Memoir Journal Prompts

How does remembering the past help to shape the future? Journal

Journal

Journal

Journal

Journal

Journal

Journal

Memoir Elements

What is a memoir? What are some elements of “memoir”?

What is a memoir? What are some elements of “memoir”? The Wonder Years

Memoir 6 Word Memoir

6 Word Memoirs

6 Word memoir examples Future me won’t be living here. Saturday: Video Games, Couch, Ice Cream. Got any directions to Easy Street? Love me, cherish me; accept me. Wait, I had something to say… Bubble floating through air. Waiting. Cringing. I’m getting lost in reality. Again.

-Ms. Davis

-Ms. Davis

The Challenge: Write your life story in 6 Words Start with a list. List several topics, memories, or personality traits that could be the focus of your 6 Word Memoir (Look back at your last couple journals for ideas) Use the following questions to help you brainstorm: Where do you live? How many siblings do you have? What are your favorite things to do, favorite foods, favorite places, etc.? What important events have happened in your life? What is important to you? What are some personality traits that describe you?

The Challenge: Write your life story in 6 Words Select a couple ideas from your brainstorm and expand them into 6 words Revise Explore synonyms for words (you can use your device to access a thesaurus) Play around with your word order Play around with your punctuation. Can you incorporate a colon, a semi-colon, an ellipsis, or a dash? Not sure how to use them? Watch a fun video tutorial: COLON SEMI-COLON ELLIPSIS DASH

The Challenge: Write your life story in 6 Words Publish your memoir. Find a picture that captures the essence of your memoir. Using PPT, make the image your background and arrange your 6 words in a meaningful and aesthetically pleasing way. Be sure to choose a font that is easy to read (consider size and color) Consider fading the background picture or adding a wash to make the text more readable (see me for help with this)

Memoir Mentor Texts

Memoirs “Shame” by Dick Gregory “The Chase” by Annie Dillard From On Writing by Stephen King “I’m in a Cappin’ Mood” by Mishna Wolff “The Day it Rained Cockroaches” by Paul Zindel “Judgement Day” by Michael Blak

Reading a memoir As you read, stop to NOTICE and WONDER. What do you notice about the text? Pay particular attention to the text’s structure and the kinds of details the author uses. Put a * next to anything that you notice. (HINT: You should notice signposts!) What do you wonder? You can wonder about content or about how the content is delivered. Put a ? next to anything that makes you wonder. (HINT: How does the signpost connect to a bigger meaning? Why does the author use the signpost?) Possible texts to read (use same process for each text you read): “Fish Cheeks” by Amy Tan “Big Boy” by David Sedaris “Shame” by Dick Gregory Excerpt from The Glass Castle: http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/OnlyinAmerica/story?id=549259&page=1&singlePage=true Excerpt from Annie Dillard’s An American Childhood: http://www.mpsaz.org/rmhs/staff/dmsokol/101/assigned-readings/files/annie_dillard_the_chase2.pdf Saturday and Teacakes by Lester Laminack: http://www.beatricepublicschools.org/pages/uploaded_files/Saturday%20and%20Teacakes%20Packet.pdf Excerpt from Knucklehead by John Scieska (scroll down to see excerpts from two chapters): http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95104334 Excerpt from Boy by Roald Dahl (scroll through for some excerpts): www.hollyhallacademy.co.uk/wp.../04/Week-2-Early-Childhood.docx Excerpt from Knots in my Yo Yo String: http://www.rcsdk8.org/ourpages/auto/2010/8/24/54998120/Autobiography.pdf Excerpt from Knots in my Yo Yo String: https://sharepoint.ocsarts.net/student/academic/Kelly_Gustaves/LC8/Lists/Announcements/Attachments/123/War+by+Jerry+Spinelli.pdf

Memoirs make use of Narrative Elements Dialogue Imagery Sequencing Description Reflection Transition Words Make class list of what kids noticed and wondered. From this list, help them identify commonalities and guide them to identifying elements of narrative writing.

Memoir Writing a Memory

How accurate are memoirs? How can you write the story of your life when your memories don't exactly match up with the facts? Consider the following story about James Frey, author of A Million Little Pieces: Drawing the Line Between Facts and Fiction in Memoir Should a memoir tell the whole truth? Where should a writer draw the line between fact and fiction in memoir?