Memoir Writing

Writing Memoirs … Journals… Diaries… Personal Narratives
Book Title/Cover	Memoir Overview	Objective	Lesson Links & Black Line Masters
	Number 21 recalls an event in author Nancy Hundal’s life in which her Dad brings home a new truck. Readers are lead on a mini mystery as the truck is used in an unconventional way on a hot summer day.	Well written memoirs are based on ideas that have a very tight focus. In this lesson, Nancy’s book is used as a mentor text to model the narrow writing focus we want our students to have.	Generating memoir topics at the beginning of the unit Writing Trait: Ideas Number 21: Ideas to Launch a Primary Memoir Unit Number 21: Launching an Intermediate Memoir Unit
	Two very different friends explore what it would be like to be more like the other.	The objective of this lesson is to have young students add details or elaborate on one idea.	Writing Trait: Ideas Me and You Lesson
	There are lots of new things in kindergarten. tiptoe into offers a glimpse into the first days of school when doing things with others may be a bit overwhelming.	The objective of this lesson is to teach young children how to elaborate or add details about one topic using Lori Rog’s Five Finger strategy.	Writing Trait: Ideas Tiptoe into kindergarten
	While students and teacher walk to the park, the last child in the line sees something that no one else sees and the creativity begins.	Students create their own squiggles using string or markers, then turn them into something imaginative.	Writing Trait: Ideas The Squiggle Lesson
	In this video, Faye Brownlie shares an artful writing approach with a group of grade 1/2 students.	The objective of this lesson is to use art and oral language as vehicles to develop story writing language.	The Squiggle Lesson from SD 72
	Be careful with that stick… or is it a stick? This book provides creative inspiration.	In this lessons, students think of different things that a stick might become. This is not a stick, it’s a magician’s wand!	Writing Trait: Ideas Not a Stick Lesson
	During a walk you can see, hear and catch all sorts of interesting things.	In this lesson, kindergarten children will draw pictures with lables to represent seasonal, sensory items.	Writing Trait: Ideas On My Walk
	There’s something in the tackle box. Fly-fishing items are pulled out, described and illustrated in this snapshot. At the end, we find out what is being sought.	Building memoir writing criteria together as a class is the focus of this lesson.	All Writing Traits A Good Day’s Fishing A Good Day’s Fishing Primary
	Eva’s teacher has asked her to write about what she knows, but nothing every happens on 90th Street. Or does it? As Eva searches for writing ideas, she is given advice from some colourful characters in her neighborhood.	In this lesson, students listen for the pieces of advice Eva is given and record them on a black line master. After modeling how this advice is used, students do a quick write of their own.	Black line masters below are from http://www.writingfix.com/Index.htm Writing Trait: Ideas 90th Street Advice 90th Street Teacher Model 90th Street Quick Write
	When Matt goes out to play in his new neighborhood, all he sees is a boring, empty lot. But with a stick, a little imagination and a few new friends, Mattland is born.	In this lesson, students use the *Show, Don’t Tell* writing strategy to add details to their writing.	Writing Trait: Ideas Mattland Lesson
	Father and son watch machines at work while a new school is built.	Getting young students to add details to their written work is the focus of this lesson.	Writing Trait: Ideas Building With Dad
	Vivid description make this a not to be missed memoir.	In this lesson sensory descriptions are discussed so that students have a better understanding of how to make pictures for their reader.	Writing Trait: Ideas All the Places to Love
	This is a delightful book filled with funny similes that entertain.	In this lesson, students are taught how to write similes and encouraged to add these snippetts of poetry to other pieces of writing.	Trait: Word Choice My Dog Is As Smelly as Dirty Socks
	Granpa has magical explanations for ordinary things – a frosty window-pan, dewdrops sparkling on the grass, even his own bald head – and Granpa never lies.	In this lesson, students listen for the kinds of details that writers include that other people tend to miss. Teacher and students co-construct criteria about adding details to a their writing.	Writing Trait: Ideas Grandpa Never Lies
	When father and daughter go owling, they connect with each other and their environment.	Jane Yolen uses vivid description to retell this event. In this lesson, students look at the author’s use of the senses as a means to elaborate … to add details.	Writing Trait: Ideas Owl Moon Lesson
	When Amelia has to move, her mother gives her a notebook to record her thoughts and feelings in hopes it will make her feel better.	Increase writing engagement by inviting students to doodle and add momentos to their own writing notebook ala Amelia.
	A father retells a childhood event to his daughter.	This book may be used to generate memoir topics – life’s lessons learned. Pages also contain clear examples of paragraphing. Have students use attached pages to write “When to start a new paragraph rules.”	Writing Trait: Ideas Use this book to brainstorm “life’s lessons learned.” This topic has the potential to fuel many memoirs. Writing Trait: Conventions When To Start a New Paragraph
	Author Lois Lowry recalls the return of her father from the war. They spend a special day together getting to know one another and calling the crows. Don’t miss the picture on the last page.	Great writing contains a mixture of short, medium and long sentences. In this lesson, students use Lowry’s text as a model and try some of their own.	Writing Trait: Sentence Fluency Crow Call Sentence Lesson Writing Trait: Word Choice Crow Call Word Choice Lesson
	During hard times, when Grandad moves out, Timmerman moves in. But is he trustworthy? When Timmerman is seen late at night, rumours start to fly. A surprising ending, reveals the answer.	The lead sentence in this book creates a little mystery. In this lesson, students will learn a variety of ways to write lead sentences. Can leads become artful endings? Read through the lesson to find out!	Writing Trait: Organization Timmerman Was Here
	Fletcher shares all sorts of suggestions to help writers tell their life stories. With quick lines such as, “Write small. I’m talking details here.” he shares humorous insights about his craft. A great read aloud during a memoir writing unit.	Share knowledge of the writer’s craft. This book contains lots of ideas to turn into explicit mini-lessons.	Collect family stories – page 10 Gather life’s artifacts – page 12 Sketch a map of your neighborhood (pg.13) or your heart (pg. 18) Find a focus – page 27 Write small – page 46 Inside/outside of a character – page 54
	From the first line of text, you just know this book is loaded with voice! Sophie Peterman has a lot to say about baby brothers. Will her opinion change as she gets to know the newest member of the family?	In this lesson, students learn about voice by assessing voice in sample pieces of text.	Writing Trait: Voice Sophie Peterman Lesson Sophie Peterman Sophie Peterman Voice Rubric
	The sights, smells and activities at Uncle John’s Farm are the focus for this memoir.	Told in first person, Sally Fitz Gibbon uses poetic sentence structure to carry her message. In this lesson, students mimic her use of “ing” sentence beginnings to write complex sentences themselves.	Writing Trait: Sentence Fluency On Uncle John’s Farm Lesson On Uncle John’s Farm
	This is a wordless picture book with hilarious photos of food.	Use the photos as a means to gather details in a kid-friendly way. Use the Show, Don’t Tell strategy to describe emotions. In this example “mad” is analyzed.	Writing Trait: Ideas Food Play Lesson
	This is another wordless picture book. It begins with a close-up view and gradually takes in more of the scene.	When the pictures in this book are viewed backwards – from the last page to the first- it becomes a great zoom in on your topic lesson.	Writing Trait: Ideas A few Zoom pages
	Each chapter of Fletcher’s memoir, tells a story of his childhood.	This is a great read-aloud during a memoir unit. Photocopy one of the shorter chapters and have students, with rubric in hand, search for writing skills worth imitating.	Writing Trait: Ideas Marshfield Dreams Lesson Link (from writingfix.com)
	Told from the perspective of a baby who loves to write, this book will make you laugh!	After hearing this book read aloud, students will write in role pretending they are a baby examining the world around them.	Writing Trait: Ideas Born Yesterday RAFTS lesson
	Given a classrooom writing assignment, all the other students seem to have things to write about. Author Janet Wong shares ideas to turn everyday events into personal stories worth telling.	Use as a read-aloud.	Writing Trait: Ideas Simply create a class chart listing some of Wong’s advice.

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Memoir Writing

Writing

Memoirs … Journals… Diaries… Personal Narratives