the characters. o The dialogue sounds like these people talking, both what they would say and how they could say it: Boy, youre going to be sorry versus You will be sorry. o The place is slowed down so a reader can enter the story and live it, moment to moment, with the characters. o There isnt unnecessary information: the writer leaves out what a reader doesnt need to know. o The lead invites a reader into the world of the memory. o The conclusion is deliberate: it represents a writers decision about hoe to leave his or her readers. o The writer isnt acting as a reporter: the writing is subjective, the writers truth. o The writer invents details that fit with the specific memory and the writers theme or purpose. o The memoir sounds and feels like literature and not reportage. o The reader learns something about life by reading about a life.

Group Six-Word Memoir Directions: Use this guide to help create a six-word memoir with a small group. List three things that your group has in common:

1) ________________________________________________________________________

2) ________________________________________________________________________

3) ________________________________________________________________________ Choose and circle one commonality that you will write about

Please write at least four six-word memoirs on the lines below that relate to the commonality that your group has picked as their favorite. If you would like to write more than four six-word memoirs, attach a piece of lined notebook paper to this guide. I would love to see what you can come up with!

1) ________________________________________________________________________

2) ________________________________________________________________________

3) ________________________________________________________________________

4) ________________________________________________________________________

Circle the words that are in Ms. Harris Word Jail or that you recognize as over-used What words did you change? Rewrite your revised memoirs on the lines below:

1) ________________________________________________________________________

2) ________________________________________________________________________

3) ________________________________________________________________________

4) ________________________________________________________________________

Choose one six-word memoir from the revised list and write it below:

______________________________________________________________________________

Work together to create a superb six-word memoir that the whole group is proud of.

Lesson 2: Word Choice Materials o Writing utensil o Group Six-Word Memoir handout o Large, blank white paper o Journal

Connection (0-2 minutes) Good afternoon class! I hope you all have had a good day today. Id like to start the day off today by giving you all the first ten minutes of class to finish up your group memoirs. Remember that word choice is important. If you get stuck, use the Thesauruses on the Resource book shelf. I will be around to help but you all should be able to finish your Group Six-Word Memoir handouts relatively quickly.

I will hand back students Group Six-Word Memoir handout and students will begin working.

Active Engagement (2-35 minutes) Students will have worked for eight minutes with their group to finish their Group Six-Word Memoir handout.

Your group should be getting close to finishing up with your writing guide. Once your group has finished, please take one of these pieces of white paper and write your groups six-word memoir on the top. The paper is like a giant sticky note, so after you write down your memoir,

stick the paper to the wall. Once everyone has their memoirs on the wall, each group will go around the room and write on other groups papers explaining in one or two sentences what the memoir means to them.

Students will have ten minutes to finish up their six-word memoirs and then fifteen minutes to write on other groups papers.

Alright! It looks like everyone is done. Lets look at what you all have done.

I will go around the room and read each memoir and the explanations that follow. I will then ask the author group if this is what their memoir was supposed to mean to their reader. This will enhance students awareness of the importance of using descriptive and specific words to create the desired meaning and emotion.

Teaching Point (35-45 minutes) I will show students examples of sentences that rely on appropriate word choice so that students can see how important using words appropriately is. Together, students and I will look through the article titled A Very Bad Article of Word Choice by Biljana Likic that tells a story using poor word choice and then explains how it can be improved: Link to Article: http://letthewordsflow.wordpress.com/2010/08/02/a-very-bad-article-onword-choice/

In each of these examples something was transmitted to the reader that was not intended by the writer. We want to be careful that we know how to use the words we are using and that we use them appropriately.

Active Engagement (45-56 minutes) Now that you all have conquered the difficult task of condensing a memory into six-words, I would like you all to start thinking of a personal memory. Please take a few minutes to jot down in your journals memories that you think you would like to explore.

After seven minutes, I will get students attention.

I hope that you all have thought of some important times in your life. You will be using one of these memoires to write a Memoir Tweet. These tweets need to be 140 characters or less, just like a tweet you would write on Twitter. By tomorrow, I would like you all to have written a Memoir Tweet. Here is an example that I have written (example is attached at the end of this unit). Please make sure to be careful of your word choice.

Reinforcement (56-58 minutes) I have really enjoyed seeing what you all can come up with in such a short amount of time. It has been really fun exploring how one word can change the entire meaning of a sentence or phrase. Make sure to pay attention to how you use words in your Memoir Tweets and come to class tomorrow with your completed 140 character memoir.

Sending (58-60 minutes) Okay class. Thank you for being so cooperative today and getting your work done. You all did a great job working with each other; I know that forming one memory can be difficult between multiple people. It is my hope that you all understand the importance of appropriate word choice. You dont want to end up telling someone something you never intended to say! Have a great day and I cant wait to see what you come up with for tomorrow!

Formative Assessment Students will be assessed on their ability to work as a group and give honest feedback to other groups. It is important for all students to participate in this activity so that they learn the benefits of proper word choice. Students will also be assessed on their ability to focus their attention on their next task of writing a Memoir Tweet. Students understanding of the memoir genre will be evident throughout todays activities and lessons.

Lesson 3: Candy Memoir Materials o Writing utensil o Hilary Liftins Candy and Me: A Love Affair Snickers excerpt o Journal o Piece of Candy o Candy Memoir handout

Connection (0-2 minutes) Good afternoon class! I hope you all enjoyed the six-word memoirs and the Memoir Tweets remember, you can do this with anything and it is a great way to widen your vocabulary. Today we will be taking what we have learned about memoirs thus far and using that knowledge to craft a slightly longer memoir.

Active Engagement (2-10 minutes) Last night, you all should have read the Snickers excerpt from Hilary Liftins Candy and Me: A Love Affair. When I told you that you could write a memoir about any memory that you have, I was not exaggerating. That is what is so great about this genre. Not only do you get the opportunity to reminisce about great events and people in your life, but you can write about your love of foodin an academic setting! Im not sure about you, but that sounds pretty great to me. I would like you all to take out your journals now and spend a few minutes reflecting on what you have read. What were some things that you liked in the Snickers chapter? How does this fit into the memoir genre? What about Candy and Me made it clearly a memoir?

Students received this link yesterday, but here is the link for Hilary Liftins Candy and Me: A Love Affair: http://books.google.com/books?id=3IfX17nWUsC&printsec=frontcover&dq=candy+and+me&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1IbKUIu_FcSzrQH jzYGQBA&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=candy%20and%20me&f=false

Teaching Point (10-20 minutes) Now that you have written about it for a few minutes, I would like to discuss what you thought about Snickers with the whole class. What makes this excerpt a memoir?

As students give answers, I will write them down on the board for students to copy in their notebooks. An example of possible answers is attached at the end of this lesson.

Active Engagement (20-35 minutes) Alright, it looks like you all are really understanding memoirs. That is great! I have brought with me today a variety of candy. If one particular piece of candy sparks a memory, I would like you to take it from the bag and sit down at your desk. Do not eat the candy! We will be writingyou guessed itCandy Memoirs. Once everyone has grabbed their candy Ill explain the assignment in more detail.

Students will get the candy they would like to write about. After five minutes, once all students have picked their candy and taken a seat at their desks, I will continue.

Now that everyone has picked their candy, Id like you to brainstorm some of the memories that are attached to the candy you chose. Im passing out the Candy Memoir handout now. Please name the candy you chose and answer the questions on the page so that you are all able to write a beautiful Candy Memoir.

Students will work on their Candy Memoir handout for ten minutes.

Teaching Point (35-37 minutes) As I walk around and look at your progress, Ive noticed a couple things. First, make sure that the candy you chose sparks a vivid memory. You dont want you memoir to be a paragraph long. These Candy Memoirs must be at least a page, so please make sure you have picked an appropriate piece of candy. If you want to switch, the bag is on my desk and you are welcome to trade. Also, it is not just the taste that I want you to remember, it is the feelings that the candy gives you, the smell, the thought that first pops into your mind when you see it, the experience surrounding this particular piece of candy. Have fun with this! Ill be walking around the room if anyone needs any help.

Active Engagement (37-56 minutes) Students will work on their Candy Memoir handouts for about ten more minutes, or until I see that every has finished, or is close to it. I will then ask students to find a partner that is sitting nearby and explain to their partner the memory they are trying to evoke in their writing. The partner should then read the Candy Memoir handout of their classmate and give any advice on

how to make their writing the best it can be. They will then switch roles and do discuss the other persons brainstorming ideas.

Reinforcement (56-58 minutes) Great work today, class. It looks like you are all fairly excited about writing about candy, so this should be fun. Tomorrow we will have a writing workshop so that we can start drafting our memoirs and getting feedback from peers.

Sending (58-60 minutes) I will be standing at the door as you leave with an empty bag. Please drop off the candy you are working with. I promise I will bring it back tomorrow. Just think: once you are done with your memoir you can eat the candy. For now, Ill hold onto it because I know how tempting candy can be. Keep thinking about your Candy Memoir. If you havent finished your Candy Memoir handout, I will expect to see it on my desk tomorrow when class starts. If you have it done, please leave it in a pile on my desk. Have a great day!

Formative Assessment After class, review the Candy Memoir handouts that students have handed in. I will be looking for a vivid memory that uses multiple senses. I will also look to make sure that students understand that a memoir should not be written in the past tense. I will be returning these Candy Memoir handouts to students tomorrow and will leave feedback on the handouts so that students can begin drafting on the right path.

Candy Memoir Directions: Although that piece of candy sitting in front of you looks tempting, do not eat it! Instead, think about what memory is sparked when you see, smell, or taste (a little, tiny bit) the candy. Maybe you remember this particular type of candy as the first piece of chocolate you ever ate or the last piece of chocolate you ever ate or the only piece of chocolate you have ever eaten. Give details. Think about how this candy has influenced your candy-eating experiences. Here are just a few things to get you started. Have fun with this!

Type of candy I chose: __________________________________________________________

I chose this candy because ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________

The first thing that I think of when I see/smell/taste this candy is: ______________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

Lesson 4: Special Feature Memoir Materials o Writing utensil o Journal o Tina Feys Bossypants Origin Story excerpt o Highlighter

Connection (0-2 minutes) Good afternoon class! Im sure that you all could guess from yesterdays discussion and journal of Tina Feys Bossypants Origin Story excerpt that today we will be beginning to draft our own Special Feature memoirs. I hope that you all brought the reading like I asked because it is a great example of what I would like you all to do today.

Active Engagement (2-5 minutes) I would like you all to bring out your journals and read what you wrote about yesterday. I want that feature to be clear in your mind so that we can begin writing today.

Students will take a couple minutes to read what they wrote in their journals yesterday when I asked them to think about a special characteristic or feature that makes them unique.

Teaching Point (5-15 minutes) Now, will you please take out the reading that was due yesterday, Tina Feys Bossypants Origin Story excerpt and grab a highlighter. I have a bucket of highlighters up front if you

didnt bring one with you. Please look through Feys memoir and highlight when she first mentions her scar.

Students will take one minute to locate this and then look up so that I can see they are finished.

Please notice that Fey did not mention her scar until the fourth paragraph. Fey gave background information, set the stage, and explained the setting before she began talking about her scar. I would like you all to make sure you do the same. It is possible to begin your writing with the subject of your memoir, in Feys case it would be her scar, but sometimes leaving out the feature until part way through the piece, or even until the end, engages the reader making them want to read more to find out what happened.

I will spend the next four minutes discussing the directions for the Special Feature Memoir and answering any questions that students have. Students will write at least a one page memoir about a special characteristic or memoir that they have. I want to know the story behind this feature or characteristic, or when this feature or characteristic was noticed by others, I want to know details.

Active Engagement (15-30 minutes) I will spend fifteen minutes demonstrating my writing for students so that they are able to see the process of writing that I go through. Students will be witness to spelling errors, mistakes, and run-on sentences but it is important for students to see that even the teacher struggles when it comes to drafting a narrative. It is okay to write multiple drafts. I will also point out to students

that my special feature has a specific memory to go along with it. While it may have been repeatedly mentioned in my life, I am only writing about the single memory I have of my feature. The example of my Special Feature Memoir that I will be writing in front of my students is attached at the end of this unit plan.

Teaching Point (30-32 minutes) I would like you all to notice that my first draft is not nearly perfect. I dont want you to concentrate so hard on perfect grammar and lose the memory. Write down as much as you can, we will tweak our writing in the days to come but right now I just want you to get the memory down on paper.

I will reiterate that readers want to be engaged in writing so make it interesting while remaining true to the memory.

Active Engagement (32-56 minutes) Students will take time to begin drafting their Special Feature Memoirs. They will pay special attention to getting their memory down on paper before going back to revise and edit their writing. I will walk around the room and help students with questions.

Reinforcement (56-58 minutes) Alright class, you are all working hard on these drafts but it is time to pack up for the day. I see that a lot of you are leaving out the naming of your special characteristic until the very end; I think that is a great way to engage readers. Keep up the good work.

Sending (58-60 minutes) We will be continuing to draft our Special Feature Memoirs tomorrow so I do not want you to worry about writing it tonight. If there are any pictures that surround the story of your special feature, and if you have time tonight, it would be great for you to look at those pictures. If you want, you can bring them in tomorrow to help you stay focused on your story while writing. Dont forget to bring back your drafts tomorrow! If youre worried about losing what you have started, you may leave your draft on my desk and Ill return it to you tomorrow. Have a great rest of your day!

Formative Assessment As I walk around while students begin to draft, I will take note of how quickly students begin working their draft. I will be able to see if students are headed in the correct direction and will refocus their attention if they are not. I will make sure that students are getting their memory down on paper before attempting to revise and edit their work. This is important because I do not want students to be so caught up in revising their work that they forget what they were writing about.

Lesson 5: Using Dialogue in Writing Materials o Writing utensil o Group ending to Ishmael Baehs A Long Way Gone o Ishmael Baehs A Long Way Gone excerpt o Highlighter o How to Use Dialogue in Writing handout

Connection (0-2 minutes) Good afternoon class. Yesterday we talked more about Ishmael Baehs A Long Way Gone memoir and I thought the discussion was really engaging. I hope that you all had fun writing the ending to Baehs memoir. Today we will be working with our groups for part of the class and then focusing on one key aspect of writing narratives to hone your understanding of memoirs.

Active Engagement (2-40 minutes) Students will take ten minutes to get in their groups from yesterday and put the finishing touches on their endings to Ishmael Baehs A Long Way Gone. Then, each group will read their ending to the class. This will enhance their understanding of Baehs memoir because students have had to dive into the piece fully so that they can write about it. When students have finished reading their endings, I will ask students to get a highlighter and highlight all of the dialogue in their own writing and the dialogue in Ishmael Baehs A Long Way Gone excerpt.

Teaching Point (40-50 minutes) Once students have highlighted the dialogue in both their own writing and Baehs memoir, I will ask students to take a minute to look at the dialogue and name things that they have noticed about it. I will reiterate each point as students point it out. Prior to class I have already created a list of answers and have attached the handout at the end of this lesson. I will be giving students the How to Use Dialogue in Writing handout when we have finished discussing the points they have made.

Active Engagement (50-55 minutes) Students will use the remaining five minutes to correct their errors and mistakes in their own writing with their group. I will be around the room to help if students need it.

Reinforcement (56-58 minutes) Alright class. You all have worked hard today. I think that learning how to properly use dialogue in writing is key to becoming a successful writer and I wanted to make sure you all knew how to use it. I know that you have use dialogue in both your Candy Memoir and Special Feature Memoir, and perhaps struggled a bit with it. Now that you have had a lesson on it, I expect that your future use of dialogue in writing will be much more developed.

Sending (58-60 minutes) As you leave today, please have one member of your group drop off your story endings on my desk. I cant wait to read them. Tomorrow I would like you all to bring in one photo that sparks a

clear memory for you. It can be of family, friends, a pet, anything but please remember to bring in a picture. If you dont have a picture you wont be able to properly participate in tomorrows activity. Be thinking of what kind of emotion your picture emits and I cant wait to see what you all come up with.

Formative Assessment Students will be assessed on their ability to work with their small groups to write an ending to Ishmael Baehs A Long Way Gone. I will also be reading their endings after class and providing feedback for the group. Students will also be assessed on their ability to take the lesson about using quotations in writing and applying it to their own writing.

How to Use Dialogue in Writing 1. The first word of the sentence spoken has a capital letter: Example: Ms. Tabor said, I am a terrific dancer. 2. The end of the sentence spoken needs end punctuation. If the explaining words come next, use a comma in place of a period. Example: Ms. Tabor recounted, It is a great form of exercise. It is a great form of exercise, recounted Ms. Tabor. 3. When the explaining words come in the middle of a spoken sentence, use commas to separate the explaining words and do not start the next part with a capital. Example: Dancing is a great form of exercise, stated Ms. Tabor, and it is fun. 4. The first word of the sentence spoken has a capital letter. Example: Mary replied, Will you give it back? 5. The end of the sentence spoken needs end punctuation. If the tag line comes next, use a comma in place of a period. Example: Martin shouted, Yes! or Heres a pencil, then, said Mary. 6. When the tag line comes in the middle of a spoken sentence, use commas on both sides of the tag line and do not start the next part with a capital. Example: After I finish my report, said John, you can have it back. 7. All commas, periods, question marks, and exclamation marks go inside the closing quotation marks. 8. When two or more people are having a conversation, you need to start a new paragraph each time you change speakers.

Lesson 6: Watermark Event Materials o Writing utensil o Journal

Connection (0-2 minutes) Good afternoon class! I hope yesterdays activity sparked interest to write more about a vivid memory. Perhaps you have pictures of all your most splendid memories, but for those of us who do not, writing down these memories is a great way to capture the most intimate moments of our lives. Today we will be beginning our final memoir. I hope youre excited!

Active Engagement (2-10 minutes) Students will be instructed to take out their journals and respond to the following prompt. I will write the prompt on the front board: What event in your life affected the person you are today? How did it affect you?

Teaching Point (10-20 minutes) When eight minutes are up, I will get students attention. Students will have the opportunity to share what they wrote in their journals but no one is required to do so. After discussion, I will begin explaining the Watermark Event memoir that students will be writing. Students will write at least three pages for their final memoir. This memoir will be able an event in their past that has impacted who they are today as active members of society, this school, their family, or their peer

group. This event created a lasting memory that students will be able to explore through reflection and memoir writing.

Active Engagement (20-56 minutes) Students will begin working on their Watermark Event Memoir. I will walk around the room and give feedback to students and answer any questions that may arise. Students may work individually or collaborate with a partner but I expect students to be able to turn in a portion of their draft by the end of the class period.

Reinforcement (56-58 minutes) Alright class, you did a great job today! Keep up the great work and continue thinking about the ways you can best describe your Watermark Event. I hope that you see how the smallest of events can have an enormous impact on not only your life, but the lives of others as well.

Sending (58-60 minutes) Please leave your memoir progress on my desk as you leave today. Tomorrow we will continue working on our Watermark Event memoirs and I will be available for student-teacher conferences to provide feedback and extra resources that will enhance your writing. I hope you have a great day, students.

Formative Assessment Students will be assessed on their ability to grasp the idea of the final assignment. I will take note of how quickly students get to work on their drafts. If students decide to work collaboratively

with a partner during the brainstorming process, I will note whether or not these students stay on task. After class I will read students progress on their rough draft and provide feedback that will be given to them the following class period.

Summative Assessment At the end of this unit plan, students will turn in a final portfolio that will have all of the memoirs they have written throughout this month inside. Students will have had the opportunity to edit and revise each memoir using my feedback and their own skills that they have gathered throughout this unit. Students will be assessed on their ability to show revisions and their completed work. I will also make sure they have written the minimum amount and that they use colorful and engaging language and proper quotations throughout their writing.

Writing Assignment Examples Example of Six-Word Memoir Excelling Through Uprootings and Dirty Diapers

Example of Memoir Tweet Little footprints in the sand, little fingers in my hand. Expounding with laughter and neverending joy, she gets all the love I can deploy.

Example of Candy Memoir Running from the dining room to the family room to the kitchen and back again is exhausting with my older sister on my heels and my two older cousins close behind her. I know Im supposed to be helping with the Thanksgiving dinner that we are all about to eat, but once again, I have weaseled my way out of the mundane task. I look behind me. My sister has been stopped by my parents in the kitchen. I can hear my dad from the family room, Kristin, will you get those dishes and set the table? Your sister wont stand still long enough for me to explain to her how to do it. I can practically feel her eyes glaring at me. Setting the table is always a boring job. Lucky for me, I get to continue playing with my cousins and exploring my grandparents house as if we have never visited before. We have explored every crevice too many times to count but Grandma and Grandpas house is too interesting and old to only look through once. We start in the guest bedroom. Its weird because everyone always calls it a guest bedroom but it is basically empty. What are the guests supposed to sleep on? Out of the few random items that are in the room, I always find the creepy monkey in the back right corner to be

the most strange. Not only does it have huge eyes that bulge out at you as you walk through the door, but every time I see this monkey it is in a different place. My cousins think its fun to play with the monkey and the other miscellaneous things in the guest room but I just want to get out of view of that monkey. We cross the hallway into my grandparents bedroom . Am I the only person who thinks that grandparents have a distinct smell? Their whole house smells grandparent-ish but it is even stronger in their bedroom. Thats where the grandparent smell must radiate from. Even though we know that my grandparents bedroom is nothing special, we step inside just to turn to each other with a look that says, Lets keep exploring. Nothing new here. Thats just what we do. From my grandparents bedroom doorway you can see the closet with the dark wooden door that is just off the dining room clearly. The slatted door sits patiently, waiting for a little kid like me to be brave enough to see what is inside. Today, I am brave. Without saying anything to my cousins, I take off for the closet. Before I can reach my hand towards the door knob my father comes in the room: Time to eat! Are you serious? Im so close! What can I do now though? I have to follow suit. I take a seat at the table facing the closet; maybe if I stare at it long enough its interiors will show themselves. Then again maybe not. Dinner is as usual: good conversation, potty talk from my uncle, stories weve all heard at least ten times from my grandfather, and my great aunt squeezing the knee of the great niece or nephew that is sitting next to her (she must be in Heaven today because I am sitting on her right side and my cousin is on her left. How is she supposed to eat when all she does is squeeze our knee?). Out of nowhere, my mother gets up and reaches into the closet that I am so eager to get into. She doesnt seem to be able to find what she is looking for so she leans in with both arms. Half of her body has

disappeared into the cabinet. Then she emerges. WITH NOTHING. What did she do in the closet? Why did she need to go in mid-dinner? I need to get in there. With dinner almost over I rush to help clear the table. When everything has been taken back into the kitchen and the table has been wiped down, I make sure that all of my family members are gathered in the living room so as not to disturb me. My time has finally come! I race to the closet door. I reach my small fingers (whose finger nails are decorated with horribly chipped pink nail polish) to the tarnished brass doorknob. I turn the knob to the right and pull the slatted door towards me. I peer inside. I cant see anything. I switch on the light (this cabinet has its very own light, obviously it is special). My eyes start on the top shelf: plastic silverware, paper plates, plastic cups, styro-foam coffee mugs, crayons, coloring books wait! There is it! The shiny golden wrapping catches my eye. All the petite pieces in their bag. The bags upon bags upon bags. I cant believe what I am looking at. I have hit the jackpot. Only three shelves stand between me and a more-than-I-can-count supply of Wherthers.

Annotated Bibliography

1) Nguyen, Bich Minh. "School Lunch." Stealing Buddha's Dinner. New York: Penguin Books, 2008. 73-84. Print. Bich Minh Nguyen's memoir Stealing Buddha's Dinner is the narrative of Nguyen as a young Vietnamese girl who finds herself in Grand Rapids, Michigan after her family migrates from Saigon in 1975. Nguyen's account describes the memories of her childhood and adolescence as she begins to come of age and searches for her American identity. The chapter titled "School Lunch" is a humorous account of the author's thoughts, feelings, and actions during lunch on a regular day of school. This chapter is very relatable to students who have been through or are currently going through any school cafeteria during a school day and Nguyen does a terrific job of using the voice of an elementary school girl who is curious to learn about this new country she has found herself in. By using this text in the classroom, I am hoping my students will learn how to use a proper narrative voice for their own memoirs and how to describe thoughts, feelings, and events so that the reader is able to "go there" with the author. I also want my students to see how, although Nguyen may not remember every detail, the details that she does remember from her childhood are explicitly defined and utilized to create a vivid narrative. By using Nguyen's text as a mentor text, students will write their own memoir of a specific time in their daily lives within school walls.

2) Smith, Larry, and Rachel Fershleiser. I Cant Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous and Obscure. New York: HarperTeen, 2009. Print.

On day two, lesson two, I will be showing students examples of Six-Word Memoirs. I will use excerpts from this book as well as Six-Word Memoirs that are online on Smith Magazines website. Students will be able to see how explicit and engaging six words can truly be. It is my hope that by giving students the opportunity and the resources to see other Six-Word Memoirs after they have already begun writing their own, that students will be more encouraged to continue creating their piece. I will inform students on how to go about posting their Six-Word Memoirs so that they are enabled to. Showing students that this assignment is not only for inside the classroom will boost students awareness of the incredibly useful skill of writing and creating and show students that this is not just busy work.

3) Liftin, Hilary. Snickers. Candy and Me: A Love Story. New York: Free Press, 2003. 62-64. Print. Hilary Liftins Candy and Me: A Love Story is the memoir of Liftin as she ventures through life with candy. Food can spark so many memories and Liftin utilizes this point to create her memoir that is told by creating snapshots of her life through food. The memoir is engaging and spunky, just what teenagers want to read. Students will be able to see how fun writing can be and Liftins work will show students that a memoir can be about anything. Anything can spark a memoir and anything can become a memoir. Students will use Liftins chapter titled Snickers as an example for their own Candy Memoirs. Students will be given the opportunity to choose which candy they would like to write about and time to create a memoir. Liftins memoirs are relatively short but tell a clear story, an idea that I would like my students to grasp.

3) Fey, Tina. Origin Story. Bossypants. New York: Reagan Arthur Books, 2011. 9-12. Print.

Tina Feys Bossypants is the memoir of Fey as she encounters lifes most trying, exciting, and humorous situations. From her first period to writing scripts as a producer, Fey writes it all. This memoir is hilarious and I have no doubt that students will immediately become attracted to Feys memoir because of its accessible language, funny puns and plays on words, and an all-out bluntness. Fey does not hold anything back in this memoir and that is the main idea I want my students to understand after reading the chapter titled Origin Story. Students will be using Feys first chapter of Bossypants as an example text for their Special Feature Memoir. I will be pointing out that Fey does not disclose what the chapter will be primarily about until four paragraphs in; the reader is engaged all the while. I think it is important for students to understand that the main point of a narrative piece, or the thesis of an essay, does not have to be the first sentence of your writing, it doesnt even need to be in the first paragraph. I want to students to have fun with this an explore a unique characteristic or feature that they have that makes them special.

5) Beah, Ishmael. "1." A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. New York: Sarah Crichton Books, 2007. 5-12. Print. Ishmael Beah's A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier is a fantastic book that describes the horrifying events of a twelve-to-thirteen year old boy who is captured and trained as a menacing soldier. This first-person account tells the story of the terrifying events seen and participated in as a young boy soldier who was hopped-up on drugs and infused with scenes from Rambo movies. Beah tells his story without any censors and exposes to readers the truth behind many of the wars fought worldwide.

By using this text in the classroom, I am hoping my students will learn how to use a proper narrative voice for their own memoirs and how to describe thoughts, feelings, and events so that the reader is able to "go there" with the author. I also want to use this text as a mentor text for the memoirs that my students will be writing that will pertain to a specific, life-changing event in their lives; as large or as minute as this event may be. Beah's text will serve as an extreme example of a life-changing event but is a great way to show students how to write with emotion and honesty.