I enjoyed the last section of the reading because there were a few surprises that caught me off guard. His grandmother and sister's death was very depressing, although the scene with Billionaire Ted was funny. The book almost has an anti-drinking message due to all the bad things that happen resulting from alcohol. The basketball game gave me goose bumps. I remember battling rivals in high school, and Alexie was able to capture all the excitement associated with sports. Overall this is a great book I enjoyed reading. I would have this be a choice students could select and read, but I would not assign the whole class the book. There are some parts that are unnecessarily crude (but realistic), and the violence could cause problems with sensitive readers. Good reading selection!
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2007.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Daily reading for 1-30
I enjoyed how the book was such a fast read. I never felt like I had to struggle to finish the reading assignments. I think most kids could identify with the feelings of isolation Junior felt. Teachers could tie this story in with personal stories about changing schools from the students. The differences from reservation life and Reardan life are very interesting. This is one of the first books I've read that compares the two societies. Sherman Alexie has a great ability to make you want to see Junior succeed.
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2007.
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2007.
Daily reading for 1-28
I really enjoyed the start of this book. I read The Lone Ranger and Tonto: Fistfight in Heaven for an English class last year and was very impressed with Alexie's work. I'm glad I get to read another one of his books. The setting and emotions have been easy to understand, and I think most adolescents would enjoy reading this. The drawings throughout the book are wonderful and add a personal touch to the reading.
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2007.
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2007.
Craft Lesson Three
Resources-
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. NY: Little, Brown, 2007.
Computer lab
Indian cultural items
Discussion-
Many young adolescents haven’t been exposed to Indian culture or reservation life. There are many preconceptions based on movies and TV programs that inaccurately represent Native Americans. This craft lesson uses The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian to help students relate to and understand how real Native Americans perceive the modern world. By the end, the student will know more about Indian reservations, tribes, and their culture.
How to teach it-
To begin the lesson, the class will brainstorm anything they know about Indians. This will be composed into a list that will be kept for the entire lesson. The students will then begin to read Sherman Alexie’s book. After reading the first section, the students will use the computer lab in groups to look up specific tribes and reservations mentioned in the book. The groups will pick three interesting facts and present them to the class before the next reading. The follow up activity for the second reading would be to examine some cultural items Indians used in the past, as well as some modern Indian items (blankets, dream catchers, carvings, etc.). After the final reading, the class will evaluate the list they made at the beginning and revise previous stereotypes. They will then use this revised list to write a narrative story from an Indian's perspective.
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. NY: Little, Brown, 2007.
Computer lab
Indian cultural items
Discussion-
Many young adolescents haven’t been exposed to Indian culture or reservation life. There are many preconceptions based on movies and TV programs that inaccurately represent Native Americans. This craft lesson uses The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian to help students relate to and understand how real Native Americans perceive the modern world. By the end, the student will know more about Indian reservations, tribes, and their culture.
How to teach it-
To begin the lesson, the class will brainstorm anything they know about Indians. This will be composed into a list that will be kept for the entire lesson. The students will then begin to read Sherman Alexie’s book. After reading the first section, the students will use the computer lab in groups to look up specific tribes and reservations mentioned in the book. The groups will pick three interesting facts and present them to the class before the next reading. The follow up activity for the second reading would be to examine some cultural items Indians used in the past, as well as some modern Indian items (blankets, dream catchers, carvings, etc.). After the final reading, the class will evaluate the list they made at the beginning and revise previous stereotypes. They will then use this revised list to write a narrative story from an Indian's perspective.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Craft Lesson 2
Using concrete images
Resource materials- Soto, Gary. Canto Familiar: A Poetry Collection. Orlando FL: Harcourt, 1995.
Discussion- Gary Soto uses personal experiences to write the poetry found in Canto Familiar. By drawing on his own wealth of memories and feelings, Soto is able to inject his poems with a personal tone. Soto uses concrete images to provide a setting that is realistic and filled with detail. His poems bring to life the subject matter Soto is relating to the reader.
How to teach it- Soto’s ability to create interesting poems based on personal experiences lies within his use of unique images in the setting. In the poem “ Papi’s Menudo” for example, Soto describes in very specific detail the actions of his father. These descriptions allow the reader to place himself at the family’s table and feel connected to the poem.
Students could analyze the work of Soto and pick out specific details that stood out to them. They could then be asked how these details made the poem stronger or weaker. After looking at Soto’s work, they could be asked to form a list with as many images as they can think of. The students could then use the list as a reference when they are trying to add specific details to a poem.
Resource materials- Soto, Gary. Canto Familiar: A Poetry Collection. Orlando FL: Harcourt, 1995.
Discussion- Gary Soto uses personal experiences to write the poetry found in Canto Familiar. By drawing on his own wealth of memories and feelings, Soto is able to inject his poems with a personal tone. Soto uses concrete images to provide a setting that is realistic and filled with detail. His poems bring to life the subject matter Soto is relating to the reader.
How to teach it- Soto’s ability to create interesting poems based on personal experiences lies within his use of unique images in the setting. In the poem “ Papi’s Menudo” for example, Soto describes in very specific detail the actions of his father. These descriptions allow the reader to place himself at the family’s table and feel connected to the poem.
Students could analyze the work of Soto and pick out specific details that stood out to them. They could then be asked how these details made the poem stronger or weaker. After looking at Soto’s work, they could be asked to form a list with as many images as they can think of. The students could then use the list as a reference when they are trying to add specific details to a poem.
Craft Lesson 1
Line length and spacing: Janet Wong
Resource Material- Wong, Janet. Behind the Wheel: Poems about Driving. New York: McElderry, 1999.
Discussion- Poetry is written with special attention paid to line length and spacing. Using different line lengths can have a varied effect on a poem. The spacing between lines and sections can also impact how a poem is read. Janet Wong uses many different techniques in her book Behind the Wheel. Teachers can encourage students to experiment with different line lengths and spacing by demonstrating how Wong uses them to create different effects.
How to teach it- A good poem has a natural flow to it. Poems like “Jump-Start” and “Need to Read” have very short, concise lines that are grouped by placing an extra space in between the sections. Other poems like “Insurance for Teenage Drivers: A New Plan” and “Lessons in Braking” use a short topic line before going into further detail with the subject. Both of these poems also use medium size lengths in the subject area, which creates a flow that is easy to read. “Down the Narrow” and “ILMN444” take on a different approach and are written in paragraph form.
Students should be introduced to the different types of poetry and exposed to the terminology used to categorize poems (free form, prose, iambic pentameter, etc.). They could then compare and contrast the different poems Wong wrote, and determine the strengths and weaknesses for the types of forms. To get experience with the topic, students could write a poem and use the different line lengths for alternate versions. They could then be asked to evaluate which form they felt best expressed their perspective and why.
Resource Material- Wong, Janet. Behind the Wheel: Poems about Driving. New York: McElderry, 1999.
Discussion- Poetry is written with special attention paid to line length and spacing. Using different line lengths can have a varied effect on a poem. The spacing between lines and sections can also impact how a poem is read. Janet Wong uses many different techniques in her book Behind the Wheel. Teachers can encourage students to experiment with different line lengths and spacing by demonstrating how Wong uses them to create different effects.
How to teach it- A good poem has a natural flow to it. Poems like “Jump-Start” and “Need to Read” have very short, concise lines that are grouped by placing an extra space in between the sections. Other poems like “Insurance for Teenage Drivers: A New Plan” and “Lessons in Braking” use a short topic line before going into further detail with the subject. Both of these poems also use medium size lengths in the subject area, which creates a flow that is easy to read. “Down the Narrow” and “ILMN444” take on a different approach and are written in paragraph form.
Students should be introduced to the different types of poetry and exposed to the terminology used to categorize poems (free form, prose, iambic pentameter, etc.). They could then compare and contrast the different poems Wong wrote, and determine the strengths and weaknesses for the types of forms. To get experience with the topic, students could write a poem and use the different line lengths for alternate versions. They could then be asked to evaluate which form they felt best expressed their perspective and why.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Daily Reading for 1-23
I agree with the authors that schools and teachers need to implement more culturally revelent texts into the curriculum. Students naturally are more interested in readings they can relate with and understand. I like the idea of having the students answer the rubric with the teacher. I think the students would participate more knowing their opinions would shape future readings. It is also important to expose students to readings that are not culturally revelent and teach them how to view other cultures without bias.
Freeman, Yvonne and David. "Connecting Students to Culturally Relevant Texts." Taking Points 15.2 (April/May 2004): 7-11.
Freeman, Yvonne and David. "Connecting Students to Culturally Relevant Texts." Taking Points 15.2 (April/May 2004): 7-11.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)