Name: Paul Warner. Paul Warner Teacher Journal Artifacts & Fiction 12/10/02. Preparing 9/27-29 for class on 10/2/02

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1 Paul Warner Teacher Journal Artifacts & Fiction 12/10/02 Name: Paul Warner Date Preparing 9/27-29 for class on 10/2/02 Special Notes Entry I read Cabeza de Vaca, a few creation stories, and Arthur Barlowe. Of all of these writings, the one I was most moved by and will be most likely to use in my American Lit class is Cabeza de Vaca s account of living amongst various Native people in the area that today is Texas. I find myself fascinated by this story I never recall hearing about in the history or literature classes of my youth. Assign Norton Preparing 9/27-29 for class on 10/2/02 In his account, Cabeza de Vaca develops relationships with and respect for the people he meets because he takes the time to understand their cultures, to exchange ideas and language with them, to become a part of their world rather than attempting to conquer and destroy their world. True, he still has the ethnocentric and nationalistic attitude that they must be converted to Christianity and serve the European kings, but at least his method is one of kindness and an intermingling of the cultures rather than brutal force, slavery, and killing. He is angered at the way other Christians are treating the Native peoples he has come to know and admire. I will definitely try to fit Cabeza de Vaca s writing into my class this year. Since I teach thematically, I can connect it to a number of possible themes: What is an American?, Blending of Cultures, To Understand or to Conquer?, Journey and Transformation, or Learning from Travel. I just finished viewing Exploring Borderlands and I found it to be a very informative and useful tool for American Literature, especially in Watch Passag

2 regards to exposing students to more than just the traditional white male classics that teachers shove into young minds at the expense of multicultural writings. Exp Border The video supported my interpretation of the Cabeza de Vaca account that I read yesterday. I am again impressed by de Vaca s ability to become like the natives themselves in order to understand them. His story reminds me of Moses becoming a slave in Egypt in order to understand the lives of the Hebrews better and have compassion, and of The Odyssey in which Odysseus wanders in unknown lands until he learns humility. A historian on the video even mentioned theme ideas for using this writing, such as Immigration, Slavery, the Journey to the West, or other ideas which I listed in my earlier entry as well. The possibilities for this story are unlimited. The video introduced me to the writing of Amerigo Perrerez (check on spelling) and Gloria Anzaldua. I would love to use George Washington Gomez and Borderlands: La Fronterra in my American Lit classes. Students need to explore this concept of a borderland between cultures, where Americans are struggling with questions of identity and culture. Although the video focuses only on Hispanics, a theme unit on Borderlands could focus on many different cultures and borderlands in this country. Students could research or read stories, poems, and novels from their own culture or cultural background, or from a culture they know little about. In this way, they could learn more about themselves and broaden their horizons. Whether the theme in class is Borderlands, or What is An American? or The American Dream, I want to use works from the authors mentioned and many other multicultural writers. However, definite obstacles to this are money and tradition. Trying to find the money in a school s budget to purchase new books is very, very difficult, and trying to convince some educators to expand the novel choices is even harder. Sometimes when you speak up about the need to add more multicultural books, more women authors, and more contemporary novels to your school s collection of books, what you receive back is disagreement over what books are considered good enough (which I think can be interpreted as clinging to the traditional canon of the same old dead white males) for American Lit and disagreement over whether any money for books is even available. I guess I could buy a few books with my own money and try to photocopy significant passages for students, but I don t know if I myself have the time or money to do this all on my own. Perhaps there is a way to do this through the Internet, although computer use for my classes is limited as well. Oh, the unlimited and powerful learning that could take place if not for the obstacles of money and closed minds.

3 Preparing for the class on 10/8/02 Preparing for 10/8 But, it s a battle worth fighting, so I will continue to do so. While reading Ben Franklin s Autobiography, I made a number of notes in the margins on ways I could use this document in my American Literature class. My class is thematic, so I came up with some themes Franklin s work could fit into. Theme #1: Life without Freedom I think some of Franklin s descriptions of life in the early 1700 s, prior to the Revolution, reveal how life was filled with religious persecution (pg. 541), sexism against women (546), arranged marriages (582), and newspaper men being arrested simply for controversial views (550). It might be interesting to explore this theme in Franklin s work, along with slave narratives of real loss of freedom in the same time period. Theme #2: The American Dream Franklin describes, through his own life experiences, how he believes a person can achieve success by reading and writing (545), learning to debate (560), developing common sense and integrity (561), staying away from alcohol (567), working hard at a business (569, 589), managing your money so as not to spend frivolously (581), and working and reading rather than spending time on amusements and taverns (589). He even lists his top 13 virtues (592), that if we all live by, we might achieve the American Dream like him. Theme #3: Search for Self Franklin goes on his own personal Odyssey at 17 (pages ) and it would fit in nicely with a theme about trying to find out whom you are and what you want to do with your life. The video touched on my Theme idea about The American Dream and Franklin s belief that thinking freely, working hard at something, and living right would allow any American to achieve the dream. However, the video also pointed out a great way to compare and contrast Franklin s ideas with those of Frederick Douglass in his autobiography and with the ideas Ann Petry puts forth in her 1946 novel The Street. It would be great to have students read excerpts from all three of these works, looking for similarities and differences in both style of writing and the theme of reaching for the American Dream. The second half of the video centered on Emerson and the views of transcendentalism. I came up with two different thematic ideas for using this information: Theme #1: Heart or Mind? Some writers, such as Franklin, inspire us to be practical and rational and civic-minded in order to become an individual in America. Other writers, such as Emerson or Thoreau or Whitman or Dickinson, inspire Read T Autobi Frankl Volum 599) Ameri Video: Nation

4 Class: 10/8 Preparing for 10/15 class. us to explore the heart, the soul, the inner self and emotions, and our connection to nature in order to become a true individual in America. It would be great to compare and contrast these two viewpoints by looking at the writings of various authors. Theme #2: Optimism Emerson had a life filled with tragedies, yet remained optimistic in his writing. America at the time had slavery, the relocation of Indians, sexism against women, and the deadly cholera disease, yet the writings remained optimistic about what the country could become in the future. Remaining optimistic in writing, in spite of current conditions, would be a great theme to explore both historically and personally for the students. I was very impressed with the way our presenter taught us how to analyze a painting and its symbolic meanings. I am used to doing this with literature, and encouraging the students to dig deep into what they are reading to uncover symbolic representations and multiple layers of meaning. However, doing this with painting is something I have never been exposed to until this night. It was fascinating, and I can t wait to get my students involved in such artistic interpretation. I am also very thankful for the help I received during the lab time. With assistance, I was able to find some incredible web sites with photos and paintings from the Civil War era. These paintings and photos were very realistic, which will fit perfectly with our study of Red Badge of Courage and the realism style of Stephen Crane. I just finished reading a few chapters from Leslie Marmon Silko s book Ceremony. I have never read this book before, but the few chapters I was just exposed to were wonderful. I will definitely be getting this book. I was especially impressed by Silko s multi-genre style. I had the opportunity to take a multi-genre workshop about a year ago with Tom Romano, so I was delighted to find that Silko uses such creative techniques. Her ability to combine poetry, history, politics, and Native American legends in one story is very impressive and meaningful. I am planning to study multi-genre reading and writing with my students near the end of the year and have them create their own multi-genre piece as a final project to the American lit class. Silko s work will be an excellent model for my students. Presen Bjelaja Excerp Marmo Cerem Preparing for 10/15 In the Native Voices video, I liked the statement that literacy needs to include oral tradition, whether it be Native American or Homer. I also like the idea of merging the past and the present, the mythical with the historical. In addition, I am interested in the concept that people and their ideas and writings and stories are not fixed texts, but are part of an Ameri Video:

5 ongoing process in which traditions are kept alive but also evolve with time and adapt to modern life. Very deep and very cool. I will definitely have my students discuss these ideas. The writings of Ortiz, Silko, and Tapahaviso (sp?) have a great deal to do with identity and finding yourself in a chaotic world of culture clashing and trying to hold onto tradition and bring it into the present. Such writings would go well in a theme unit on Searching for Self, or on Cultural Identity, or on Change. I might also use them as examples of Multi-Genre writing, which I would like my students to try. 10/15 Class Fantastic class! Listening to Greg Sarris is like having a conversation with Ghandi. Everything the man says should be placed in a collection of meaningful quotes for living life to its fullest. I couldn t write fast enough in my notebook! I was most moved by the concept of artifacts, as well as literature, being a living thing that we interact with, not an inanimate object of the past. I want my students to realize that their goal is, as Greg said, to dialog with the text, since you will carry it with you forever. If the kids can reach that level in my class, then it is no longer an assignment but a life experience. It is no longer how many points is this worth? but is instead how have I changed and evolved by interacting with this material? I love that! I also loved Greg s quote about why we teach: To engage our students so they learn about themselves and start thinking about the world. I also appreciate his teaching that history, culture, texts, and artifacts can have a spiritual side to them. We should not be afraid to discuss the spiritual aspects of literature and history as well. Presen Preparing for 10/22 I have read Douglass autobiography before, but I had never read the preface by William Lloyd Garrison until today. What a powerful, passionate anti-slavery message he delivers on page in Norton. I will definitely have my students read this preface from 1845 in addition to Douglass writings. In the letter from Wendell Phillips, I think the most significant passage is on page 2039 when he says there is no place in the entire U.S.A. where a fugitive slave can truly be safe. He writes that Northern Law has no shield for you. Students need to understand that. When teaching slavery history in America, I have heard many students say why don t they all just run? or I would definitely run! They don t fully understand the concept of no safe place to run to. This letter might help them understand how dangerous running could be. The following are especially interesting segments of Douglass autobiography that I intend to use with my classes: Chapter One: No knowledge of his age ( ), forced into ignorance (2040), masters could be slave fathers ( ), mothers Freder Narrat speech

6 Preparing for 10/22 and children purposefully taken from each other (2040), Bible verses used to defend slavery (2041), seeing the brutal whipping of his aunt is the the blood-stained gate into the hell of slavery (2042). Chapter Two: Slave allowance of food and clothing ( ), nakedness until next allowances (2044), no beds (2044), Overseer Severe takes pleasure in cruelty (2044), skilled jobs performed by slaves ( ), the meaning behind songs ( ). Chapter Three: Horses treated better (2047), the danger of telling the truth ( ). Chapter Four: Shot for not obeying ( ), no justice if whites kill blacks (2050). Chapter Five: Douglass lack of clothing, comfort, food (2051) when he was young. Chapter Six: Not allowed to read or learn, but taught alphabet (2054), Douglass discovers education is the way to freedom (2054). Chapter Seven: Mistress who began to teach him now considers education of slaves evil (2056), help to read from white boys (2056), reading helps & inspires Douglass (2057), hears of abolitionists and plans to escape (2058), teaching himself how to write (2059). Chapter Eight: Slaves still slaves when masters die ( ), poem of children taken away (2061), knowing direction very important (2063). Chapter Nine: Using religion to defend slavery ( ). Chapter Ten: Cruel treatment ( ), broken by brutality (2068), sight of ships brings forth freedom lament (2068), Douglass fight with Covey gives him strength & convinces him to never be whipped again ( ), religious slaveholders and the idea that slaves deserve their treatment ( ), plan to escape ( ), comparison to Patrick Henry (2078), almost discovered ( ), dangers of trusting others ( ), in a huge fight and to strike a white man can mean death ( ), no justice (2083). Chapter Eleven: Dangerous to say too much in book about his escape ( , ), motto in free state was trust no man (2088), help from David Ruggles journalist & abolitionist ( ), where his names come from (2090), blacks protecting each other (2091), began to read abolitionist newspaper (2092), spoke at a convention (2092). Appendix: Douglass views on religion in America ( ), antislavery poems of religious hypocrisy ( ). In my classroom, I plan to use as many of the above scenes from Frederick Douglass writing as I can. The Theme unit will be one of the following: (1) Slavery, (2) Injustice, (3) Perseverance, (4) Importance of education, (5) Empathy vs. Apathy. After watching this video, I plan to feature the writings of Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriot Jacobs, and Frederick Douglass, as well as a wide variety of slave narratives, in a Theme Unit on one of the following: Slavery, Exposing Injustice, Person Vs. Society, Empathy Ameri Episod Freedo

7 Class: 10/22 Preparing for class Vs. Apathy, or Influencing Change. This American Passages video would be a fantastic introduction to this unit. There is also a great segment on the influence of Ben Franklin s writing on Frederick Douglass. Pancho Savery gave me some great ideas about Social History, and really about teaching in general. Here are just a few Pancho quotes I will make use of in my teaching: Education and slavery are incompatible with each other. To be a content slave, you have to be a thoughtless slave. Slavery didn t really end until the 1960 s. I am not here to teach the answers. I am here to help provide the right atmosphere and the right questions for you to teach yourself. The Civil War is the most important moment in American History because it is when the two different ways of thinking came to clash. The ideas in our American documents are great, but we haven t really gotten there yet. We must continue to struggle to get the country to live up to its ideals. The Frederick Douglass discussion was inspiring. It s nice to know I am not the only educator who is witnessing, and trying to reverse, the current trend among American teens to think that being dumb is cool and being literate is a bad thing. Hopefully, working with Douglass story and ideas will change the minds, or at least open the minds, of some of our students. In the last 30 minutes of the class I was able to speak more one-on-one with Pancho and I got some great ideas for my class. We discussed how Social History of the Civil War can involve surrounding students with literature, posters, paintings, and photographs from the time period. We discussed how a theme unit on war could involve comparing Civil War recruitment posters to contemporary TV ads or recruitment mailings to teenagers. Pancho recommended the movie Glory, and some art and poetry to accompany it, in order for students to get the perspective of black soldiers in the Civil War. For other perspectives regarding slavery, we discussed using the novel Kindred by Octavia Butler and Beloved by Toni Morrison. I would like to do this. I think Gloria Anzaldua s writing would work in my class under a theme of Search for Self or Identity. There are many works of American Lit that fall under such a theme, but hers would be unique due to the Chicana perspective. While some of her writing may be too complicated for my students, there are segments that I can see using. For example, on page 2436 when she speaks of being sandwiched between two cultures and having a struggle of flesh, a struggle of borders, an inner war. Also, when she speaks of living in more than one culture and receiving multiple, often opposing messages. I have Presen Savery Norton and La

8 Class Preparing for 11/5 Class many students that will identify with her struggle and her writing. I thought the La Llorona piece was interesting, but a little on the violent side. I try to avoid pieces that will give students a stereotypical, violent impression of other cultures. When my students study other cultures, I think it best to focus on their more modern stories, not ancient pieces, so the students realize these cultures are current and American rather than old cannibalistic Aztec ideas. Maybe the class discussion on will change my mind. I am not very familiar with oral history or how to teach it, so I appreciated Mary s lecture and the discussion. I didn t say much tonight, but that s because I was writing so much down and taking so much in. I learned a lot about what oral history is and how it can be integrated into the study of American Literature. First of all, the whole issue of whose history are we studying becomes so important. Mary opened her lecture by talking about important questions like: Whose account matters? and How do we acknowledge that there are multiple perspectives and interpretations of events? I have never thought about this issue before and now I am thinking about how important the issue really is. When Mary spoke of how the writing of history became a power and control over oral history cultures I was fascinated and I definitely plan to address this issue with my students. The discussion tonight also yielded many ideas for how to get students involved with oral history study. Examples I plan to use in my classes include: music and song, stories to teach lessons or morals, gossip, interviewing family members for stories, asking family members about a photo, theater and one-act plays, guest speakers who share their story, retelling favorite movie scenes or sports events, and memorizing a story so that telling it back becomes a more theatrical and enthusiastic telling rather than simply reading aloud. Another idea I have been thinking about is using the oral histories of slaves and folk slave tales when my classes study slavery in American history and literature. I also plan to find the book called Governing the Tongue, which was discussed tonight as a book for studying the oral culture of Puritan times. Perhaps this will be a way to incorporate oral history study into a Theme unit I am currently planning on Judgment (using The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter). Charlotte Perkins Gilman s Yellow Wallpaper is perfect for my thematic American Lit class. I have already taught a unit on Identity or Search for Self and this story would work perfectly for that unit next year. I also have two theme units in the planning stage right now: (1) Gender Roles and (2) Symbolism. This story would fit in nicely with either theme. Presen Brady

9 Here are some notes I took on Yellow Wallpaper : Pages : Interesting the way hysteria/depression was considered so prevalent among women at this time. Interesting the way men, even doctors, decided that the cure was to make women focus on the household and stop trying to think intellectually. Never occurred to them that the household prison may be the cause of the depression in the first place? Page 834: She writes about how she must control herself in her husband s presence, and that makes her tired. The truth is it s the inability to be yourself and let it out that is contributing to her anxiety. Her husband wouldn t even let her make decisions about the house. She writes that he gave her directions on everything. Not being allowed to do what you want to do is slavery. It was this domestic slavery that caused her illness. He is totally against her writing. She says there comes John, and I must put this away he hates to have me write a word. Psychological slavery. This would go very well with a unit on gender roles and stereotypes and how far we have come as a society. Page 834: When she begins to talk about how much she hates the room, the reader begins to sense the symbolism behind her complaints. She is really complaining about the limiting, domestic world around her. Great lesson for students on use of symbolism or allegory. Page : I think a key moment here is when she says if I were only well enough to write a little it would relieve the press of ideas and rest me. The one therapy that would truly help her, writing, is something her husband & the domestic world deemed inappropriate for ladies. Her sister-in-law, described as an enthusiastic housekeeper doesn t want her writing either. She even thinks it would make her more sick to write. This shows amazingly sexist beliefs at the time, which were squelching the freedom & creativity of women. This story can be about the power of writing, similar to Douglass story having the theme of literacy and its importance. Page 837: The symbolism becomes more apparent here as she speaks of following that pointless pattern. The wallpaper pattern represents the meaningless domestic pattern ladies were expected to follow. Page 839: More symbolism when she speaks of how the front and back patterns might move separately or together. She could be speaking of her two identities, the fake domestic one and the real hidden one. Or she could be speaking of her marriage, and the way she and her husband may appear together but really are not. She writes of how the pattern is torturing, representing her pain at being forced into the

10 domestic rut expected of her. Page 840: Best symbolism yet! She actually says that the pattern becomes bars! The wallpaper now fully represents her domestic prison. Page 841: She actually sees women behind the bars of the pattern, shaking it and trying to get out! She tries to climb through, but it strangles her. The symbolism is fantastic! It s also so simple to see, which is perfect for a high school level study of symbolism. Pages : She decides to rip the pattern down, representing the tearing down of the domestic mores being forced on her. Interesting that Jenny mentions wanting to rip it down as well, indicating that most women have this desire to break free from the prison but aren t voicing it openly. 843: She appears suicidal in this part. As she is ripping down the paper, she has thoughts of getting rope or of literally jumping out of the window. I think she is trying to get across how desperate she is to be out of the domestic jail; even death would be better. 844: What a great moment when she locks her husband out, rips it all down, thereby destroying her prison, and then tells him he won t put her back in that pattern! She has symbolically broken out of the domestic jail and refused to be held back by the male-controlled society. Awesome! The students will love it! 844: The students MUST read this part at the end as well, when she writes that Dr. Mitchell actually told her to NEVER write again and to concentrate only on domestic stuff, leaving only 2 hours a day for any intellectual thought. Yikes! This is a doctor! The kids will be amazed by this! Her message at the end is to forget such ridiculous advice and do what you want to do. What a powerful message for women s rights and choices in life! This will generate soooooooo much discussion in my classroom Class This class was fantastic! I spent the whole week wondering how gravestones could possibly be interesting, and thinking there was no way to connect them to the literature in my classroom, but boy was I wrong. Mr. Watters clearly explained the connections to lit and showed how using the gravestones is very engaging and fascinating, which is what our high school kids need to stay focused meaningfully. The current Theme Unit in my class is JUDGMENT and the texts we are using are The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter. What follows are notes I took during the OPB Class on that I will incorporate into my class lessons: Presen Watter

11 Why use artifacts when studying Puritans? Artifacts create and express social meanings. Puritans wanted items to apply order to their social and spiritual world. Items themselves had meaning. They can be religious and social at the same time, the melding of the spiritual and material together. The Puritan meetinghouse itself is an artifact that does this. When you go to historical locations, some of the oldest colonial artifacts remaining are their tombstones, so they have great importance. Gravestones mark your connection to the community and your status, as you leave it. The images reflect your belief of the approaching Apocalypse when you, like the other select few chosen, will rise to heaven. The images are also a reflection of your own spiritual and social life. Scary death images: They took death and the afterlife very seriously. Where will you go? Nobody truly knows but God, and you HOPE you are one he chose. The images reflect their constant FEAR and paranoia concerning who is truly on God s side and will ascened, and who was actually with the Devil and will burn in hell. This is very connected to the witchcraft hysteria in The Crucible and to the harsh judgment of character in The Scarlet Letter. They were obsessed and fascinated by death and the sinful nature, and their elaborate stones reflecting this obsession were a Puritan tradition. Contradicting Images: The gravestones have both death images that seem negative and focused on hell, and also heavenly images of angels and wings ascending. Puritan culture was one of both fear and hope: fear of the devil, death, and hell, yet hope of being a chosen one to be taken up to heaven. In fact, the winged death head seen on many Puritan stones is an American creation. This dual culture can also be seen in The Scarlet Letter as the town and the wilderness symbolize the opposing spiritual forces. In The Crucible, the duality is seen in the way the girls leave their Puritan ways to party with the devil in the woods, or the way they all fear how anybody, even saintly Rebecca Nurse, could have a secret evil connection with the devil. Gravestones as Sermons: The gravestones were also meant as messages to the viewer, in the same way some sermons at funerals are also meant to warn the mourners that they could be next. The Dickson stone has Latin on it that says Remember you must die and time flies. It is the duty of Puritans looking at these stones to remember what God Has done through lost lives and contemplate our own approaching death and where we stand with God. Racism: The naked figures on each end of the stone, with fangs,

12 Class 11/19 holding arrows, are Indians depicted as Dancers of Death. Puritans saw Indians as children of the devil. This is connected to both Crucible and Scarlet Letter ( Tituba is believed to be connected to the devil, and both novels refer to the devil as the Black Man ). Connections with Mary Rowlandson writing: Her descriptions of Native Americans, like the tombstone images, make them sound like evil ravenous beasts. When her daughter is buried by Indians, aprt from community and without a tombstone, it is as if she is lost from her Christian world. Connections with Jonathan Edwards: His sermon about Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God can easily be connected to tombstone images. Edwards refers often to not knowing where each member s spiritual loyalties truly lie until death, and of God dangling you like a spider over hell. Edwards even makes a reference to an arrow pointed at your heart, connecting to the images of the Indians on the tombstone (seen as the Devil s or even as God s agents to bring about death and destruction). Other tombstone to use: The Rebekkah Stone (ID 3370) has great images of angelic Father Time either battling or even aiding a skeleton representing Death and Hell in snuffing out a life. Politics & Literature. This class introduced me to writings about Joaquin, which I have never heard of before. Now I definitely plan to use some of these stories because I think the students will be fascinated by them. The wild west is always fascinating to kids, and through the Joaquin tale and the artifacts Allmendinger presented, students will not only be riveted but will also learn about the racism of that time period. I had never read the Mining Laws before. This artifact will be great for showing students how non-whites in the old West could be treated as foreigners through such racist laws as Article 11. The second artifact, the actual poster advertising the head of Joaquin and the hand of his partner, will definitely interest students. I believe it will work to capture student attention with such a violent artifact, but then get them into discussing how the tour was actually used as a warning to society to obey the laws out West or you could end up this way. It is hard for students to dig deep into such issues as obeying the law or not obeying the law when the laws themselves are sometimes racist or unfair. It is hard for students to read stories with no definite goodguy or badguy, but a chaotic society which breeds violence and injustice. However, by using the Joaquin readings and artifacts, I think students will be able to dig deep into such issues. Presen Allmen

13 Preparing for 12/3 Class American Passages Video for 12/3 Class During class, additional sources were brought up in discussion, and I think I would like to use them as well. The book Days of Obligation by Richard Rodriguez has a short piece on racism that is connected to Joaquin. I Am Joaquin is a useful piece from a 20 th Century Mexican poet. The most current Zorro film with Antonio Banderas and Anthony Hopkins borrows heavily from the Joaquin legend. How will I incorporate Joaquin into Themes in my thematic American Lit classes? There are several possibilities: (1) Racism and its effects, (2) The varchetype of the hero pushed too far, (3) Person vs. Society, (4) Unfair Judgment towards those labeled outsiders, (4) Legends, (5) Impacting Society or Making a Difference, (6) Violence in Culture or Literature, (7) What makes a villain or drives one to evil? I just read the excerpts from Cisneros House on Mango Street and I think they will work perfectly in my thematic American Lit classes. The whole theme of Search for Self or Identity works wonderfully with this book, as the protagonist tries to become who she wants to be without giving up the heritage that she comes from. The Theme of unfair judgment can also be used here, when Esperanza s friend is judgmental toward two other kids (14) but Esperanza seeks their friendship, even though she herself is worried that she will be unfairly judged by her name (15). Esperanza is also judged unfairly by the nuns (44-45). There is also a great little segment on how those on a hill judge and forget those down on the ground (86-87), but Esperanza vows never to do this when she rises up to the hill. I think the theme I would most like to use this story in is Chasing the American Dream. Esperanza dreams of one day rising out of poverty and owning her own home, her own identity. The sisters ( ) know she has what it takes to achieve her dreams, but they tell her you must remember always to come back. Students will love the message and study of how far to assimilate as you reach for the American dream and try not to let go of where you came from. The whole concept of reaching for your dreams but also having your own identity to be proud of will be a powerful theme with teens. In addition, I like the idea that Esperanza (and Cisneros herself) believe in coming back to help others reach for the dream as well, or at least see them as a positive example. The video focused mainly on three women writers and how their stories have a theme of the struggle to find out who you are in America. Kingston s non-linear, unique style of telling life stories sounds intriguing. I haven t read her work before, but I plan to, to find a way to use it in class. Something else I have never read is This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color. Again, I think Sandra Search

14 12/3 Class: Cultural Geography, Politics, Cisneros it would be a good novel to read and find excerpts to use in class. The Sandra Cisneros segment will be great to use in class when we study The House on Mango Street. It would be effective to read these stories while also instructing the students on how to write in the vignette style about their own lives. Peter Hales began with some great ideas for how we can introduce our students to cultural geography. I like the idea of having them think and write about their own personal space, place, room, home, street, neighborhood, and connection to the world. A main theme could be that you become who you are partly because of where you are. A possible activity for students is to choose the single most important space in their house, and write about it. Or describe the places and spaces you spend time in and live in during one week, then map or draw them as well. This type of writing and message can be compared to Cisneros House on Mango Street. Artifacts: I like the idea of using new photographs as artifacts for more modern reading and writing. Hales artifacts were of neighborhoods and homes that can be compared to Cisneros novel. However, I think students could also use pictures of their own spaces and places to accompany their own writing. Or they could take pictures to connect to whatever novel they may be reading. Ten Ideas for studying House on Mango Street: (1) Point out how the story starts in imprisonment within the house, and ends with liberation, but our protagonist takes much meaning with her when liberated because of the life in that house and neighborhood. (2) Point out that the POV changes during the story, for she is a child at the start and a young adult woman by the end. (3) Media: Although the novel avoids this topic, it surely must have been an influence on Esperanza. The Leave it to Beaver type shows of the 50 s and 60 s would influence how she views homes and family and neighborhoods. Her vision or dream becomes this idealized suburban picture on television. (4) The American Dream would be an excellent theme for use with this novel. Esperanza reaches for it through education, while her dad thinks the lottery will be the way out. However, Dad does send her to a private religious school. The money is considered worth it for a good education, and religion as well. Hales recommends using segment of Malcolm X about American Dream as well. (5) Teach symbolism with the novel because a Mango is a rich fruit with a hard outer shell that ripens over time, preferably in the dark. It is a metaphor for Esperanza herself. (6) You may have to teach about geographic identity and isolation, because many kids in our area don t experience this today. Cities truly were more divided culturally in the past (many still are). For example, according to Hales, there was a time when if a Chicano kid rode his bike into Italian or Irish neighborhoods, he d get beaten Presen

15 and have the bike taken or smashed up. You truly felt trapped within your own block. Note that Chicago is still one of the most segregated cities in the country. (7) The bike is important in Cisneros novel. When Esperanza and her friends become mobile, the world becomes bigger, they interact with people more, and even fight back rather than stay victims. The key is mobility. (8) The house is small for the number of people in it, so everyone must share a room. Notice most of the novel is OUTSIDE the house. She needs to get out and find her own space. Sometimes families even took in borders for extra money, losing more space. A good in with students would be to ask if they ve ever had to share a room with siblings. (9) Give the urban kids in your classrooms a chance to share their voice and experience during a study of this novel, to help the suburban kids understand. They can help them see the positive aspects as well, such as big trees rather than those planted by builders in fancy neighborhoods, fun junkyards, free dumped stuff, and more freedom instead of the upper class staring at your behavior. (10) A great chapter is Those Who Don t because it s all about the irrational fear involved in racism as we misunderstand and fear the other. The end of the chapter, with the line that s the way it goes, and goes can have multiple meanings, because it could mean it is endless, or it can be ended. Computer Session 12/3/02 Use of Movies: I am pleased that Hales mentioned the importance of using films when teaching English and literature. I have always believed this as well, and I am so fed up with people who do not understand the value and depth of film study complaining that movies are a substitute for, rather than a significant addition to, the study of reading and writing. Professor Hales said that if we can get them to think critically, to combine writing and movies, then they will take this important skill to college. Amen! My students learn to analyze and critique film as well as literature, and learn to compare and contrast film and literature. It s not like I just hit play on a VCR and read the newspaper while they watch the tube like vegetables. We constantly stop the film to analyze, discuss, write, compare & contrast, etc. Film can be so valuable to learning, and it is time the anti-movie crowd figures this out. I am so thankful I can now quote a college professor on this important issue. During the computer portion of the 12/3 class, I found some fantastic photos on the Archive to use with The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. The photos of real families migrating during the Great Depression were powerful, but I was unsure about how to get my students to use them. Lucky for me, it was suggested that I have students in groups create slide shows on the archive using the photos. Each slide show could focus on a different theme of the novel and connect the pictures specifically to that theme. I can t wait to do this! The way we found the photos was as follows:

16 Preparing for 12/10 class Archive Search Relevant unit: #12-migrant struggle Visual Arts: photographs Search = 84 results! I think the short piece Starlore would go well with the writings of Cisneros, Silko, Gilman, and Gloria Anzaldua, perhaps in a unit on Search for Identity or Self. Luci Tapahonso s ideas seem similar to these others in the attempt of the protagonist to find out who she or he is, and in the attempt to stay connected to your heritage and traditions as you move into the modern world. The Ortiz poems from Poems from the Veterans Hospital would be useful during the Effects of War Theme that my students really enjoyed this year. I will definitely add 8:50 AM Ft. Lyons VAH to the pieces connected to war that we ll read next year. I think the most powerful lines are about the men broken by wars. Luci T handou Ortiz p Volum