Focus Lesson Planning Sheet

Focus Lesson Topic / Finding Topics from a Memory Chain

Materials

/ ·  Examples of mentor texts – Letter to the Lake by: Susan Marie Swason, Night Tree by: Eve Bunting, Bigmama’s by: Donald Crews
·  Chart paper
·  Markers
·  Paper (for independent writing)
·  Pencils

Connection

/ Yesterday during writers’ workshop we… Today we’re going to continue thinking about how authors decide what they’re going to write about by thinking about special memories that we have to create a memory chain.
Explicit Instruction / A memory chain is one strategy that helps good writers think about what they may like to write a story about. It is a collection of ideas that are sometimes related or sometimes unrelated. It shows our thinking about a topic and helps a writer make good choices for a writing piece. A memory chain can begin with a simple word or object. Then the writer begins thinking more about that particular word or object, and writes other thoughts that come to mind. This same thing happened to Rosie as we read the story Letter to the Lake. In the story, all of the different objects sparked memories for Rosie. It reminded Rosie of things she experienced at the lake in the summer – the raspberry jam she has for breakfast reminds her of the time she picked raspberries, the rock shaped like a bear reminds her of finding the bear tracks, the speckled rock reminds her of watching the dragonflies catch bugs.
We can do the same thing. We can think about different objects or words and tell our thoughts. To help me begin, I’m going to brainstorm a list of objects or words that I see in our room as a starting point for my memory chain. Teacher creates list. Objects may include: bulletin board, flag, window, pencil sharpener, phone, sink, etc.
Now I’m going to circle one of these ideas and begin to think more about that topic. Watch how my thinking sparks new memories.
Example:
Flag
i
Saying the pledge of allegiance
i
Red, white, and blue
i
Watching the fireworks on the 4th of July
i
Cookout at Nana’s house
i
Eating ice cream that melted all over the hands
That’s it! I’m going to circle my last item in my chain and begin writing a story about the time I was eating ice cream and it was so hot that it melted all over my hands.
Guided Practice / Now we’re going to make our own memory chain as a class. Let’s pick something else from our room to help us get started. Example: box of tissues
Let’s think about a box of tissues and add our thoughts to create a memory chain that shows our thinking about this object. This will help us gather ideas for future stories that we may write.
Send Off [for Independent Practice] / For independent reading today, I’d like you to create your own memory chain. To help you get started you may want to begin with an object that’s in our room. Then keep thinking about that object and list memories that come to mind. When you are done circle the memory that you’d like to write about and begin telling that story.
Group Share / Invite 1-2 students to share their memory chain with the class.