Oakwood 5th grade teacher, Lily, and her assistant, Dawson, partnered together during the Personal Narrative unit to help the students craft some incredible pieces about a moment in their lives in Los Angeles. Dawson had the idea to connect the students’ stories to a map of LA and to lift the level of their personal writing craft. Lily and Dawson also decided to have the student writing take the form of memoir.
Each 5th grader brainstormed ideas and memories that connected them to parts of Los Angeles, and as a class, they plotted their individual experiences on a blank map of the city. Students then crafted their memoirs to center around the settings and how their experiences revealed personal insights and reflections. Next, students decorated the parts of the map that corresponded with their stories, and Dawson coded the maps to feature student images and writing.
