1. Being the star of your own story.
Memoirs
Being the star of your own story.

2. Monday – Day One DGP 13 Shmoop video
Half the class will be given an article on memoirs. The other half will have another article. As you read through the article, look for passages that tell you what a memoir is. Annotate as you read.
After you finish reading, we will make a T-chart of what a memoir is and isn’t.
Introduction to unit project.

3. Tuesday – Day Two DGP 13 Writing interesting opening lines.
Work in pairs to create interesting opening lines using SAD.
Each pair will write their opening lines on butcher paper and share with the class.
Work on your encyclopedia.

4. Setting Action Dialogue
​ ​
Cinderella
​Once upon a time there lived…… ​
For interesting opening lines use one of these
Setting Action Dialogue
​S In a deep, dark forest in a distant kingdom there was a ​mansion house built of warm red stone within its walls ​lived a beautiful young girl, her name was…Cinderella. ​
A BANG a plate hit the wall, CRASH a glass shattered on the ​floor, Cinderella sat on the stairs and sighed…her sisters were ​fighting again.
D “CINDERELLA!” yelled her stepmother. “Get down here this ​instant – stupid girl!” Cinderella sighed and wondered what ​they wanted this time.

6. Monday Memories Tied to Food
DGP 14 (We’re not going over answers. Use your directions to complete.)
Brainstorm food tied to memories
Read All American Slurp in Literature textbook p. 424.
On a sheet of notebook paper, as you read list examples of cultural differences with food.
Example: chopsticks instead of forks and spoons.
You should have at least 5 to turn in at the end of class.
If we have any time after this activity, you may work on your encyclopedia.

7. Punctuating Dialogue
Quotation marks go around what is being said. A period, comma, question mark, or exclamation mark goes INSIDE the quotation mark.
Lily said, “Let’s go to the park after school.”
“Do you want ice cream?" asked Peter.
“ I love my new kitten,” exclaimed Tina. “He is so playful. ”
“ I stayed up late, ” said Charles, “ to finish reading my book. ”
Ticket out the door. Hand to me on your way out.

8. As you watch the following videos, write at least three things you find interesting. You may use bullet points. Label the videos as follows:
American/Chinese Culture
25 Etiquette Rules
Kids Eat Breakfast
Exotic Asian Food
Panda Express
American vs Chinese Culture
25 Etiquette Rules From Around the World
American Kids Eat Breakfast From Around the World
American Try Asian Exotic Food
Chinese People Eat Panda Express
Turn in your notes and work on your encyclopedia. Entries F – J are due for Friday’s check point.

9. Tuesday Memories Tied to Food continued
As you listen to the following videos, make notes on anything you can relate to. Example: My family eats cornbread every Sunday.
Saturday and Teacakes Too Many Tamales 
The Strange Things Southerners Eat-video of Rick Bragg
Kitchen Dance
Fireflies
Bed head
The Keeping Quilt
Chocolate Me
“Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner” by Rick Bragg
Activity for the day on the next slide.

10. Thursday, November 19th
Complete DGP 14 (USE YOUR DIRECTIONS), check through what you have done this week, and turn it in (counts as a quiz grade).
You will be given three Rick Bragg articles. Read through each, but do not write on the copies (class set). Fill out the Attributes Chart for Memoirs.
On the paper provided, list descriptive language that Bragg uses in his writing to make it humorous and memorable. You do not have to cite where you found it in the article. You MUST have at least 5 notations for each article (more would be better). Explain why you think it’s humorous/memorable. Turn in at the end of class.

11. WHAT MY CHILDHOOD TASTED LIKE
 Directions:
Step 1: List at least ten foods of your childhood.
Step 2: Select the most delicious from your list (that also has the best story attached to it)
Step 3: Explain in a memoir at least one page long.
Examples:
French toast my dad made every Sunday morning and served to us in bed.
Lemons my grandfather got me to lick just to see my face pucker up
Christmas candy the women in my family made all together at a large table
Icee’s my sister and I ate in the back of my dad’s truck as he drove around

12. Friday – Day 5
Work on your encyclopedia.

13. Common errors you will be counted off for on your Memoir project (50% of your grade):
No comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence.
No comma after a dependent clause in a complex sentence.
No comma after a prepositional phrase at the beginning of a sentence.
Missing words in a sentence (proofread your work).
Misspelled words (If you aren’t typing it get someone to proofread it).
Repetitive words or phrases (Don’t restate a sentence over and over. It’s BORING to the reader)
DO NOT START YOUR SENTENCE WITH THEN OR SO. Your sentence means the same without it, and it makes the paragraph choppy and sounding like a list. BORING.
Exclamation points for no reason. You only use exclamation points if you are yelling. (Stop! Don’t run in front of that bus. NOT – They are good! If you want it read as yelling, state that it was yelled. “I don’t know,” she yelled.