Alan Edwards
Teaching Literacy PD Homework
Social Studies (US & African American History)
Modeling: I will model Say Something with my students with the first paragraph of “Sarzan.” The students will have their own copy of the text, and I would also project the text on the board. Then I will read the paragraph aloud, pausing as I read to respond to the text. I would write my responses on the margins of the text.
Dougouba is a small village in West Africa where I was born. Once, a young man from Dougouba ventured farther and for a longer time than any of the others[AE1]: SarzanThiemokho. He enlisted into the military and became a soldier. From Dougouba he went to the capital of Senegal for training and from there he went to Mali, Morocco, Sudan, then to Europe[AE2]. I had been working as a veterinarian in the capital when I met Sarzan, who had been away from home for over fifteen years. His commander had just given him a new assignment. “You have traveled so much and seen so much, you can teach your villagers something about how white men live. You’ll ‘civilize’ them a bit[AE3].” [AE4]
Independent Practice: In order for students to practice the analysis skills of Say Something, I will have students finish the story “Sarzan” on their own. In groups of two to three, students will take turns reading the story out loud. As they are reading, they pause to say something about the text. They must also mark their text with responses that they have at least one response from four different categories, and at least ten responses in total. Also, they may place check marks in the chart below to track how many responses they have made.
Reading Responses:
O = Observations / P = Predictions / C = Connections / S = Surprises / Q = QuestionsThe author writes that…(fact, event) / I predict that… / This reminds me of…
(my life, book, movie) / I did not expect…
It was strange when… / I don’t understand…
What if…
Once they have completed their Say Something responses, they must complete two more writing assignments. First, the groups must summarize the story in one to two sentences. Then in at least five sentences, they must explain why they think the author wrote the story. Why do you think the author wrote this story? What is the purpose of the story? How may the author’s biases or points of view affect the story?
Section III. Making Inferences
Explanation: The ability to make inferences is an important skill of independent readers. Inferences are when the author does not make something explicitly clear in his or her text; rather, the author wants the reader to figure out what the text could mean. It is often perfectly acceptable for different readers to make different inferences from the same text. On the other hand, some inferences can be more plausible and acceptable than others. I must also explain that we become better at making inferences (just as we become better readers) when we reflect on the text, re-read the text, and talk about the text.
Modeling: Below is an excerpt of Ama Ata Aidoo’s “Two Sisters.” I have scripted out my inferring comments and questions that I would use to model inferring with my students. Students would have copies of this, and I would project it on the board and mark the text as I explain my inferences.
“Two Sisters” by Ama Ata Aidoo (Ghana)
As she [AE5]shakes out the typewriter [AE6]cover and covers the machine with it, the thought of the bus she has to hurry to catch goes through her like a pain[AE7]. It is her luck, she thinks. Everything is just her luck[AE8]. Why, if she had one of those college graduates for a boyfriend, wouldn’t he come and take her home every evening? [AE9] And she knows that a girl does not herself have to be a college graduate to get one of those boys. Certainly, Joe is dying to do exactly that—with his taxi[AE10]. And he is as handsome as anything, and a good man but you know…[AE11]Besides, there are cars and there are cars[AE12].
Independent Practice: After modeling the first section of “Two Sisters,” I would give students the next section. Students would have five minutes to work in groups of two to three and practice making inferences about the text, making sure to mark up each of their texts. After five minutes, students will come back as a whole group, and I will ask groups to share their inferences.
As for the possibility of the other actually coming to fetch her—oh well. She has to admit it will take some time beore she can bring herself to make demands of that sort on him. She has to admit that the temptation is extremely strong. [AE13]Would it really be so dangerously indiscreet[AE14]? Doesn’t one government car look like another? The hugeness of it?Its shaded glass?[AE15]The uniformed chauffeur? She can already see herself stepping out to greet the dead-with-envy glances of the other girls. [AE16]To begin with, she will insist on a little discretion. The driver can drop her under the trees in the morning and pick her up from there in the evening…anyway, she will have to wait a little while for that and it is all her luck[AE17].
More Independent Practice: This is another excerpt of “Two Sisters” which I could assign students as a homework assignment. Like the previous example, students would have to mark their text with their inferences from each sentence.
There are other ways, surely[AE18]. One of these, for some reason, she has sworn to have nothing of. Her boss has a car and does not look bad. In fact, the man is all right. But she keeps telling herself that she does not fancy having some old and dried-out housewife walking into the office one afternoon to tear her hair out. [AE19]Mm, so for the meantime it is going to continue to be the bus with its grimy seats, its common passengers and impudent conductors…Jesus![AE20] She doesn’t wish herself dead or anything as stupidly final as that. Oh no. She just wishes she could sleep deep and only wake up on the morning of her glory[AE21].
[AE1]Observation: Most people from the village do not leave the village.
[AE2]Connection: My friend in college enlisted in the military and she travelled to Iraq.
[AE3]Question: Does Sarzan agree with this?
[AE4]Surprise: He thinks that the white customs are always better than the African customs.
[AE5]“She”—a woman—may be our main character
[AE6]She is typing on a typewriter (show image for students who are not familiar) rather than a computer. This story does not take place today.
[AE7]She is late!
[AE8]It is not lucky to be late for a bus. Here she is being ironic. She says she is lucky, but actually she feels she is unlucky.
[AE9]Does she own a car? Probably not because she wishes someone would pick her up. If she had a college grad boyfriend, why would he be able to pick her up in a car? Because he may have a job that pays well, and he may be able to afford a car. Also, does this mean that she doesn’t have a boyfriend? Or maybe she has a boyfriend who didn’t go to college.
[AE10]Who is Joe? Joe could be her boyfriend. She just wrote about how she wish she had a boyfriend with a car. He doesn’t own a car, but he works as a taxi driver, so he sort of has a car.
[AE11]Joe is handsome and good but she has a complaint.
[AE12]What does this mean? Some cars are great and some cars are not. (A Mercedes Benz and a taxi are both cars, but they not in the same category.
[AE13]Who is him? Joe. Who is Joe? A friend or a boyfriend. Maybe a friend who wants to be a boyfriend. Why doesn’t she want to ask him to pick her up yet? Maybe it’s too early in the relationship.
[AE14]Lacking good judgment.
[AE15]What is she talking about? What is the ‘it’? The fancy car.
[AE16]Is this reality? No, it’s her fantasy to feel really special.
[AE17]What happens here? Back to real life. Here again she writes about how lucky she is, when she means that she does not feel lucky at all.
[AE18]Other ways to get what? A rich boyfriend, a fancy car, and/or a wealthy lifestyle.
[AE19]What is she considering? Having an affair with her boss. What’s the problem? Her boss’ wife will beat her up.
[AE20]Does she like the bus? No! Impudent = rude.
[AE21]What does she want? Her dreams to come true.