Their young lives may only be about a decade old, but fifth graders at Forest Lake Elementary School have already made lots of memories. Students selected treasured moments for the memoir writing unit, then shared their pieces at a recent publishing party.

Students in Amanda Mooney’s class welcomed in their peers from Stacey Sandurs third grade class for a read aloud. Each fifth grader was paired with a third grade buddy to share his or her published piece as they spread out around the room. 

Ms. Mooney said that her students could select any moment from their lives to write about, and some of the popular topics were family vacations and sports. The writing process took about two months, from brainstorming topics, to creating a first draft, to editing and revising. 

“I was really impressed with their work,” she said. “They did a great job and are really proud of their finished products.”

Ms. Mooney said that the young writers had to have “a good hook” – a strong introduction to bring readers into the story – as well as a conclusion that reflected on a life lesson learned from the moment. They were also encouraged to use figurative language and dialogue throughout their stories.