First period worked on a simple question: how is writing an essay (especially a memoir) like a treasure hunt? We used a graphic organizer to work out our thoughts, working in pairs and then as a class. We then addressed three pre-writing strategies:

1. Free writing
2. Brainstorming
3. Clustering

Second period looked at the question of point of view and its affect on a reader. We discussed whether or not Scout is a reliable narrator in To Kill a Mockingbird.

Fourth and sixth periods looked at the memoir form and compared it to other forms of writing.

Homework

• First period: use each of the three pre-writing strategies to explore three of the topics from yesterday’s homework.
• Second period:
  • read chapters 5-8;
  • discussion question on message forum.
• Fourth and sixth periods: a list of 10-15 events/relationships that could serve as a topic for a memoir (in other words, has a high “so what?” value).