I Remember…

1. I Remember… Thanksgiving

2. My Favorite Thanksgiving Memory • What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory? • Why is your favorite Thanksgiving so special? • Who was there? What did you do? When did you celebrate - in the morning, afternoon, or evening? • Where were you - at your house, a friend’s or relative’s house, a vacation spot, a restaurant, or somewhere else? Read some examples on the next three slides…

3. My Favorite Thanksgiving Memory In November of 2007, Colleen Santoro of Franklin Park, New Jersey remembered a family Thanksgiving tradition: In our family we celebrate the Thanksgiving day tradition of receiving our Christmas pajamas from Grandma after dinner. Every year the grand kids would look forward to new pajamas to wear on Christmas Eve and while unwrapping gifts on Christmas morning. Grandma still has Thanksgiving at her house, and all the grand kids still open Christmas pajamas after dinner. I'm 27and STILL getting Christmas pajamas.

4. My Favorite Thanksgiving Memory In 2007, Jamie West of Johnson City, Tennessee remembered how his family celebrated Thanksgiving when he was a boy: When I was a young boy, my father would take my brother and me squirrel hunting after our HUGE Thanksgiving dinner ... We tromped through the woods; crunching through the fallen leaves and talking loudly. It's no wonder why no animals were ever harmed in this tradition ... Just a good way to bond and walk off all that great food!

5. My Favorite Thanksgiving Memory In 2007, Kathleen Barr Blaess of Snellville, Georgia remembered a family Thanksgiving tradition: We have a funny Thanksgiving tradition that started with my mom and my uncle in 1933. Every year someone gets surprised with the caboose of the turkey hidden under his or her mashed potatoes! You know – the last part of the turkey to go over a fence! Most of the time it's my mom who gets the surprise; but, no matter who gets it, a scream and laughter are guaranteed afterwards!!!

6. Your Turn… • First, organize your thoughts • You can brainstorm and make a list of ideas that pop into your head about your favorite Thanksgiving memory or try clustering • You can use the “5 Ws” and answer the questions – Who?, What?, When?,Where?, and Why? • You can use a graphic organizer, like a story map (here’s another story map) or a time-order chart

7. Make You Story Come Alive • Describe what you remember about your favorite Thanksgiving: • What did you see, hear, feel, smell, taste? • Compare it: • What was it like? • What was it different from? • Tell your story in the correct sequence – or time order (the order in which things happened). You may use words like first, then, next, and finally.

8. Paragraph • A paragraph has three parts. The topic sentence states the main idea. The sentences in the body of the paragraph are all connected to the main idea. The closing, or concluding sentence sums up the message in the paragraph – for example: Trees may be the most important form of plant life on earth. Trees add beauty to parks and give shelter to animals. Tree roots help store water and keep the soil from washing away in rainstorms. Different types of trees provide wood, paper, food and medicines. One of the most important things a tree does is clean up the air. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. It is oxygen that people need to breathe. People can thank trees for a lot more than shade! Topic Sentence Body Closing Sentence

9. A Word on Time Order • Here is a very brief example of a story about building a tree house told in time order: First we used a rope to raise the wood up into the tree. Next, our parents helped us make a frame for the floor. We nailed boards to the frame. Then the walls and roof went up. Finally, to celebrate, we had a picnic in our new tree house!

10. Why Write Your Story? • Writing stories about your life is something everyone should do! • These stories can be like home movies in print form for the whole family to enjoy! So…let’s get started!!! Backgrounds by PoweredTemplates.com