Mem Oir- an Autobiography Or Written Account of One One S Memory of Certain Events Or People

mem·oir- an autobiography or written account of one one’s memory of certain events or people

Assignment: Write a memoir about a significant event in your life. The subject you choose to write about should be significant enough that it impacted future choices or made you change in some way. Your writing will not be shared with others nor should you expect me to judge you based on what you choose to write about. This is not a story of your entire life, it is an account about a specific event in your life. You will need to give the reader context behind the specific event so they can better relate to your experience, but you do not need to begin your story the day your life began.

Length: no less than 1, 000 words

Due: ______

*Memoirs must be submitted on Google Docs. This is how I will check to ensure your memoir is actually yours and not borrowed because you lack any morality. In addition, bring a hard copy to class. MLA format is required. Five points will be deducted from the assignment if MLA format is not followed.

Scoring Rubric

Memoirs receiving a score of 9 (95-100 pts) have a clear unifying theme that focuses on the details of the writer’s life. The memoir is genuine and vivid and details provide significant context about the writer’s life. The writing has many powerful aspects- images, sentence structure, word choice. The writing is presented in a mature manner, demonstrating unique voice and a solid handle on language. Spelling and grammar errors do not distract from the reading.

Memoirs receiving a score of 7-8 (90-95 pts) have a clear and unifying theme that focuses on the details of the writer’s life. The memoir is vivid and the details provide ample context about the writer’s life. The writing has some powerful aspects- images, sentence structure and word choice, however their consistency and presence may not be as powerful as pieces scoring a 9. The writing is presented in a mature manner, demonstrating the writer’s use of voice. The writer has a handle on language however there may be lapses in style. Spelling and grammar errors do not distract from the reading.

Memoirs receiving a score of 5-6 (80-89 pts) have a theme but the clarity and unification of the theme to the events in the memoir may not be as clear as the writing receiving score of 7-8. The writing contains glimpses of strong imagery, unique sentence structure and varied word choice but the writing is not as strong as writing receiving a score of 7-8. The writing is presented in a mature manner and some voice is evident. The writer has a handle on language but lapses in style exist. Spelling and grammar mistakes create minimal distractions.

Memoirs receiving a score of 4 (75-79 pts) do not have a clear, unifying theme that links to the events in the story. The writing contains details but they are not vividly described. The writing contains conventional sentence structure that varies little. The writing is presented in a mature manner but it is evident the writer does not have a solid handle on language. Spelling and grammar mistakes create distractions for the reader.

Memoirs receiving a score of 3 (70-74 pts) do not have a unifying theme that links to the vents in the story. The writing contains minimal details and does not create vivid images for the reader. The writing contains conventional sentence structure that varies little. The writing is not presented in a mature manner and seems formulaic. The writer lacks a mature handle on language and spelling and grammar mistakes create distractions for the reader.

Memoirs receiving a score of 2 or 1 must be redone. See Ms. Widdop for specific directions.