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Lesson 3

We will practice using techniques to write about a memory.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I use narrative techniques to develop experiences for a reader?

Texts

Optional

  • Digital Access
    • “The Site of Memory,” Toni Morrison, Houghton Mifflin, 1995

Materials

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read – Discuss

We will read and discuss a section of “The Site Of Memory” by Toni Morrison.

Discuss the following question with a partner:

  1. What does it mean for a writer to "see"?

Read pages 97-98 of "The Site of Memory," from "What I want to do in this talk is to track an image from picture to meaning to text" to "The end result—the book—was all that the critic had to go on."

With your partner, discuss the strategies used by Toni Morison to write about corn. Then respond to the following question with your partner:

  1. What are the relationships among memory, images, and emotion?

Activity 2: Write

We will describe one pivotal element of the community we are going to write about for the Culminating Task.

Think about the community you are going to write about. Consider experiences you have had in that community: you might recall the day you joined, a day something interesting or important happened, or the worst day you had as a member of that community.

Respond to the following questions:

  1. What elements come to mind? These elements could be big settings, like a basketball court, or small elements, like an ear of corn on the cob.

  2. Focus on one of these elements. Let your mind wander and remember what it was like to be there.

  3. What feelings or emotions come to mind?

  4. After you have chosen an element, take a few minutes to free-write everything that comes to mind. Try to capture the emotion of the element by describing the details that are important to you.

  5. How will you use this process to complete your Culminating Task?

Activity 3: Write

We will focus on developing the core message for our piece.

Respond to the following questions:

  1. What is the most important message for your audience to know about your community?

  2. How will you convince your audience to see what you want them to see?

Think about how you would introduce your community to an outsider. What is the first thing they need to know in order to understand?

Begin writing a paragraph that will bring your reader into the environment of your community. This will not act as your introduction. This is your first body paragraph, which will provide your reader with more information about the community you will be discussing.

Depending on the genre you have chosen, you might start with a personal story or anecdote to situate your reader. If you have opted for a more informational style, you might begin with an expository or expository beginning.

Focus on getting your ideas on paper, not necessarily making those ideas perfect or final.