Copyright 1997 San Diego County Office of Education

Copyright©1997 -- San Diego County Office of Education

Teacher Cyberguide

Short Stories by Gary Soto

Baseball In April & Living Up The Street

http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/soto/sototg.html

Cyberguide by Barbara Garrison

Introduction

This supplemental unit on Baseball In April and Living Up the Street was developed by teachers in the Schools of California Online Resources for Educators (SCORE) Project, funded by the California Technology Assistance Project (CTAP) and the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA).

Disclaimer: The links here have been scrutinized for their grade and age appropriateness; however, contents on links on the web change continuously. It is advisable that teachers preview all links before introducing CyberGuides to students.

Gary Soto is an acclaimed poet, essayist and fiction writer. His writing is based upon his adventures as a Mexican American boy growing up in Fresno, California. He won the Before Columbus Foundation Award in 1985 for Living Up The Street, his first published book of prose. His short story collection, Baseball In April, was listed as one of the American Library Association's Best Books for Young Adults. The streets and neighborhoods of Fresno are an integral part of his writing. He has said, "For me streets have always mattered. I conjure up inside my head an image of our old street in south Fresno." The area where he grew up was much like the barrios he writes about complete with junkyards and big factories all around. He is widely read by adults and young people. Many of his stories and poems appear in language arts textbooks across the nation, and several of his books have been translated into other languages.

As the students do these activities, they will consider the following questions:

·  What is the importance of setting in the work of Gary Soto?

·  What themes appear in Hispanic art?

·  Why should I learn about Mexican American culture?

·  Who was Cesar Chavez?

Language Arts Content Standards

(Examples from Grade 8)

During this unit students will:

·  Read online material [Reading Comprehension 2.4]

·  Identify literary devices of author to model his style [Reading Comprehension 3.6]

·  Write with controlling idea; support thesis [Writing 1.1, 1.3]

·  Plan and conduct multiple-step Internet searches [Writing Strategies 1.4]

·  Write short stories and narratives [Writing Applications 2.0]

·  Write responses to literature [Writing Applications2.2]

·  Write research report [Writing Applications2.3]

·  Write narrative, research report and literature response speeches [Speaking Applications 2.1, 2.2 , 2.3]

Overview

·  In Activity 1 students will write, revise and publish a short story using an online street map of Fresno to find specific names of landmarks and streets to include as the setting.

·  In Activity 2 students will view a selection of Hispanic art and select one piece to use as the basis for a speech outline about the person or place in the piece.

·  In Activity 3 students will read about the life of Gary Soto and write a biographical sketch of the important facts from his life and work. They will then write 4 questions they would like to ask Mr. Soto, selecting 1 question to send to the author online.

·  In Activity 4 students will read about the life and work of Cesar Chavez and answer background questions about him. They will then select highlights from his life and writings and create a bio-storyboard of 6 events from his life.

·  In Activity 5 students will learn about the Day of the Dead celebration and write a friendly letter explaining what this holiday means.

Description of Materials, Activities and Websites

Copies of Baseball In April and Living Up the Street by Gary Soto

Posterboard

Background sites for teachers:

Gary Soto Poem

http://www.english.upenn.edu/~afilreis/88/soto-how-things-work .html

Student Activity 1: Write a Short Story and Use Online Informational Resources.

Using Gary Soto's style as a guide, students will write a short story set in a Fresno, California neighborhood. They will use an online street map and a general site about the city of Fresno to find real place names to use as the setting for the story. After revising for word choice, appropriate organization, consistent point of view and general mechanics, the story may be published.

Fresno City Information

http://www.ci.fresno.ca.us/

The Young Writer's Club

http://cs.bilkent.edu.tr/~david/formrequest.htm

Student Activity 2: View Hispanic Art and Write a Speech Outline

Students will view a selection of Hispanic art, complete a viewing guide and write a creative speech outline based on one of the pieces. The speech outline is based on the student's imaginary details and is to include:

·  an introduction about the person or place in the artwork

·  creative details about the person or the place in the body of the speech

·  effective transitions between sentences and parts of the speech outline

·  a conclusion

Mexican Art

broken link removed

Student Activity 3: Research and Write a Biographical Sketch

In Activity 3 students will read about the life of Gary Soto and write a biographical sketch of the important facts about his life and work. They will then write 4 questions they would like to ask Mr. Soto, selecting 1 question to send to the author online.

Gary Soto Sites:

Teacher Resource File.

Student Activity 4: Research Cesar Chavez and Create a Bio-Storyboard as a Response To Literature

In Activity 4 students will read about the life and work of Cesar Chavez and answer background questions about him. They will then select highlights from his life and writings and create a bio-storyboard of 6 events from his life.

Cesar Chavez Biography

biocesarsotosg4.html

Background Questions

ques/cc/sotosg4.html

Cesar Chavez information

http://www.asu.edu/clas/hrc/latino/chavez/chavez.intro.html

Student Activity 5: Learn About "Day of the Dead" and Write a Letter as Responses to Literature

In this activity students will learn about the Day of the Dead celebration and write an informative summary of the main details of the holiday in the form of a friendly letter to a friend or relative explaining what this holiday means. They will decorate their letter with a drawing of a calaveras, a traditional skeleton, used as part of the decorations for this holiday.