Memoirs – What are our stories?
“All that we are is story. From the moment we are born to the time we continue on our spirit journey, we are involved in the creation of the story of our time here. It is what we arrive with. It is all we leave behind. We are not the things we accumulate. We are not the things we deem important. We are story. All of us. What comes to matter then is the creation of the best possible story we can while we’re here; you, me, us, together. When we can do that and we take the time to share those stories with each other, we get bigger inside, we see each other, we recognize our kinship – we change the world, one story at a time…” (Richard Wagamese)
“Dirk the Protector” by Gary Paulsen
Writing Journal Entry:
What if you woke up tomorrow and all the adults had vanished? How would you survive?
Brainstorm a list of items you would need to survive out in the world on your own; without adults.
Reading Journal Entry
Clarify: What are two challenges that Paulsen faces?
What connections can you make to the story? (Text-to-Text, Text to-Self, Text-to-World).
Writing Journal Entry:
List characteristics of memoir that are present in the story.
Analyze point-of-view:
Create a two-column chart.
On one side of your chart, list information you know about Paulsen because he states it directly.
On one side of your chart, list the questions you have about Paulsen after reading the memoir.
“Dirk the Protector” – Elements of Short Story – Plot
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Reread the story “Dirk the Protector” using ‘close reading’ strategies
Mark up the page – highlight or underline key events, moments or interactions that happen in the story.
Plot Diagram for “Dirk the Protector”
Elements of Plot Slideshow and plot graphic organizer.