Narrative Nonfiction & Memoir Unit ELA Short Story & Memoir Analysis Activities

Together, these diverse materials create a 5-6 week unit that thoroughly covers the memoir and narrative nonfiction genre. First, students will work closely with two iconic paired short texts - "Death of the Moth" by Virginia Woolf and "Death of A Moth" by Annie Dillard. Not only will they analyze each story in length, but they will discuss their similarities and differences - which obviously go much deeper than their titles! Then, they can dive into any full-length memoir of your choosing, using the universal materials provided to guide their reading/comprehension and assess their deeper understanding of the texts.

Materials Included:

Woolf & Dillard Paired Texts Nonfiction Unit: Death of The Moth, Death of A Moth

Virginia Woolf’s “Death of the Moth” Materials

• Mini Web Quest on Virginia Woolf – to help students gather important contextualized background information
• During Reading Note-Taking Worksheet– to guide student reading and interaction with Woolf’s text for the first time
• Rhetorical Analysis and Argument Type Chart – to prompt student engagement and analysis with Woolf’s text on a deeper level
• Discussion Questions – to allow students to reflect on the important meanings of Woolf’s text in a scholarly setting
• 15 Question Multiple-Choice quiz – with a focus on rhetorical analysis and words-in-context questions
• Detailed Answer Keys!

Annie Dillard’s “Death of A Moth” Materials

• Mini Web Quest on Annie Dillard – to help students gather important contextualized background information
• During Reading Note-Taking Worksheet– to guide student reading and interaction with Dillard’s text for the first time
• Rhetorical Analysis and Argument Type Chart – to prompt student engagement and analysis with Dillard’s text on a deeper level
• Discussion Questions – to allow students to reflect on the important meanings of Dillard’s text in a scholarly setting
• 12 Question Multiple-Choice quiz – with a focus on rhetorical analysis and words-in-context questions
• Detailed Answer Keys!

Paired Materials, Extension Activity, and Project

• Compare and Contrast Chart – to help students analyze the similarities and differences between the two texts
• Optional Extension AP Language and Composition FRQ – to help potential or current AP students with the essay portion of their exam
• “Narrative Nonfiction” Writing Project – to engage students in composing their own nonfiction piece inspired by nature.
  • Outlined Requirements
  • Detailed Planning Guide
  • Comprehensive Scoring Rubric

Introduction to Memoir Mini-Lesson: Editable PPT Presentation with Quiz & Key!

• Editable PowerPoint Presentation - you can change/alter any slide and can add more or take away slides to fit the purpose of your lesson
• Timeline and Brainstorming Memoir Activity - to help students develop their own memoir short story idea
• Multiple-Choice and True/False Quiz - to assess students on the presentation materials
• Answer Key for the Quiz Included!

Memoir Analysis Worksheets: Activities, Assignments, & Project for ANY Memoir!

• “A Memoir’s Context” Research Assignment – to have students research the setting of their memoir and any important events, trends, or ideologies that might impact their memoir’s message in pivotal ways
• “A Memoir’s Language & Style” Annotation Assignment – to prompt students to annotate their memoir’s pages, choosing strong examples to record in chart format throughout their reading
• “A Memoir’s Protagonist” Character Sketch Assignment – to have students creatively depict the author, using details from the text to support their artistic choices.
• “A Memoir’s Protagonist” Character Growth Assignment – for those who may be less artistically inclined, another chance to analyze the protagonist and their growth throughout the book
• “A Memoir’s Societal Connections” Global Analysis Assignment – to have students make societal connections to the events and characters within their memoir
• “A Memoir’s Motifs and Themes” Post Analysis Assignment – to help students analyze the deeper implications of their memoir’s message
• “A Memoir’s Symbolic Ties” Post Analysis Assignment – to help students analyze the deeper implications of their memoir’s message
• “A Memoir’s Critical Acclaim” Written Review Assignment – to prompt students to rate their novel and then explain their rating with evidence from the text
• “Write Your Own Memoir” Project, with Planning Guide, Project Requirements, and Rubric – to guide students through the process of memoir writing

Memoir Nonfiction Article Pairings Chart: 8 Articles with Links for ANY Memoir!

• Lesson plans with detailed procedures and teacher’s notes included
• A “Non-fiction Text Pairings Chart” for students, complete with 8 different non-fiction connections, links, and instructions for how students should focus their analyses. (Offered in both PDF and Editable Word formats)
• A Detailed Teacher’s Guide to help you understand how each article connects to a memoir unit
• Focus questions for each article to prompt student analysis and discussion (over 20 total!)

Memoir Presentation Project: Lesson, Requirements, & Rubric for Any Memoir!

• A thorough Teacher's File - includes suggested implementation, procedures, and possible student feedback/discussion options
• Detailed Project Requirements (offered in both PDF and Editable Word Formats) - to outline clear student expectations
• Presentation Tips - to maximize student success
• Scoring Rubric (offered in both PDF and Editable Word Formats) - to ease your grading burden and facilitate meaningful student feedback
• A Sample Presentation for First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung - to offer students with an example before starting their own project

Keywords: memoir, narrative nonfiction, non-fiction, autobiographical writing, creative nonfiction, The Glass Castle, Angela's Ashes, The Liars Club, Running with Scissors, Me Talk Pretty One Day, I am Malala, Memoirs of A Boy Soldier, First They Killed My Father, The Color of Water, Memoirs of A Geisha, AP Language, AP Composition, AP Lang, AP Comp, juniors, 11th grade, literature circles, memoir circles, independent study, novel study, memoir short stories, short story, comparing two mediums, rhetorical strategies, narrative non-fiction, personal narrative, autobiography, biography, Virginia Woolf, Annie Dillard