Title example: A Snapshot into the 8 th grade life of ___________________________
(100 points): Have an original title. The cover must be made on card stock and reflect you and your 8 th grade year through different colorful genres: words, poems, pictures, graphics, artwork, etc…. Do not glue anything on the cover except paper using a glue stick. It will be laminated and anything other than paper will not work. The front cover should show effort and time spent designing it and creating it. It should
‘look’ like you. Your memoir will be taken home for a keepsake after your final.
The body page titles must be at the top and centered at the top of every page. The title must be the one provided, but may have additional words to personalize it for you – example – Mrs. Gatlin is My Name.
You may choose the font style, size, and graphics for your memoir. It is your opportunity to be creative to design a memoir that reflects the true you. Each page must have graphics of some type (computer generated, hand drawn, cut and paste, or be on colored paper).
1. ___________ is My Name
Read “When Joe Louis Won the Title” by Belinda Rochelle
Assignment:
Research your name by interviewing your parents for information about how your name was chosen, any stories that accompany it, and the denotation meaning. Then write a short informational story of how you received your name, any stories that accompany it and what your name means in two or more paragraphs. The first paragraph should tell the story of how your name was chosen. The second paragraph should explain the denotation of your name or if there is not a specified meaning, you may ask your parents or loved ones to define what your name means to them, as well as your own reflection of what your name means to you. End your writing with a clincher.
2. I Believe…
Watch Martin Luther King speech from YouTube
Assignment:
I believe…………. Write two paragraphs of a vision you believe is possible here in America that would make the world you live in a better place. The first paragraph should describe what the dream is, in great detail and the second paragraph should explain how the dream could actually come to fruition.
3. My Success Story
Watch the success video of the hip-hop preacher
Assignment:
Write your “Success Story”. In paragraph one, describe what success is to you. In paragraph two, describe a personal life goal you have in the area of a future occupation and then in paragraph three, describe the steps you will need to accomplish in order to reach that goal. Three paragraphs total will be utilized.
4. The Giving Tree
Watch The Giving Tree video.
Assignment:
Write about someone in your life that you know is a “Giving Tree”; the person that gives to others, putting others before themselves. This response should be a minimum of two paragraphs. The first paragraph should describe the giving tree person using imagery, so that the reader can truly ‘see’ the giving tree person. The second paragraph should give examples and explain the actions that he/she demonstrates that truly make him/her a ‘giving tree’.

5. Carpe Diem – Seize the Day
View the Carpe Diem power point.
Assignment:
Using the meaning of Carpe Diem, “Seize the Day”, you will write a fiction piece that describes what you would do if money was not an option and you had one day “to seize the day”. This response should explain and describe the different activities you would do, where those actions would take place, and with whom you would do them. The writing boundaries: the money only lasts 24 hours and anything purchased with the money is gone at midnight. The story can not be longer than two pages.
6. Best 8 th Grade Seconds
Listen to the Broadway song from Rent
Assignment:
31,556, 000 seconds in a year –you will highlight the best seconds of your 8 th grade year.
Choose a minimum of two events that are a memory, which you will always remember as “best seconds” memories. Describe the five W’s: who, what, where, when, and why of the events in two or three paragraphs.
The two memories can have happened at school or away from school. These are your special memories of this year, wherever they occurred.
7. My Bucket List
Watch Bucket List Video Trailer
Assignment:
You will comprise a “Bucket List” of ten items that you want to see, accomplish, or experience during and before graduating high school. This list must be presented in number order. The list does not have to be explained. The list should be formatted with a nice presentation lay out.
8. Making the World “More Awesome”
Watch the Mr. President Video
Assignment:
You will answer the prompt: “What are you doing to make the world more awesome?” This response must be a minimum of one well-written paragraph explaining the action/contribution that you are implementing to make the world more awesome. This can be focused on making an impact on someone else or an impact on your world, whether in your own personal realm or the global world.
9. What Lives Under My Bed
Watch “The Monster Under my Bed “video
Assignment:
Describe what lives under your bed. This description can be fictional or realistic. Either writing choice must be very descriptive. This response should be a minimum of two well-written paragraphs that focuses on sensory details and descriptions with emphasis on word choice. Use one metaphor and one simile to paint a vivid description in the reader’s mind.
10. 100 things I love
Assignment: Create a list of one hundred things that you love. The items can be objects, novels, stories, poems, songs, people, food, restaurants, etc.… This list may be presented creatively, however you want to present it, as long as it is readable. The list must be numbered. A few format ideas are in a graffiti format, an artistic interpretation, or a list.
11. Favorite Quote
Assignment:
Select a one- to three-sentence quote that makes you stop and think or resonates with you.
Write the quote at the top of the page and with the source credited. Then in the first paragraph explain why the quote appeals to you, explain how it makes you feel, and what it makes you visualize. The second

paragraph will make a connection from the quote to a character, theme, or event in a book that you have read. The last paragraph will explain how the quote connects to you as a person or to your own life.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Final Format:
1.
The eleven prompts listed above can be typed or handwritten.
2.
Each writing piece must be on 8 ½ by 11 blank paper (not lined paper). I will provide copies of papers that can be used for each page or your may use your own.
3.
The final pages will be bound together for each student to take home on the day of class that you take your
English final.
4.
If you would like to insert your own essays or writing that were written this year or personal writing (poems, stories) that you have written, you may do that also.(they must be on the blank paper also)
5.
Each page must be neatly written or typed.
6.
Graphics and artwork to support the content of the pages is required. This can be accomplished with computer graphics, cut and paste pictures, or personal art work of pictures or design.
7.
The presentation is a part of the finished final grade.
8.
When typing or writing… the left margin must be 1.0 so that you can bind the pages together and not mess up the writing. (SEE EXAMPLE)
On the designated day for the English final in class, you will present one of your writings from the following five choices for your final:
1.
#2 Writing - I Believe………….
2.
#4 Writing – The Giving Tree
3.
#6 Writing – Best 8 th Grade Seconds
4.
#8 Writing – More Awesome
5.
#11 Writing – Favorite Quote
An oral presentation grade will be scored for the final presentation using a rubric.
Dear Parents,
Short you tube videos will be used in class to introduce the different writing assignments. The Bucket List movie trailer is rated PG-13. It does have a cuss word. Please feel free to contact me if this viewing will be unacceptable for your student at juligatlin@mooreschools.com
and I will make other arrangements.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Gatlin
English Teacher