Using the writing process as a framework, teachers can guide students to create effective personal writing. By teaching mini-lessons, modeling, and analyzing examples, they can lead students to include thought shots and snapshots that will warm the hearts of their readers.
Introducing Students to Memoir Writing
To set the stage, read Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mim Fox (Kane/Miller Book Publishers, September 1989). Discuss the relationship that develops in the story and the fact that we often have a special relationship with someone (often older).
In a memoir, authors want to support memories of this relationship with specific experiences. Usually the success of the memoir lies in the writer’s ability to provide the reader with an understanding of the importance of the relationship.
Analyzing an Effective Memoir
Give students a copy of an example or touchstone. After reading it together, discuss the author’s RAMP (role, audience, mode, purpose). Discuss paragraph 1. How does the author grab the audience’s attention? What is the purpose or big idea?
Discuss paragraph 2, 3, and 4. What impact did the person have on the author? Is it well explained so that the audience understands the importance of the relationship?
Discuss the final paragraph. Does the author refer back to the opening? Does the author use a clincher to keep the audience thinking?
Prewriting for an Effective Memoir
Model the prewriting process, by showing students how to brainstorm a list of many, varied, and unusual people with whom they have had special relationships. The list might include parents, teachers, grandparents, aunts, and uncles, etc. After they have generated a list, have each student select the one person who has impacted their life the most.
Model creating a list of life lessons learned through the relationship. These lessons might include some of the following: belief in self, empathy, and the secret of happiness. Put stars by the three ideas that best show the significance of the relationship.
Have students follow the example and then share with a classmate. They should discuss how they felt and how their lives were impacted by the person. They should include every fact, detail, and idea that they can think of to describe their relationship with the person.
Outlining to Create Effective Memoirs
Discuss the importance of outlining to organize ideas. As a whole class, outline the touchstone, looking carefully at the life lessons. How did they make the author feel? How did they influence the author’s life?
Model an outline and have students follow the example.
Drafting, Revising, and Editing
Reread paragraph two of the touchstone. Did the author paint a picture of the relationship? To further analyze the example, do likes and withes. In this activity, the students decide on what they like best and what they think the author should change.
Model drafting paragraph two, thinking aloud during the activity. Include thought shots so the audience can feel the significance of the relationship and snapshots so the audience can see what happened. Using their outlines, have students draft paragraph two. Afterwards, have them use likes and wishes to revise and edit with a partner.
Continue the process with paragraphs three and four.
Teaching Students to Write Leads
Before drafting paragraph 1, review the purpose of leads – to grab the audience’s attention. Watch the first few minutes of the movie, The Lion King. Discuss how the opening sets the stage, making viewers want to watch the movie.
Like the opening of the movie, students should write leads that will make the audience want more. Students may start their memoir with an anecdote, a quotation, dialogue, a question, or a riddle, etc. Make sure that the lead relates to the relationship.
They shouldn’t give away the purpose too soon. Instead, their purpose should be at the end of the opening paragraph. The purpose should be the central thread that links the parts of the whole.
Reread the opening paragraph of the touchstone. Discuss the lead and the purpose. Model paragraph one and have students follow the example. Revise and edit with partners as on paragraphs two, three, and four.
Teaching Students to Write a Closing
Before drafting paragraph five, discuss the purpose of clinchers. A great ending relates back to the grabber. If the grabber says, “Is there anyone that makes your heart sing?” Then the clincher might say, “Looking back at the harmonious days that _____________ and I spent together fills my life with a sweet melody.”
Reread the closing paragraph of the touchstone. Discuss. After modeling the closing paragraph, have students draft, revise, and edit as above.
Have students read their entire memoir to the class. As students do likes and wishes, encourage them to talk in the language of effective writing:Comments should be very specific. Example – “After hearing your opening, I wanted to see how a person could make ‘your heart sing’.” On a sticky note, list three likes and one wish for the student to focus on during the home learning activity that night. As they make the changes at home, have students use a different color to readily show the revisions.
Publishing Students' Memoirs
Have students publish their writing by making a final copy and adding a picture of the person who most impacted their lives.
To write effective memoirs, students need to analyze examples of effective writing. Throughout the steps of the writing process, they should brainstorm many, varied, and unusual ideas. By including thought shots and snapshots, they will be able to write memoirs that will warm the hearts of their audience.
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