1. Initial Question: How can I encourage my students to boost their confidence by writing about what they know through personal experience and identify their goals/plans for their future as they write an autobiography?

2. Purpose/Goals for this assignment  writing curriculum: autobiography  break down and organize the memoir writing process  good tool that gives students confidence when approaching small writing tasks  identify goals and plans for their future as they write an autobiography  create a positive classroom environment  get to know each other

3. Activity Sequence: -Pre-Teaching: Prompt: If you could be anything or anyone you wanted to be. Who would you want to be and why? Have students share responses with a partner and discuss what they wrote as a whole class.

4. Life Maps  Create a Life Map (one piece of white paper, colors, pencils)  As you draw your Life Map Think about: Where you were born? Where you first lived? What chores you did as a younger kid? What were some of your favorite T.V. shows? What kind of sports you played? How many brothers/sisters you have? Who were your friends? What kind of activities you did? Where you went to kindergarten, elementary, middle school, high school? What are your goals/plans for your future when you graduate from high school? Monitor students by walking around the classroom, asking them to explain their “Career after graduation” or “ What are some funny stories they remember when they were younger.” -Share Life Map with a partner. -Think-Write-Share based on the life maps the similarities and differences from your life and your partner. -What did you find unique/interesting from your partner that you didn’t know before? -Generate a claim based on your partner’s life map.

5. -Share to my class my own autobiography. Also, you can take your class to research 2 or 3 different autobiographies online. -After exposing the students to different examples of autobiographies. Show a Youtube Video: http://video.about.com/homeworktips/How-to-Write-an- Autobiography.htm and have them in small groups respond to the following questions:http://video.about.com/homeworktips/How-to-Write-an- Autobiography.htm 1.Define autobiography in your own words. 2.What is the purpose of writing an autobiography? 3.How can I connect this piece of writing in the real-world? -Share responses as a whole class. -Provide students with an Autobiography Outline. Independently, students write their own autobiographies in class. Monitor students and provide feedback. -Computer Lab: Type their essays

6. Power Point Presentations -Teach and guide students how to use Power Point -Provide Autobiography Outline for Power Point Presentations. -After the students completed their presentations, allow them to share them with a partner (hard copy) to practice their oral skills and reduce anxiety. -Power Point Oral Presentations in class. Have students create questions to “interview” the presenter.

7. Guiding Questions: By looking at their essays and outlines were my students able to write a sequence of events using their Life Maps? How can I grow more writing and develop this process further for next year’s writing curriculum?

8. Reflection: -If I were to go back I would like to have my students generate claims within their writing. -I would like to increase independence in student writing by avoiding a structured 5 paragraph essay. -Emphasize the importance of elaborating autobiographies as simple as making your own rules and take ownership of your own papers without having students to worry about not writing well. -Include time for peer to peer review -Extend this assignment for students to share their autobiographies with a family member, another teacher, a counselor, or the principal and have them provide feedback to their papers.