1. Session 5: Angling the Memoir
Concept: Reading Immersion
and Drafting Memoirs

2. Teaching Point
Copy in NB:
Memoirists determine the angle of the memoir/event(s) they want to tell. These decisions allow writers to flexibly control time, focus, and details.

3. Framing Quote
Glue into your NB: From “The Butterfly Effect…” article: “It’s impossible not to make a difference. Every choice we make leads either toward health or toward disease; there’s no other direction. The question is not ‘How can I, one person, make a difference?’ The question is ‘What kind of difference do I want to make?’ ” - Julia Butterfly Hill

4. Teacher Think-Aloud
Let’s annotate the selection from Jeannette Walls about her childhood
GOAL: What decisions is she making about focus/time/details?
GOAL: Notice TIME – How much times passes for this event to occur? Is it a single event or a series of events?

5. Guided Practice
Let’s continue reading the memoir, both together, and with a partner.
Jot down in on your “Memoir Research” handout the decisions Walls is making

6. Active Engagement – Your Turn
With a partner, read and identify the decisions being made in the other two memoir texts.
Write all of decisions you identify on the “Memoir Research” handout

7. Independent Practice - Write
Mini-Task for today:
Write about an emblematic memory using some of the decisions you studied in your reading immersion.
LABEL the decisions you used in the margin as you write.

8. Turn & Talk – Time to Share
Take turns reading the write that you did today.
Group members will name one decision they admired and believe helped a listener understand the “truth” behind the emblematic memory.

9. Reflection #5: Using a writing process to explore an event and track and idea.
Label your NB – Reflection #5
What worked today?
How did you adjust your writing process to keep writing?
How did you adjust your writing process to keep track of the decisions you were making?