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Memoir

Memoir


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Definition:

A form of autobiography which records personal thoughts and/or actions for the future. The focus is on a single period in the author’s life, and may be selected from longer, more detailed recordings of events, such as diary or journal entries. Memoirs are often characterized by their intimate focus on memories, feelings, and emotions.

Purpose:

  • To retell specific real-life thoughts or actions related to an event or experience

Characteristics:

Themes:

  • Life theme related to personal life lessons or observations
  • Historical perspective
  • Connections to present and past experiences
  • Reflective themes
  • Mundane events or observations that have become significant to the author’s life and character through reflection

Characters:

  • Characterization includes speech, action, and physical description
  • Descriptions of settings and events including sensory details of places, thoughts, and emotions
  • Characters may express heroism during an historical moment

Setting:

  • Focus on a single period of events in the writer’s life (episodic)
  • Often focuses on notable people known to the author
  • May be a partial entry selected from a more detailed recording of events and thoughts
  • Utilizes historical settings and actions while conveying a personal emotional tone

Plot:

  • Usually focuses on a period of time reflecting on the implications of a major event in the author’s life or a specific historical period

Author’s craft:

  • First person narrative
  • Descriptive
  • Reflective/ insightful ideas
  • Intimate focus on memories, feelings and emotions
  • Depth of idea development
  • Emotional journey into the past
  • Movement in text

Grade Level Instructional Scope for COMPREHENDING the Genre and Text of Memoirs:

Grade 7
  • Author’s perspective and tone
  • Closing statement or lesson learned
  • Personal response to elements
  • Personal connection
  • Understanding the author
  • Introduction (setting: time, date or both; who, what, when, where, and why)
  • Sequence
  • Presentation of details
  • Comprehension skills/strategies (summarize, analyze theme, connect, conclude, infer, synthesize)
  • Analyze structure, elements, style and purpose

Grade Level Instructional Scope for COMPOSING the Genre and Text of Memoirs:

Grade 7
  • Writing process
  • Write about pertinent event from prior knowledge and life experience
  • Choosing meaningful events (brainstorming, stream of consciousness, browsing, writing notebooks, and other prewriting techniques)
  • Presenting a perspective
  • Reflecting and choosing feelings, thoughts and observations key to the event
  • Narrowing the topic to a “snippet”
  • Writing strong and enticing leads
  • Presenting thoughts, feelings, and emotions through powerful, specific word useage
  • Developing perspective and intensity to reflect experience (a “window” into life)
  • Coherence

Booklists:

Access to the Documents:

Complete K-8 Genre Project
From the Michigan Department of Education

Complete K-8 Genre Booklist
From Kent Intermediate School District


Page last modified on February 10, 2009, at 10:57 AM