Develop the knowledge that your students already have. Read pieces of writing that are based on memories and recollections; diaries, memoirs, newspaper reports, journals and biographies. Have students retell events from their own past; this brings their own knowledge to their writing. Discuss memories and events as a class, adding your own stories to those that the children talk about. Brainstorm these events either as a class or in small groups, jotting down feelings, descriptions, powerful verbs and adjectives related to the event. By working in groups or as a class, each student shares what he knows and the class builds on their shared knowledge. Record these jottings on large pieces of paper to refer to later.
Help your students to develop their comprehension, or understanding, of the writing process by reviewing the pieces you previously read to your class and making lists of the characters that appear in these pieces of writing and the events that occur. Have students do the same for their own recollections and memories. Ask students to revisit their ideas from the brainstorming session and discuss and make notes on the characters and events. Have students ask who, when, where, why? Discuss why they think the characters behaved as they did. What caused things to happen?
Use role play to help your students understand a character's motivations, applying their knowledge to the character and situation. Have each group that worked together to brainstorm previously choose one event and act out the event with each of them playing a character. Look at the structure of a non-fiction writing genre such as a newspaper report with your class and point out the different features. Ask students to apply what they now know about this genre by using their previous notes to write a newspaper report about their memory, including all the necessary features such as quotes from eye witnesses and experts - these can be made up.
Build the next step of cognitive function - analysis - by talking about how parts of a story or report relate to the whole; ask what would have happened if certain events in the story had happened differently or had not been included at all. How would events have changed? Try rewriting an event, changing just one circumstance or character and see how this effects the whole story.
Synthesize knowledge by talking about the strengths and weakness of genres and how they are suited to different types of event; which student's memory made the most convincing and interesting newspaper report and why? Compare and contrast different ways of writing. Have students try out different writing genres for the events they have discussed; would the event work well as an adventure story, for example.
Evaluate the writing process by encouraging students to give their opinions, to make assessments and recommendations. Have students look back on the writing they produced from their memories and evaluate that writing. Encourage them to not just say what they did not like but to give recommendations on changes that could be made. Use two stars and a wish. Have students look at a partner's work and choose two elements they really liked (two stars) and one thing that could be improved (a wish). Give students time to act on this advice, improving their work.