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For complete details on what to do in this space and how you will be evaluated, please see the complete details for this assignment located on Teaching Discussion page for our class (link is live).
In Brief: Post your initial response, about 300 words. Post a response to your colleagues, 100-200 words. THIS WEEK’S SCENARIO: The two short stories included in this weeks reading come from a list of short-stories for middle-schoolers. I have used these two stories with rising 8th and 9th graders. You are teaching a class of 30 8th graders at Whitman Middle School. Here is a class picture. The class you are teaching is majority white. There are two students who identify as African-American. Just over ½ of the class are young women. None of the students are first generation American, but a few students have grandparents who immigrated, mostly from Ireland. More likely, the majority of students have great-grandparents or great-great grandparents that came from to the US during the great migration in the late 1800s—Italy and Ireland mainly. Your classroom is well-equipped. Students have ipads for use in the classroom and all of the students have internet access at home as well as at school. You maintain a teaching website where parents can check assignments. Without getting overly technical, what would you do with these two stories in this class--because, keep in mind, only one of them was actually written for young people (7th Grade). What will be interesting? What will be challenging? What could you do that would help students become better readers through the use of these texts--in other words, how could you improve the kind of ELA skills we want our students (and the frameworks want) our students to learn? Don't stress or imagine that this is some big unit plan. It's 300 words. You are thinking out loud and responding thoughtfully to each other.
46 Comments
Jenivieve D'Andrea
9/17/2022 06:48:13 am
From a pedagogical standpoint, I would first start by teaching the texts separately. I would most likely start with “7th Grade” by Gary Soto. The reason for this being is, that the language, style, protagonist, and plot would be more relatable and reachable for students in an 8th-grade suburban classroom. I think something similar that I would do for both “7th Grade” by Gary Soto and “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid gives a brief background on the authors themselves. I think that it is equally important, if not more, to make note of the cultural identities of these authors as it plays a major role in the internal conflicts given the demographic of the class. It would be an important bridge of understanding to build for the white students and the other two students who identify as African-American a chance to interact with a text that is outside of the Eurocentric literary canon. I think a possible challenge that this class could face with a text like “7th Grade” by Gary Soto is the character being a male in a predominantly female enrolled classroom. However, to bridge this gap I would use the familiarity of having a crush, the feeling of embarrassment, and the influence of friends on our actions. The themes I would try to convey in this story are gendered expectations (the smirk, his friend, pressure to impress girls). Interestingly enough, I feel like these same themes can be directly applied to the next reading, “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid. To make the language, style, and content easier for the students I would similarly give a background on Kincaid as a Caribbean American author. Then, I would ask students to pay attention to similar themes such as gendered expectations, the pressure to impress the opposite sex, and coming of age). I feel like this text would pose more challenges for students because there are really two voices here at work. Although there is only one speaker, she switches from her own words to the words of her mother. Once this becomes evident, I think all students can relate to hearing an internal voice that mimics their parents/guardians. I think that this text would be well received in a female-dominated class because of the speaker’s struggle with approaching womanhood and living according to passed-down gender roles. Another strategy that could be used to help students be better readers of these texts is to analyze the influence of adults in both stories. I would also encourage students to identify terms such as okra, ese, and benna to increase their understanding of the plot and speaker. Possible challenges with “Girl” specifically, would be engaging the boys in the classroom. To combat this, I think an activity that requires students to compare and contrast the story, and specifically the gendered expectations both characters are facing, may help to understand the struggle that each adolescent is going through in their particular story.
Megan Moore
9/17/2022 09:29:28 am
Hi Jenivieve, I found your approach to these stories to be very interesting! Beginning with "7th Grade" is a good idea, as the writing style of Soto and the themes explored would be accessible to an 8th grade reader in a way that "Girls" is not. Using the backgrounds of the two authors to highlight racial diversity in literature is an excellent way to give the African American students an opportunity to interact more closely with the lesson without singling them out in a way that may be uncomfortable. One suggestion I have is to create an activity in which students directly compare the themes of the two texts together in order to keep building comparison skills. Overall, great response!
Christina Lynne Carter
9/20/2022 09:36:26 am
Jenivieve, I agree that it is important to take the backgrounds of the authors into consideration and discuss this with the students. I think it will help them understand the texts on a deeper level, and sometimes it may allow them to connect with a story even more. If an author has struggled, or lived a life similar to that of a student reader it can prompt them to find the work more relatable and interesting. I understand your concern with the girls not connecting as easily to the work by Gary Soto and think it is great for you to pull some more general themes for them. I myself did not think about the struggles they may have had in drawing relations form their lives to the story.
Megan Moore
9/17/2022 09:10:16 am
I would begin teaching these stories by leading the class in a discussion relating to the common themes of growing up and expectations placed upon young people. I’d ask students what expectations they feel are placed on them by their parents, their teachers, and their classmates. After getting the conversation moving, I would ask students what expectations they feel society places on them. This question would lead to a discussion of why these expectations are placed upon people. Is it because of their gender? Their race? Their family? Depending on the length of the class period, I might lead students in a short writing exercise in which they discuss how they feel about the expectations others place upon them. Answers should vary among students despite the fact that most of the class is white and a majority of students are girls because students lead unique lives.
Jenivieve
9/17/2022 12:00:27 pm
Hi there Megan,
Nicole Shepard
9/18/2022 11:35:38 am
Hi Megan! I think you have a really strong approach to this classroom lesson. You have a great start by beginning your lesson with somewhat open-ended questions to get the conversation going. The questions you would ask are applicable to all students, so there should be plenty of participation. As you mentioned, it’s important to give context for all stories and I especially think students in the upper middle school grades will benefit from reading about the authors. Another part of your lesson that I really like, and honestly didn’t think to include in mine, is having students write in journals or on paper. Writing is a great way to allow students to gather and express their thoughts, rather than thinking out loud. Great job on “planning” this lesson!
Alexa Delling
9/18/2022 12:59:46 pm
Hi Megan!
Allie Gallahue
9/20/2022 06:23:51 am
Hi Megan,
Megan Keller
9/21/2022 02:19:26 pm
Hi Megan!
Jessica Sweeney
10/5/2022 04:09:08 pm
Meaghan Cook
9/17/2022 11:12:47 am
To begin the lesson, I would start by asking the students to think of some ways that boys and girls are treated differently and the different things are expected from them. As an exercise I could ask them to give examples of chores they are expected to do at home, ways they are expected to act at school, things they are taught to like and dislike. I would then have the students indicate the differences between what is expected of the boys and what is expected of the girls.
Alexa Delling
9/18/2022 01:01:56 pm
Hi Meaghan!
Patricia Diaz
9/19/2022 08:10:36 am
Hi Meagan,
Lucienne Quirk
9/20/2022 05:31:45 pm
Hi there Meaghan,
Megan Keller
9/21/2022 02:27:07 pm
Hi Meaghan,
Nicole Shepard
9/18/2022 09:36:46 am
To begin my lesson, I would have my students start by reading the short story “7th Grade” by Gary Soto. I would introduce this story to the class and give them a brief background on the author before I ask them to read independently. While discussing the author, I would make a point to explain how all of us, as individuals, come from different backgrounds and all have different life experiences. As my student read, I would instruct them to annotate the story to help them engage with the text. After reading, I would bring the class together so we can discuss some of the important concepts in the story. One thing that worries me regarding this short story is the majority of my class is made up of females, but we will be discussing a male protagonist. I think this will create some difficulty in being able to directly relate to the story. In order to bridge this gap, I could highlight some themes of the story that relate to all of my students, such as dealing with anxiety that comes with being at school, the feeling of needing to impress someone, and navigating friendships.
Sydney Blair
9/18/2022 06:31:13 pm
Hi Nicole!
Meaghan Cook
9/19/2022 06:02:58 pm
Hi Nicole!
Alexa Delling
9/18/2022 12:46:51 pm
Both stories “7th Grade” by Gary Soto and “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid allows the reader insight on different viewpoints of life and more so how people live differently. I would first read “7th Grade” since it seems as though most of my class could relate to this story. Victor is a typical boy returning to middle school who has a crush on a girl in multiple of his classes. We can all relate to this story and most likely know what that feels like to be in Victor’s position. This lesson would be a perfect opportunity to discuss the differences in every person’s life as well as how someone is raised and how where they come from alters their walk of life. Kincaid offers a mysterious sort of insight through a demanding and tense narrator by using word choice that shows the narrator is attempting to either control another or “give them advice” in a rather harsh way. It is inevitable my class will hear the tonal shift in reading Soto’s story first and then Kincaid’s since Soto offers a lighthearted story of a boy who seems to have a pretty standard, resourceful life. As for Kincaid, she offers a character who seems to receive the opposite in life as they are pressured to abide by the rules the narrator is giving. The question I would pose to my class is why are we comparing these two works and why do they think Kincaid’s narrator is so cut and dry? My thoughts on the question would be that Kincaid offers this more complex character or the opposite of a character like Victor. Kincaid’s character is being controlled to live their life a specific way and, in a sense, is the narrator doing this in order to protect someone? Maybe this character comes from a very religious family, and they are held at specific standards within their culture which causes them to not have the freedom like a Victor does. I would want my students to put themselves in this character’s shoes and how would they feel if their life was full of restrictions and rules? Well, maybe it is and that is the beauty in realizing their peers may have a different life than they think behind closed doors when they walk out of school every day.
Mary Viera
10/5/2022 08:08:59 pm
Hi Alexa! Yes I agree, I think both of these pieces offer different viewpoints of life that are important for middle schoolers to be aware of. I think especially talking about how one’s “background” influences their life moving forward is a great conversation to start with these pieces as you approach it many different ways. You could look at the two main characters (Victor, and the character in Kincaid’s story), or you could look at the authors and how their backgrounds may have shaped their pieces. You mentioned that it would be “inevitable” for your students to pick up on the tonal shift between Soto and Kincaid and that got me thinking a little bit. I don’t know the developmental stages of reading, but I agree that this tonal shift might seem obvious to middle schoolers. I wonder, though, if they might need some guidance in defining this feeling. How could we explain this tonal shift to students who don’t see the difference?
Sydney Blair
9/18/2022 06:21:36 pm
When given the task to teach both of these stories, I would first approach each story by itself with the class. Both of these works have many differences and I feel as though it is important to gain an understanding and background knowledge of each text before we go further into the lesson. I would first introduce “7th Grade” by Gary Soto because I feel as though my class would have an easier time relating to the story in comparison to “Girl”. Once I give some background on both the story and the author, I will have students read it independently. “7th Grade” puts the student in the point of view of a 7th grade boy named Victor. As he goes into middle school, he experiences things such as having a crush on a girl and entering a new grade, something that most middle school students can relate to. Once the students have completed the reading, I would have an open discussion with the class. One of my main questions I would focus on is “how relatable is this story?” “In what ways can you relate to it?”. The second question is a little more personal, students only have to share if they want to, but I think that by putting ourselves in the narrator’s shoes can help us understand the story more and create more thoughtful conversation. Due to the student population in my classroom, students may even find that they can’t relate to it as much as others. In that case, our conversation will just shift to how this story is different from their own experiences.
Lucienne Quirk
9/20/2022 05:36:22 pm
Hi Sydney,
Patricia Diaz
9/19/2022 07:48:00 am
I think that what’s interesting about teaching these texts is the fact that they speak about social issues that 8th graders may experience in their own lives (society expectations). However, I do think that the complexity in style and vocabulary words, especially in the story “Girl” will be challenging for some, if not most students, but I think I can utilize reading and writing techniques, such as reading the story aloud, having the students journal, using context clues in the text, and work in groups to improve their ELA skills. To accomplish this, I would teach “7th Grade” first since they may relate more to it due to their grade proximity and low complexity of the text.
Catie Mullen
9/19/2022 11:31:14 am
Hi Patricia!
Catie Mullen
9/19/2022 11:23:06 am
The two stories, "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid and "7th Grade" written by Gary Soto are similar in many ways as they focus on gender expectations and expectations of adolescents in different cultures. Before my students started reading these two stories, I would have them do some research to build their prior knowledge. They could use their ipads to gather the research in class. To do this, I would have the students research the upbringing of both Jamaica Kincaid and Gary Soto. This task will hopefully grow their knowledge on why these authors wrote these two stories and they will gain stronger researching skills. I would then break these students up into literary circle groups (which are made at the beginning of the year) to read these stories out loud together. I would hand out or post on an online classroom platform (BlackBoard or Google Classroom), a reading reflection worksheet for them to refer to while reading the two short stories. Included in these worksheets would be places for them to write/type in difficult vocabulary, deciphering certain statements in the text, literary elements (ie. Repetition in "Girl"), and comprehension questions. As much as it is important to think critically about literary texts, it is also important that students continue to focus on ELA skills, such as vocab, comprehension, and literary elements, which will continue to heighten their learning. The two stories can be hard to decipher, so by using a group literary circle, they can read aloud and discuss the two stories together, helping each other understand the more confusing parts of each story. For homework, I would have them conduct a family interview on their caregivers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, whoever is knowledgeable about their culture's upbringing and expectations of adolescents. The caregivers will be aware this assignment is approaching because of the teaching website I have where I post class assignments. Included in this website, is a section labeled "Caregiver Information" where they can go look at in support with helping the students at home. The next two days of class, I will have them write an essay of their family cultural upbringing on adolescents and how it is a lot different than how they were brought up now in America in 2022. This writing prompt would help students capture their own version of meeting expectations at their age. What expectations are they expected to meet? What expectations were there ancestors or others in the same culture as they required to meet? How do the two short stories, "Girl" and "7th Grade," compare to your culture's expectations of adolescents? These students might have to do additional research on their cultures to complete this writing prompt. In order for other students to learn about cultures other than their own, the students will break out into their literary circles and share what they found out from their interviews. I think the most interesting part of this lesson is that the students will learn and become aware of their own cultures and how the history of their culture has differed a lot from how they were brought up recently. However, the most challenging part of this lesson is to use what was learned in these short stories and apply them to the writing prompt when referring to the student's own expectations.
Katie Rodrigues
9/19/2022 01:50:51 pm
Hi Catie,
Megan Keller
9/21/2022 02:33:36 pm
Hi Catie,
Adam
9/19/2022 01:24:56 pm
At the beginning of class, I start my seventh graders with a story about Gary Soto. Before letting them read it on their own, I introduced the story to the class and gave a brief introduction to the author. When discussing the author, I explained that we are all people with different backgrounds and different life experiences. As my students read, I ask them to annotate the story to help them understand the text. After reading it, I brought the class together to discuss the important ideas of the story. What bothers me about this short story is that most of my class is female, but we should be talking about a male protagonist. I find it a bit difficult to connect directly to the story. To bridge this gap, I can highlight specific story themes that apply to all my students, such as anxiety at school, the need to influence, and building friendships. Then I'll move on to Jamaica Gingardi's next story, girl. When I get ready to read, I tell my students to wait for a boy and a girl. I ask my students questions like what they do at home, what their parents want them to do at school, and what they like to do in their free time. It sparks conversations about expected roles and differences in age, gender and race. The writing style and complexity of this story challenged my class, so I read The Woman to my students and provided them with information about the author and time period. After reading, compare the expectations at the beginning of the lesson with the expectations written in the story. Ask students to analyze the similarities and differences between them.
Katie Rodrigues
9/19/2022 01:44:05 pm
The two short stories, "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid and "7th Grade" by Gary Soto are two very different pieces, but touch on similar topics throughout its entirety. I would first introduce the short story "7th Grade" to the class. I would start with this one because it is something that everyone can relate to because they have all started or been in 7th grade. They would be able to understand the nervousness and embarrassment that the main character felt in this short story. First, to introduce the text, I would start with a few questions to give them an idea as to what the text is going to be about. They would either answer the questions outlaid, or maybe in a journal entry. I would ask questions such as if they have ever felt nervous to participate in class or maybe if they felt that they had a drastic change throughout the summer from one school year to another. Then I would give some background details on the author and why he maybe wrote this piece. This is a short enough piece that I would read to the class, maybe take some volunteers, and then we could get into class discussions about the text. I would have students share why they think it was relatable or why it wasn't. I would open the floor for students to share their own personal experiences. I would maybe even include an embarrassing story about myself from middle school so that they know that it is normal to feel embarrassed in junior high and that they are not alone in feeling uncomfortable in this period of transitioning. Once we wrapped up our discussion of "7th Grade," we would move onto "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid. This short story might be a little difficult to relate to and maybe even only a small group can relate, but it is still important to teach. Once again, this is a short enough story that I would probably read out-loud for the kids to follow along in hopes that it may help them understand the text a little better. For this story, I would only do background information on the author and a smaller pre-reading discussion for this text. Once the students were finished with the story, I would open the floor to discussions and thoughts. Clearly, this one is harder to resonate with for most, but they can still grasp the concept and empathize with the subject of the piece. I would then have a discussion on gender roles that are expected for woman and for men. We see these parallels of gender roles in both stories as to how boys and girls should act. In the first story, we see the boys scowling because that is what they think they are supposed to do. Scowl, be tough, and that will make women want you. In "Girl" the gender roles for women are to cook, clean, and do everything for the man, and that is how you will maintain a husband. So although both stories are widely different at first glance, both can be related to on a deeper level that can get middle school children thinking about these types of gender roles and experiences. I would end the lesson with a journal prompt. They could maybe choose one story that they relate to personally and write about that, or they could compare and contrast how the two pieces were different, yet similar.
Chloe Devine
9/19/2022 04:18:53 pm
Hi Katie, thank you for your insightful post. I appreciate how, while tackling how you would teach these two stories, constantly relate to how your students are able to best able to interact with the texts. For example, you choose to focus on "7th Grade" first because it is more relatable, and you choose "Girl" second because only some may be able to relate with the text. You also open the floor for comments and questions, allowing for students to have more control of being able to understand what they would like to understand. I think there is nothing more beneficial, no matter what age/reading level, than to simply talk about a book, whether that be to ask questions, expand on a topic, talk about writer's craft, etc. Even if students are struggling with the text, being able to give readers the time to talk about the text is very important and something that I too would prioritize during reading texts.
Chloe Devine
9/19/2022 04:10:43 pm
To begin, I would explain to my students that we will be reading two stories, one of which contains a male protagonist and the other in which features a story based around a female protagonist.
Samantha Tyrrell
9/20/2022 05:30:27 am
Hi Chloe,
Maddy Ames
9/20/2022 09:29:54 am
I really like how you emphasized the differences between formats of the stories. The block-y, run-on sentence format of "Girl" stood out to me because as I was reading it, I almost felt like I was holding my breath. I thought that stylistic choice was so neat, because I am sure that's how that list of expectations or requirements felt to a girl at that time. From such a young age, there was so much expected of a girl- and although that has changed its shape in today's world, there are still many pressures put on students that could be easy to overlook. I think that aspect of your lesson could lend itself to a very fruitful discussion!
Chloe Tavernier
9/19/2022 06:44:32 pm
Before I would start to create and organize my lesson plan to teach my prospective class of aspiring eighth graders, I would first want to affirm that I have a firm understanding as well as sufficient background information to teach effectively on both stories. The stories in question that we would be focusing on in the lesson plan are “7th grade” by Gary Soto, and “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid. After reading both short stories, it became evident that beneath their surface level differences, they show striking similarities. Considering the undeniable familiarity of the narrative, as well as the simple complexity of the vernacular present in “7th grade,” I would opt to begin my lesson by introducing this short story. Following a summary as well as a few helpful hints as to the aspects my readers should keep an eye out for, I would instruct them to read independently to start. My past elementary school teacher was a big advocate for independent reading and would always wax lyrical on how it will help us gain stronger comprehension skills, heighten our knowledge, and how it might be able to convert non-readers into avid readers. “7th grade” follows the relatively average point of view of a 7th grade boy named Victor as he experiences rather relatable tribulations of middle school. After everyone has finished reading on their own, I would then begin a collaborative discussion to brainstorm ideas, context, meanings, or any other type of information that we were able to extract from the text. Following the general questions, I would propose more open-ended questions to incite discussions to aid in improving my students ELA skills, such as “What was your reaction to Victor’s lie?” or “Why do people feel the need to create false impressions of themselves?” I’m certain it would be interesting to hear how my students will respond. Once we have finished conversing about “7th grade,” we would then move on to focus on the other short story, “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid, however it is considerably more complex in its structure and contains more elaborate vocabulary. It will likely pose a significant challenge if the students were to read the story on their own, therefore I would choose to read the story aloud, as well as providing more contextual information regarding the author and the setting. After reading through “Girl,” I would then have my students compose a list to compare and contrast the two stories we read today, how they were similar and different. This exercise will help incite discussion as we go over some of what each student wrote as a class. While both stories differ in their structure and difficulty, I think reading through both will help improve students’ ability to analyze as well as familiarize themselves with varying writing styles.
Samantha Tyrrell
9/20/2022 05:25:40 am
To begin, I would provide some background about Gary Soto. Then I would have the class read "7th Grade." I would begin with this short story because it is more accessible to eighth graders, as this story was written for that audience. Then I would have the class in small groups identify themes of the story. I would then provide background on Jamaica Kincaid, and I would read "Girl" aloud to the class. Again in small groups, I would have the class brainstorm what's expected of them from different authority figures, such as parents and guardians, as well as teachers. I would ask what these stories have in common, and if they share common themes.
Allie Gallahue
9/20/2022 06:10:19 am
When teaching “7th Grade” by Gary Soto, I would begin with discussing the elements of the story. I would ask students to get into groups, and have one group focus on the plot, a second group focus on the characters, and a third group focus on the setting. I would then have a member of each group combine with a member from the other groups to discuss what they talked about with their first group. Then, as a class, I would have someone share their group’s summary and analysis. After this, I would ask the groups to analyze the way in which certain characters interact with each other, as the greetings between Victor and Michael are culturally different than what we typically see at Whitman-Hanson. Finally, I would ask the students to relate to the text in any way that they can find. I think that this is a very important thing to do, as relating their own lives to the text will help them figure out the overall meaning and significance of what we’re doing.
Maddy Ames
9/20/2022 09:26:04 am
I would start by having my students read “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid in class with me. We would talk briefly about the time the short story was published (1978) and about what was societally expected/accepted then. After that, I would have the students share what they think of the expectations placed on the girl in the story (Do they think it is fair? Unfair? Why or why not?). Once we had a moment to brainstorm, I would ask them to think about what is expected of them today by their parents or teachers. Then, I would ask them to compare those expectations to the ones in “Girl” and to think about how times have changed since the story was written (for women specifically as well). I think that having a female student-heavy class could be beneficial for this part of the class discussion, but a challenge could be making sure that the boys stay engaged and present with the subject matter. Maybe I would have my students write their takeaways on a shared Google Doc so that they can see the ideas of their classmates and have something to engage with during the lesson. Next, I would read “Seventh Grade” in class with my students. After that, I would have them break up into small groups (5 or 6 kids) and discuss if they related to the story at all. Then, we would compare “Seventh Grade” to “Girl” (Did they find it more or less relatable? How are the stories similar? Are they similar at all?). We would also discuss the different expectations placed on boys and girls (How are they similar? How are they different? Do they feel this is true today?). I would close up our discussion by talking about how everyone comes from different backgrounds/upbringings/sets of expectations and how it is important to be mindful of that as they grow. I think it could be a neat opportunity to talk about how hard it can be to find where you fit as you grow up, so kindness and respect are so crucial.
Chloe Tavernier
9/20/2022 05:52:38 pm
Hi Maddy,
Christina Lynne Carter
9/20/2022 09:32:25 am
To start this lesson off, I would give some basic background information on the authors. This is intended to help the students understand the place that the authors are writing from, and to maybe help them draw a connection between the texts and the authors’ lives as well as their own. Then I would ask the students to read both stories independently while also taking notes on the concepts and themes that they notice. The themes can be both shared or not shared between the texts. These themes will then be written on the board within a Venn diagram to effectively demonstrate the shared themes, or lack thereof, between the texts. I will use this in a later discussion to help highlight the difference between the experiences and expectations of not only different genders, but different races as well. The first discussion I would have would be focused on the literary styles of the two texts. I would ask the students about the similarities and differences they see between them. I would then widen the discussion by asking them discussion prompting questions such as, “Why do you think these authors chose these literary styles to write in?”, “How do their voices impact the message they are communicating?” and “Do these styles and voices help them to effectively communicate those messages?” I think these questions will not only prompt deeper analysis on the students’ part, but allow them to understand the use and value of literary techniques in writing. As readers, it will allow them to develop a sense of how the things they read are trying to communicate with them on a deeper level than just using words. I would shift gears back to the themes and concepts that they noticed and ask how these themes can relate to their own lives. Especially considering the way these texts have communicated with them. I would kick start a discussion of how the differences in the themes of the stories are related to the gender expectations of society, and ask them how they've seen those roles play out in their own lives or the lives of those around them. A challenge presents itself in that the two African American students will have probably experienced some of these themes differently than their white counterparts, and in turn may feel like outsiders or different. They may be afraid or ashamed to share how these themes play a role in their lives.
Allison Raposo
9/20/2022 10:28:28 am
I think by including a Venn diagram in your lesson is extremely important. It gives students a visual aspect of the contrast between the two short stories. Having them being physically written on the board will bring their ideas to life. They also will be able to get new perspectives by seeing the ideas of their classmates and what they think of the short stories. I also like how you relate the lesson to the gender expectations in today's society, which is something I also included specifically with women.
Allison Raposo
9/20/2022 10:04:11 am
Prior to teaching these two short stories "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid and "7th Grade" by Gary Soto I will spend a few days and lessons regarding the stereotypical roles of women not just in previous years, but in todays society as well. I will emphasize how these "roles" have shaped the way women are viewed in a negative connotation, and how they continue to struggle. I will then ask them to think about the chores they have to do when they get home, and how they would feel being the only person doing all of the chores. Based on their responses I will decide when to introduce this short story, and to see if they understand the concept that will be taught by Jamaica Kincaid. I will not include a prior lesson to teaching the short story "7th Grade" because these students will be able to relate to it more than "Girl" due to it being a more light-hearted story. These students have definitely had an experience that was similar to the main character's. It gives a sense of normalcy in the awkward time of being in middle school, and it could help them feel more comfortable. I also think that teaching this short story after teaching "Girl" would be an effective way to maintain the student's interest.
celeste barbosa
9/20/2022 02:56:23 pm
Hi Allison!
celeste barbosa
9/20/2022 02:49:12 pm
When looking at these pieces of literature, it is clear that there are two different backgrounds coming through them. “7th Grade” by Gary Soto reflects a more Latinx culture with the words being used like “saludo de vato” and “ese” while “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid reflects a more African American culture with aspects of culture like “benna” and “doukona”. However, the classroom demographic is majority white and majority females, so parts of these stories may be unknown to the students. Before introducing these short stories, I would do a quick overview of these two different cultures. Students need background knowledge of different cultures before diving into these multicultural pieces so they can have a better understanding of what they were reading. Background knowledge Is very important in this lesson as it will allow students to see the works through a different perspective and they will be able to embrace the differences as well. I would also take a dive in the authors themselves to allow students to get familiar with them.
Lucienne Quirk
9/20/2022 05:26:04 pm
To teach Girl by Jamaica Kincaid, I would prompt students to think about or write down gender stereotypes. We would talk about them as a class. The female students would have opportunities to express the way they feel stereotyped in some ways. Afterwards, I would ask a handful of students to read Girl out loud to the class. In groups, students would discuss: what were some gender stereotypes within the text? What were things you maybe expected– and what surprised you? When they’ve discussed some key points, they would share their observations with the class. Only after we addressed the more universal aspects of the story– the prevalence of gender stereotypes– would we then explore what makes the story unique. I would love to dive into the history of the Caribbean, how it was colonized, and the effects of this colonization on gender dynamics in Antigua. Students would be free to ask questions about more challenging parts of the text– benna songs, okra trees, and so on. Discussion would close by emphasizing the repetition of the “Slut you are so bent on becoming”. While noting the harshness of the phrase, I would implore students to interpret why it would be included so often. What did it make you think of the narrator? What did it reveal?
Megan Keller
9/21/2022 01:56:09 pm
To begin the short story readings, I would first openly discuss with my class that these stories discuss topics such as gender stereotypes as well as cultures that may be different from their own. With this unfamiliarity, the class will have an open discussion before beginning the readings in which we will openly discuss and question what these topics mean in our current society and how they may be reflected in the stories. Once this discussion is completed, I feel it is important to let the readers get a sense of the author's intent. As the educator, I will be sure to give a brief outlook on each of these authors and how these stories might relate to students' personal lives. Once all background information is taken care of, I will have my students begin with “7th Grade” by Gary Soto. This type of read may feel more familiar to my students in terms of simplistic style and concepts. As middle schoolers go, this read will most likely relate to most students as the main character Victor has a crush on Teresa in the 7th grade. This type of personal relation to the story will help readers connect and begin to annotate and dive deeper into the more complex situation such as Victor's Latino culture. Once the reading is taken care of, I will have students journal three questions they have from the story, then they will be placed into groups to try and discuss and answer their lingering questions. When it comes to the transition to “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid, it is incredibly important to recognize that the males in the class may feel a bit isolated and disengaged, so it is important to try and keep their attention throughout the lesson. This story is a bit more complex so I feel reading aloud in a “popcorn” fashion would be beneficial to the class. When and if there is a pause to question what something means, the whole class can come into a discussion to work together and find a commonality. Once the story is completed, I will have students silently journal for five minutes about what they feel was a significant theme of the story. After five minutes are up, I will have students get into pre-assigned groups to make large posters on the main theme or themes of the story. Students will have the opportunity to discuss, debate, and then create these posters on the main themes for the rest of the assigned class period.
Mary Viera
10/5/2022 08:00:04 pm
I would introduce each short story as its own separate mini-lesson, and then introduce a writing assignment where students find connections between the two stories. With the demographic of this classroom, and with my own racial and ethnic background in my mind as well, I would want to be respectful and aware of the perspectives coming from each of these stories. Both short stories would be interesting to teach as they explore various social roles and the pressures felt by those who are expected to fill them. I predict that because the class is mostly filled with girls they might be able to relate to a few of the ideas presented in the text “Girl” especially since they are at an age where they are becoming more aware of what society expects of them. What may be challenging is exploring the sexual references and more mature themes like abortion. I believe that the way they are interwoven into the text is purposeful and beautiful, but I would still want to warn kids of some of the themes to get them in a solid mindset before reading. Some close-reading elements I would draw their attention to is the repetition of some phrases, lines, and ideas as well as the unique use of punctuation. I would start with their initial reaction to the text, and ask what stuck out to them the most. I would encourage them to point to a specific line or phrase and then use that to start a discussion in the class. This would teach kids to read with their gut, and to form their own ideas based off of the text–not trying to interpret what they think other people (like their teachers) want them to say. I would encourage the kids to use the feelings that come up during their reader as starting points for analysis. Leave a Reply. |
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