Rationale
Over the last several years of teaching sixth grade English/Language Arts, I have found a deficit in my students' writing abilities. At the elementary level, I often hear that teaching writing is placed on the backburner since the elementary teachers are required to first teach the reading and math programs and initiatives mandated by the state. Also, since our current state test is only multiple-choice, reading on grade level was more of a focus than teaching the elements of writing. Each year, my students struggle when writing a narrative or informational piece that is cohesive with a beginning, middle and end and can smoothly transition from one thought to the next all the while maintaining a clear purpose. Another major deficit is that the students are not thinking logically and are not being safe or using good judgment about what they are leaving behind for other people to see. Their private lives are being made available to the public realm through the Internet and they need to reflect on what they truly want other people to see. With this unit, I want my students to learn the writing process by writing their own memoirs and biographies of their peers. Students will act as authors as well as editors by collaborating in working together in writing, editing and revising their memoirs and biographies. Also, to learn to reflect on what to share with others, students will write their memoir about an incident that has changed them. They will choose an event that will help their audience learn from their mistakes.
To help students learn to reflect on an author's purpose as well learn to write their own memoir, we will be using Dan Greenburg's personal narrative entitled "My Superpowers" to act as our model. Dan Greenburg is a young adult author who shares about the time he was bullied as a young teenager by a group of boys from his school. At this point in his life, Greenburg wished he had superpowers like Superman to handle those bullies; instead of the superpowers coming through, Greenburg lashed out at the boys and it made him look like a crazy person. In the end, Greenburg learned that the only way he can be saved is if he accepts himself for who he is as a person. Greenburg wrote this event so that his young audience can learn from his experiences.
Students will also read and examine the biography "Matthew Henson on Top of the World" written by Jim Haskins This biography discusses the life story of Matthew Henson, an African-American that was a part of the expedition that discovered the North Pole. Henson demonstrates a strong character in that he pursued and succeeds in his goals even though he became an orphan at a young age and had to deal with prejudice due to the color of his skin. Students will read the biography to learn about the principles of biography as well as use as a model to write their biographies about their peers.
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