Memoir Writing

Memoir Journal .. Diary… Personal Narrative …

Book Title/Cover Memoir Overview Objective Lesson Links & Black Line Masters
This lovely book is filled with opinions regarding things liked and not liked. As children hear this book read aloud, they will be encouraged to formulate their own ideas regarding likes and dislikes. I Like Bees, I Don’t Like Honey

With thanks to Samantha Hanevich for her amazing bulletin board samples!

This book is a poetic look at nature and its fascinating details.  It also connects perfectly with the big ideas in science at the kindergarten level. After reading this book, take students outside to carefully observe nature.  An introduction to sensory language is offered as a means for children to think about what they see, hear, smell, and touch while outdoors. Writing Trait: Ideas

My Forest is Green

Number 21 recalls an event in author Nancy Hundal’s life in which her Dad brings home a new truck. Readers are lead on a mini mystery as the truck is used in an unconventional way on a hot summer day. Well written memoirs are based on ideas that have a very tight focus. In this lesson, Nancy’s book is used as a mentor text to model the narrow writing focus we want our students to have. Writing Trait: Ideas

Number 21 ~ Drawing a favourite memory

The Art of Clean Up: Life Made Neat and Tidy, by Ursus Wehrli is a visual masterpiece begging for conversation. In this lesson, simply turn each page and open minds through discussion, questions, and reactions.  After reading, encourage students to find objects, both inside and outdoors, that lend themselves to a playful “clean-up!” Writing Trait: Ideas   

The Art of Clean Up

Based on a true story, My Dream Playground recounts the events leading up to the first playground built by KaBOOM!, a national non-profit organization that has created more than two thousand play-spaces. In this lesson kindergarten students will envision their dream playground, build it inside or out, and draw it with labels to show what they know about letter sounds. Writing Trait: Ideas 

My Dream Playground

My Dream Playground black line masters for K & 1

To prevent his son from being injured, mother mouse wraps her son in cotton balls. Will this protective coating protect her son from injury. Adding details  about getting an “owwie” is the objective of this lesson. As students share their owwie stories, they are encourage to add more details. First aid supplies are used to trigger more verbal and written details. Writing Trait:  Ideas

Cottonball Colin

KindergartenCotton Ball Colin

BLM for K writing

Adorable examples from Pauline Mayer’s Ks!    sample 1  sample 2 sample 3 sample 4 sample 5 sample 6 sample 8

I this book, Happy, by Mies van Houte, you’ll see amazing, colourful illustrations of fish, all of whom share feelings! I LOVE this book! Gather some vibrant chalk pastels, and raid your art room for black construction paper.  Create ‘fishy’ artwork and tell a story about your feelings to someone. Writing Trait:  Ideas (details)

Happy ~ Kindergarten

Happy K 1 examples

Two very different friends explore what it would be like to be more like the other. The objective of this lesson is to have young students add details or elaborate on one idea. Writing Trait: Ideas

Me and You

There are lots of new things in kindergarten. tiptoe into offers a glimpse into the first days of school when doing things with others may be a bit overwhelming. The objective of this lesson is to teach young children how to elaborate or add details about one topic using Lori Rog’s Five Finger strategy. Writing Trait: Ideas

Tiptoe into kindergarten

While students and teacher walk to the park, the last child in the line sees something that no one else sees and the creativity begins. Students create their own squiggles using string or markers, then turn them into something imaginative. Writing Trait: Ideas

The Squiggle Lesson

Be careful with that stick… or is it a stick? This book provides creative inspiration. In this lessons, students think of different things that a stick might become. This is not a stick, it’s a magician’s wand! Writing Trait: Ideas

Not a Stick

There are lots of things to see, taste, and catch while taking a walk through the seasons. In this lesson, kindergarten students will draw detailed pictures with labels to show seasonal differences. If completed during the different seasons, these samples may be used in a portfolio to show student progress. Writing Trait: Ideas

On My Walk 

When Matt goes out to play in his new neighborhood, all he sees is a boring, empty lot. But with a stick, a little imagination and a few new friends, Mattland is born. In this lesson, students use the Show, Don’t Tell writing strategy to add details. At the kindergarten level, this can be done orally and by encouraging students to add details to their pictures. Writing Trait: Ideas

    


Mattland Lesson

Father and son watch machines at work while a new school is built. Getting young students to add details to their written work is the focus of this lesson. Writing Trait: Ideas

Building With Dad

This is a wordless picture book with hilarious photos of food. Use the photos as a means to gather details in a kid-friendly way. Use the Show, Don’t Tell strategy to describe emotions. In this example “mad” is analyzed. Writing Trait: Ideas

 

Show Don’t Tell BLM

Food Play Images