New
New
Year 11
Edexcel

Exploring vivid childhood accounts

I can explore what makes a memoir particularly vivid and emulate this craft in my own writing.

New
New
Year 11
Edexcel

Exploring vivid childhood accounts

I can explore what makes a memoir particularly vivid and emulate this craft in my own writing.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Memoirs are historical accounts or biographies written from personal experience or knowledge.
  2. Helen Keller's memoir describes an idyllic childhood juxtaposed with description of the illness that changed her life.
  3. Keller uses sensory language and juxtaposition to make her childhood account more vivid.
  4. Sensory language can be made more vivid if we add adjectives and embedded clauses.
  5. Contrasting sets of words and phrases highlight the differing feelings attached to memories.

Common misconception

Students might be used to writing their memories as a stream of consciousness, without stopping to consider craft.

Writing memories as a stream of consciousness is a good place to start. However, once one thinks about publishing work, editing and conscious crafting is necessary.

Keywords

  • Memoir - a written account of one's own life and experiences

  • Formative - having a profound influence on someone's development

  • Vivid - producing a powerful feeling or strong, clear images in one’s mind

  • Idyllic - extremely happy, peaceful or picturesque

Share an example of a memory you would write about in your own memoir to encourage pupils to open up about their own.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need the extract from Helen Keller's 'The Story of My Life'. It's available in the additional materials.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
What do we mean when we talk about a writer's methods?
ideas, emotions and feelings generated by the writing
social, historical and cultural context
Correct answer: literary devices, grammatical choices and structural choices
Q2.
What is juxtaposition?
when two words placed near to each other mean similar things
describing a scene spatially
Correct answer: placing two things near to each other for contrasting effect
Q3.
What is sensory language?
language that describes someone's innermost feelings.
Correct answer: language that describes what one can smell, taste, see, touch, hear
language that expresses commands
Q4.
What does vivid mean?
unclear, confused
beautiful, mesmerising
Correct answer: bright, clear
Q5.
Match the techniques on the left with the examples on the right.
Correct Answer:vivid adjectives,The sturdy vines tangled over the brick.

The sturdy vines tangled over the brick.

Correct Answer:juxtaposition,The bright days of summer soon melted into cruel, harsh November days.

The bright days of summer soon melted into cruel, harsh November days.

Correct Answer:sensory language,The scarlet roses unleashed a honeyed fragrance.

The scarlet roses unleashed a honeyed fragrance.

Q6.
Which of the below is the most idyllic setting?
Correct answer: a fragrant meadow
a grubby mansion
a neglected barn

6 Questions

Q1.
What is a memoir?
an embellished account of the highlights of someone's life
a fictional tale
Correct answer: a written account of someone's own life and experiences
Q2.
What does formative mean?
producing a powerful feeling or strong, clear images in one's mind
Correct answer: having a profound influence on someone's development
extremely happy, peaceful or picturesque
Q3.
What is a particularly formative moment in Keller's childhood according to 'The Story of My Life'?
getting a dog
going to primary school
Correct answer: developing an illness
Q4.
What method does Keller use to paint a vivid image of her idyllic early years in the reader's mind in 'The Story of My Life'?
onomatopoeia
anaphora
Correct answer: sensory language
personification
Q5.
What does Keller use to add precision and detail to her memories in 'The Story of My Life'?
alliteration
sibilance
Correct answer: embedded clause
adverbs
Q6.
Which sentence uses an embedded clause?
Correct answer: The roses, which I planted myself, are beautiful.
Unfortunately, I had to walk to the store this morning.
I finished my maths homework well before dinner.

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