Students explore what Carol Jago calls the place "where life and art intersect" by reading Nikki Giovanni's poem, "Nikki-Rosa," and then writing about childhood memories of their own.

After reading a short memoir and reviewing the genre, students choose how to create a memoir of a family member who is at least a generation older. Students first select a family member to interview, and then craft a set of interview. Students create written memoirs, focusing on one or two unifying themes, and can be presented as a photographic collage, a series of panels telling a story, a painting, a video, a musical composition, a sculpture, or another creative way. Students accompany their work with an artist̍s journal, explaining why they have chosen the particular method of presentation and analyzing their own successes and shortcomings.

Using The Giver, students discuss the importance recorded history. This provides context for descriptive writing of studentsŐ own history in a lesson that integrates personal writing, research, and literary response.

Narrative Writing Lessons and Resources includes Sun West lesson plans, resources, and assessments for grades 1-12! Teachers in the 2019-2020 Writing Alignment PLC created these ready to use materials for educators. We hope you find them useful!