Name:______________________________
Period:_____________
Ms. Larimer
C.W.
Book of Memories
Six Traits of Writing:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Ideas—the main message.
Organization—the internal structure of the piece.
Voice—the personal tone and flavor of the author's message.
Word Choice—the vocabulary a writer chooses to convey meaning.
Sentence Fluency—the rhythm and flow of the language.
Conventions—the mechanical correctness.
Project Overview:
During this unit, you will write a book, a book of memories. It will consist of your memories and
thoughts from your life. This memory book will be a project you can look back on to see where you came
from and where you thought you were going. Your finished book will be due at the end of this unit. You
will be given a schedule of due dates for each assignment. You will be able to complete this project
entirely in class, as long as you are spending your time working diligently. The purpose of this activity is
to apply what you have learned about the Six Traits of Writing. ALL SIX TRAITS MUST be visible within
your writing. We will be reviewing them regularly.
Book Format:
The final product will be presented to me in book form. It can be submitted in hard copy, such as an
actually book, emailed, shared through Google Drive, or submitted on Wattpad.com. You can choose
your format. Your cover may have drawings or pictures pasted on the outside cover, inside cover, and
the spine if you wish.
When submitting the book, you will also need to submit the rough drafts for each chapter.
Content:
Your Book of Memories must include the following:




Table of Contents
Dedication Page
10 Chapters
Epilogue
Chapters:
1. Who Am I? (Five Paragraph Format)
 Who are you?
 Where do you live?
 What are your life goals?
 How do you expect to reach those goals?
Name:______________________________
Period:_____________
Ms. Larimer
C.W.
2. Before I Was, There Were… (Letter Format)
 Your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, older cousins and siblings and anybody who
may not be a relative but who has helped to pave the way for you and your family.
3. Suddenly, I Became Me (Five Paragraph Format)
 Earliest memories:
o People, places, events,
o All those cute things that you did when you were tiny, that your mother, father,
grandparents or guardians tell you about
4. School Bells (Poetry Form)
 Your earliest years in school – Kindergarten through 3rd grade
o Learning to read, special school programs, special teachers and special friends,
favorite subject
5. I Grew Up Here (Five Paragraph Format)
 Describe your town, neighborhood, rural community
6. Let's Go to the Movies (Poetry Format)
 Favorite movies at different times in your life:
o Preschool years, elementary years, tween years, and now
7. I Wish I Could See _____ Again (Free Format)
 Tell about a childhood friend that you have no contact with any more but would like to
see again.
8. Middle School (Five Paragraph Format)
 Fears, emotions, how you have changed, teachers, friends, activities, successes,
heartbreaks
9. Let's Take a Vacation (Narrative Poem, Four Stanzas)
 A memorable trip you took with family or friends
 Or a trip you would like to take
10. Growing Expectations (Five Paragraph Format)
 What do you expect Middle / High school to be like?
 What are your fears?
 What are you looking forward to most?
 Where do you expect to be in 10 years?
Epilogue:

“If I could change one thing about characteristic about myself, I would…”
Finished Book:
The more thorough and creative you are in decorating your book cover, pages and sections, the
higher your grade will be. Possible ideas for decoration may include drawings, pictures, photographs,
newspapers or brochures. Any book that does not contain all 10 chapters, table of contents, dedication
Name:______________________________
Period:_____________
Ms. Larimer
C.W.
page and epilogue will receive a lower grade, regardless of how fancy it is. Any book that has been
obviously “thrown together”, which demonstrates an extreme lack of effort, will not be graded.