Andrea Powell
October 9, 2006
RE 3030
Trathen
Text Talk Lesson
Amelia’s Road
By Linda Jacobs Altman
And illustrated by
Enrique O. Sanchez
Lee & Low Books, 1993
Text Talk Resources
The teaching materials related to text talk lessons and Amelia’s Road.
SUMMARY: This is a story about a little girl named Amelia and her family who are migrant farm workers. They usually have to move from one harvest time to another which means they do not have a stable place to live. The book tells of how Amelia hates always having to move and never having anyone who even knows her name. Finally Amelia finds a school that she likes and one day walking home happens upon an accidental road that leads her to a huge tree that is sturdy and permanently in the ground. She decides to bury a box full of “Amelia things” underneath her tree and now no matter where she travels she always has a place to come back to, a place where she belongs.
FOCUS: One focus of this book is to give a little insight to the lives of migrant workers in the country today. It shows how even the young children are working and how these families are constantly moving around. Another focus is that importance of feeling like there is a place to belong to and feel at home.
COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS:
Cover
Show the cover and read title. Then show the first page and ask children what they think the book is about. Then begin reading the story to them.
Page 1
1. What do you think this book is about? (A young girl who works as a migrant farmer and wishes she had a place to belong.)
Page 2
1. What did Amelia hate? (Roads)
2. Why did she hate the roads? (Because they led to all manner of strange places and led to nowhere at all.)
Page 5
1. So how is Amelia feeling right now? (Sad) Why? (Because there was nothing to show that Amelia had lived here and no one else cared.)
Page 8
1. How did Amelia’s father remember important occasions? (By remembering the crops and the never-ending rhythm of harvest.)
Page 11
1. What did Amelia draw that was really special to her? (A pretty white house with a great big tree in the front yard.)
Page 15
1. What road did Amelia find? (The accidental road)
2. Why was it accidental? (Because it was narrow and rocky more like a footpath that happened by accident that a road somebody built on purpose.)
3. What did she find at the end of the road? (A wondrous tree that was quite the sturdiest, most permanent thing Amelia had ever seen.)
Page 24
1. So everyday when Amelia got out of school where did she go? (To sit beneath the tree and pretend she had come home.)
2. When Amelia’s family had to get ready to move again, what did Amelia put under the tree? (She dug a hole and gently placed the box she had made with all her “Amelia things” in it.)
Wrap-up:
Why didn’t Amelia cry when her father took out the road map?(p. 28) Let the children consider the fact that Amelia had finally found a place that she felt like she belonged and no matter where her family took her she would always have a place she belonged to. If you were Amelia, how would you feel about having to move around so much? Let the children discuss their feelings on having to move and not having a place to belong to.
VOCABULARY:
Accident
Permanent
Belong
Accident: In the story, Amelia decides to look for a shortcut back to camp and finds the accidental road. Accidental or accident means, happening by chance or not planned. Amelia called it the accidental road because it looked more like a footpath that happened by accident than a road somebody built on purpose. Say the word accident.
· I am going to name some events to see if you think they could be an accident. If you think they could be then say, “accident.” If you think that the events could not have happened by chance or were not planned then say “no way.”
Knocking over juice and spilling it on homework papers? (accident)
Turning in homework that is due? (no way)
Falling because someone tripped you? (no way)
Dropping a book on your foot? (accident)
Cutting your finger with a pair of scissors? (accident)
What’s our word? Accident
Permanent: In the story Amelia finds a wondrous tree at the end of the accidental road. It was “quite the sturdiest, most permanent thing Amelia had ever seen.” This means that the tree was long lasting and unchanging. Say the word permanent.
· Let’s think about what might be permanent
Freckles on someone’s face or face paint?
A rainbow in the sky or the color of your eyes?
A mark on the board from a permanent marker or a dry erase marker?
What is our word? Permanent
Belong: The story says that “more than anything in the world, Amelia wanted to belong to this place and know that it belonged to her. To belong means to be a part of something or fit in somewhere. Say the word belong.
I am going to name some places and you tell me if you would belong there. If you would fit in there then say “belong”, if you would not fit in there then say, “not belong”
The playground at McDonald’s (belong)
A high school classroom. (not belong)
The children’s section at a library (belong)
In the gym during PE class. (belong)
What is our word? Belong
We talked about three words: accident, permanent, and belong. Let’s think about them one more time.
Which event would be an accident?
Spilling soda on your new shirt or washing your shirt when its dirty?
Which would be a permanent thing?
A cut on your knee or how many fingers you have?
Where would you most likely belong?
At a party with your friends or at work with your mom?