Classroom Activities

At John F. Kennedy Middle School in Waltham, MA, they recognize that “students undergo an amazing transformation, cognitively, physically and emotionally” during the pivotal middle school years. Cue Kennedy Middle School teacher Katherine Hansen, who was immediately intrigued by Six-Word Memoirs. She recognized the writing curriculum potential for getting her 7th grade students to “go deeper than the standard get-to-know-you activity” at the beginning of the school year.

At Ashe County Middle School in Warrensville, NC, more than 400 students created Six-Word Memoirs for a unique multimedia, poetry in the classroom project. Julie Taylor, curriculum director for the Ashe County Schools, has been a fan of the Six-Word Memoir format since she first discovered our teen book, I Can’t Keep My Own Secrets. “As a teaching literacy specialist of 25 years, I have seen the many powerful ways that this  ‘American Haiku’ format - and teaching poetry activities - can unlock students’ creativity,” says Julie.

One of the most wonderful and unique aspects of the Six-Word Memoirs project is the ability for so many different individuals and groups to share their perspectives, thoughts, lives and feelings in a succinct, expressive way. Take that expression and put it into the classroom? You have the formula for great writing ideas for students.

When natural disasters strike, schools are impacted, too. How do you restore normalcy in the classroom when your region is dealing with recovery? Teacher Jon Mundorf recognized the power of Six Words to help students process their experiences outside of school and refocus on classroom learning with ways to publish student writing.

The students in John Ferry’s sophomore illustration class at the Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) in Kansas City, Missouri have once again delighted us with their work.

The Kansas City Art Institute in Kansas City, Missouri, sets out to prepare its students to “transform the world creatively.” It is no wonder, then, that Six-Word Memoirs has found a place at this prestigious arts school, especially as a creative thinking activity for students.

Six-Word Memoirs has become a great tool for teachers, helping students find their voice, choose their words carefully, and unleashing creativity within the six-word constraint. Since Six-Word Memoirs founder, Larry Smith, quickly put together and released our newest free lesson plan, “My Life Now—Six Words on the Pandemic,” hundreds of teachers have downloaded our guide and used Six-Word Memoirs as a remote/ online project idea for students. Here are a few of their stories:

Six words have taken me (Larry Smith, founder of Six-Word Memoirs) as far as the Cayman Islands to lead a corporate workshop and as close as down the street to do a storytelling workshop with kids at an after-school program in Brooklyn, NY. One summer Six-Words even took me home where I got to see, first hand, creativity in education and the importance of creativity for students.

Here’s a classroom at Essex Street Academy in NYC, a school that prides itself on its project-based learning ideas for writing and learning, as well as a personalized approach to education. The ninth and tenth graders taking a creative writing course with teachers Jenny Platow and Caitlin Thomas were asked to write Six-Word Memoirs after thoroughly analyzing the book, I Can’t Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous & Obscure, found in the school library.

Jamie Neufeld, an English teacher at Silver Creek High School in Longmont, Colorado, had first heard of Six-Word Memoirs as an idea for writing prompts for students, which was floating around various teaching forums. She never considered bringing it into her own classroom until two things happened. One: After teaching in an integrated classroom with a Social Studies teacher for 12 years, she had begun teaching a non-integrated classroom on her own, giving her more wiggle room to explore new ideas. Two: While perusing google and social media, she stumbled upon Six-Words again and Larry Smith, founder of Six-Word Memoirs, and realized she remembered him from her college days.

At Lord Dorchester Secondary School in Ontario, Canada, Six-Word Memoirs teaching writing activities help secondary school students open up to writing, and offers an easy and engaging extension of their classroom. English teacher Jamie Bechard adorns her classroom walls with this six-word tenet: “Give your voice value with writing.”

Junius Wright is a Six-Word veteran and a language arts teacher at Academic Magnet High School in Charlestown, SC. Junius has been incorporating Six-Word Memoirs and videos into his lesson plans for creativity and innovation for his creative writing classes to 10th, 11th and 12th graders since 2007.

We love hearing about how schools of every type have found Six-Word Memoirs to be a writing tool in the classroom. James Berman, Chef Instructor at Delcastle Technical High School, in Wilmington, Delaware, reports that “Six-Words has been a daily part of our class as a journal topic for students. The process takes a very busy environment and forces us to boil down our thoughts into their concentrated, more flavorful form.”

Much to our delight, we’ve seen the Six-Word Memoir format used often in primary and secondary schools as a tool and writing strategy for students to reflect creatively—and succinctly—on their lives. If you’ve been reading along with all of our Six in Schools classroom projects, you know how much we love this! But we must admit to a recent thrill: Six-Words has also found a home in graduate school classrooms like Herb Hinkle’s “Estates & Trusts” at the Rutgers School of Law–Camden. 

Lone Star High School West - located in the Ron Jackson State Juvenile Correctional Complex facility in Brownwood, Texas - hung their Six in Schools projects in the hallway for all students to see. Helen Spearman, the school’s principal who happens to love new classroom strategies for teachers, believes the Six-Word Memoir (SWM) format gives students the opportunity to share their voices. It’s a sentiment that Mary Singer, the school’s Reading Specialist who introduced the project, can’t help but agree with.

Hannia Dergongan Marohombsar is a First Language English teacher at NationalHigh Jakarta School of Piaget Academy in Jakarta, Indonesia. Her role of teacher in developing creativity among students was made just a little easier by using Six in Schools. Writing Six-Word Memoirs turned out to be a perfect example of a creative thinking activity, and her students produced beautifully illustrated memoirs (many of which can be seen on the SWM website). Six in Schools as a creative task idea had each student bringing forth their personality in the vivid images and thoughtful memoirs.

English teacher at Olentangy High School, Erin Centa, stumbled upon Six-Word Memoirs six years ago as she looked for a way for teaching writing skills required for personal narratives to her senior high school students. “I searched for interesting ways to introduce storytelling and SMITH magazine popped up. I loved the idea and have been using it ever since.”

8th grade team leader, Erik Hanson, at Ethical Culture Fieldston Middle School in Bronx, NY, heard Michele Norris talking on NPR about a project she developed to foster candid conversations about the touchy subject of racism in a supposedly post-race age. As such, he struck up a poignant, six word dialogue about silence and the all too common act of bullying as an emotional learning activity for students.

At High Point Academy in Aurora, Colorado, eighth grade English Language Arts teacher Emily DelRoss hoped to have a conversation with her students about police brutality. After police officer Rusten Sheskey brutally shot Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, in September 2020, and the story gained national coverage and upset. But when Emily checked in with her students to ask how they were feeling, she realized that she needed a writing strategy for middle schoolers.

For Ginger Giessler, it was a great social media project idea for students. Social media savvy herself, the New Tech Academy (Fort Wayne, Indiana) teacher encouraged her students to participate in the social media assignment. Student publishing sites and social media for teens is exactly what New Tech Academy is about. The school steeps its students in a project-based curriculum that emphasizes innovation and encourages creativity and a social media project for students fit the bill. Since Ginger specifically taught short story writing as well as AP Language and Composition, she was especially excited to find a social media activity for students based on a writing format.

Elizabeth Kennedy, a seventh grade teacher at Riverwatch Middle School in Suwanee, GA, first introduced Six-Word Memoirs as an activity for her Academic Enrichment class. The course focuses on honing each student’s critical thinking skills through investigative research and writing. Elizabeth believes that these skills are best nurtured by exploring and calling upon one’s own experiences. Elizabeth also liked the potential Six-Words produced for answering the question of how to increase parent involvement in schools and as a tool and strategy for encouraging parental involvement in learning.

On the first day of class, Debra asked students to write a Six-Word Memoir about themselves. To her students, the project-based learning activity was a seemingly inconceivable task because they were so used to writing multiple page essays and research papers for their AP English Literature and Composition classes. Debra told her students to remember that “this is a different course. I want you to condense and look at your diction.”

Dawn Heideman had read about Six-Words, but it wasn’t until she heard SWM founder, Larry Smith, speak at a conference that she realized the form’s true potential. As a math teacher at Walnut Ridge High School in Columbus, Ohio, writing in the classroom wasn’t really in Dawn’s wheelhouse. But the conference, which was on diversity and education, made her realize that Six-Words was more than writing - that it could be adapted for student collaboration - and that her students could benefit from digging into the format. She also realized that the simple six word structure could be used as a collaborative writing tool for students, a way to help them tell their story—no matter how difficult it can be to do so—without feeling like they needed to write a book or hit a big word count.

In Unalaska, Alaska, a city with a population of just under 5,000, new junior high English teacher, Dan Smith, introduced his class to new writing project ideas, including Six-Word Memoirs. At the end of his slideshow, which was designed to present himself to the class, was a slide discussing the idea of writing about oneself in only six words. For the first creative writing activity of the year, students were asked to write a Six-Word Memoir.

Where soul searching may fail, there are always words. And Six-Word Memoirs is particularly useful because by limiting one’s words, enables one to better decide what is most important. We all know that the teen-aged years are a tumultuous time, and for a million different reasons. But it's often the first time in life that one begins to search for identity. The search is scary. But sometimes the scarier path is in the decision of how to best express your true self to others as you go through life. As such, Christy Kingham decided to explore this creative writing prompt theme of Identity with her 11th graders at the Young Women’s Leadership in Astoria. Christy’s best method of study? Six-Word Memoirs.

Christina Mayes, a professor of a first-year “Mastering College” seminar class at the Dominican University of California, has been supporting students’ healthy transition into college life through Six-Word Memoirs for the last eight years. It’s her answer to the question: what is the importance of using varied methods and strategies in teaching. She discovered Six-Word Memoirs in 2011 through a guest speaker, who ended up leading her 101 seminar through the process of writing their own memoir in six words. The format quickly became one of the professor’s most effective teaching strategies.

Cayla Tangney, an art teacher at Minisink Valley High School, first came across Six-Word Memoirs when she and nine other teachers in her district took a “Teaching Tough Topics” professional development class. The course educated Cayla and her colleagues on speaking about topics like sexual orientation, immigration, and race and ethnicity respectively and proactively with their students. The class offered an overview of stereotypes and injustices throughout history, and how they still persist today. Since the role of teacher in developing creativity and innovation in the classroom is crucial, the Tough Topics class introduced examples of creative thinking activities and how to promote creativity in schools to have those tough conversations. Six-Word Memoirs was specifically promoted as a tool teachers could use to provoke thoughtful classroom discussion about identity and global awareness.

Cathy Dyer has used Six-Word Memoirs as a classroom tool for teachers every year since 2009: “This is the only ice breaker activity that I’ve stuck with,” she explains. As a tenth grade English teacher at McKeel Academy of Technology in Lakeland, Florida, Cathy’s first activity of the year is to write a Six-Word Memoir, accompanied by a backstory and a small illustration. These are then shared and displayed on her classroom walls.

When Catherine Dison came across Six-Word Memoirs, she knew it was something she had to introduce as a classroom activity for English students. “I loved the combination of words and image, and of course the challenge of packing as much as possible into six words,” says Catherine, an English teacher for the past 27 years at The Wellington School in Columbus, Ohio. She knew it would be a fun English activity for her 9th graders.

Caroline Carty, a 9th grade English teacher at Sunset Park High School in Brooklyn, New York, finds Six-Word Memoirs an ideal writing activity for students to explore the theme of identity.

In a partnership with the Indiana Learning Lab, Larry Smith, the founder of Six-Word Memoirs, shares his unique approach to storytelling, highlight stories from classrooms’ six-word projects, and leads workshop attendees in a “Six-Word Slam.”

We think of schooling in sequential categories—moving from first grade to second, looking forward, never back. It makes sense; preschool is vastly different from middle school. PTA members Bridget Kolb and Amy Miller of Coleridge-Taylor Montessori Elementary School in Louisville, Kentucky, managed to bridge those differences with a writing program for elementary students. They brought the grades together through an activity involving just six words.

Here at Team Six, we love to see Six-Word Memoir art and poetry project ideas. And while the six word format is most often used for reflection and to share personal stories, Betsy DiJulio - an art teacher at Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach - challenged her students to a fun poetry activity that uses their art with a Six-Word twist.

At Arrowhead Union High School in Hartland, Wisconsin, Becca McCann’s classroom walls are covered with colorful memoirs written by her past students. The impact of Six-Word Memoirs (SWM), and using it as a creative thinking strategy for students, was already thriving in other classrooms. When she first arrived at the district, her colleagues Terri Carnell and Elizabeth Jorgenson had already been participating in SWM for more than a decade and suggested similar assignments as creativity activities for students.

The Six-Word format was introduced to Andrea Vinikoff in high school, and continued to follow her into college where she was assigned Six-Word Memoirs in some of her classes. When the English teacher began instructing sixth graders at Princess Anne Middle School in Virginia Beach - and needed to build a toolkit of writing strategies for teachers - it felt natural to embrace the versatility of Six-Words in her own classroom. “It felt like a sign that Six-Words kept coming up and was being used in all of these academic writing strategies related to the curriculum. Because I had so much fun creating Six-Word Memoirs in my formative years, I decided to find ways to incorporate them into my classroom as writing strategies for students,” she says.

How do students get on a path for success when high school graduation is in jeopardy? Mount Tom Academy in Holyoke, Massachusetts, located on the campus of Holyoke Community College, offers an alternative learning program for at-risk high school students. Barbara Cheney, Mount Tom’s lead teacher, recently discovered the value of Six-Word Memoirs as an effective tool in student engagement.

Drew’s first group of high school seniors are fittingly known as the Legacy Class because they would make history by bringing the school’s mission to fruition. As these young students worked diligently to complete high school and prepare for college, we suggested Six-Word Memoirs as a useful tool to enhance writing skills for high school students. A tool to help these students reflect on their journeys and their achievements, both academically and personally. The timing was serendipity—Drew’s graduation committee was looking for a way to showcase students in their upcoming commencement ceremony. Rachel Kaney, Drew’s Director of College and Career Readiness, believed that Six-Words, as a creative writing activity, would add value to the senior class experience.

We’ve been challenging the Six-Word community with a new contest every month for years, but this year, New York City public school teacher Andrea Franks took the monthly model to her 4/5th grade classroom as a way of how to teach writing to elementary students. Andrea first heard of Six-Word Memoirs over the summer of 2020, after a former parent emailed her about an interesting project her kids were doing at the middle school, which helped with how to develop writing skills in students. Andrea immediately visited the Six-Word Memoirs website, dove into the memoirs, and watched founder Larry Smith’s TEDx talk. 

Amy O’Meara brought Six-Word Memoirs to her classes at Temple Terrace Elementary in Florida after being introduced to the concept by Cathy Dyer, a neighboring teacher who was working on strategies in teaching writing. As someone who takes the role of teacher in developing writing skills seriously, Amy wanted her students to focus on the importance of choosing the right words, a strategy Amy considers useful in how to teach writing to students. “I can’t think of a better way to teach a child how powerful words can be when you can only use six of them.” The Six-Word form was a simple way to demonstrate how word choice can evoke a specific emotion or reaction from the reader - a strategy to improve writing skills - especially when writing memoirs.

Aly Chatham, Kelsey Joyce, and Kendra Volpe are a trio of dynamic co-teachers leading BVP’s 6th grade English Language Arts (ELA) team at Middle School. They were introduced to Six-Word Memoirs through a creative writing curriculum guide distributed by the school’s administration: “Six-Word Memoirs were included in a creative writing unit plan compiled by our curriculum director,” Kelsey explained.

At Trinity School for Children in Florida, English Core teacher Jenny Hess likes to start her school year by learning more about her middle school students through writing prompts. So, in August 2021, after brainstorming writing topics and writing prompts for beginners over the summer, Jenny started a three-day lesson in introductions using Six-Word Memoirs. The creative writing prompts for this classroom project enabled her students to showcase their abilities in writing and illustration, but also gave them the opportunity to mine for the essence of their personalities. By the end of this self reflection activity, her students were not only aware of the literary influence of Papa Hemingway, but they learned how to write a memoir, and discovered the power of their individual voices.

In August 2020 and 2021, two middle school classrooms at Mohave Middle School in Arizona spent a week weaving the world around them into a six-word narrative on their lives. When arranged on a linear timeline, the difference in the tone of the memoirs speaks for itself — the world is yet to return to its pre-pandemic state, but the intensity of 2020 has notably faded since.

Earlier this month, Team Six had the delightful experience of meeting with Ann Zivotsky and Janis Jones to discuss their very unique Six-Word project: 6 Words for the Environment.

In January 2022, a classroom of 5th graders at Maplewood Elementary School in MO, looked themselves in the metaphorical mirror to discover their true identity — and those of their peers. This two-day activity inspired 5th grade core teacher, Lexi Sinnett, to launch her first ever English class memoir unit with Six-Word Memoirs . Now, Sinnett is confident that the concept will continue to be a part of the Maplewood Elementary family.

Creative expression is a staple in building an innovative, educational environment. Arts and College Preparatory Academy (ACPA) in Columbus, Ohio, provides progressive, rigorous academic instruction where students are motivated to learn and prepare for college. A hallmark of the ACPA community is allowing students the freedom of full artistic expression and movement in a safe, inclusive climate. These qualities are all factors that enhance creativity and make ACPA the perfect home for Six-Word Memoirs to thrive.

Six-Word founder, Larry Smith, and Bay-Area colleague, Allie Wollner, visited Berkeley High School (BHS) in California - famously known for its activism - to talk about Six-Word Memoirs’ book on immigration Fresh Off the Boat. After explaining the premise, Larry and Allie offered the students the chance at student publishing and to have their memoirs featured in the book. From freshman to seniors, students jumped enthusiastically at the opportunity to publish student writing, and started crafting their six word immigration stories of coming to America. 

We can learn a great deal by examining ourselves and others, particularly when we ponder our words. Fifth grade teacher Amber Lewis-Francis first heard about Six-Word Memoirs on NPR. Always encouraging her students to write about themselves, Amber thought it would be a fun creative writing activity for her students. “They embraced this concept,” she said of her students at Clarendon Elementary School in San Francisco. “I think it was freeing for them to only think about six words.”

For five consecutive years, more than 100 students at the Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) in Kansas City, Missouri, have graced the world with their artistic creations inspired by their own, personal Six-Word Memoirs. In 2021, however, students and recent graduates had the opportunity to directly collaborate with Six-Word Memoirs on its book, A Terrible Horrible, No Good Year: Six-Word Stories On the Pandemic by Teachers, Students, and Parents, a creative way to publish student writing.

At Kennedy Middle School in Redwood City, CA, 8th grade students published their own books and excitedly shared their Six-Word Memoirs. Their English teacher, Cynthia Wilson, even shared that her students signed each other’s books - just like a yearbook - placing their names next to their memoirs. The students, now published authors, would have a physical copy of their eighth grade memories, experiences, and writing skills.

Houston, Texas-based teacher Adriana Hernandez first heard about Six-Word Memoirs through a coworker at Albright Middle School who had bought a Six-Word Memoirs book after hearing an interview on NPR. Adriana found the book extremely interesting as a creative way to publish student writing: “Student publishing and Six-Word Memoirs had stuck in my mind over the last few years, so I thought I’d try and introduce it to my kids.”