KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY
Kutztown, Pennsylvania
TITLE:
EDU 563 – WRITING OUR OWN STORIES
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Using a workshop setting, students will explore everyday folklore and personal
narrative in children’s literature to jump-start their own stories. Students will write
personal narratives based on family folklore and personal experiences. Students
will investigate how various authors have shared their memoirs. Students will
develop their own writing program for their classrooms.
3 S. H. 3 C. H.
RATIONALE
Writing is a way to think about our own lives and our own stories, to look at our
past and make sense of it. Brain research confirms that a student’s level of
engagement increases when they can make an emotional or personal connection
to the learning task (Haspel, 2004, NCTE Conference). Memoir is “ a way to
validate to others the events of our lives – our choices, perspectives, decisions,
responses.” (Atwell, 1998, p. 372) Before students can write their own memoir,
immersion in the genre through a variety of children’s literature and the discovery
of everyday folklore can enhance the writing experience. Children’s Literature
serves as models for memoir writing. Folklore exposes students to the universal
human experience. Students will gain insight about people in their own lives and
decisions about their future by exploring everyday events and realizing how the
themes that run through their lives are key to understanding who they are.
Students will be able to create a writing program, incorporating memoir writing,
for their own settings. The memoir allows children to reflect on their own lives
and significant experiences and write about them. It is important for children to
recognize that their own life stories are of great importance.
The memoir has become an integral part of popular culture and language arts
curriculum. The Pennsylvania State Academic Standards for Reading, Writing,
Speaking and Listening require that students be able to write narrative,
informational and persuasive pieces (1.4 Types of Writing). Memoir is a personal
narrative that also includes elements of informational and persuasive writing.
The other state standards that this course would support are Quality of Writing
(1.5), Speaking and Listening (1.6), and Research (1.8).
OBJECTIVES
As a result of research, reading, writing, discussion and practical application the
students will be able to:
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1. Identify and share cultural practices that influence everyday
experiences
2. Demonstrate the ability to apply everyday folklore in compositions
3. Identify memoirs, the benefits and elements of memoirs
4. Demonstrate the ability to write personal narratives that include
exposition and persuasion
5. Create written texts using the writing process
6. Recognize and apply literary devices
7. Use memoir strategies in the writing of personal narratives
8. Design a personal narrative program based on children’s literature,
which could be implemented in an elementary or middle level
classroom.
ASSESSMENTS
1. Performance assessments which include: oral presentations, prewriting activities, conferences, editing, revising, reading articles and
children’s literature
2. Course projects that include the writing process, publications, writer’s
journal, and portfolios
3. Participation in classroom projects, presentations, and discussions
4. Quizzes and tests
COURSE OUTLINE
I.
“Everyday” Folklore
A. Define
B. Benefits
C. Types
1. Cultural Insider
2. Cultural Outsider
D Share personal folklore – listening and speaking
II.
Types of Writing
A. Narrative
B. Informational
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C. Persuasive
III.
Memoir
A. Define
B. Benefits
C. Elements
1. Point of view is first person narrative
2. Memoirist is the main character
3. Thoughts, feelings and reactions are revealed
4. Rich description and details are used to envision the action
5. Setting is clearly defined, a snapshot
6. Dialogue is used where appropriate
7. Pace allows for moment to moment experiences
8. Extra information is minimal
9. Conclusion is deliberate
10. Sounds like literature not reporting
11. Reader learns about life from reading about a life
III
Writing Process
A. Prewriting
B. Drafting
C. Revising
D. Editing
E. Publishing
IV. Children’s Literature
A. Personal Narratives
1. Picturebooks (Examples: Polacco, De Paola, Ringgold, Rylant,
Yolen, etc.)
2. Young Adult Narratives (Examples: Lowry, Myers, Dahl, Paulsen,
etc.)
B. Diaries and Journals
1. Sources of personal narratives
2. Keepers of ideas – crafting
V.
Literary Elements
A. Setting
B. Time
C. Character
D. Voice/Point of View
E. Style
F. Structure
G. Conflict
H. Imagery
VI.
Strategies
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A. Personal Time Line
B. Thoughtshots/Snapshots
1. Flashback
2. Flashforward
3. Brain conversation
4. Physical effects
5. Emotional effects
C. Show and Tell – everyday folklore
D. Telescope – focus on main event
E. Panorama – recognizing events around the main scene
F. Maps
G. Minilessons
H. Journals
I. Photographs
VII
Create a Writing Memoir Program
A. Research
1. Topic: Memoir
2. Grade Level
3. Standards
4. Children’s Literature
5. Strategies
6. Resources
7. Bibliography
B. Presentation of Program
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INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES
Atwell, N. (1998). In the middle. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
____. (2002). Lessons that change writers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Barrington, J. (2002). Writing the memoir. Second Edition. Portland, OR:
Eighth Mountain Press.
Bomer, K. (2005). Writing a life: Teaching memoir to sharpen insight, shape
Meaning and triumph over tests. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Calkins, L. & Harwayne, S. (1990). Living between the lines. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann.
____. (1994). The art of teaching writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Farris, P. J. (2004). Language arts: Process, product and assessment. Fourth
Edition. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press, Inc.
Finn, P. (1999). Teaching memoir writing. New York: Scholastic.
Gere, A. R., Christenbury, L., Sassi, K. (2005). Writing on demand. Portsmouth,
NH: Heinemann.
Goder, S. (2002). Memorable characters…magnificent stories. NY: Scholastic.
Gornich, V. (2002). The situation and the story: The art of personal narrative.
New York: Farrar, Strauss & Giroux.
Heard, G. (1995). Writing towards home. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Kasten, W. C., Kristo, J. V., McClure, A. & Garthwait, A. (2005). Living literature:
Using children’s literature to support reading and language arts.
Columbus, OH: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Kurstedt, R. & Koutras, M. (2000). Teaching writing with picture books as
models. NY: Scholastic.
Lane, B. (1999). Reviser’s toolbox. Shoreham, VT: Discover Writing Press.
Latimer, H. (2003). Thinking through genre. Portland, ME: Stenhouse
Publishing.
Ledoux, D. (1993), Turning memories into memoirs: A handbook for writing
lifestories. Lisbon Falls, ME: Soleil Press.
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Naylor, P. R. (1978). How I came to be a writer. NY: Aladdin Paperbacks.
Portolupi, J. & Fletcher, R. (2001). Nonfiction craft lessons: Teaching information
writing K-8. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
Rainer, T. (1998). Your life as story: Discovering the “new autobiography” and
writing memoir as literature. New York: Putnam.
Simons, E. R. (1990), Student worlds, student words: Teaching writing through
folklore. Portsmouth, NH: Boyton/Cook.
Solley, B. (2005). When poverty’s children write. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Sunflower, C. (1994). Really writing. New York: The Center for Applied
Research in Education.
Tompkins, G. (2005). Language arts: Patterns of practice. Sixth Edition.
Columbus, OH: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
_____. (2004). Teaching writing: Balancing process and product. Columbus,
OH: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Yolen, J. (2000). Touch magic. Second Edition. Little Rock, AR: August House
Pub.
Zinsser, W. (2004). Writing about your life: A journey into the past. New York:
Marlowe &Co.
_____ (1998). Inventing the truth: The art and craft of memoir. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin.
AUDIO/VIDEO
Zinsser, W. (1999). How to write a memoir. Audio
(1993). Enjoying the writing process. Insight Media.
(1999). Writer’s workshop. Insight Media.
RECOMMENDED PICTUREBOOKS
Bahr, M. (1992). The memory box. Illinois: Albert Whitman & Co.
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Browne, A. (2003). The shape game. New York: Farrar.
Cooney, B. (1991). Roxaboxen. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books.
Gray, L. M. (1995). Mama had a dancing heart. New York: Orchard Books.
Greenfield, E. (1988) Grandpa’s Face. New York: The Putnam & Grosset Group.
Lawson, J. (1998). Midnight in the mountains. Washington: Orca Books.
MacLachlan, P. (1994). All the places to love. New York: Harper Collins.
Ringgold, F. (1992). Tar beach. New York: Scholastic.
Rylant, C. (1992). An angel for Solemn Singer. New York: Orchard Books.
_____. (1991). When I was young in the mountains. New York: Alladdin Books.
_____. (1985). When the relatives came. New York: Macmillan
Shanley, M. K. (1996). The memory box. Iowa: Sta-Kris.
Steig, W. (2003). When everybody wore a hat. New York: Harper Collins.
Warhola, J. (2003). Uncle Andy’s. New York: Putnam.
Yolen, J. (1987). Owl moon. New York: Philomel Books.
Books by: Tomie de Paola, and Patricia Polacco.
RECOMMENDED MIDDLE LEVEL BOOKS
Dahl, R. (1984). Boy. New York: Puffin.
Ehrlich, A. (1996). When I was your age. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.
Gantos, J. (2002). Hole in my life. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
Lobel, A. (1998). No pretty pictures – a child of war. New York, NY: Avon.
Lowry, L. (1998). Looking back: A book of memories. New York: Delacorte.
Myers, W. D. (2001). Bad boy. New York: Harper Collins.
Turner, A. (2000) Learning to swim. New York: Scholastic.
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INTERNET
Crafting a Memoir
http://www.chatham.edu/PTI/PittsburghWriters/pgh_memory_curriculum.htm
A memoir study by Victoria Baumann for Fort Pitt Elementary School
NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English)
http://www.ncte.org/pubs/journals/la/articles/108188.htm
Wera, a Polish immigrant, uses memoir to reflect on her life.
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