Subject: American Literature
1. Topic-
Personal Writing: Who am I?
 
2. Content-
Writing to Discover
Odyssey
Vignette
Biography
autobiography
self-portrait
autobiographical fiction
 
3. Goals: Aims/Outcomes-
1. Aid students in realizing formative experiences
2. Increase student self-esteem at relevance of their own experience
 
4. Objectives-
1. Students will construct personal autobiographical vignettes that convey theme, character, and elements of plot

CA Standards: 2.0 Writing Applications
2.1 Write biographical or autobiographical narratives or short stories:
a. Relate a sequence of events and communicate the significance of the events to the audience.
b. Locate scenes and incidents in specific places.
c. Describe with concrete sensory details the sights, sounds, and smells of a scene and the
specific actions, movements, gestures, and feelings of the characters; use interior monologue to
depict the characters' feelings.
d. Pace the presentation of actions to accommodate changes in time and mood.
e. Make effective use of descriptions of appearance, images, shifting perspectives, and sensory details.
 
5. Materials and Aids-
Projector, Computer, Audio, 2x Handouts, college-ruled paper, Step 4 (rough draft) rubric
 
6. Procedures/Methods-

A. Introduction-

1. INTO with journal entry (Self-portrait)
2. Discussion of Odyssey, The Circuit
 

B. Development-

1. Model analysis of self-portrait of john lennon and instructor's own self-portrait
2. Model self-portrait w/3 characteristics emphasized
 

C. Practice-

1. Students sketch own self-portraits and journal about them
2. Students construct their list of 10 experiences
 

D. Independent Practice-

1. Students write their three paragraphs about three most significant experiences
2. Students write their
 

E. Accommodations (Differentiated Instruction)-

1. Visual self-portrait + written autobiography to connect with visual/artistic learners
2. Video/Audio of Amy Tan for technological learners
3. Students with low-level English are not required to write list or 3 paragraphs in complete sentences
4. Final product can be written initially in Spanish for students strong in Spanish, and English, for students stronger in English
3.
 

F. Checking for understanding-

1. Instructor moving about the room answering questions, ensuring the top 10 list contains a mix of experiences
2. Final three paragraphs must be experiences that affect personal change, or student has failed to understand the exercise. Look specifically for life-altering experience in the top three items chosen
3.
 

G. Closure-

1. Instruct students that part four rough-draft is due first day back from vacation
2. Check in with Mr. Lomeli (cross-curricular personal odyssey project in both English and Spanish classes)
 

This Lesson Plan is available at (www.teacherjet.com)