MultiGenre Memoir--My Daily Reflections and Lessons
(Click on the title for a link to PART of my multigenre memoir at ASU)
Time--2 weeks 90 minutes a day
Level--9th grade English 1 (easily adaptable)
Well, I started this memoir project two weeks ago. We began work on our projects after students read Tears of a Tiger, by Sharon Draper. They loved the book, by the way. Throughout the reading, we had meaningful and authentic discussions about the author's use of genre, why for instance she opened the book with a news article that objectively discusses the tragic car accident before she flashed back to conversation in the locker room beforehand.
The following notes are from my observations in and after class as we worked on the project. This particular project was completed with two year-long English 9/Reading classes. The highest reading level is 6th grade, and many of the students are EC, ELL, or 504.
I adapted this project from http://urbachc.org/urb_multigenre_memoir.htm In my class, step 5 is called a learning log rather than a writing journal because it is the tool I already had in place. I excluded the preface in step 6, required 4 genres rather than 6, and combined the reflection and end notes into a section called author's notes. I did not use the rubric on this site!
A quick explanation/overview of writing workshop: http://www.teachersfirst.com/lessons/writers/writer-4.html (This is a design that works for all ages, and you can find many nore resources online.)
Great online staff development for writer's workshop, with printables like status of class sheet: http://www.eworkshop.on.ca/edu/core.cfm?p=modView.cfm&navID=modView&L=1&modID=24&c=3&CFID=1254468&CFTOKEN=3a368c24a00715d5-8C4037D5-9D8D-7EAB-99ECF871967F6602&jsessionid=f030ea8731ba6da1bf30202a45455d7a224b
link to Tericia Summer's webpage and some documents on multigenre reading and writing, click on "Document Manager" on the left-hand side): https://mail.burke.k12.nc.us/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://sc.caldwellschools.com/education/staff/staff.php?sectiondetailid=15360%26cms_mode=view
If you're interested, until I can figure out how to (and where to) upload documents, you can email me at girlfaulkner@gmail.com , and I will send you the modified assignment, my rubric, and student and teacher examples.
Happy reading, writing, and teaching!
10-27-08
Wow! The kids were excited about this project! It was hard turning the class over to the writer's workshop format, even though I fully believe in it and I've done it before! We started class today with an overview of the project, a discussion of what memoir is, and brainstorms about our lives. Some of the students had a hard time feeling that they had anything to write about, although I stressed to them that their memories don't have to be tragic or adventurous or whatever to be important. I modeled this portion on the board as I did a simple brainstorm of things that had occurred in my life that I might like to write about (using a list format). Students are to do all of their planning and drafting in their learning logs, the spiral bound books they use to respond to reading and the place where they "think." We discussed the writing process. Students wanted to skip the prewriting phase--don't they always? After about thirty minutes, we did a pair-share, and students began to learn a bit more about each other. Some wanted to take these brainstorms home to continue working. We finished class by brainstorming a list of possible genres to be used with the memoir: the kids were especially fond of the idea of using a text message format to show a conversation. I also shared some of Jerry Spinelli's Knots in My Yo-Yo String as this is a published example of a multigenre memoir. He uses narrative and descriptive text, to-do lists, pictures with paragraphs, and other genres to tell of his childhood.
10-28-08
Today, students finished their planning. They picked four of their memories that they really wanted to write about and began making the hard decisions. They had to decide which genre(s) they wanted to use to write about each memory and then write a 1-2 sentence statement explaining why they had made that specific genre choice. (These statements about genre choice later become part of their author's notes in the final product.) After I modeled this part of the process, I just walked around the room and observed, stopping to help students at this juncture who seemed particularly stumped. For example, one of my students last her baby brother several years ago to a tragic accident--he was run over by a family member in the driveway. This student at first wanted to write an obituary to show her memory. In her rationale, she wrote, "Obituaries are how we show that someone died." When I talked to her about the genre format, she realized that an obituary would really only tell us a few facts--when and where he died, birth and death date, surviving family members, date, time, and place of the services. She decided to do the obituary and discuss the genre's limitations in her author's notes. She decided to further explore that memory through a diary entry because "it will let me talk about the details and my feelings."
I was so excited today! Students were authentically discussing genre and author purpose and features, a major and more-difficult-to-teach English 9 SCOS goal! They were thinking like authors!
Once we completed this thinking process, students each shared a genre they had chosen to show a particular memory and briefly told why. This sharing caused a few students to go back to their lists and revise. They had been inspired by other's choices. I do need to explain that students had 6 categories of genres to choose from and could only choose 1 genre from each category for the project. I felt that this step was important because, while still giving student choice, it kept students from entirely doing an art project or just a creative writing project. Students helped me create rubrics.
10-29-08
Today we started writer's workshop in earnest. Yesterday we went over the rules of the workshop (which I'll try to link here). The main rule is that students at their seats can not talk with one another. They can, however, go to the peer conferencing corners to quietly discuss drafts in progress. Once they have conferenced, they must fill out a conference sheet and attach it to the appropriate draft in their learning logs. Also, I have a basket on my desk that students can put drafts in for me to look at. But when they come to work with me, they must read their drafts aloud. It's amazing the errors they catch on their own this way, and having them read to me allows me to focus on content and form rather than conventions. I started off the class with a status-of-the-class meeting. This meeting is important in writer's workshop because it establishes the routine, allows me a record-keeping device, and allows the students to see where other students are at in the process. For this project, students have to create 4 final drafts that have been brainstormed, written, peer-conferenced, and significantly re-drafted! Boy, did they groan about this news. However, with the types of writing they could do being so open-ended, they jumped right in to the writing with surprisingly little bellyaching. I did have a bit of a hassle today enforcing the "work quietly at your seats" rule, mainly because these students feel that they can work just as efficiently while talking. Hmmm. Overall, though, for a group so resistant to school, these students excitedly began their first drafts! I had students working on VHS covers, posters, song lyrics, narrative poems, time lines, cartoons, newspaper articles, diary entries, and menus, to name a few.
10-30-08
Another part of writer's workshop is to start each class with a relevant mini-lesson. As I observed yesterday, some of the students really didn't still quite "get" how genres differed from one another. One student worked on a wanted poster that was about a dog that he had lost. When he started the final draft, he promptly covered the edges in glitter ! So, in today's mini-lesson, I used that as an example and we talked about why a poster looking for a lost dog wouldn't be covered in glitter. We talked about what it WOULD look like--it would probably say "Lost Dog" or "Missing Dog" in large letters at the top. It would probably have a description of the dog and would include a picture. It would be neatly written so people could read it. The dog's name would be included. A phone number to reach the owners would be listed on the poster (flyer) and could even be on tear-off strips at the bottom. Among the facts would be where the animal was last seen, any distinguishing characteristics, and perhaps a reward. OH! After this discussion, I could see the proverbial light bulbs slowly brightening. Several students scraped their first drafts (by abandoning them--I don't let them tear them out and throw them away because starting over is part of the process, and we learn just as much from our errors. I then made an impromptu homework assignment at this point--students needed to bring in one authentic example of a genre from their list so that we could keep looking at them as we wrote. I will also make these available to students at my "reference table" (also with my example of this finished project). Today, I had little behavioral problems (a first!) as students excitedly worked. One boy asked, "How do you do a first draft of a poster?" "Well," I explained, "Do you think people who make concert posters just throw their first ideas together on poster board and call it done?" Of course, the boy decided not. I helped him through brainstorming what he wanted his poster to show. Then, in his learning log, we drew a big rectangle, and here he began to plot out where he wanted certain elements to appear. Overall, a successful day!
10-31-08
Halloween! What a crazy day to have a controlled-chaos type of project going on, especially since our students are allowed to dress up! Today, students shared the genres they brought in. We looked at a menu from a Chinese restaurant. It had the restaurant's name, address, telephone number, and business hours on the front, as well as an attractive picture. It folded in two, with printing on all possible sides. The courses were broken up into appetizers, lunch and dinner specials, drinks, side items. There were pictures of the more popular items, and each item had a tantalizing description and a price. Then, we talked about how a menu might be used to share a story or a moment from our lives. One boy decided to use a menu to write about his favorite Thanksgiving, rather than the journal format he had chosen. He decided that he could title the menu "A Pendley Thanksgiving, 2007" and that he could, as part of the description, list who cooked the food. I liked the idea! We also looked at a VHS cover and talked about how that format could be a vehicle for conveying a memory. One normally reluctant student got excited as he realized that he could use this format to discuss his love of skateboarding and some of the highlights of this activity in his life. As a class, we decided that a VHS cover has a catchy title and picture on the front, as well as a list of leading actors. On the back, there is a quick summary of the movie--a perfect way to write about memories in our lives that are movie-worthy! I could go on, but I'll stop. I think that this activity is a necessary one, I''m glad I thought of it, and it will be one I do next time on the first day of writer's workshop. A suggestion: students with computers can access a multitude of genre examples in Microsoft Publisher, Works, or just through a simple Google search. And of course these examples are everywhere in the world--advertisements in the mail, newspapers, etc.
11-3-08
The day before the election and students are excited. Some have decided to do an additional piece on this time in their lives because they feel it is so historic. YAY! The willingness and desire to do extra is exactly why I love this project. So, as students conference with me, I keep a chart of the date, what draft we worked on, and what we talked about. I gave a short mini-lesson/review to one girl today about sentence fragments. I also gave her a handout on sf rules and a quick practice sheet to do and bring back to me. I love writer's workshop because it allows me to do embedded grammar instruction individual to each student. My mini-lessons come from these conferences, too, and from my observations. Today's mini-lesson was on the author's notes (also called end notes or reflections). I shared a completed author's note from a student's paper, "I decided to write about my memory as a diary because it shows more feelings and emotions. It's just like you write it to keep it to yourself. So I included details I probably wouldn't have if I had wrote a letter to a friend. A diary is like a friend that you tell a secret to and it won't tell no one unless someone reads it. I don't think there's another way I could have written about my love for Strawberry Shortcake. You could explain more, or you can tell more of your point-of-view." Students got in pairs and began thinking-through their rationales for their genre choices. I also asked them to talk about what things their genres didn't let them show about a specific topic. Finally, I took a few minutes to share some new pieces from my memoir (I had to add to it to meet the requirements for their projects). I read my letter to an advice columnist and the response, and discussed how this genre let me talk about the way people treated me when I found out my daughter had cystic fibrosis. In the response, I was able to write about the ways that I handled the situations, under the guise of "advise." What I like about this genre is that the narrative is still there, but I felt that I could distance myself a bit emotionally.
11-04-08
Election day! Students are taking too long on their first and second genre pieces! They need to work faster. They are also talking TOO much. I am circulating, pointing out to students who think that they are multi-tasking that they are actually sitting and talking with pencil in mid-air. This type of intervention seems to be semi-effective, as I am timing how long some just sit and chat. I hate days like this. Glitter all over genres where it doesn't belong, students sitting in peer conferencing corners without drafts, Ah Ha! I have been giving daily participation grades. That's how I deal with these time-wasters! Those who don't complete what they said they would at the beginning of class are breaking their contracts with me. More mini-lesson on genres--newspaper articles aren't covered in glitter....Note to self---hide the glitter next year, and beg student examples to help them see finished products. HW: Begin to bring in materials to bind these pieces together.
11-05-08
Back shot. Students working with sub. Hope it goes well.
11-06-08
Good note from sub = happy teacher! Students did well with writer's workshop without me which means that they have started to get used to the routine of it. YAY! Today's mini-lesson: what unifying theme is there in your work? My Life doesn't count. This part is hard to teach. I wonder if anyone has suggestions....One of my ELL girls realized that all of her entries are about the changes coming to the US brought, so that's her theme. Another realized that his are mostly about Christmas. I talked about how my memoir is about the theme of hope and loss--my sister's illness and death and my daughter's illness. Blank faces. I'm not sure if I'll get titles that show a theme. Lots of students also at a loss about how to put these together, aside from scrapbooks. Where is the creativity today? My skateboarder got it--he cut out two skateboard-shaped pieces of cardboard from a box and decided that these would be his binding.
11-07-08
Last day to work in class. Projects due when we come back after Veteran's Day! Students are scrambling now, realizing that being on their 2nd genre right now is ridiculous. Not much talking. Still too much glitter. As I circulate, I'm loving the depth of thought that I see overall. Again--author's notes confusion, so I share another, "I wrote about cutting my barbie's hair first as a paragraph. But it was boring. I decided to make it a narrative poem. Mrs. F helped me by reminding me how to do a found poem. I pulled out words and phrases from my paragraph and made a poem. The poem makes it more fun to tell people that cutting hair is fun. It's got good images, I see it happening when I read it." We look at the rubric as a checklist again. I share my finished, bound project. Several students turn in finished projects early. I'm excited!!!
11-10-08
Workday, parent conferences. Students who come in love telling their parents about this project. I think I'll invite parents to come in for an "author celebration" or something. Students will present pieces of the finished project on Wednesday. I am excited, just after looking over the few projects I have. These students are the lowest-performing students at the school for one reason or another, and I say this lovingly. I think that they are quite capable; I never lower my expectations! But for those people who think that these types of projects only work with honors or AIG students--I just wanted you to know. Many of them were in summer school, have been retained, are in group homes, have been at the alternative school. I'm excited because they got excited! Of course there were some bumps, but everyone worked on these! I am going to work on a set of questions that will allow for student input on the project--what did they like, what didn't they like, what suggestions do they have, what are they proudest of, what was hardest for them, etc. Their responses help me do these projects better each time. Overall, YAY!!! This is the first time I've done this project on memoir rather than research. And it's the first time I've done it with 35 students.
11-11-08
Veteran's Day. I've typed a lot. WOW! Sorry. I'd like to find a way to upload the documents I used during this process. I will post again once I've graded the projects and gotten student reflections. I'd like to upload some examples. I need to finish setting up my school website, third time, new format. I hope that this blog and experience can be of some use to someone. I am so thankful to Appalachian State and Dr. Frye for introducing me to multigenre writing in her class for my masters. It might seem daunting, but this type of writing really will change your students. I feel that my students will continue to think about the choices authors make. They certainly understand the writing process. And English was fun! But hard work. NOTE TO SELF: Next time I do this, I do plan on wrestling my way into the computer lab! I know that bringing technology into this project is necessary for 21st century learners, and it will help me avoid the glitter problem! Also, Microsoft Publisher and Works will help guide students in the creation of their genres with the templates available.
I also plan on doing another writing project like this after we finish Romeo and Juliet. This time, we will create a multigenre literary response to that text and Tears of a Tiger. I'll keep you posted.
NCSCOS Goals met: (English I)
1.01 Narrate personal experiences that offer an audience:
scenes and incidents located effectively in time and place.
vivid impressions of being in a setting and a sense of engagement in the events occurring.
appreciation for the significance of the account.
a sense of the narrator's personal voice.1.02 Respond reflectively (individually and in groups) to a variety of expressive texts (e.g., memoirs, vignettes, narratives, diaries, monologues, personal responses) in a way that offers an audience:
an understanding of the student's personal reaction to the text.
a sense of how the reaction results from a careful consideration of the text.
an awareness of how personal and cultural influences affect the response.
4.01 Evaluate the effectiveness of communication by: (When they helped design rubric and through the peer editing)
examining the use of strategies in a presentation/product.
applying a set of predetermined standards.
creating an additional set of standards and applying them to the presentation/product.
comparing effective strategies used in different presentations/products.4.02 Read and critique various genres by:
using preparation, engagement, and reflection strategies appropriate for the text.
identifying and using standards to evaluate aspects of the work or the work as a whole.
judging the impact of different stylistic and literary devices on the work.
5.01 Read and analyze various literary works by: (Through reading multigenre texts such as Tears of a Tiger and each other's pieces).
using effective reading strategies for preparation, engagement, reflection.
recognizing and analyzing the characteristics of literary genres, including fiction (e.g., myths, legends, short stories, novels), nonfiction (e.g., essays, biographies, autobiographies, historical documents), poetry (e.g., epics, sonnets, lyric poetry, ballads) and drama (e.g., tragedy, comedy).
interpreting literary devices such as allusion, symbolism, figurative language, flashback, dramatic irony, dialogue, diction, and imagery.
understanding the importance of tone, mood, diction, and style.
explaining and interpreting archetypal characters, themes, settings.
explaining how point of view is developed and its effect on literary texts.
determining a character's traits from his/her actions, speech, appearance, or what others say about him or her.
explaining how the writer creates character, setting, motif, theme, and other elements.
making thematic connections among literary texts and media and contemporary issues.
understanding the importance of cultural and historical impact on literary texts.
producing creative responses that follow the conventions of a specific genre and using appropriate literary devices for that genre.
5.02 Demonstrating increasing comprehension and ability to respond personally to texts by selecting and exploring a wide range of genres. (Through their own writings--remember, these projects were a response to the book Tears of a Tiger as students used that as their mentor-text when doing their own wriitng.)
5.03 Demonstrate the ability to read, listen to and view a variety of increasingly complex print and non-print literacy texts appropriate to grade level and course literary focus, by:
selecting, monitoring, and modifying as necessary reading strategies appropriate to readers' purpose.
identifying and analyzing text components (such as organizational structures, story elements, organizational features) and evaluating their impact on the text.
providing textual evidence to support understanding of and reader's response to text.
demonstrating comprehension of main idea and supporting details.
summarizing key events and/or points from text.
making inferences, predicting, and drawing conclusions based on text.
identifying and analyzing personal, social, historical or cultural influences, contexts, or biases.
making connections between works, self and related topics.
analyzing and evaluating the effects of author's craft and style.
analyzing and evaluating the connections or relationships between and among ideas, concepts, characters and/or experiences.
identifying and analyzing elements of literary environment found in text in light of purpose, audience, and context. (Again, this goal was achieved through reading their's and other's pieces and through the writing itself).
Competency Goal 6 (Through mini-lessons and teacher and peer conferences)
The learner will apply conventions of grammar and language usage.
6.01 Demonstrate an understanding of conventional written and spoken expression that:
uses varying sentence types (e.g., simple, compound, complex, compound-complex) purposefully, correctly, and for specific effect.
selects verb tense to show an appropriate sense of time.
applies parts of speech to clarify and edit language.
addresses clarity and style through such strategies as parallelism; appropriate coordination and subordination; variety and details; appropriate and exact words; and conciseness.
analyzes the place and role of dialects and standard/nonstandard English.
uses vocabulary strategies such as roots and affixes, word maps, and context clues to discern the meanings of words.
6.02 Discern and correct errors in spoken and written English by:
avoiding fragments, run-ons, and comma splices.
selecting correct subject-verb agreement, consistent verb tense, and appropriate verbs.
using and placing modifiers correctly.
editing for spelling and mechanics (punctuation and capitalization).
from http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/curriculum/languagearts/scos/2004/27english1
PLEASE respond with your questions, responses, observations, success, failures, etc.
I will be inviting my students to leave comments as well, and I will upload photos on 11-12-08 of works in progress, presentations, and finished work!
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