Writing for the sake of expression
Six Word Memoirs
This is my six-word memoir, inspired by memoirs in Maria Popova's article, which I have linked with a button above. I used Phixr to put text on a photo which I have also linked above. According to Sanders and Smith, a six word memoir should accurately represent a time in your life (2014). Currently in my life, I am finishing up my last semester of graduate school and constantly searching on NC Teacher match for job openings in counties near me. I get so excited when I think about finally knowing where I will be and what grade I will be teaching, so I felt this memoir was very appropriate in my life.
Image from NCteachermatch.com
Helping Students Create a Six-Word Memoir
Step One: Mentor Texts and Explanations of Six- Word Memoirs
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Students should be shown examples of six-word memoirs and gain understanding of the expectation.
Step Two: The Importance of Word Choice
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Students should know that this memoir serves as a snapshot of their lives. Students can analyze examples and engage in interpreting by reading between the lines.
​Step Three: Engaging in the Writing Process— Every Word Is on Trial
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Encourage students to focus on something influential in their lives such as fears of excitements.
Step Four: Connecting Writing to Art
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Students engage in a "read-around" with their memoirs and then form small groups to brain storm what image to pair with their words.
Step Five: Superimposing Words Onto the Photographs
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Put words onto a photograph using Phixr.
Step Six: Publishing Students’ Six- Word Memoirs Online
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Prezi and other sites can be used to publish student work and show them during an in-class viewing day.
Saunders, J. M., & Smith, E. E. (2014). Every Word is on Trial. International Reading Association, 67(8), 600–605. doi: 10.1002/trtr.1267
writing inspired by reading
Revised Small moment story
Original Small Moment Story
February 9, 2020
Ice Cream on Summer Evening:
I love summertime for so many reasons. One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to swim all day and then once the sky starts to turn pink we hop into my Dad’s jeep. We take the top off and sometimes the doors, we all pile inside sometimes we even bring our dogs. After a long day of swimming we are all starving, so we head to Dairio. Dairio is one of my favorite places because they have burgers, hot dogs, and ice cream which are all summertime essential foods. I love to watch the creamy ice cream being scooped and put onto my cone. I always get cherry ice cream and sit outside. We soak in the warm summer breeze while we laugh and enjoy our ice cream. The best part is spending time with my family doing something simple, that’s what happiness is to me.
Revised Small Moment Story
February 16, 2020
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"Jeep ride anyone?" My eyes were wide with excitement and my skin golden brown from a full day outside. We of course all said yes to my Dad and loaded up with our pups. We jumped right in, no doors and no top. The sky had been painted pink and purple which meant it felt perfect outside. Cool on our tanned skinned with our hair blowing in the wind. For once didn't matter if my hair got messed up because I would be doing the same thing the next day.
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We drove around the curvy back roads of Stokes County for a while. "Heyyyy mama rock me" blasting, but still hard to hear over the wind whipping in our ears. I stare out and just watch all these places that I love go by. Feeling nostalgic over times that I didn't have to worry about missing this place come August.
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We pass my old high school, then the junk yard so we know that we're headed to our favorite place. There's just something different about ice cream at a picnic table after a long day of swimming. I order cherry vanilla on a cone like always. Pink, creamy, and full of my favorite fruit. It melts almost as fast as I can eat it and reminds me of the way that summer is dwindling away.
Revising Leads
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Help students see that a lead should pull the reader into their story like a grab or yank!
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Study the work of other authors and apply their techniques, "what has the author done that I can try?"
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Use books in your classroom that you love and teach students how to study the work of mentor authors. Show children that setting, tone, and action in leads can create mood (Calkins, 2006)
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Think and notice aloud for students about what specific things you might borrow from the author and try out.
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Demonstrate taking a part of a mentor texts and applying the technique to your own lead.
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Share a lead written by a student and point out a technique they have tried such as dialogue.
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Restate your teaching point to students and add to your qualities of personal narrative writing chart like the example on the right.
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Teach students how to use quotation marks for dialogue so that if they decide to use that technique in their leads it will be done correctly.
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Set children up to assume their roles by asking them author specific questions such as, "what are you trying to do as a writer?" and they might say, "I'm trying to start with an action."
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Be enthusiastic and model what it looks like to love your work so much that you will tweak tiny details until it is just the way you want it.
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It is important to allow time for writers to share the lead they created that they are most proud of.
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Encourage students to admire and pause as they read and come to conclusions about what authors were trying to do with their leads.
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Calkins, L. M. (2006). A guide to the writing workshop, grades 3-5. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann
(Calkins, 2006)
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