Horton Hears a Who! by Dr. Seuss

Horton Hears a Who! By Dr. Seuss

Eliana Tiberio

208651663

Alyson van Beinum

Syno

Synopsis: Horton Hears a Who!

The picture book Horton Hears a Who begins with the main character, the elephant Horton, taking a bath in the Jungle of Nool. His attention is diverted as he hears a call for help but struggles to identify the source of the voice. As a small speck of dust passes by Horton’s path he realizes the call is coming from a creature, the Whos, a community too small to see for Horton’s eyes. News travelled around the Jungle of Nool that Horton was carrying the speck of dust around to protect even the smallest of creatures. Horton was teased by all, especially the sour mother Kangaroo with her young kangaroo in her pouch. A plan was devised to destroy this speck of dust because it was silly to believe in something you cannot see. Horton was trapped by the creatures in the Jungle and at his wits end begged Mr. Mayor Who to yell as loud as they could in order for all the Jungle creatures to hear them. The Whos yelled and yet no one could hear them so they locked Horton up and grabbed the speck of dust until suddenly every Who was yelling as loud as they could for everyone to hear. The baby Kangaroo heard their screams first and finally all the jungle creatures had heard. “They’ve proved they ARE persons, no matter how small. And their whole world was saved by the Smallest of ALL!

(A) In what grade level/course would you teach this text? Are there other courses for which it might also be appropriate?

I believe the use of picture books within a classroom is highly underestimated in terms of the skills it helps to equip the students with. I believe that using pictures books within an English classroom within the first week of school in any grade will be beneficial for illustrating to the students the various methods in writing, reading through illustration and grammar and the skills of critically looking at the meaning within the text. This would help Grade 9 students in the transition to high school and Grade 12 students in their preparation of university. If you were to introduce the use of children’s books within high school, they would also work as a hook to many lessons. I was fortunate enough to work at a school where many of the students did not have a figure in their life to read them these stories as a child and when I brought in a Dr. Seuss book, many of the students were unfamiliar with the author. I also believe that these books will help ELL learners to better understand certain aspects of North American culture. This is where my own identity and position helps to determine what resources I being within the classroom. I was born and raised in Canada; therefore I was exposed to Dr.Seuss at a young age within the classroom. These stories are part of my identity in various ways. North America uses storybooks for children within the classroom and at home. My father, who has emigrated from Italy, was accustomed to the oral tradition of telling stories and struggled when our homework was to read a book with our parents. Although I come from a middle class family, there are also Canadian students who don’t have the opportunity to read books with their parents because of the lack of resources available to them. I assume, because of my socio-economic position, that even if I have students who were born in Canada that they would be exposed to these stories and yet this is not so. The use of pictures books within an ELL classroom requires higher level thinking because there is no literal meaning within children’s books and it takes time to discover the meaning of the author through their fictional characters. I believe the teacher needs to understand the identity of the students before picture books are brought into the classroom more so than a novel because we are exposed to these books at a young age and it is part of our North American identity. We take for granted and make assumptions about what our students have been exposed to because we teach them at an age where we believe they have already been exposed to these forms of texts.

(B) What are the main ideas/issues/teaching points which you would emphasize when teaching the text?

Social aspects of the text:

Objective: This will help the students to understand the different roles of society and the hierarchical construction of society

·  I believe that we live in a world where many of our students are brought up to believe that they must fit into a specific identity and if they break out of that identity, it is unacceptable. For example, Horton was teased and dismissed because of his belief in the Who creatures that lived on the speck.

·  The mother Kangaroo helps to illustrate the ways in which we are questioned and forced to conform because it is socially unacceptable to believe or be something different. This text would work in a lesson as a hook for students if identity is something that is prevalent within the text that the teacher is working with.

·  The teacher can also use this text in relation to colonial identities if they are discussing how identities are imposed and controlled. For example, have the students look at the various ways Horton was forced to conform in relation to the oppression of African Americans within the novel To Kill a Mockingbird.

Cultural aspects of the text:

Objective: Students will be able to critique and analyse how history connects to contemporary issues

·  Horton Hears a Who identifies the issues of faith and belief in something that only Horton can hear. The overriding theme of faith and belief is also a critique on Dr. Seuss’ part on the ways we have culturally amalgamated. Therefore I believe using this book in a poetry unit would also benefit the students because it is allows students to critically examine the hierarchy of society and who controls what is defined as “normal” .

·  Students rarely get the opportunity to discuss what they believe and why they have come to question or believe in something. Poetry is one of the ways for students to creatively express themselves if they are given the tools to do so. This book will also help the students to look at the various poetic devices used in order to convey a specific meaning.

Textual aspects of the text:

Objective: Students will look at the role of perspective within the book and how telling this story from a different perspective might have changed the outcome of the story.

·  The story is told through a removed perspective as Horton moves through the actions the narrator describes throughout the story. Having students looking critically at the gender of the protagonist and antagonist will help them critically look at the way identity is formed and perceived

·  As a woman reading the story, I believe the mother was presented in a very mean and conforming way. If the antagonist had been another male how would the story been perceived as different? This book can act as a hook before reading a major play, novel, poem, short story or when the students are writing their own stories and they are deciding the gender and the social constructs around that gender.

Topical aspects of the text:

Objective: This book will help the students understand the topics of: gender, conformity, social hierarchy, the devices of a story and poetry and the use of illustration within a piece of work.

·  Depending on what the teacher uses this book for, it can be adapted and used for the topics that are listed above. I believe it is necessary for the teacher to give a background on the author himself as it is important for the students to understand he was a psychologist and the purpose for the way he writes.

·  Gender is a topic that must be covered if using this book and it is a topic that most students will engage with as they are constantly being forced to act and be a certain gender because of what is expected of us socially.

·  Conformity and social hierarchy is a topic that can bring controversy within the classroom because we have such diverse students that may come from a nation where they were under colonial rule. Therefore when discussing the topic of conformity it is important to be sensitive in the way it is presented to the class and students.

(C)What are the issues/challenges you might encounter teaching the text?

·  High school students may feel that you are bringing in this book because they are incapable of reading larger books. As a teacher you may find resistance to using a “children’s book” within a classroom whether it be applied or academic.

·  If you were to use this book within an ELL classroom many of the students would not understand the play with words. For example, they might not understand what a “Who” is because they understand that “who” is a pronoun. Also, you must have the students understand the use of these fictional characters and who they may represent

·  Relating this text to Colonial oppression may require a large background of information for the students before they are able to critically look at the way people are oppressed in society and why they are oppressed. This requires the teacher to organize and plan their lessons strategically in order for the students to fully understand how this book can illustrate oppression.

(D)Describe a possible assignment/activity you can use when teaching the text

·  I would use this book as a hook in many instances as opposed to an assignment, depending on where you are within the school year. If I were to use this book in an assignment I would have the students look at a number of texts of Dr. Seuss as opposed to looking at just Horton Hears a Who!

·  In looking at various texts I would create a jigsaw format assignment over a two day period and design it as a poetry café and instead have the students present their book. I would be breaking up the students in a jigsaw format where each group had a different Dr.Suess book to look at. I would have each group read, perform their story, or visually interpret the story, giving the students a choice of how they would like to present the text to the class.

·  Once they have presented or read the book (which is solely based on the content of the story- it’s a re-telling of the book), they students must illustrate how they have critically engaged with the text. For example, with each group the teacher would have to give them a topic of focus. Horton Hears a Who would be given colonial oppression for example. Once the students have re-told the story they must also orally present how this text illustrates colonial oppression. This must also be written out in a short analysis.

·  In assessing the presentation, it will be divided up into two parts. Each group will be given the assessment tool in advance before the assignment so the students understand what the teacher is looking for. The group will be assessed on their oral presentation using a rubric and their written component.