Memoir Unit: 2+ Weeks of Reading, Writing, & Discussion

Read and tell true stories through a memoir unit that keeps students engaged from the first web quest to each mentor text to the last interview!

All of the frontloading and reading activities build up to the grand finale: writing our own memoirs (and/or doing the interview project to write someone else’s memoir for them).

This unit uses a lot of choice to make room for student engagement (and differentiation); the unit can be easily adapted for middle OR high school, based on the texts you choose*. The length of the unit can easily last under or over 2 weeks, depending on your homework policies and how you do the pacing (especially for the writing assignments and choice reading project).

Check out the PREVIEW for more images and sneak peeks!

This 15-page download includes:
• A brief teacher’s guide
• A list of 40+ short and long suggested memoirs to use as mentor texts*
• Introductory web quest (short research activity)
• Introduction to memoir lesson
• Reading stations activity* for short memoirs & excerpts
• Choice Memoir Reading Project for independent reading
• Micro Memoir Activity 1: Photo memoirs
• Micro Memoir Activity 2: Six word memoirs
• Writing Student Memoirs Project: directions, brainstorming page, 25 prompts, and rubric
• Capturing Memoirs Interview Project: directions and rubric

*Note: The ONLY teacher prep for this unit is choosing the memoir mentor texts you wish to use, based on YOUR students’ reading levels, needs, and past/future reading lists. Use my provided list of suggestions to get started. The list also includes several websites for even more reading options.

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• Indirect vs. Direct Characterization Lesson
• Narrative Writing Flip Book: Mini-Lessons for Any Unit
• Short Story Unit

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