To prepare for crafting their own memoir, class members examine poetry by Margaret Atwood, Billy Collins, Robert Hayden, and Claude McKay, stories by Richard Rodriquez and Willa Cather, and Barry Levinson's film Avalon. They examine how writers language to evoke feelings of nostalgia and then apply these techniques to their own piece.

Concepts

narrative poetry, poetry analysis, literary themes, universal themes, elements of a short story, short stories, Narrative Writing, narratives, personal narratives

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Begin with a discussion of memory triggers, such as smells, sounds, or objects, and ask class members to note stories that these triggers bring to mind

Classroom Considerations

• Remind writers that they will be asked to share their memoir with others and should select a story they are willing to share
• No links are provided to the texts; however, they are all readily available on the Internet

Pros

• The 56-page packet includes a unit plan of 14 carefully scaffolded lessons

Cons

Common Core

RL.11-12.4 RL.11-12.5 W.11-12.3.a W.11-12.9.a L.11-12.5.a