A 5th grade memoir writing unit

1. You Can’t Make
This Stuff Up
A 5th Grade Memoir Writing Project

2. What is a Memoir?
A memoir is a narrative written about an important event in the
author’s life that affected them in some way.
Characteristics of Memoirs:
• A memory; a description of a true past event
• Written in the 1st person
• Reveals the feelings of the writer
• Has meaning; shows what the author learned from
the experience
• About the author’s experience more than about the
event itself

3. What Does a Memoir Look
Like?
• Memoirs are stories, so they should look like
narratives written from the 1st person point of view.
• The number of paragraphs is up to you – there is no
set rule – the goal of a memoir is to clearly show an
important event or experience and explain how it
changed you.
• The ending of a memoir must include an explanation
that shows how this experience changed or affected
you in some important way.
Student-Written Memoirs

4. 6-Word Memoir
What if you only had six words to write about a true past event or
experience that changed you in some important way?

5. 6-Word Memoir
What if you only had six words to write about a true past event or
experience that changed you in some important way?

6. 6-Word Memoir
What if you only had six words to write about a true past event or
experience that changed you in some important way?
Now it’s your turn, choose some important experience or
event and write about it using only six words.
Remember
1. It only works if it’s personal – the event or experience should be unique to
YOUR life
2. Put the six best words in the best order
3. Be creative
4. Focus on your EXPERIENCE, not the details
5. Have fun

7. Memoir: Fly Away Home
1st person point of view
Dialogue
Focuses on
author’s feelings
Why do you think the author is
telling the story about the bird
being stuck in the airport and
eventually finding a way out?

8. Planning
• Start by thinking of some important event in
your life – try to think of something
memorable; something you’ll never forget,
something that changed you or taught you
something.
• Need an idea? Click on the link below,
Brainstorming Memoirs from Life

9. What’s a Good Idea?

10. Planning
• Start by jotting
down a memorable
event
• Then, write down
what you learned
from this event or
how it changed you
in some way
• Finally, list what
happened moment
by moment
E v e n t : Wh e n m y
c a t g o t l o s t
Wh a t I l e a r n e d :
T o n e v e r l e a v e a
f r i e n d b e h i n d
Wh a t H a p p e n e d :
1. M i s t y
d i s a p p e a r e d
2. A l l o f u s
w o n d e r e d w h a t
h a p p e n e d t o
h e r
3. M y b r o t h e r a n d
I b e g a n
s e a r c h i n g t h e
f o r e s t c a l l i n g
h e r n a m e

11. Writing: Lead
A “lead” is how an author
starts their memoir in
order to grab the reader’s
attention.

12. Writing: Story
After you’ve written your lead it’s time to write the story – this is
where you’ll write about the actual experience or event.
Remember:
• Use the 1st person point of view
• Tell the OUTSIDE story – what’s actually
happening
• Tell the INSIDE story – what you were
thinking and feeling
• Use dialogue to add impact
• Tell details that only you, as the author,
could know (what you felt, what you
wanted, etc. . .)

13. Writing: Ending
The ending of a memoir is where you reveal how this
important event changed you and what you learned
from it.
A Good Ending Includes:
 A memory of the main event
 Your feelings about it
 How you think/act differently
because of this or how this
changed you.

14. Writing: Ending
 A memory of the main
event
 Your feelings about it
 How you think/act
differently because of
this or how this changed
you.
I’ll never forget the crack
of the bat as I hit that
homerun and the way my
heart pounded as the ball
flew out of the park.
Suddenly, I knew that I
was more than just the
names they called me. I
knew that it wasn’t just
baseball I could be good at.
If I worked at it, I could do
anything.

15. Writing: Ending
Terrible Ending
So that’s the end of the
story about my big baseball
victory.
Awesome Ending
I’ll never forget the
crack of the bat as I hit that
homerun and the way my heart
pounded as the ball flew out of
the park. Suddenly, I knew
that I was more than just the
names they called me. I knew
that it wasn’t just baseball I
could be good at. If I worked
at it, I could do anything.

16. Revise&Edit

17. Final Draft
• After revising your essay, you’re ready to write
your final draft.