No Edline grades yet, folks. I’d like to grade more writing (there’s a lot!) and then send out an update on Sunday. Thanks for understanding!
1A
1. Freewrite for five minutes.
2. Story share. In order to get a better grasp on our memoir topics, we tried to tell the story out loud (with a beginning, middle, and end) in thirty seconds. We practiced this alone twice and with partners twice. Then we did a process write on how the experience of telling the story helped us clarify our ideas.
3. Vocab notes. We took notes on #3 and 4. If you were absent, you can view the notes here to copy onto V1: V1 words 4 and 5. As we took notes, we determined the part of speech of each association word. We played Simon Says to review our word parts so far.
5. Notes on Memoir Writing Techniques to Show (L5). As we took notes, we watched some film clips to illustrate the techniques. On the back of L5, students filled out this Internal Monologue Practice sheet.
Internal monologue from Glee––watch 3:10-3:50.
Metacognition or reflection from The Wonder Years––watch 0:45-3:25.
Flashback from Twilight-–watch the whole thing because it’s amazing.
Students could also pick up examples of these in writing if they wanted to.
HW: Choose one or more techniques from our notes today. Write a scene from your memoir that you planned out using the technique(s). It should be at least one page (handwritten is fine).
Absentees: Copy the vocab notes (V1 words 4 and 5) onto V1 or get them from a friend. Print out or get from a friend the notes on Memoir Writing Techniques to Show (L5). If you want to print out the completed notes, check it out: 
Also, watch the videos linked above to clarify your understanding of these techniques. Finally, write one scene from your planned out memoir. It can be handwritten or typed.
2AB
1. Freewrite.
2. Reading options for full-length memoir: A Walk in the Woods or Into Thin Air. We will start reading a full-length memoir in the next few weeks. Students get to decide which they would like to read, Into Thin Air or A Walk in the Woods. Both are excellent. However, because A Walk in the Woods isn’t on the county reading list, so you’ll need permission to read it. If you want to read it for class, have a parent or guardian sign this: Outside Reading Permission Form. You only need to do this if you want to read A Walk in the Woods. Additionally, if you’d like to read both for credit, you can do that, too. More on the independent advanced English projects later next week.
3. Reading about Nonfiction. As a class, we read the New York Times review of “The Lifespan of a Fact.” This review introduces students to the idea of conflict between responsibility to fact and interest in aesthetics.
4. Reading response. Then, after reading the article, students wrote in their notebooks a response to the prompt, “When is it acceptable to bend the truth in memoir?”
HW: None.
4A
1. Freewrite.
2. Pass in scene for homework. This will be graded but not extensively edited.
2. Reading options for full-length memoir: A Walk in the Woods or Into Thin Air. We will start reading a full-length memoir in the next few weeks. Students get to decide which they would like to read, Into Thin Air or A Walk in the Woods. Both are excellent. However, because A Walk in the Woods isn’t on the county reading list, so you’ll need permission to read it. If you want to read it for class, have a parent or guardian sign this: Outside Reading Permission Form. You only need to do this if you want to read A Walk in the Woods. Additionally, if you’d like to read both for credit, you can do that, too. More on the independent advanced English projects later next week.
4. Vocabulary notes. We took notes on #6 and #7 in the unit. We also learned the words condescending and disdain.
5. Two-minute writing prompt. What percentage of a memoir should be true? Students wrote this in their notebooks.
6. Reading “Memory and Imagination” by Patricia Hampel. We began reading this short memoir in class as a group and in pairs. As students listened to the first section, they underlined imagery. Then, as they finished reading, they summarized each paragraph in the margin of the reading in a phrase or two. It will be homework to finish reading the memoir and to finish summarizing in the margin. If you would like to work with one other person in our class to finish your homework, you may; however, you must read it and summarize it together, rather than having one person do the work and then copying it down. Also, you may only work with one other person in the class, so no more than two students should have the same summaries. I’ll always be very clear with you when it’s okay to work together on an assignment; in general, you can assume it’s not okay unless I explain how and when you can. Thanks!
HW: Finish reading and summarizing each paragraph in “Memory and Imagination.” ALSO, write one more scene from your memoir; it should be at least one page long (handwritten, one side OR double-spaced and typed), but you should write until you’re done telling the story of that scene.
ALEXA GARVOILLE 