This is an excellent example of how to introduce writing and memoirs to your classroom. Amy Arnberg does a great job of introducing her students to memoirs and surrounding them in examples of what a memoir looks like. An interesting part of this article is the idea of how long should a memoir cover. The cool thing about a memoir is that they can last a few minutes, or an entire summer. I think this allows students to choose a place in time that is meaningful to them and can be what they want it to be. I think it would be interesting to have students write many memoirs based on the same topic, but have them start out with a large time frame and gradually get to the small moment in time that is the heart of their writing. The idea of embellishment is also interesting. I think many young students believe their writing will be boring unless they exaggerate their story a little bit. This isn’t true, but I think it does add to the story to stretch things out a little. Memoirs offer so much to students and allow them to express themselves in such creative ways. They give students that don’t feel as if they have anything interesting to say a chance to share something personal that defines them.
It is funny that you say young writers embelish. I have found that many of my students are at one extreme or another. Some of them will put down whatever pops into their heads and others will not write it unless they can remember it precisely as it happens. I especially find this to be the case when we discuss adding details. Some of them think if they cannot remmeber it and make it up that is lying. It is interesting to see such a diverse viewpoint on the issue.
By: sschemanske on November 23, 2008
at 11:43 pm