Student Memoirs
- Michael Wood
- Sep 28, 2016
- 3 min read
Students are hard at work writing student memoirs. This should be a specific memory of which the student is writing about. It is part of descriptive writing and should not be treated as a report. For example, it is not about "the time I got a football for Christmas". It's about "what is was like when" I got a football for Christmas. The first of more of reporting about what happened, whereas the second option allows the reader to experience what happened. This means colorful imagery, dialogue, and action. As beginning writers, they may start out by reporting about what happened, but we must encourage them to add more detail and to slowly start to convert their reports into stories. It should be no less than three whole paragraphs, or one page, single spaced.
The tool we are using is Google Docs. By clicking on the link below, you will access the student folders. You will be able to then select your student's Memoir. You will also be able to look at the work of other students. This is fine. Students often get motivated by seeing each other's works, whether they be good examples (hey, I want to write like that) or bad examples (I can do way better than that, watch me). Students need to start learning how to work collaboratively in this modern age. It is rare that people work in complete isolation, so why should school in so many ways teach that all work is done in secret and in isolation? Rather, let's see each other and help each other to be better each day. I hope to develop this sort of mindset.
Here is the link:
Do I have to Log In to work on the document?
No. Although, if you log in, we can see who made the changes, otherwise, it will just say Anonymous User.
How do I save my work? Do I download it? Print it? Email it?
None of the above. The document is automatically saved in the cloud.
Oops. I pressed the wrong button and I deleted the whole thing!!!
Don't panic. Just press CTRL + Z to Undo whatever you did. Or, if all else fails, we can go back in time and refresh the document at an earlier time.
Should I make different copies to show you the latest version?
NO. Do not make copies. That makes things very confusing. One document is all we need. The changes are being tracked in real-time.
Can I use special software like Grammarly to check the spelling and grammar?
Absolutely. As adults, would we not use similar tools? I highly recommend Grammarly. It installs directly into your browser and will scan for many things. This is a writing sample and not necessarily a grammar or spelling test.
How long should it be?
About three paragraphs or 1-2 pages single-spaced. It should be long enough to address the following questions in detail:
Who was there? What did they look like?
Where did it happen? Describe it.
When did it happen?
What happened? Illustrate, describe, explain.
How did it happen? Action words.
What was said when it happened? Dialogue. Conversations.
Why was this memory important to you? How did it affect you? What do you want your readers to understand about this memory?
When is it due?
The final draft should be finished by October 30, 2016.
How do I help my student through this project?
Please follow along in your workbook: Writing in Action Volume E. It contains step-by-step lessons in helping the student write the paper from start to finish.
Is this just more work to do?
No. This assignment is part of Unit 2 Composition found in the K12 OLS.
Is this going on my report card?
The grade on the final draft may reflect on the Semester 1 report card under Language Arts.
Comments