Classroom Resource

Alphabiography Project: Totally You

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

6, 7, 8

Overview

In this lesson, the traditional autobiography writing project is given a twist as students write alphabiographies—recording an event, person, object, or feeling associated with each letter of the alphabet. Students are introduced to the idea of the alphabiography through passages from James Howe's Totally Joe. Students then work with the teacher to create guidelines for writing their own alphabiographies. Students create an entry for each letter of the alphabet, writing about an important event from their lives. After the entry for each letter, students sum up the stories and vignettes by recording the life lessons they learned from the events. Since this type of autobiography breaks out of chronological order, students can choose what has been important in their lives. And since the writing pieces are short, even reluctant writers are eager to write!

See this updated link for the online Alphabet Organizer from ReadWriteThink.org.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 6

ELA21.6.R1

Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.6.R1

Vocabulary

  • Active listening
  • Discussion
  • Conversation
  • Rules
  • Participation

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Active listening skills.
  • How to engage in discussions and conversations in a variety of settings.
  • Agreed-upon rules for participation.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Demonstrate active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings.
  • Converse in pairs, small groups, and large groups.
  • Practice the agreed-upon rules for participation.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Conversations and discussions follow agreed-upon rules which help us actively listen and gain understanding.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 6

ELA21.6.R4

Utilize a writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writings in various genres.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.6.R4

Vocabulary

  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Draft
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Publish
  • Genres

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish.
  • Various genres of writing.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Plan writings in various genres.
  • Draft writings in various genres.
  • Revise writings in various genres.
  • Edit writings in various genres.
  • Publish writings in various genres.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • The writing process is a set of steps that make writing easier.
  • There are different categories, or genres, of writing that can be used for different purposes.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 6

ELA21.6.13

Create and edit digital products that are appropriate in subject and purpose for a particular audience or occasion.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.6.13

Vocabulary

  • Digital products
  • Subject
  • Purpose
  • Audience
  • Occasion

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Necessary skills to create and edit digital products, such as social media posts, blog posts, podcast episodes, and infographics.
  • The intended audience and occasion should be identified before selecting a subject and purpose of a digital product.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Create digital products with attention to subject and purpose for different audiences and occasions.
  • Edit digital products with attention to subject and purpose for different audiences and occasions.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Digital products can be used to communicate with a variety of audiences and occasions.
  • They should modify the subject and purpose of their digital products depending on the audience and occasion.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 6

ELA21.6.29

Use academic vocabulary in writing to communicate effectively.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.6.29

Vocabulary

  • Academic vocabulary

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Academic vocabulary is language that is more formal than spoken language.
  • Writing skills.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Use academic vocabulary to communicate effectively through writing.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • To clearly communicate in writing, they should utilize formal, academic vocabulary.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 7

ELA21.7.R1

Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.7.R1

Vocabulary

  • Active listening
  • Discussion
  • Conversation
  • Rules
  • Participation

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Active listening skills.
  • How to engage in discussions and conversations in a variety of settings.
  • Agreed-upon rules for participation.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Demonstrate active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings.
  • Converse in pairs, small groups, and large groups.
  • Practice the agreed-upon rules for participation.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Conversations and discussions follow agreed-upon rules which help us actively listen and gain understanding.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 7

ELA21.7.R4

Utilize a writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writings in various genres.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.7.R4

Vocabulary

  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Draft
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Publish
  • Genres

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish.
  • Various genres of writing.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Plan writings in various genres.
  • Draft writings in various genres.
  • Revise writings in various genres.
  • Edit writings in various genres.
  • Publish writings in various genres.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • The writing process is a set of steps that make writing easier.
  • There are different categories, or genres, of writing that can be used for different purposes.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 7

ELA21.7.15

Utilize digital tools and/or products to enhance meaning.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.7.15

Vocabulary

  • Digital tools/products

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Necessary skills to utilize digital tools.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Use digital tools or products, such as hashtags, videos, slide presentations, audio clips, GIFS, memes, and social media platforms, to strategically enhance the meaning of digital texts.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Digital tools and products can be used to enhance the overall meaning of a text.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 7

ELA21.7.32

Apply vocabulary in writing to convey and enhance meaning.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.7.32

Vocabulary

  • Vocabulary

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Word choice can convey a message and enhance the meaning of written communication.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Strategically use vocabulary to convey meaning and enhance meaning when writing.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Vocabulary plays an important role in conveying clear meaning and in enhancing the intended meaning in writing.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 8

ELA21.8.R1

Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.8.R1

Vocabulary

  • Active listening
  • Discussion
  • Conversation
  • Rules
  • Participation

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Active listening skills.
  • How to engage in discussions and conversations in a variety of settings.
  • Agreed-upon rules for participation.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Demonstrate active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings.
  • Converse in pairs, small groups, and large groups.
  • Practice the agreed-upon rules for participation.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Conversations and discussions follow agreed-upon rules which help us actively listen and gain understanding.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 8

ELA21.8.R4

Utilize a writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writings in various genres.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.8.R4

Vocabulary

  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Draft
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Publish
  • Genres

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish.
  • Various genres of writing.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Plan writings in various genres.
  • Draft writings in various genres.
  • Revise writings in various genres.
  • Edit writings in various genres.
  • Publish writings in various genres.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • The writing process is a set of steps that make writing easier.
  • There are different categories, or genres, of writing that can be used for different purposes.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 8

ELA21.8.14

Utilize digital tools and/or products to enhance meaning.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.8.14

Vocabulary

  • Digital tools
  • Digital products

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Necessary skills to utilize digital tools.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Use digital tools or products, such as hashtags, videos, slide presentations, audio clips, GIFS, memes, and clips from social media, to strategically enhance the meaning of digital texts.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Digital tools and products can be used to enhance the overall meaning of a text.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 8

ELA21.8.32

Utilize appropriate vocabulary in various classroom, digital, and real-world situations to facilitate effective communication.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.8.32

Vocabulary

  • Appropriate vocabulary
  • Classroom situations
  • Digital situations
  • Real-world situations
  • Effective communication

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Strategies to adapt spoken language suitable for a particular situation.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Use appropriate vocabulary for effective communication for multiple situations.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • The vocabulary they use in speech should change depending on the situation of their presentation.
Link to Resource
http://readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/alphabiography-proje…

CR Resource Type

Lesson/Unit Plan

Resource Provider

ReadWriteThink
Accessibility
License

License Type

Custom

Custom License Type (URL)

http://www.readwritethink.org/util/legal.html

Approved Date

raulstoncg
ALSDE LOGO

This site may contain links to other websites or content belonging to or originating from third parties or links to websites and features in banners or other advertising. Such external links are not investigated, monitored, or checked for accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness by us. WE DO NOT WARRANT, ENDORSE, GUARANTEE, OR ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY INFORMATION OFFERED BY THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES LINKED THROUGH THIS SITE.
Alabama Learning Exchange © 2002-2023 by Alabama State Department of Education is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International

Design by Adaptive Theme