Students made a list of techniques that made Capote’s style exceptional and engaging. They were encouraged to focus on one single memory as Capote does with the making of fruit cakes, while adding reflective elements.ĭay Two: We watched the ABC Stage 67 (1966) black and white version of “A Christmas Memory” with Capote narrating in his distinctive high-pitched voice. I gave the students the assignment of writing their own Christmas or winter memory (350-650 words) which would be largely or fully autobiographical. I mean who can keep it together when reading about Queenie’s death? With little prompting, students noticed Capote’s use of similes, colons, semicolons, italics, and parentheses and how they all contributed to his style. The students were engaged, amused, and even emotional at the end of this reflective piece. Next, we read Capote’s “A Christmas Memory” purely for enjoyment.

To open class, students were asked to write in their journals about some Christmas or winter memories and traditions. I became familiar with using mentor texts this summer after reading Allison and Rebekah’s Writing with Mentors and used the concept with some nonfiction pieces, but would it work with fiction? Fiction is so unique to each individual writer, could it work as a mentor text? Would it be so impactful that it would help them borrow the writer’s moves and become more like “real writers” as with Karla Hilliard’s post on The House on Mango Street. This year with four days left before the scheduled exam review, I decided to take a different approach with “A Christmas Memory” and use it as a mentor text for crafting personal narratives. Although my intentions were good, I did a disservice to Capote, my students, and definitely the fruit cake. She is the mother of two, wife of one, and teacher of many.Įach year at the end of the first semester, I reward my juniors with a day of reading Truman Capote’s “A Christmas Memory” and a slice of sub-par store bought fruit cake. After 16 years of teaching, she is thankful to have met her AP Lit Help teaching community when entering into her mid-career crisis years.

We’ve been excitedly sitting on today’s guest post for nearly a year! We are so happy to finally share this lesson with you - perfect for the late fall and early winter as you scramble to engage your students in meaningful work before Winter Break!Īdrian Nester is an AP English teacher and journalism adviser at Tunstall High School in Dry Fork, Virginia.

A christmas story capote