writing down my family unit

8/14/2019 Writing Down My Family Unit

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Writing Down My FamilyUsing oral histories as research for autobiographical poems

Robin Judd

Success Alternative High School

Woodburn School District 103July/August, 2009

Unit Plan: House of WordsWilliam Stafford Fellowship: Lewis and Clark College

Unit Question:

Where do oral family histories and autobiographical poetry meet?

Unit Goals:

Students will

Gain familiarity with the questioning and answering process. Engage members of their families in an interview to obtain information that will

help them construct meaningful autobiographical poems. Use William Staffords style, organization, and word choice in seven poems to

create their own original poetry.

Objectives:

Interview a parent to find more information about their families. Use interview responses and questions to infuse creative writing with relevant

information, stories, and family anecdotes. Define and use active verbs, lively adjectives, and interesting nouns in

autobiographical poetry. Analyze and discuss major themes in poems by William Stafford. Brainstorm, write, and revise original, autobiographical poetry.

Standards:

Increase word knowledge through systematic vocabulary development; determinethe meaning of new words by applying knowledge of word origins, word

relationships, and context clues; verify the meaning of new words; and use thosenew words accurately across the subject areas.

Listen critically and respond appropriately across the subject areas. EL.HS.LI.02Demonstrate listening and reading comprehension of more complex

literary text through class and/or small group interpretive discussions. EL.HS.LI.13Evaluate the impact of word choice and figurative language on tone,

mood, and theme.

EL.HS.WR.08Revise drafts to improve the logic and coherence of theorganization and controlling idea, the precision of word choice, and the toneby

taking into consideration the audience, purpose, and formality of the context.

EL.HS.SL.17Analyze how language and delivery affect the mood and tone of theoral communication and make an impact on the audience.


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EL.HS.SL.05Analyze the occasion and the interests of an audience, and chooseeffective verbal techniques and language to convey ideas.

Interview Guidelines:

Choose one parent to interview

Start with five urgent questions ask about the things you want to know reallybadly but might not have been brave enough to speak about honestly before now Conversations should yield several more questions and answers that build upon

the original five urgent questions.

Transcription:

Students may use recording devices and tapes or cds if they have them availableto use at home. If you have a recorder on a cell phone, you may use that.

Otherwise, they will handwrite their interview questions and responses and typethe information they record in class.

On the phone with mom: Model the interview process for students by having them call my mom Have students write one question before they meet her Once she begins talking, have students prepare questions as she responds: they

must listen carefully for this. The best speakers are the best listeners: interrupting can disrupt the conversation They can formulate more interview questions using the way your subject responds:

To clarify confusion To go into more depth and detail about the same topic To formulate new topics and questions about related topics

From the William Stafford Archives (Lewis and Clark College):

Poems will be used for daily reading and writing activities: as a springboard for students

to think creatively about their lives. Parentage Some Shadows Listening A Memorial: Son Bret Remembering Brother Bob Elegy Troubleshooting

Time:

5 weeks1 hour 25 minutes per class meeting, every other day

Wednesdays and Fridays 8AM-9:30AM

Materials:

Class sets of the seven poems and the discussion/writing prompts for each inchronological order.


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16.Read Parentage aloud17.Decipher Staffords feelings about his father.18.Discuss: how are his feelings similar to/different from your own?

Day 2

1.

Introduce questioning and answering process2. Model Interview process over speakerphone with mom3. Students practice recording4. Debrief: frustrations overcoming obstacles, other topics we could have

developed during the interview, questions they wrote but didnt ask, questions

that didnt get answered, problem-solving, how our written forms of the interview

are different how theyre similar: use document camera to make this transparent.5. Students add to their five by anticipating answers and trying to develop the five

questions they wrote on Wednesday further have at least 15 today.

6. Students will take their questions home, set up interview times with thedesignated family member and be ready to transcribe on Wednesday.

7.

Remind absentees to check in on Monday 9AM-11AM8. Transition into workshop: break for bathroom and fountain.9. Prewrite: T-Chart: left side is Mom, right side is Dad10.Show them my T-Chart on the In Focus: From the Powerpoint (have the slide

ready)

11.Students write, then we share12.Read Some Shadows: students highlight verbs and nouns.

a. Review verbs and nouns if necessary13.What did Stafford say about his own parents?

a. Were they happy?14.What did they notice about the verbs and nouns he used?15.What could they take from this poem and put into theirs?16.Remind them: transcription begins Wednesday!

Week 2

Day 3

1. Begin with Poem2. Pre-write: Five senses review what the five sense are, have them choose one to

describe one parent, explain why they chose the sense they did.

3. Share4. Write down all the words they can think of that describe that sense to someone

elsegive examples.

5. Share6. Read Listening7. Highlight all the Listening verbs and nouns.8. Share responses.9. How did Staffords choice of words paint a picture in your mind?10.Begin composing a poem about that parent, using the words they chose earlier.11.Transition into Fridays homework assignment:12.Who they chose to interview


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