**(Updated 11-19-09)

This year you will write an Autobiography. This is basically a book all about you, your family, and anything that’s important in your life. You will write essays, poetry, and stories this year that will become a part of your Autobiography. This project is really a writing portfolio that will show your growth as a writer over the course of a school year. This project will also allow you to express yourself artistically.

The Autobiography is a long-term project that requires you to work hard, but in the end you will have a beautiful finished product to be proud of.

The tentative due date for the Autobiography is Thursday, May 27, 2010.

Hints:

• Always save your work in a safe place (flashdrive, or a computer at home).
• Always meet the writing assignment deadlines.
• Choose a 3-ring binder for your Autobiography product. A binder with a clear plastic sleeve on the front will allow you to slip in your illustrated cover.
• Use plastic pages to protect your work; this allows you to move the parts as you work and makes it look professional.
• Create the Table of Contents page last, after your final organization and numbering.
• Make your autobiography colorful so that it's pleasing to the eye.
• Ask your relatives and friends to help you with the content and design.
• Think of a title for your Autobiography that is descriptive and clever.
• I will help you if you need extra help. I am after school on Wednesdays (2:15 - 3:00).

Try to have fun! Make this a product that you can be proud of.

Chapter Outline

Chapter One - 5 Paragraph Essay: This is an essay describing your favorite birthday, holiday, family tradition, sport, hobby, or activity. You will be persuading the reader why your choice (example: football) is so great.

Chapter Two - Original Short Story: Write an original story that includes characters (and dialogue), setting, plot, a clear conflict, and a climax. Use vivid vocabulary and descriptive details so that the reader can visualize the story. Helpful hint: To start a story, think of a character that is placed in a tough situation (conflict).

Chapter Three- Parade Poem, I Was Poem, and Six Originals: The "Parade Poem" is an 8-stanza (or more) poem that describes all of the people and things that would be at a parade put on especially for you. You may include music, friends, pets, favorite vacations, family, hobbies, etc. The poem must have some sort of beginning and ending, and must include 4 figures of speech. The "I Was Poem" is a freeverse poem which is based on "Fifteen" by William Stafford. Students copy the style of his poem and put their own fresh spin on it. The poem format will be covered in class. The "Six Originals" are poems of your choice that were written at some point this year. These originals can be any combination of poems (haiku, freeverse, acrostic, or "I Was...", etc.). There is a limit of one acrostic poem per autobiography.

Chapter Four - All About Me in Pictures: 5 to 12 photographs with captions showing you, your family, and your friends throughout your life. A caption is a sentence (or two) that explains who, when, where, and why. The details of this chapter were covered in class.

Chapter Five - Artistic/Artifacts: This chapter is full of certificates, artwork, awards, your coat of arms, extra photos, writing pieces. This is a chapter where you can add your own personal touches.

Chapter Six – My Favorite Place: This is a 250 word (minimum) prose writing piece that describes one of your favorite places. It should be a place that you have visited before. Try to write using sensory details (What did you see, hear, smell, taste, feel?).

Chapter Seven – Anecdote – An anecdote is a short, entertaining account of some event. You will write about an event from your life. Choose something funny or interesting that’s happened to you. This should be about 250 words.

Chapter Eight - Statement of your Future: This is a writing assignment where you predict where you would like to be in your life many years from now. What are your dreams? What do you want to do? Are you planning on attending college after high school? This is a chance to map out your life, or a life that you'd like to live.