(courtesy of www.garysoto.com) |
Taking Sides by Gary Soto Shawn Parker
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(courtesy of www.amazon.com) |
Preface to Unit: This unit is of particularly high interest to students who have a high interest in sports. The main text focuses on a young Mexican American male who is a skilled basketball player. Students will relate to experiences of this young man’s struggle to be accepted by American peers.
Students will spend 30-60 minutes per class
period on the novel study. The other portion of the class periods will
be devoted to grammar, usage, and mechanics study using the unit’s texts
to reinforce the content of the literature.
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Unit Overview: This novel Taking Sides by Gary Soto is the main text of this multicultural unit. Set in California, the novel includes depictions of a contemporary Mexican Americans and their struggles to "fit in" in the American culture. Additional texts include a short story titled "Learning the Game" by Francisco Jimenez and a poem entitled "In the Inner City" by Lucille Clifton. Through these texts, students will experience an adolescent’s struggle with identity and ethnic prejudice.
Novel Synopsis: Lincoln Mendoza, a star basketball player at Columbus Junior High is almost the only Mexican American student in his new school. He is homesick for his former neighborhood, a barrio. His parents have separated, his mother has a new boyfriend, and his new coach doesn’t like him. Thus, he feels out of place. A pivotal scene involves a basketball game in which Columbus Junior High--Linc’s new school--faces Franklin Junior High--Linc’s old school. Though suffering an injury, Linc plays his best, despite the fact that Columbus loses. At the end, Linc bridges his two worlds to find a sense of identity.
Day 1: Using the Venn diagram, students will explain in their own word the meaning of the word prejudice. Discussion of their completed diagrams will lead to the reading of the short story "Learning the Game." This text is available as a related reading in the McGraw Hill publication of Taking Sides. Focus of discussion will be on how and why Gabriel and Manuelito are discriminated against.
Day 2: Review of discrimination and prejudice will help to introduce the novel Taking Sides. As part of the introduction to the novel, students will meet author Gary Soto via the Internet.
Site may be accessed at http://www.garysoto.com/
Essay "The Bike" gives insight into Soto’s childhood. It may be accessed at http://www.barriolife.com/stories/thebike.html
Prior to beginning the reading, students will be introduced to the Spanish vocabulary in the text. This will be taught by a peer of Spanish origin, a student skilled in Spanish, or a Spanish teacher.
Day 3: Using small group format of 4 students per group, groups will read chapters 1-4. Each student will be expected to participate in group reading. After completing the reading, groups will be asked to respond to the following questions.
1. Why does Linc worry that his old friends will be angry with him? As
an
outsider, what advice would you give him regarding his feelings?
4. How, specifically, does Linc’s new home differ from his old one? (Focus
on the changes in
his home and family, school, neighborhood, and friends.)
Individually, respond to the following question: (*Give students a 3 X 5 index card for this response.)
5. Think of a situation where a new student came to your school. Was this
person of a
different ethnic/cultural background? What kind of reception did this person
receive?
Did this person fit in? Explain.
Turn in group responses for 1-4 and individual responses for 5.
(questions taken/adapted from McGraw Hill Study Guide)
Any student preferring to work individually will be allowed.
Day 4: Discussion of Chapters 1-4 will center on questions 1-4. Teacher will focus chapters 5-10, how Lincoln feels when he returns to his former neighborhood. Students will be allowed to volunteer for oral reading of chapter 5. Students will complete the reading of chapters 6-10 using method of choice (individual reading, small group, or whole class {circle} format).
Day 5: Explanation of realistic fiction. With a partner, students will be asked to record brand names, sports teams, and names of famous persons encountered in reading and the pages on which the names were located. Students will be given 15 minutes, with a reward given to the 2-person team with the most accurate responses.
Discussion will focus on Lincoln’s feelings of visiting his old neighborhood.
Students will be assigned individual reading of chapters 11-15.
Day 6: Guest speaker: Sports Medicine Physician
Topic of discussion: Sports-related knee injuries; rehabilitation required; importance of proper care of injuries
Day 7: Discussion of chapters 11-15 will focus on the game between Columbus and Lincoln’s old school and Lincoln’s feelings about the game. On a 3 X 5 index card, students will be asked to explain how Lincoln has come to terms with his new home, and, thus, with his identity.
Via the Internet site, students will read about author Lucille Clifton. Students will read the interview between Bill Moyers and Lucille Clifton regarding her poem "At the Cemetery, Walnut Grove Plantation, South Carolina, 1989." For this interview transcript, click here. Students will discuss the author's feelings about her treatement during her visit to Walnut Grove Plantation.
Students will read "Inthe Inner City."
Summary of the poem "In the Inner City" may be accessed at
http://endeavor.med.nyu.edu/lit-med/lit-med-db/webdocs/webdescrips/clifton197-des-.html
For information on how to purchase videocassettes
of Clifton reading her poetry (including "In the Inner City"), click
here.
Days 8-9: Students will be asked to select a topic of interest for further study. Topics will include behavior of hummingbirds, cultural influence of Mexicans on the U.S. society, early inhabitants of California, California Gold Rush, immigrant groups, Mexican-American War, migrant farm workers, famous sports figures of different ethnic backgrounds, Spanish foods, poetry of Gary Soto. Class time for Internet and Library research will be given. (Some topics taken from McGraw Hill Novel Study Guide.)
Students in Basic Skills/pre-English I classes are expected to build skills in locating information but are not asked to complete formal research reports. The primary focus of this activity is to give students practice in locating information and presenting the information to a group.
Day 10: Test on unit (Taking Sides, "Learning the Game," and "In the Inner City")
Days 11-12: Presentations of information on selected topics
Students will be expected to speak informatively for 5-7 minutes on their selected topics. Students will be expected to provide an overall view of their topics. The purpose is to allow practice in public speaking. Future oral presentations will be more structured.
