This lesson plan outlines a lesson to teach 7th grade students about memoirs. Students will first analyze excerpts from a memoir and answer questions in groups. The teacher will then present on the elements of a memoir using a personal example. Students will complete a graphic organizer to draft their own memoir with a problem, solution, perceived consequences, actual consequences, and lesson learned. In future lessons, students will refine their memoirs through peer feedback and additional drafts. The goal is for students to understand the structure and purpose of memoirs as a nonfiction genre.

1. Eggum, R. (2019, March 5). Formal Observation No.
2 Lesson Plan. Fairfax, VA: George Mason University, EDCI 790-011 1/10
Formal Observation No.
2 Lesson Plan
The Memoir
General Information
Teacher Candidate’s
Name
Richard L. Eggum School
Ronald Reagan Middle School
(Prince William County Schools)
Subject
English as a
Second Language /
English Language Arts
Grade(s) 7th
Date 03/06/2019 No. of Students 24 (20 Traditional, 4 ESOL)
Class Start Time 14:02 Students’ WiDA Levels 2
Class End Time 14:55

2. Eggum, R. (2019, March 5). Formal Observation No.
2 Lesson Plan. Fairfax, VA: George Mason University, EDCI 790-011 2/10
I. Objectives and Standards
A. Concept and Language Objectives
1. Concept Objective(s)
We will review, examine, and construct a memoir (as a nonfiction text that combines author’s purpose
with a problem-and-solution text structure) by…
2. Language Objective(s)
...first interpreting excerpts from “Bombardment,” responding to questions about the excerpts, and
explaining answers to those questions in groups. Next, we will concentrate on the elements of a
memoir with a presentation. Finally, we will arrange our memoirs with a graphic organizer and
produce a rough draft.

3. Eggum, R. (2019, March 5). Formal Observation No.
2 Lesson Plan. Fairfax, VA: George Mason University, EDCI 790-011 3/10
B. National, State, and Local Standards
1. National Standards
2010 Common Core State Standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy. Reading: Informational Text 7.5
i. Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how major sections contribute to
the whole and to the development of ideas.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy. Writing 7.2(a)(b)(c), 7.4
i. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey … information through the
selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. (a) Introduce a topic clearly … organize
ideas, concepts, using strategies such as … comparison/contrast, [problem/solution], and
cause/effect… . (b) Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations,
or other information and examples. (c) Use appropriate transitions to create cohesion and clarify
the relationship among ideas and concepts.
ii. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
2. State Standards
2017 Commonwealth of Virginia’s Standards of Learning:
VA SOL Reading 7.5(e)(f)(g)
i.) The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of fiction, narrative nonfiction,
and poetry [to] draw conclusions based on explicit and implied information [to] make inferences
based on explicit and implied information [and to] summarize text.
VA SOL Writing 7.8(a)(b)
i.) The student will develop narrative, expository, and persuasive writing [by] applying knowledge of
prewriting strategies [and elaborating] the central idea in an organized mannor

4. Eggum, R. (2019, March 5). Formal Observation No.
2 Lesson Plan. Fairfax, VA: George Mason University, EDCI 790-011 4/10
3. Local Standards
2011Prince William County Schools’
Standards of Learning Curriculum Framework for Middle School Language Arts
PWCS SOL Frmwk. Stand. 7.5(g), 7.7(a)(b)(c)(d)(f)
i.) The student will … demonstrate comprehension of … narrative nonfiction [by] … [making]
inferences and [drawing] conclusions based on the text.
ii.) The student will write a variety of forms with an emphasis on exposition, narration, and
persuasion [to] identify intended audience, use a variety of prewriting strategies including
graphic organizers to generate and organize ideas, organize writing structure to fit mode or topic,
establish a central idea and organization, [and] write multiparagraph compositions with unity
elaborating the central idea
II.Materials
A. Tools/Supplies
1. Internet connection
2. teacher’s computer/laptop
3. classroom interactive board
4. legal-sized file folder with “Bombardment” excerpts and questions
5. self-adhesive poster sheets
6. markers

5. Eggum, R. (2019, March 5). Formal Observation No.
2 Lesson Plan. Fairfax, VA: George Mason University, EDCI 790-011 5/10
B. Teacher Sources
1. The Memoir (PowerPoint Presentation)
2. “Bombardment”
i. Burchac, J. (2010). Bombardment. In Expert 21: Reading, writing, and thinking for the 21st century
(course II, volume I, Virginia edition, pp. 132-129). New York, NY: Scholastic.
C. Student Materials
1. Students Outline Packet
2. Memoir Graphic Organizer

6. Eggum, R. (2019, March 5). Formal Observation No.
2 Lesson Plan. Fairfax, VA: George Mason University, EDCI 790-011 6/10
III. Learning Experiences
A. Background Experience
1. Previous and Present Lessons
i. During the past two weeks, the candidate teacher (CT) has taught lesson units on text structures:
description, cause and effect, problem and solution, compare and contrast, as well as sequence and
chronological order. The students have engaged in cooperative learning activities that engage them
in using signal words unique to each text structure within a nonfiction text that has been written as
a cloze paragraph. The students, in teams, choose construction strips with signal words written on
them to complete the cloze paragraph.
ii. Today (Wednesday, March 6, 2019), the CT will introduce a unit writing a memoir. The students
will implicitly acclimate themselves to the elements of an memoir through a cooperative learning
activity in which they read excerpts from the memoir “Bombardment”, discuss answers to questions,
and produce a poster to share with the class. Then, they will learn how to use some of the
elements of a memoir explicitly through a presentation. Finally, they will use the selected elements
that they have learned about to produce their own memoir within a problem-and-solution model
with a humorous solution, perspective at the time of the memory and at the time of writing the
memoir (i.e., then and now), and a lesson that helps the reader to relate the memoir.
B. Introduction
1. Activation
i. The students will enter the room and see their desks redistributed into eight different stations. The
students will stand in a circle around the room against the walls. The first student say, “A,” and the
students will continue until the eighth student says, “H.” They will repeat until all students have
said a letter. The students will then go to their station.
ii. Each station has a legal-sized file folder and a self-adhesive poster sheet. Inside the file folder is a
color printed sheet with two excerpts from the memoir “Bombardment” along with several
questions to general higher order thinking. (The students have previously red the memoir as a
class.) The students will discuss the questions, write answers on their poster with markers and
illustrate. The students will label their poster at the top (e.g., “Team A”) and tape their printed
sheet to the poster.

7. Eggum, R. (2019, March 5). Formal Observation No.
2 Lesson Plan. Fairfax, VA: George Mason University, EDCI 790-011 7/10
C. Learning Activities
1. Presentation
i. The CT will tell a personal memoir with digital pictures to illustrate details. Then the CT will
demonstrate the use of a graphic organizer with a problem-and-solution text structure to produce a
memoir. The graphic organizer has a circle in four quarters, each quarter is a different color. In
the top-left light green quarter, the students answer the first question: What is one simple problem
that you experienced as a child. In the top-right dark green quarter, the students answer the
second question: What solutions did you and your friends use to fix your problem? The students
are prompted to be funny with some solutions before providing a real solution to the problem.
ii. These two quarters aid the student to remember an event from their past and frame it within a
problem-and-solution text structure. By dividing a memory in a problem and a solution, the
students do not have to recall an entire memory all at once, and can go through each detail within
a memory. The students also get to decide which details are relevant and which are extraneous by
inventing a humorous solution that is based in fact. The students then understand that a memoir,
as a narrative nonfiction is factual in its main events but can be fiction in some details, depending
on the message they want their readers to gain.
iii. Then, the students answer the question in the lower-right dark blue quarter: As a reuslt of this
problem, what unrealistic consequences did you think would happen to you when you were a child?
Finally, the students answer the question in the lower-left purple quarter: Now that you are older,
what were the consequences that did happen? As a conclusion, the CT prompts the students to
provide a moral to the memoir. The students read, “What lesson did you learn?”
iv. These two quarters aid the student to see the perceived consequences that they had in the past
and the true consequences (viewed with hindsight). Students then understand perception of a
problem changes over time. Finally, students explicitly state a moral or lesson that will help their
readers to apply the memoir to their own lives. The moral or lesson is an additional element that
helps the reader to empathize directly or sympathize with the author.
v. Eight graphic organizers printed in color completed with elements from the CT’s memoir are
provided to each group of students. These completed graphic organizers help accommodate four
English Learners (ELs) with WiDA Level 2 language skills as well as traditional students who issues
with organizational skills and motivation.

8. Eggum, R. (2019, March 5). Formal Observation No.
2 Lesson Plan. Fairfax, VA: George Mason University, EDCI 790-011 8/10
2. Practice
i. The candidate teacher (CT) will provide the students with the My Memoir graphic organizer.
Students will complete the graphic organizer, as shown during the presentation and then continue
to write the memoir in two paragraphs. The first paragraph contains their problem and solutions
with a humorous solution. The second paragraph contains the consequences they perceived would
happen in the past, the consequences that truly happened, and a lesson that they learned from the
memory to help the readers relate.
3. Production
i. During a future lesson, the students will trade memoirs with three classmates to edit. The
classmates are not yet editing for spelling, word choice, and syntax. The classmates are simply
writing down questions so that the author can make the details more vivid and clear and so that
they author has worked on each element of the memoir. A student might read, “My friend and I
heard a stranger tell us to be careful with that thing.” The editor can write, “Who is the stranger?
Is the stranger a man or a woman, an adult or a teenager? What was the ‘thing’ that you had to be
careful with?”
ii. Once the student author has received three reviews from student authors, he or she may write a
second rough draft with greater clarity and vivid detail.
4. Closure
i. The students will complete the Memoir Exit Ticket in the Student Outline Packet. The CT will then
dismiss the class.

9. Eggum, R. (2019, March 5). Formal Observation No.
2 Lesson Plan. Fairfax, VA: George Mason University, EDCI 790-011 9/10
5. Differentiation
i. During the activation portion of the lesson, students are taught in groups to develop social
interaction and cohesion among students with a diversity of language levels (e.g., WiDA Levels 2
and 3), languages of origin (i.e., Mandarin Chinese, Punjabi, Spanish, and Urdu), countries and
family heritages of origin (i.e., China, Pakistan, and Latin American heritage within the United
States of America), and personal. This references heterogeneous ability teams, given the large size
of the class (Kagen & Kagen, 2009).
ii. The CT will use varying vocabulary (i.e., with qualifiers) when providing instruction and giving
directions so that ELs with lower WiDA levels may comprehend and ELs with higher WiDA levels are
challenged.
D. Assessment
i. The activation portion of the lesson functions as a summative assessment (for a prior lesson when
the students read the memoir “Bombardment”) for the CT to comprehend if where able to
comprehend the explicit and implied information within narrative nonfiction. (The CT will have a
large index card with each student’s name written at the top. The cards will be adhered to the
inside of a folder so that the students do not see. The CT will note observations on interaction,
participation with the activity, roles that they students play in their group, higher order thinking,
etc.)
ii. The practice portion of the lesson functions as a summative assessment. The graphic organizer will
be filled out with a problem, a solution, a humorous solution that might be a fictional, a perceived
consequence, hindsight of the consequence, and a moral or lesson. (The CT will have a checklist
with an area for positive comments and suggestions for improvement.)
iii. The production portion during a future lesson will function as a formative assessment. The first
rough draft should expand from two paragraphs to at least four—and maybe even five—paragraphs
within the second rough draft. (The questions that student editors write for student authors
demonstrates to the CT that students understand the elements of a memoir. The second rough
draft also demonstrates mastery of the basic elements of a memoir.)
iv. The closure portion of the lesson functions as a spot-check evaluation for basic information.
IV. Efforts to Accommodate
A. Visual Learners
i. Students will engage simultaneously with the candidate teacher (CT), the PowerPoint presentation, the
Student Outline Packet, and digital photos to assist visual learning.
ii. Visual references are used throughout the PowerPoint presentation and the student packet to provide a
visual representation of unfamiliar words and concepts.

10. Eggum, R. (2019, March 5). Formal Observation No.
2 Lesson Plan. Fairfax, VA: George Mason University, EDCI 790-011 10/10
B. Auditory Learner
i. Students will engage with members of their group and the CT as they listen to each other.
ii. Students will engage in whole class, group, and teacher-student discussion throughout the lesson.
C. Kinesthetic Learners
i. Students may move about the classroom when producing their poster and my use total physical
response to communicate with their group and the class.
ii. Student will walk around the room at read the responses and look at the illustrations on the poster of
each team.
D. Special Needs Learners (Disabled and/or Gifted)
i. The candidate teacher will use varying vocabulary (i.e., with qualifiers) when providing instruction and
giving directions so that English Learners with lower WiDA levels may comprehend and English Learners
with higher WiDA levels are challenged.
ii. The candidate teacher will assist English Learners and traditional students that struggle to read or who
are unmotivated to learn by providing individualized attention with understanding directions for class on
handouts and by modeling tasks to be completed for the practice portion of the lesson.