Chris Sutterfield

English III

Shiloh Christian School

 

Tuesdays with Morrie Project

Rational for Teaching: 

This book is a brief memoir of a student’s relationship with his college professor.  Although it is brief, it has many issues that will challenge your thinking.  The author’s style of writing is a good model for APLAC students to study.

 

Source:

Albom, Mitch.  Tuesdays with Morrie.  New York:  Broadway Books, 1997.

 

About the Author:

Mitch Albom is known for his sports writing and columns that appear in the Detroit Free Press.  He has written a few other books, but this one is his first bestseller.  He and his professor Morrie Schwartz came up the idea for the book while he was visiting Morrie.

 

Project:

This is an excellent model of a memoir, and you DO NOT have to have a copy of the book in order to do the activities.  I will provide models in class for each assignment.  The final product will be memoir using the information gathered from and about a person whom you select as your “Morrie.”

 

What You Need:

1.                   A Journal—binder, notebook, etc—to record interview notes and assignments.

2.                   Selecting a person that you would like to write a memoir about:  someone who has influenced you—teacher, relative, minister, employer, neighbor, grandparent, older friend.  The project will be easier if the person is still living, but it is not impossible to use someone who has died.  The only stipulation for selecting your “Morrie” is that the person can’t be someone your age or younger (so you can’t pick your best friend from school to do your project on).

3.                   Permission from the person to interview them and write about them:  they might be spending extra time each week talking to this person—email, telephone, personal contacts.

 

I will read a section from the book as indicated on your syllabus by the symbol “M” with a number after the symbol.  The number indicates the assignment on the schedule I’ll give you.

 

 

 

Tuesdays with Morrie Schedule:

(Note the Assignment dates on your Syllabus)

 

  • M1:  “The Curriculum” pp. 1-2.  Sentence Modeling based on paragraph two page 1.
  • M2:  Vignette pp. 3-4/ “The Syllabus” pp. 5-13.  Write a vignette about a situation with someone who had an influence on your life—teacher, parent, relative, neighbor, friend.  Model this after pages 3-4.
  • M3:  “The Student” pp. 14-17.  Sentence Modeling pp. 16-17 (bottom) for contrast.
  • M4:         “The Audiovisual” pp. 18-23. 
  • M5:         “Vignette p. 24-25 / “The Orientation” pp. 26-29.  Choose a teacher, parent, neighbor, relative, etc. and take notes about a room where that person is at home.  Add dialogue and describe what they do.
  • M6:         Vignette p. 30-31 / “The Classroom” pp. 32-38.  Use of present tense.
  • M7:         Vignette p. 39-40 (very powerful) / “Taking Attendance” pp. 41-45.  Alliteration—see sentence top of 44.  Do Sentence Modeling.
  • M8:         Vignette p. 46-47 / “First Tuesday: The World” pp. 48-52.  Take notes describing your “Morrie”: looks, clothing, habits, actions, etc.
  • M9:         Vignette pp. 53-54 / “Second Tuesday” pp. 55-59.  Notes over dialogue from conversation with your “Morrie.”
  • M10:      Vignette pp. 60-61 / “Third Tuesday” pp. 62-66.  Notes over something that the person taught you (lesson in life).
  • M11:      Vignette pp. 67-68 / “Audiovisual Part Two” pp. 69-72.  Notes about something you accomplished with the person’s help.
  • M12:      “The Professor” pp. 73-78.  Notes about person’s past—family, life, school, college, and career.
  • M13:      Quote / “Fourth Tuesday” pp. 80-87.  Find some possible quotes that the person likes—ask.
  • M14:      Vignette pp. 88-89 / “Fifth Tuesday: Family” pp. 90-97.  Notes over YOUR family not the person you’ve selected.
  • M15:      Vignette pp. 98-99 / “Sixth Tuesday: Emotions” pp. 100-107.  Notes about a situation that you had with a sibling or relative.
  • M16:      Vignette pp. 108 / “Professor Part II” pp. 109-113.  Ask your “Morrie” a meaningful question.  Record the conversation.
  • M17:      Vignette p. 114 / “Seventh Tuesday: Aging” pp. 115-121.  Ask your “Morrie” how they feel about aging.  Take notes.
  • M18:      Quote / “Eighth Tuesday” pp. 123.  Ask your “Morrie” his or her favorite quote from a writer, poet, etc.—Record this.
  • M19:      Quote / “Ninth Tuesday” pp. 130-140.  Record a quote that YOU like from a famous person.
  • M20:      Vignette p. 141 / “Tenth Tuesday: Marriage” pp. 142-149.  Notes about marriage or outside work activities or hobbies.
  • M21:      Vignette p. 150-151 / “Eleventh Tuesday: Culture” pp. 152-158.  Describe something happening in the news (if possible, any history making news).
  • M22:      Vignette p. 159 / “Audiovisual Part III” pp. 160-163.  Write a scene with your “Morrie” in it.
  • M23:      “Twelfth Tuesday: Forgiveness” pp. 164-168.  Describe a constant object in the setting of your interviews.
  • M24:      Vignette p. 169-170 / “The Perfect Day” pp. 171-178.  Have your person describe their perfect day.
  • M25:      Vignette p. 179-180 / “Goodbye” pp. 181.  Ask your “Morrie” to tell you a story from their life; record it.
  • M26:      “Graduation” pp. 187-188.  Write a quote that you think is fitting.
  • M27:      “Conclusion” pp. 190-192.  Write what you gained from this person.

 

 

 

FINAL PROJECT: A Memoir about you and your “Morrie” is due MONDAY, DECEMBER 15TH.

  • Beginning:           Start with a Vignette as Albom does in his book.
  • Middle:  Structure your paper/book around the aspects of the person that

you have plenty of material about:  the setting, their background,

add dialogue and quotes, what you’ve gained, etc.

  • Ending:  End with a Vignette.