English 11R

Name_________________________

“This Boy’s/Girl’s Life”: A Memoir Project

Through memoirs, writers remember their lives. You have read Tobias
Wolff’s recollections about growing up in the 1950’s and are currently
reading a memoir written by an author of your choice. These books as
well as the shorter memoir selections we have read in class show us
that each writer uses a unique voice to share his or her story. Now it’s
your turn. This project invites you to create a written and a visual
memoir that focuses on a vivid time in your own life.

TASK ONE: Written Chapter

Compose a 500-700 word chapter based on a significant time in your

own life. This is neither an essay nor a short story, so there is no need
for a thesis or a beginning, middle and end. Use this piece of writing
as a way to explore your own voice. You decide where the story
begins and ends. Your writing should be a richly detailed memory that
reveals the importance of the time or event. Although you may write
about something that has happened within the past few years, be sure
that enough time has passed that you have gained some perspective
about it.

Voice: The author’s personality reflected on the written page.

Audience:

Purpose:

REQUIREMENTS:
• 500-700 words
• Title that is thoughtful and thought-provoking
• Completion of 3 drafts prior to turning in the final, revised piece

DRAFT #1: In your Writer’s Notebook, informally draft your essay.

This will likely take up a few pages. At this point, you will simply write
down all of your ideas. Don’t worry about the order, form and
paragraphing, or flawless grammar. This draft will endue life into your
story. Just write! Get down every detail and idea that you have and
worry about how to put it together later.
DUE DATE FOR DRAFT #1: ________________
15 points [-8 if late, no excuses or exceptions]

DRAFT #2: Your next step is to take your ideas and begin to organize
them into a coherent piece. Re-read your Writer’s Notebook entry and
type up a draft. At this point, you will begin to shape your writing and
develop the story. This draft need not be perfect. It is likely that you
will have questions at this point and I encourage you to write those
questions on the back of the draft. (It’s okay if this draft is fewer than
500 words…you’ll add to it.)

DUE DATE FOR DRAFT #2:__________________

15 points [-8 if late]

DRAFT #3: You will write this draft after we review STAR revision
techniques and discuss deeper revision strategies. This draft will be
typed with clearly mark changes (STAR) from Draft #2. At this
point, you will be nearly finished with your story. You will turn this in
for me to review and possibly offer some suggestions for final
revisions.

DUE DATE FOR DRAFT #3 ___________________ (ATTACH DRAFT #2)

25 points [-10 if late]

FINAL DRAFT: You may consider this piece complete after you have
written all three drafts and made the final changes upon my review.
Be proud of your hard work! The final draft should be typed and
double-spaced.

DUE DATE FOR FINAL DRAFT _____________

100 points [As per the English department policy, late essays lose ½ letter
grade each day they are late.)

NOTE: SINCE THE SUBJECT OF THIS MEMOIR IS PERSONAL, NO

PART OF IT WILL BE READ, SHARED OR EDITED BY ANYONE
OTHER THAN YOUR TEACHER.

TASK TWO: MEMOIR “TRAILER”

Using i-Movie, you will create a 2-3 minute video trailer for your
memoir. Like a movie trailer, you will capture the mood of your written
memoir through a series of pictures, words, sounds and music. Think
of it as an artistic abstract of the written work. Mr. Cimorelli will help
us with the technical aspects of this task.

MEZZANINE LAB DATES:

1.

2.

3.

4.

The lab will also be open after school on the dates listed above. If you
are absent, you will need to make up the time.

DUE DATE (Posted on Class WIKI): _____________________

40 points

GRADES: You will receive a rubric for the written memoir as well as
the memoir trailer. This project will be a part of your 1st AND 2nd
quarter grades.

Q1:
Drafts 1-3: 55 points
Time spent in computer lab: 20 points (5 points each day on
task)
Memoir Trailer: 40 points

TOTAL =115 points for Q1

Q2:
Final essay: 100 points
NOTES:

DON’T FORGET TO ADD DUE-DATES TO YOUR PLANNER.