LessonTopic:WritingMemoirs Gradelevel:9/10

Lengthoflesson:Two,50minutesclassperiods

Stage1DesiredResults
ContentStandard(s):
9.7.3.3Writenarrativesandothercreativetextsdeveloprealorimaginedexperiencesor
eventsusingeffectivetechnique,wellchosendetails,andwellstructuredevent
sequences.
Engageandorientthereaderbysettingoutaproblem,situation,orobservation,
establishingoneormultiplepoint(s)ofview,andintroducinganarratorand/or
characterscreateasmoothprogressionofexperiencesorevents.
Useliteraryandnarrativetechniques,suchasdialogue,pacing,rhythm,repetition,
rhyme,description,reflection,andmultipleplotlines,todevelopexperiences,events,
and/orcharacters.

Useavarietyoftechniquestosequenceeventssothattheybuildononeanotherto
createacoherentwhole.
Useprecisewordsandphrases,tellingdetails,figurativeandsensorylanguageto
conveyavividpictureoftheexperiences,events,setting,and/orcharacters.
Provideaconclusion(whenappropriatetothegenre)thatfollowsfromandreflects
onwhatisexperienced,observed,orresolvedoverthecourseofthenarrativeor
creativetext.

9.7.5.5Useawritingprocesstodevelopandstrengthenwritingasneededbyplanning,
drafting,revising,editing,rewriting,ortryinganewapproach,focusingonaddressing
whatismostsignificantforaspecificpurposeandaudience.(Editingforconventions
shoulddemonstratecommandofLanguagestandards13uptoandincludinggrades
910onpage75.)

9.7.6.6Usetechnology,includingtheInternet,toproduce,publish,andupdateindividual
orsharedwritingproducts,takingadvantageoftechnologyscapacitytolinktoother
informationandtodisplayinformationflexiblyanddynamically.

AssumedKnowledge:

Studentshavejustfinishedreadingamemoir:
IAmMalala
,byMalalaYousafzai
Studentsknowthedefinitionsoforhavebeenexposedtowordssuchas:

Conflict

Theme

Character

Majorandminor

Setting

Whereandwhen

Resolution

Understanding(s)/goals
EssentialQuestion(s):
Studentswillunderstand:

Whatisamemoir?(Whatisthe

Amemoirisamoreinformalforma
differencebetweenamemoirandan
writing,wherestoriesandmomentsare
autobiography)
collectedfromasubjectslifewhether Whenarememoirsappropriateforthe
theyarepublicorprivate.Itisalso
classroom?
focusedmoreontheemotional

Howdomemoirshelpus?Helpothers?
responsesofthesubjectornarrator
andmaycontainelementsoffiction.
Anautobiographyisamore
formalformawriting.Itismore
encompassingofapersonslife
andgivesdetailsandfactsnot
normallyfoundinamemoir.

Memoirsshouldbeemotional,butnot
dramatic.Whenweputtoomuch
emotionintoourwriting,sometimesour
messagecanbelost.Thereshouldbe
abalancebetweentheemotionandthe
actionthathappensinyourmemoir.

Memoirscanhelpusdocumentthe
pastandhowwefelt,notjustwithfacts
andchronologies.

Creatingmultipledraftsofthesame
storycanstrengthenwritingbyrevising
andlookingatourworkthroughfresh
eyes.

Peerrevisionstrengthensourwriting
becausewecangetnewideasand
outlooksonourwork.

Studentobjectives(outcomes):
Studentswillbeableto:

Beabletoidentify,asaclass,elementsofthememoirbasedonatextthattheyhave
alreadyread.

Tellthedifferencebetweenamemoirandanautobiography

Usethewritingprocessinordertostrengthentheirfinaldraft

Beabletousesensorylanguagetostrengthentheirwritingability

Usegraphicorganizersasatemplatetostartthewritingprocess.

Stage2AssessmentEvidence
PerformanceTask(s):

Studentswillhelpfilloutagroup
graphicorganizerbasedonasectionof
textfrom,
IAmMalala
,asamodel.

Graphicorganizersthatarecomplete
withdescriptivewordsandphrases.

Storyoutlinesthatarecompletewith
fullsentencedescriptionsthatcanbe
appliedtotheirmemoir.

Atleastonecompletedraftoftheir
memoirthatisworkshoppedbyapeer.

Onefinaldraftoftheirmemoir.

Acompletedchecklistthatissignedby
theinstructor,thestudent,andthe
workshoppeer.

OtherEvidence:

Physicalhandinginoftheorganizers

Physicalhandingonofacompletedand
initialledchecklistbytheinstructor,the
student,andtheworkshoppeer.

Digitalhandinginofthedraftthathas
beenworkshopped

Digitalhandinginofthefinal,clean
copyoftheirmemoir

Stage3LearningPlan
LearningActivities:
DayOne
FIRST:Journalprompt10minutes(writeonboard)
Letsstartoutwithajournalprompttogetourmindswarmedupfortoday.
Everyoneripoutapieceofpaperandgrabsomethingtowritewith.Quick,quick,we
donthavealotoftime.
Okay,letsgooverthesetogetherbeforewedivein.
1. Whatisoneofthefunniest,mostembarrassing,ormostmemorableeventsin
yourlifethatyouremember?Howdidyoufeel?Whowereyouwith?Whatdid
youlearn?

SECOND:Introduction10(minutes)
Alright,wewillcomebacktotheseinjustalittlebit,butfornowletsbrainstormsome
differentgenresofwriting:(HereswhatImhoping:fiction,nonfiction,autobiography,
memoir,scify,romancebesuretokeeptheclassontrackwithGENRESofwriting.)
Iftheydonotnamememoir,illaskwhatkindofgenre,
IAmMalala
,isandiftheydont
know,welllookituptogetherandi'llerasethegenresandwriteitontheboardwiththe
definition.
Sweet,sonowthatweknowthatthebookisamemoir,letspeekatpage236skim
throughitforaminuteandwritedownaquicksummaryofthechapter.Afterthatlets

hearsomeresponses.
(Letthemlookandwrite.)
Copythestorymapgraphicorganizerontotheboardandfillitoutasaclasswith
informationtakenfromthechapter.
Hereisanexamplebelowofwhatitmightlooklikewhenwearedone.


Theclassversionmightevenlookbetterbecausetheyhaveactuallyreadthebook
thoroughly,butwellfindout.

THIRD:About5minutes
NowthatwevefiguredouthowtoapplyMalalasstorytoastorymap,youwillgetto
applyyourownstory.
IhavecreatedawebsiteonWordpress.com,whereIwillpostyourmemoirsifyouwant
themtobepublished.WecantakealooktomorroworWednesdayatthewebsiteand
whatitlllookliketopublishyourmemoir.Ihavewrittenasampleonethatpeoplecan
lookatiftheywantareference.
Rememberwhatamemoiris
acollectionofmemoriesthatanindividualwrites

aboutmomentsorevents,bothpublicorprivatethattookplaceinthesubject's
life.Butforthepurposeofthisassignment,justlikewithourexampleofone
chapterfromMalala,weareonlyusingonestory.Youcanusethestoryyou
wroteaboutinyourjournalpromptfromearlieroranotherstorythatyoucanthink
ofthatfitsthatprompt.
Onceyouhavedecidedonamemoirtogowith,herearethegraphicorganizers
youmustfillout,andachecklistthatwillhelpyoukeeptrackoftherequirements
fortheassignment.You
must
havethegraphicorganizersfilledoutbeforeyou
cangetachromebookandbeginyourfirstdraft.

Herearetheguidelines:
MemoirAssignmentGuidelines/Checklist

Directions:
Overthenexttwoclassperiodswewillbelearninghowtowriteamemoir,justlikeMalala
Yousafzai.InorderforMs.Singletontoacceptyourproject,youmustcompleteeverythingonthis
checklistandturnitinwiththeprojectbytheduedate.Thepurposeofthischecklistissothatyou
havesomethingphysicaltoholdontoandlookatthattellsyouwhattheexpectationsareforthe
assignment.Yourgoalistofillitoutasyoucompleteeachtasklisted,andthenreturnittomeso
thatImayaccountforalloftherequiredwork.

Checklist:
CompletetheStoryFramegraphicorganizer.
Isyourinformationonthepaper?
Name
Date
Period
Isyourhandwritinglegible?(Youmayneedtoaskaclassmateiftheyareableto
readyourwriting.

 Haveyouusedfullsentencestofillinsomethingforeveryboxonthepage?(Both
frontandback)

CompletetheCharacterDescriptiongraphicorganizer.
Isyourinformationonthepaper?
Name
Date
Period
Isyourhandwritinglegible?(Youmayneedtoaskaclassmateiftheyareableto
readyourwriting).
Haveyouputthenameofthecharacterbyitspropersetofdescriptionboxes?
Haveyoufilledinsomethingforeveryboxonthepage?
CompletethetimelineonthebackofyourCharacterDescriptiongraphicorganizer.
Doyouhaveallfiveeventsfilledin?
Doyouhaveonecompletesentencetogoalongwitheacheventonyourtimeline?

Onedraftofyourmemoirhasbeentyped.
Itisfiveparagraphslong?
Hasitbeenworkshoppedbyapeer?
Istheirinitialnexttoalloftheircommentsandsuggestions?
HaveyousharedyourdraftasadocumentoverGoogle.docswithMs.Singleton?
Haveyourworkshoppeersigntheirnamehere:

Workshoppeerssignature_________________________________________

Onefinalcopyofyourmemoir.
Areyoursentencescapitalized?
Doyoursentenceshavecorrectpunctuation?
Iseverythingspelledcorrectlyinyourfinaldraft?
Isitfiveparagraphslong?
HaveyoushareditoverGoogle.docswithMs.Singleton?
Whenyoushareyourfinaldraft,haveyouspecifiedwhetherornotyouwantyour
memoirtobepublishedonline?(Onlyyourlastnamewillbeattachedtoyourstory
unlessyouhavethesamelastnameassomeoneelse,inwhichcasetheinitialof
yourfirstnamewillalsobepresent.

IfyouplantohaveyourmemoirputontothewebsitethatMs.Singletoncreated,Haveyou
alsosharedapicturewithheroverGoogle.docsthatyouwantattachedtoyourstory?

Handinthephysicalcopiesofyour:
StoryFramegraphicorganizer
CharacterDescriptiongraphicorganizer
Checklistthatissignedbyyouandyourworkshoppeer.

Studentssignature:__________________________________________

Instructorssignature:________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
Also:herearesomeexamplesofmefillingouttheorganizers.

FOUR:about25minutes.
SoIllhandthoseouttothemandgivethemtherestofclasstoworkonthose
andtheycangetthemcheckedoutbymeastheyfinishthem,thentheycangrab
achromebookandstartworkingontheirfirstdraft.Ifitisnotdone,theymust
comebacktomorrowwithitfinished.Makesuretotellthemtoemailyouthedraft
ifitsfinishedandtoemailittothemselvesifitsnotfinishedsotheycanworkon
it,ortohandwriteitiftheydonthaveacomputerathomeandbepreparedto
finishitquicklythenextclassperiod.

DayTwo:
Entireclasstime
Finishorganizersandfirstdrafts/peerworkshops.
Beginfinaldrafts.
**Ifstudentsseemtobestrugglingwiththeworkload,cutbackonthegraphic
organizerrequirement.Perhapstheyworkbetterbyjustdivingin,anyways.***
(Everyonewillbeworkingatadifferentpacesoitllbedifficulttoplanthisallout.)

DayThree:
Shouldjustbefinishingupfinaldraft.