Teacher Guide
Novel
Companion
A Girl Named
Disaster
Barrio Boy
Ernesto Galarza
Nancy Farmer
Picture Bride
Yoshiko Uchida
Dogsong
Gary Paulsen
The Story of My Life
Helen Keller
The Glory Field
Walter Dean Myers
Photo Credits
10 Joson/zefa/CORBIS; 20 Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS; 30 Rob Howard/
CORBIS; 40 Giorgio Viera/CORBIS; 49 CORBIS; 59 Brian David Stevens/CORBIS.
Acknowledgments
Grateful acknowledgment is given to authors, publishers, photographers, museums,
and agents for permission to reprint the following copyrighted material. Every effort
has been made to determine copyright owners. In case of any omissions, the Publisher
will be pleased to make suitable acknowledgments in future editions.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Except
as permitted under the United States Copyright Act, no part of this publication
may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a
database or retrieval system, without prior permission of the publisher.
Send all inquiries to:
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill
8787 Orion Place
Columbus, OH 43240-4027
ISBN 13: 978-0-07-889160-1
ISBN 10: 0-07-889160-4
Printed in the United States of America.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 047 14 13 12 11 10 09 08
TABLE OF CONTENTS
About the Novel Companion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Connection to the Glencoe Literature Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Connection to Glencoe’s Literature Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Overview of the Structure of the Novel Companion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Interacting with Excerpts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Using Excerpts to Compare and Contrast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Interactive Reading Lessons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Note-Taking Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Note-Taking Lessons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Outline of the Novel Companion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Unit 1
A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10
About the Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Options for Motivating Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Options for Using Related Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Unit 2
Picture Bride by Yoshiko Uchida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20
About the Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Options for Motivating Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Options for Using Related Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
A bout the Nov el Compani on
iii
TA BLE OF CONTENTS
Unit 3
Dogsong by Gary Paulsen
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
About the Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Options for Motivating Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Options for Using Related Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Unit 4
Barrio Boy by Ernesto Galarza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
40
About the Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Options for Motivating Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Options for Using Related Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Unit 5
The Story of My Life by Helen Keller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
49
About the Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Options for Motivating Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Options for Using Related Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Unit 6
The Glory Field by Walter Dean Myers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
59
About the Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Options for Motivating Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Options for Using Related Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
iv
ABOUT THE NOVEL COMPANION
The Novel Companion is the advanced
level of Glencoe’s interactive reading
workbooks, Interactive Read and Write,
which accompany the literature program,
Glencoe Literature. Students will study six
novels, autobiographies, and plays as they
complete the Novel Companion workbook.
Each title they study is paired with one
unit of Glencoe Literature. The titles, chosen
from those offered in Glencoe’s Literature
Library, represent well-known and muchloved literature both from the literary
canon and from award-winning modern
works. They challenge advanced students
by offering readabilities that are either at
grade level or one grade above level.
The Novel Companion workbook does not
include the full text of the novels (and the
other longer works). Each student should
have easy access to their own copies of
the novels. The Novel Companion does
include numerous excerpts from the
novels. These excerpts allow students to
do close readings of the text as they study
key aspects of the novel that reflect
important concepts already covered in
Glencoe Literature.
Connection to the Glencoe
Literature Program
The major themes and concepts represented
by the literary works featured in the Novel
Companion have been carefully matched to
Glencoe Literature’s Big Questions, the
major themes and concepts that appear in
each unit of the Glencoe Literature program.
The Novel Companion’s approach to
teaching literature and reading is also
modeled after that of Glencoe Literature:
students study literary elements, apply
reading skills and strategies, learn new
vocabulary, write about literature, and
engage in other activities related to the
literature. The Novel Companion, however,
additionally teaches students note-taking
techniques to help them make connections
between the Novel Companion’s longer
works and Glencoe Literature’s shorter
works.
Although the Novel Companion is
designed to be used in conjunction with
Glencoe Literature, it can easily be used
independently. For example, students
may wish to delay beginning their novels
until after they’ve finished their unit work
in Glencoe Literature. (Note that the
literary elements paired with a novel
draw from literary elements taught in
units up to and including the unit to
which the novel has been assigned,
whereas the Big Questions and
reading skills and strategies draw
only from the unit to which the
novel has been assigned.)
Connection to Glencoe’s
Literature Library
Students may use any published version
of the novel in their work with the Novel
Companion. Library editions of the titles are
offered by Glencoe in its Literature Library
series. These editions include related
readings, for which the Novel Companion
offeres activities that give students the
opportunity to relate themes and concepts
from the novel to other types of literature.
A bout the Novel Compani on
1
ABOUT TH E NOVEL COMPANION
Overview of the Structure
of the Novel Companion
The Novel Companion has students practice
applying advanced-level skills, first taught
in Glencoe Literature, to excerpts from novels
and other longer works. The workbook
begins by introducing each novel and its
author. It then breaks down the literary
work into sets consisting of several chapters
each. The teaching apparatus for the
chapter sets mirrors that for the literature
selections in Glencoe Literature: each has an
assigned literary element, a reading strategy
or skill, accompanying vocabulary words,
and writing and extension activities.
Students study the literary element, reading
strategy and skill, and the Big Question as
reflected in the excerpts.
The Novel Companion includes two general
types of lessons:
• Interactive Reading Lessons are lessons
based on the sequential chapter
groupings (chapter sets) in each novel.
In this part of the workbook, students
practice identifying important ideas and
themes, analyzing literary elements,
applying reading strategies, completing
graphic organizers, and mastering
vocabulary—all skills that expert readers
use to help them comprehend novels
and other lengthy works of literature.
(See pages 4–5.)
• Note-Taking Lessons present two
methods of note-taking to help students
connect the major themes in Glencoe
Literature to the novels and other works
they will be reading. Learning these
valuable methods will help students take
effective notes whenever they study. (See
pages 6–7.)
2
For an annotated outline of the Novel
Companion structure, see pages 8–9.
Interacting with Excerpts
For each novel, students interact with 9–15
excerpts, each one or two pages long. The
excerpts allow students to use targeted
skills to work with targeted text. These
targeted skills include 1) analyzing and
evaluating literary elements inherent in
the text, 2) applying advanced-level reading
skills and strategies, and 3) utilizing
specialized methods of note-taking.
Interacting with Excerpts: Literary Elements
Great works of literature are ideal for
studying the application of literary
techniques, such as satire, and literary
devices, such as hyperbole, as well as
for identifying literary elements, such
as diction. In both Glencoe Literature and
the Novel Companion, literary techniques,
devices, and elements are all referred to
as literary elements because they are present
in the literature and help to define the
literature and create effects. In the Novel
Companion, students study the particular
literary elements of an excerpt by
answering two literary element questions
that address specific highlighted sections
of that excerpt. (See page 4.)
Interacting with Excerpts: Reading Skills
and Strategies Literary works are sometimes
difficult to read and understand, even for
advanced-level students. To help students
read such works more easily and effectively,
the Novel Companion re-teaches certain
reading skills and strategies already taught
in Glencoe Literature. The specific skills and
strategies are determined by the complexity
of the literature as well as by whether the
literary elements require a review of certain
ABOUT THE NOVEL COMPANION
reading skills and strategies. For example, to
help students understand an author’s style,
it may be necessary to first teach how to
recognize and analyze an author’s style as
you read. Just as with the literary elements
lessons, students study and apply particular
reading skills and strategies to an excerpt
by answering two questions that address
specific highlighted sections of that excerpt.
(See page 4.)
Interacting with Excerpts: Note-Taking To
help students retain what they have read,
the Novel Companion introduces two notetaking systems and demonstrates the value
of these systems by applying them to
targeted areas of literary study: the study
of themes and concepts. These themes and
concepts appear in the form of Big
Questions that occur in each unit of
Glencoe Literature. By applying both notetaking approaches to a specific excerpt,
students get the most out of what they’ve
read. (See page 7).
Using Excerpts to Compare
and Contrast
In addition to including excerpts from
novels and other longer works, the Novel
Companion also includes excerpts from
selections that appear in Glencoe Literature.
Students compare and contrast three or
four of the longer work’s literary elements
with those of the Glencoe Literature excerpt.
A bout the Novel Compani on
3
ABOUT TH E NOVEL COMPANION
Interactive Reading Lessons
The questions that appear in the interactive reading lessons help direct
students through the process of reading and extracting meaning from the
excerpts. The diagrams on the following pages also appear on pages 2–3 of the
Novel Companion’s student edition and serve to introduce students to these
types of lessons. You may wish to review that section of the student edition
with your students before having them work on the Novel Companion.
: Chapte rs 1–9
BEFOR E YOU READ
Get Set to Read
NOVEL NOTEBOOK
to record
Keep a special notebook
that you
entries about the novels
ture
Conne ct to the Litera
and move to a
family and friends behind
What might it be like to leave
and the way of life were
language, the customs,
faraway land where the
you?
completely unfamiliar to
After reading about the novel and the author, you
will begin to read the novel. You will study it in
groupings of chapters, or chapter sets, in the
Novel Companion. Each chapter set begins with
an activity to connect your personal experience to
the literature. You will also read background
material to provide context for the chapter set
content.
read this year.
WRITE THE CAPTION
Write a caption for the image
using
below, in the present tense,
nd.
information from Build Backgrou
Freewrite
be like to be a
writing about what it might
Spend five to ten minutes
deal with loneliness,
Consider how you would
stranger in a faraway land.
and a new way
to learn a new language
homesickness, and the need
of life.
BEF ORE YOU
REA D: Cha
pter s 1–9
Build Backg round
Set Pur pos
es for Rea din
g
왘
tion
Early Japanese Immigra
in the 1880s.
ts came to the United States
The first Japanese immigran
Oregon, but most
Washington, and Portland,
Some arrived in Seattle,
the first large
. Soon, San Francisco was
entered through San Francisco
were also significant
there
1890,
By
.
California
Japanese settlement in
where Oakland, the
nearby Alameda County,
numbers of Japanese in
located.
is
story,
this
of
setting of much
laborers on the
ts worked as farmers or
Most early Japanese immigran
white settlers
ts often farmed land that
West Coast. Japanese immigran
worked hard and
farmers were successful—they
did not want. Japanese
twenty-five
nearly
were
there
1900
By
produced high-quality crops.
success of these early
The
States.
United
the
thousand Japanese in
did not escape the
their increasing numbers
Japanese immigrants and
said they could not
particularly farmers who
attention of white settlers,
ts launched the first
farmers. These complain
compete against Japanese
formed to try to
s in the United States. Groups
anti-Japanese campaign
businesses were
and
and Japanese farms
end Japanese immigration,
than farmers’
more
by
fueled
hostility was
frequently vandalized. This
intense racism that had
same
the
reflected
It
ion.
concerns about competit
immigration in 1882.
prompted a ban on Chinese
You’re invited to interact with the information in
Build Background by summarizing content or
writing a caption for an image related to the
content.
BIG Question
Reading: What
’s in It for You?
There are lots
Vocabulary
of reasons to read.
Reading can teach
spark your emoti
affluence [af lō
ons, and take your
you new things
¯ōəns] n.
,
imagination to
reasons can you
abundance; wealt
new places. What
think of to read?
h
Explore what readin
Their affluence
g can do for you.
allowed them to
buy a new home
Literary Elem
and a boat.
ent Text Struc
ture
conscientious
Text structure
[kon shē en´sh
is the way an autho
əs]
r organizes inform
adj. ethical; princi
way that autho
rs structure inform
ation in a text.
pled
One
ation is in chron
order. When autho
Because Mark
ological order
rs organize inform
was
, or time
about events in
ation in chronologic
conscientious,
the order in which
he always did
al order, they tell
his
they occur. To
events, look for
homework.
recognize the order
time-order words
of
and phrases such
later, and finally
. Dates can also
as first, next, then,
placid [plas id]
help you recog
adj. calm; mild
nize chronologic
There was no wind,
al order.
Identifying the
so the lake
order of events
was placid.
is important becau
how one event
se it helps you
leads to another.
recognize
It also helps you
and events.
pungent [pun
find and recall
jənt] adj. biting
key ideas
;
strong
As you read, pay
attention to the
The pungent flavor
sequence of event
time-order words
s of the dish
s in Hana’s life.
and dates to under
were stronger
Look for
than those of most
stand how one
event relates to
foods I eat.
another.
Reading Skill
Analyze Cultural
vulnerable [vul
Context
nər ə bəl] adj.
The customs, belief
exposed; unsaf
s, relationships,
e
and traditions
certain region
that are typica
and time period
Don’t build your
l of a
are the cultural
house
context in a story.
vulnerable to hurric where it is
Understanding
ane damage.
the cultural conte
xt of a novel is
helps show chara
important becau
cters, conflicts,
se culture
and themes. The
early Japanese
cultural context
immigration to
the West Coast
of
a Japanese Amer
What They
Details
and the transition
ican community
to life in
is central to Pictur
graphic organizer
Tell Me
e Bride. Use the
on the following
immigrant playe
s 1–9 55 page to think about
Chapter
d a role
how each
Picture Bride:
in the Japanese
Hana wears a
American comm
She is dressed
unity.
silk kimono.
As you read, you
as a Japanese
should also list
detail AMthat sugge
of the novel. Use
1/23/08 11:42:11 s
st the cultural
woman, not
graphic organ
conte
izers
xt
next page to help
like the one to
the right and on
an American
you.
the
55
51_94_NC_889152.indd
woman.
You are then introduced to the targeted skills for
the chapter set: the Big Question, the literary
element, and the reading skill or strategy. You will
also get vocabulary for the chapter set.
56
NOVE L COM
PANI ON:
Unit 2
51_94_NC_88915
2.indd 56
1/23/08 11:42:11
AM
AC TI VE READ I NG : C h a p ter s 1– 9
In the first nine chapters of the novel, readers are
introduced to a variety of characters. Most of these
characters will play important roles in the remaining
Read, Respond, Interpret
Every lesson includes an active reading
graphic organizer to fill in as you read.
This graphic organizer is related to
either the literary element or the reading
skill or strategy for the chapter set.
Character
Role in Japanese American
Community
Characteristics
Hana
Taro’s picture bride
naive, intelligent, high-spirited
Taro
t
ING: Literar y Elemen
INTER ACTIV E READ
Literary Element
and
Text Structure In what time
What
place does the novel open?
happened before that? What
happens next?
Interactive reading pages include text
excerpts from the novels that emphasize
a literary element or a reading skill or
strategy. Questions in the margin help
you interact with highlighted portions of
the text.
4
sections of the novel. As you read, fill in the chart
below with details about each character.
58
INT ERA CTI
TER 1
NOVE L EXCER PT: CHAP
1917–1918
One
Reading Skill
Analyze Cultu
ral Context
What
does this sente
nce tell you
about
the culture of
the Japanese
American comm
unity?
Yamaka
ship that
the railing of the small
Hana Omiya stood at
ber sea.
a in a turbulent Novem
shuddered toward Americ
the folds of her silk kimono
She shivered as she pulled
about her
shawl
tightened the wool
close to her throat and
shoulders.
The Todas
ed in her
her dark eyes shadow
She was thin and small,
dour that
piled high in a pompa
pale face, her black hair
clung to the
so slight a woman. She
seemed too heavy for
her
into
deep
d the damp salt air
moist rail and breathe
though it
leaden and lifeless, as
lungs. Her body seemed
to a strange
transporting her soul
were simply the vehicle
be home
to
y
with childlike intensit
Dr. Kaneda
new life, and she longed
..
in
again in Oka Village. .
g, Hana was up and dressed
By five the next mornin
eat
not
could
She
and coat.
her finest purple silk kimono
st and
that appeared for breakfa
the bean soup and rice
Her
radish.
the yellow pickled
took only a few bites of
boarded
been touched since she
bags, which had scarcely
ed were
packed for all they contain
ship, were easily
the51_94_NC_889152.indd
The large
57
of her favorite books.
her kimonos and some
under
ed
remain
secured by a rope,
willow basket, tightly
it there.
her uncle had placed
the bunk, untouched since
cabin,
the other women in her
She had not befriended
, too
voyage
the
of
bunks for most
for they had lain in their
Hana had fled
anyone. Each morning
sick to be company to
of the
g quarters and spent most
the closeness of the sleepin
lonely
the
to
g
listenin
of the deck,
day huddled in a corner
alien land.
s also travelling to an
songs of some Russian
to the
land, Hana hurried up
As the ship approached
and sky,
gray expanse of ocean
deck to look out at-the
nd.
of her new homela
eager for a first glimpse
Unit 2
NOVEL COMPAN ION:
60
Pic t ur e
NOV EL COM
PAN
ION :AMUnit
1/23/08 11:42:12
58
51_94_NC_889152.indd
VE REA DIN
G: Rea din
g Ski ll
NO VEL EXC
ERP
T: CH AP TER
“I would like
3
to introduce
from Oka Villa
Miss Hana
Omiya, who
ge near Kyo
comes
to,” he said
Hana heard
quietly.
the rustle of
look at her
clothing as
in the back
everyone turn
row
ed to
.
rise and ackn
She knew she
owledge the
was expecte
intr
d
nearly gave
to
oduction, but
way. She clun
her knees
g to the chai
bowed tow
r in front of
ard the dign
her and
ified gentlem
warmly at
an who now
her.
smiled
“I thank you
for your kind
beg your kind
ness,” she mur
indulgence
mured, “an
in the future.”
a corset stay
dI
and gasped
She felt the
as she awk
jab of
seat.
wardly resu
med her
The women
about her smi
acknowledg
led and bow
ement of her
ed in
words. Soo
and all the
n the minister
women gath
, his wife
ered around
about her trip
to greet her,
, inquiring
asking
about her fam
One woman
ily in Oka Villa
B r ide : C ha pte
r s 1 – 9drew
57 her
aside, informi
ge.
midwife and
ng her that
would be hap
she was a
py to assist
need arose.
her whenev
When, at last,
er the
everyone had
moved outs 1/23/08 11:42:12
AM
ide into the
spoken to her,
thin
they
Nov
Taro stood
ember sun.
with the othe
r men in fron
gradually mad
t of the chu
e his way to
rch and
Hana’s side
toward her
. He also stee
a tall, lanky
man with an
red
black hair. He
abundance
was far bett
of wavy
er looking than
“This is Kiy
Taro.
oshi Yamaka
,” he said. “He
together dur
ing our earl
and I struggle
y years in Am
d
Hana recogniz
erica.”
ed immedia
had encounte
tely the han
dsome face
red during
the prayer
she
something
and groped
proper to say
for
to excuse hers
quickly relie
elf. But Yam
ved her of furt
aka
her embarra
“I hope you
ssment.
will be hap
py here,” he
is a lucky man
said
.” He had a
disarming smi politely. “Taro
relax, and he
le that mad
asked Taro
e Hana
if he could
drive them
somewhere.
2
51_94_NC_889
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2 AM
ABOUT THE NOVEL COMPANION
Show What You Know
: Chapte rs 1–9
AFTER YOU READ
APPLY BACKGROUND
Novel
Reread Introduction to the
on page 52. How did that
nd
information help you understa
read in
or appreciate what you
the novel?
Critic ally
Respo nd and Think
attitude toward her
to marry Taro? What is her
1. Why does Hana agree
ize]
in the United States? [Summar
decision after she arrives
After you read the chapters in the chapter set,
you will answer questions about the content,
including how the background information helped
you as you read.
2. Who are the Todas? How
is Kiku Toda different from
Hana? [Compare]
AFT ER YO
U REA D:
Cha pte rs
Do you think their
hip between Hana and Taro.
3. Evaluate the relations
or why not? [Evaluate]
marriage will last? Why
You will then demonstrate what you learned from
your interactive reading of the excerpts. You will
also practice using the vocabulary words you
were introduced to and learn a new vocabulary
word that can be used in your academic writing.
Literary Elem
ent Text Stru
cture
1. How many
years have pass
ed in the nove
far? How do
l so
you know? [App
ly]
2. Study the
table of cont
ents pages of
Explain the text
this book.
structure of
this novel. [App
ly]
learned about Japanese
for You? What have you
ize]
5. Reading: What’s in It
-century America? [Synthes
picture brides in early twentieth
In addition, you will complete a short writing
assignment and other activities related to what
you read in the chapter set content. These
activities will draw on what you studied in your
interactive work on the excerpts from the
chapters.
64
Unit 2
NOVEL COMPAN ION:
Practice
An antonym
is a word that
has the oppo
opposite mean
site or nearly
ing
the
boldfaced voca as another word. Match
each
bulary word
below with its
a thesaurus
antonym. Use
or dictionary
to check your
answers.
1. affluence
a. bold
2. conscien
tious
b. mild
3. placid
c. unethical
4. pungent
d. intolerable
5. vulnerable
e. poverty
f. secure
g. stormy
? Give evidence
takes her new role seriously
4. Do you think that Hana
your answer. [Infer]
from the novel to support
Reading Skill
Analyze Cult
1. What have
ural Context
you learned
about the chall
faced young
enges that
Japanese men
like Takeda and
Yamaka? [Syn
thesize]
1–9
Vocabulary
Academic
Vocabulary
When the narra
tor explains
that Hana’s moth
Hana would
“indicate an
er had hope
interest” in one
d
names her moth
of the men whos
er mentioned
e
, she is tellin
Hana’s moth
g readers that
er was hopin
g Hana woul
that one of the
d let her moth
men interested
er know
to figure out
her. Using cont
the meaning
ext clues, try
of the word
Write your gues
in
the
sente
s below. Then
dictionary.
check your gues nce above.
s in a
1/23/08 11:42:12 AM
Cha pte rs
U REA D:
AFT ER YO
64
51_94_NC_889152.indd
1–9
and Rep ort
ch the
2. Desc
earribe
Res
Japanese
Wr itin g
entationAmerican commoften
early twenPres
tieth-cen
al/Media
Visuthis
tury Oakl
pray, Hana unity in
s to and
want
went through
as it shown
she
noveWhe
n thesi
l. [Syn
in
ze] Taro’s Christian god.
Assignment
Buddha and
other
parency, or
addresses both
uter-slide, trans
fs of each
Present a comp ing what the basic belie
show
each was
visual report
when and how
and
are
religion
Japan.
introduced to
and
arch questions
e a list of rese
ces fit your
Get Ideas Mak
h type of sour
s. Decide whic
a general or
search term
will you use
For example,
rnment web
purpose best.
dia, books, gove
clope
ency
specialized
r sources?
sites, or othe
mation.
sources of infor
at least three
write
51_94_NC_889
152.indd 65 Research Use
s, and carefully
your own word
n.
Take notes in
of informatio
ce of each bit
s:
down the sour
four categorie
in
s
note
Organize your
fs
Belie
• Buddhist
Beliefs
• Christian
to Japan
of Buddhism
• Introduction
y to Japan
of Christianit
• Introduction
one has
Be sure each
ls.
visua
te your
of
Prepare Crea
ifies the type
.
ing that ident
a clear head
large and clear
Make headings
text in a
information.
n as bulleted
text you
ional informatio
the
addit
ent
Write
Pres
font.
, and legible
and
traditional, large and explain each visual,
ent
s,
will use to pres
show your slide
king as you
rehearse spea
ls.
visua
r
, or othe
transparencies
mation,
explain the infor
you display and
your
Present As
Leave time for
and clearly.
, ask
speak slowly
and, if necessary ectful
read, reread,
a resp
use
ys
audience to
much
t each one. Alwa
and make as
questions abou
ssing religions,
ible.
tone when discu
nce as poss
with your audie
eye contact
What thoughts
onal Response
’s first year in
Pers
t Hana
you read abou
faces, and
your mind as
enges Hana
e some chall
them.
California? Nam
responds to
on of how she
give your opini
After you read the entire novel, you will work with
related readings, connect the novel to an excerpt
from Glencoe Literature, and finally, write an
essay or story that draws upon what you learned
by reading.
PAN
NOV EL COM
66
2
ION : Unit
Pictu re Brid
e: Cha pter
s 1–9
65
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2 AM
2 AM
1/23/08 11:42:1
152.indd 66
51_94_NC_889
CON NEC T
AD IN
LA TED RE
WI TH RE
WO RK
LITE RAT URE
TO OTH ER
GS
CON NEC T
a
ing to Am eric
EXC ERP T: Com
TO OTH ER
LITE RAT URE
RE SP ON
Comp
are the novel you
er was
have just read
which is excer
to the literature
d what the teach
pted from “Com
selection at the
didn’t understan
ing to America”
time I’ve
left,
Wong, Vicki Bane
by
by Joe McGowan,
the [toughest]
, and
s is a nation built
Marisa
saying. It was
the questions below Laurie Morice in Glencoe Litera
The United State
ture. Then answ
.
million
er
een
ever had.
ts. . . . Over 31
betw
e
igran
e
renc
mak
imm
diffe
They
’s
But the biggest
ly.
live in the U.S.
s in Glencoe
lone
ts
ding
was
igran
I
Rea
Like
Com
imm
that
n.
was
par e & Con
Related
ers with
of the populatio
tras t
refer to the
China and here
differently
port your answ
questions
up about 11.5%
of
immigrants
s look at you
novel. Sup
rate sheet
The following
before, these
down1. Text Structure Explain three
ion of this
Some American
ers on a sepa
Library edit
their
those who came
ways in which
igrant]; they look
article differs from
e your answ
Literature
the text structure
provided.
s of building
r Daughter
[if you’re an imm
the text structure
friends. In
the texts. Writ
of this
on the lines
to Her Elde are arriving in hope
...
of Picture Bride
details from
to make all new
e notes first
the Capital
rican Dream.
.
Sent from
on you. I had
as a
jot down som
ion of the Ame
ther
vers
toge
e
an
own
e
paper, but
s com
Wom
Sakano
trast the
A Japanese
Otomo No
China, teenager
my
,
pare and con
wa—
Here
Com
Oza
play.
a
s
yam
out to
nection
Natsu Oku
Hana.
Make Con
group and go
out
g
with
Zhan
hang
m
to
Hua
poe
me
Jin
t
this
wan
Jin Hua’s
Remembers
speaker in
parents didn’t
11 years old,
d get lost or
ias
al
When she was
thought I coul
New York
June Nam
did the raci
outside; they
and
his family to
people.
nections How experienced before
father brought
out with bad
e friends
Make Con
wa
that
to
[might] hang
Jin Hua has mad
rimination
on that Oza
family decided
City. Although
still
discriminati
with the disc
I know that my
in school, she
I could get
war compare
well
g
and
the
er
doin
ng
is
duri
and
my broth
faced?
come here so
e in China.
a, they made
Hana and Taro
misses her hom
ation. In Chin
a better educ
never felt
in
they
,
but
Jiang
y,
2. Theme What
easil
n of Ting
does the theme
money more
ys wanted
In my hometow
of this excerpt
always said
theme
gh; they alwa
have in common
y of Picture Bride?
China, people
like it was enou
with the
all the time, ever
southeastern
, like some
Rain Music
. Now, they work
’s was very good
rica
t Linh
use they]
Nguyen
Ame
contras
you could more
Longhang
midnight, [beca
pare and that
Bride.derland. They said
morning until
nections Com Takeda kind
ead of]
of won
in Picture
[inst
ge
my
n
Make Con
.
colle
to
. So whe
ren
Mr. and Mrs
r child
want me to go
t Chinese
a good life here
for thei
New
mos
es
have
parents with
like
into
hop
ry
r
facto
s are thei
er, and I flew
working in a
feel like I
In what way
mother, my broth
I was so
know]. But I
Daughter
uardia Airport,
from Nisei
immigrants [we
similar?
York City’s LaG
ght, “This
e
attitude
night, and I thou
Monica Son
elf an
have less.
does Mary’s
at
happy. It was
if I consider mys
nections How ure Bride compare with
beautiful.” I knew
I don’t know
Make Con
.
y more
in Pict
is so good, so
ging
reall
city
tage
chan
I’m
heri
be
like
toward her
my life would
American. I feel
that moment
ude?
Sone’s attit
ld be great.
Chinese.
I
t.
I thought it wou
tmen
3.
Mood Choose
to my apar
a scene from Pictur
But then I came
e Bride. Tell how
parents were
this excerpt is
the same or differ
the mood of
In China, my
ent from the mood
was shocked.
Picture Bride.
e bricks.
of the scene in
pany that mad
bosses at a com
very
house; it was
of us
We had a big
four
were
Here, there
comfortable.
[in
s
room
two small
squeezing into
shared—I
of Dust
Everything is
Topaz: City
Chinatown].
The next
ida
hing in private.
riences in
t, it
Yoshiko Uch
can’t do anyt
tify some expe
down to the stree
ld as the
nections Iden
when I went
Make Con
Uchida reto
day,
, so
that
t”
of Dus
, oh, my gosh
e.
“Topaz: City
so noisy. And
Picture Brid
was
too. In
in
a
hard
Han
of
school was
experiences
I
stinky! Starting
ent—
a good stud
China, I’d been
ctly. Here, I
y exam perfe
completed ever
LITE RAT URE
ide
Picture Br
92
2
PANI ON: Unit
L COM
NOVEure
Brid e 91
Pict
AM
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2.indd 93
2.indd
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AM
11:42:14
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Re se ar ch
TALK ABOUT IT Investiga
Re po rt
D TH RO
UG
H W RI
TIN
G
te Ref
ugee Cam
at refugee
Do the challenges
ps Use the
camps and
that Jin Hua
UNDERSTAN
Interne
other type
today. Wri
Zhang faces seem
D THE TAS
s of detainm t to research the con
te a researc
less difficu
• A rese
lt,
h report of
ent camps
ditions
arch report K
more difficult, health and
or about
about 1,50
around the
santoitation
is an
assignment
0 words.
at
world
those faced by least oneequal
in which
Focus you
primary sou the camps. Use at
Hana in Pictur
you explore
a topic by
r report on
least thre
e
rce.
Bride? Why? Prewrite
gathering
e sources,
Write four
facts from
num
incl
ber of diffe
uding at
or five que
a
rent source
Jot down somereliable sources to
stions
Using this
s.
notes
here first. find the answer to guide your rese
The
information
n outl
ine the mai
arch. Use
, you
s, and take
develop a
n
only
idea
thesis.
point of view
notes. Dev
s you will
elop a thes
a conclus
use to dev
or draw
ion.
is.
elop and
support you
Draft Use
• Thesis
r
is the mai
you
n idea of
thesis. Use r introduction to buil
report.
your
your body
d backgro
und and to
paragraph
notecards,
s to presen
present you
choosing
only thos
t evidenc
r
weave in
e details
sources,
Grammar
that strength e from your
use introdu
writes in
Tip
en your thes
ctory phr
_________
Par
ases such
is.
enth
___, . . . ”
As
work you
eses in Cita
you
as “As ___
Be sure to
use, both
tions
_________
In the bod
in your pap
correctly
y of your
cite, or cre
er and in
paper, cite
online sou
your Works
dit, each
Revise Ask
rces by enc
Cited list.
yourself:
losing the
author or
• What info
auth
rmation doe
parenthese ors’ names in
s my reader
s:
still
nee
• Where
d to underst
do I need
“I did not
and my thes
to give mor
have any
is?
clean wat
e backgro
for more
er
und informa
than twe
• Where
ntyshould I add
tion?
four
hours” (Ka
an
shkouri).
meaning
of each cite introduction or an
explanation
d bit of info
thesis?
to make the
rmation clea
If no auth
rer or mor
or is give
e relevan
n,
enc
• Which
nam
t to my
lose the
e of the spo
terms in
nsoring
institution
explain them my paper might
or the title
be unfamili
better?
of the
online wor
ar to my rea
k in parenth
ders? How
Revise for
eses:
can I
clarity and
Thirty-nine
to remove
million peo
any potentia
ple
live
now
in
Edit and Pro
refugee
l misunderst
ofread Edit
andings.
Without Bor camps (Doctors
effectively
your writing
ders).
and is wel
so that it
l organized.
punctuation
expresses
Carefully
, and spe
your thou
proofread
lling errors.
ghts
for gramm
ar,
94
NO VEL
CO MPAN
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ION : Uni
t 2
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A bout the Novel Compani on
5
ABOUT TH E NOVEL COMPANION
Note-Taking Systems
Pages 4–5 of the Novel Companion’s student edition introduce students to the
two note-taking systems (described below) taught in the workbook. You may
wish to review those pages of the student edition with your students before
having them having them complete lessons in the workbook.
On-Page Note-Taking To help students connect to the Big Question, the On-Page
Note-Taking lessons have students use symbols to mark up an excerpt directly
on the page.
The Cornell Note-Taking System The Novel Companion also trains students on the
Cornell Note-Taking System, developed at Cornell University to help students
take more effective notes. In this system, the page is divided into two
columns, one wide and one narrow. This format allows students to effectively
organize their thinking by having them record, reduce, and then recap their
notes. Students take notes on excerpts from the novels and relate the excerpts
to the Big Question. The following summarizes the steps of the system:
Record
First, students will record notes in the wide column as they read.
Their notes may include summaries, bulleted lists, and graphic organizers.
Reduce
Next, students will reduce, or condense, their notes into key words,
phrases, questions, and comments in the narrow column. This step will help
them clarify meaning, find information within their notes, and trigger their
memories when they study.
Recap
Finally, students use the bottom portion of the page to recap,
or summarize, what they have learned from their notes. This step helps
strengthen their grasp of what they just read before they move on to the
next section of text.
6
ABOUT THE NOVEL COMPANION
Note-Taking Lessons
The Novel Companion’s note-taking lessons teach students how to record important
information in their own words, reduce the information to key words they will
remember, and recap their notes in a summary. Questions and activities in pages
that follow allow students to apply the information from their notes.
The information below also appears on page 6 of the Novel Companion’s
student edition and serves to introduce students to these types of lesson
pages. You may wish to review that page of the student edition with your
students before having them complete lessons in the workbook.
ON- PA GE NOT E- TA KI NG: BI G Qu esti on
Read, Question, and Mark-Up
Not only will you be interacting with excerpts from
the novels as you work with the literary elements
and reading skills or strategies assigned to a
chapter set, but you will also be working with
excerpts that relate to the Big Question assigned
to each chapter set.
You will take notes on the excerpt—right on the
page. With practice, you will devise a short-hand
system that works for you. In the meantime, you
can use the suggested on-page mark-up system.
MARK IT UP
Are you allowed to write in your
novel? If so, then mark up the
pages as you read, or reread, to
help with your note-taking. Develop
a shorthand system, including
symbols, that works for you. Here
are some ideas:
Underline = important idea
Bracket = text to quote
Asterisk = just what you were
looking for
Checkmark = might be useful
Circle = unfamiliar word or phrase
to look up
왘 BIG Question
Reading: What’s in It for You?
What have you found out about the
lives of early Japanese immigrants
to America?
Mark up the excerpt, looking for
evidence of how it expresses or
answers the Big Question.
62
Record, Reduce, and Recap
You will also learn the Cornell Note-Taking
System, described on the previous page.
Here you will take notes on the excerpt you
marked-up on the On-Page Note-Taking page.
NOVEL EXCERPT: CHAPTER 4
Hana nodded. “Oh yes, it was a most eventful day,” she
began. “It was my first visit to a Christian church, and
there was lunch at a Chinese restaurant and then the lovely
drive around the lake.” She recited the day’s activities like
a dutiful child reporting to its mother. She paused a
moment and added, “I also saw Taro San’s shop.”
“Oh. What did you think of it?”
“It was . . . well, it was very nice,” Hana began, trying to
find some kind words among the misgivings that raged
inside her. She saw Kiku’s questioning look, however, and
suddenly abandoned all attempts at restraint and control.
“No, that’s not true,” she burst out. “It wasn’t nice at all.
It was drab and dirty and smelled of stale food. There were
cobwebs and mice droppings in the corners, and the
shelves were covered with dust. It’s a wonder anyone
would want to buy anything there.” Hana swallowed,
trying to blink back the tears.
Kiku put an arm around her. “You were expecting
something a bit finer, I expect.”
Hana nodded. Kiku’s openness made it possible to
answer her with shameless candor. “I thought he would
have a large store on a fine street. I thought there would be
American ladies and gentlemen coming to his shop to buy
shirts and silks and thread.” She paused, remembering the
lonely men on Seventh Street. “Is it only people like those I
saw today on his street who go there to shop?”
“The fine white American ladies and gentlemen have their
own stores,” Kiku explained gently. “They have no need to
come to Seventh Street to buy pickled radish or soy sauce.”
She turned Hana’s face toward her and said gravely,
“You’re going to have to realize something important,
Hana. We are foreigners in this country, and there are many
white people who resent our presence here. They welcome
us only as cooks or houseboys or maids. Why, even if
Taro’s store was twice as big and it was on the best corner
in downtown Oakland, still his only customers would be
the Japanese and the men on Seventh Street. Don’t forget,
we are aliens here. We don’t really belong.”
Hana recalled the minister’s prayer that morning. “It
isn’t such a golden life here in America then, is it?” she said
almost to herself.
N OV E L C O M PA N I O N : U n i t 2
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C O R N E L L N O T E - TA K ING : B IG Q u estio n
Use the Cornell Note-Taking system to take notes on the excerpt at the left.
Record your notes, Reduce them, and then Recap (summarize) them.
Record
Reduce
Try the following approach as you
reduce your notes.
MY VIEW
Write down your thoughts on the
excerpt.
Recap
P ic tu re B rid e : C h a p te r s 1 – 9
51_94_NC_889152.indd 63
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A
ut t e N
e
C
i
7
ABOUT TH E NOVEL COMPANION
Outline of the Novel Companion
The following is an annotated outline of the lesson structure of the Novel Companion:
Novel Title Page
I. Introduction to the Novel
Students read about the novel and its place in literary history, including details
about its themes and how and when it was written and published.
II. Meet the Author
Students read about the author’s background and the historical, cultural,
and literary context of his or her work.
III. Chapter Set
A. Before You Read
1. Connect to the Literature
Students identify with the selection in a brief activity that links the novel
with the student’s own experience.
2. Build Background
Students are provided with any context they will need to fully understand
and appreciate the chapter set content. An accompanying activity asks
students either to summarize the ideas in the background text or write
a caption for a related image.
3. Big Question
This links the chapter set content to the Big Question that appears in the
unit the novel accompanies.
4. Literary Element
Students are introduced to the targeted literary element for the chapter set.
5. Reading Skill or Strategy
This introduces students to the targeted reading skill or strategy for the
chapter set and also includes a model of a graphic organizer that students
might re-create for themselves as they read.
6. Vocabulary
Students are introduced to the targeted vocabulary for the chapter.
A sample sentence shows use of each word.
7. Active Reading Graphic Organizer
A graphic organizer shows students how to record literary element
or reading skill or strategy information as they read.
B. Interactive Reading
1. Literary Element excerpt
Students interact with an excerpt that relates to the targeted literary element.
2. Reading Skill or Strategy excerpt
Students interact with an excerpt that relates to the targeted reading
skill or strategy.
8
ABOUT THE NOVEL COMPANION
C. Note-Taking Systems
1. Big Question excerpt
Students interact with an excerpt that relates to the targeted Big Question.
D. After You Read
1. Respond and Think Critically
Students answer questions about the chapter set content; at least one
item addresses the Big Question.
2. Literary Element
Students answer questions that review the targeted literary element for
the chapter set.
3. Reading Skill or Strategy
Students answer questions that review the targeted reading skill or strategy for
the chapter set.
4. Vocabulary
Students review the targeted vocabulary for the chapter, using exercises
that test their comprehension of the words.
5. Academic Vocabulary
Students learn a new academic vocabulary word and apply it, using
an activity related to the chapter set content.
6. Writing: Personal Response, Write with Style, Write a …
Students write in a variety of modes and produce a range of writing
products as they address the content of the chapter set. In some exercises,
they try out literary techniques demonstrated by the author in the
chapter set.
7. Connect to Content Areas, Research and Report, Speaking and Listening
Students respond to the chapter set content through speeches, oral
interpretation, research presentations, and other activities that often extend
their knowledge beyond the novel itself.
IV. Work with Related Readings
Students answer questions that connect the novel with the related readings
that appear in Glencoe’s Literature Library edition of the novel.
V. Connect to Other Literature
Students answer questions that connect the novel with an excerpt from
another Glencoe Literature title.
VI. Respond Through Writing
Students write a longer piece—either narrative, persuasive, or expository—in
response to the novel. The assignment guides students through the writing
process, and at least one assignment in the Novel Companion will have students
directly compare and contrast the novel to a selection in Glencoe Literature.
A bout the Novel Compani on
9
A Girl Named
Disaster
Nancy Farmer
10
ABOUT THE WORK
A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer
Nancy Farmer grew up behind the desk of
the Yuma, Arizona, hotel her father owned,
where she heard everything from tall tales
to true confessions from travelers. She later
became a traveler herself, spending
seventeen years in Mozambique and
Zimbabwe. There she became intimately
acquainted with the Shona culture. One
day the urge to write suddenly overcame
her, and the Shona said she’d been
possessed by a wandering spirit who had
been a storyteller in life. That is how her
writing career began.
Farmer had already won one Newbery
Honor award when A Girl Named Disaster
was named a Newbery Honor book in
1997. The book delves into the life of a
Shona girl coming of age in a time when
Africa itself was coming of age and
throwing off the colonial presence so long
dominant there. Nhamo’s struggle to
retain her roots while embracing
“civilization” is mirrored in Zimbabwe’s
attempts to blend centuries-old beliefs and
customs with Western ideas.
Synopsis
Nhamo Jongwe seems shadowed by her
unflattering name, which means “Disaster.”
She’s never known her father, who fled to
Zimbabwe after murdering a man, and her
mother is dead, killed by a leopard when
Nhamo was three. Nhamo lives with her
mother’s family, who make it clear that she
has no value except as a drudge. Only
Grandmother seems to understand her
intelligence and restless spirit.
When a cholera epidemic strikes, the
villagers suspect that Nhamo is the witch
who caused the epidemic. A healer claims
the epidemic was caused by the spirit of
the man Nhamo’s father murdered.
Nhamo must appease this spirit by
marrying the man’s diseased brother, but
Grandmother concocts a plan to save
Nhamo: she encourages Nhamo to take
some gold nuggets, steal the only boat in
the village, and escape to Zimbabwe,
where she can seek her father’s protection.
Nhamo sets out for Zimbabwe, but strong
currents push her onto Lake Cabora Bassa.
Nhamo must survive on the vast
unpeopled lake. She is eventually
marooned on an island when her boat is
damaged. Here she hunts, makes a shelter
and a garden, fends off aggressive
baboons, and eludes a leopard, but
loneliness is her greatest enemy. She keeps
sane by telling folktales and talking to
spirits. Nhamo resigns herself to dying on
the island, but a dream teaches her how to
repair the boat, and she sets off again.
Nhamo eventually stumbles into a
Zimbabwe scientific research center, and the
people there bring her back to health. Dr.
Masuku, a woman who has rejected tribal
traditions for modern life, becomes her
mentor, and Nhamo comes to love Baba
Joseph, a grandfatherly man whose fervent
Christianity puzzles her. Nhamo discovers
that her father is dead, but his family
grudgingly agrees to accept her. She visits
Dr. Masuku and the others on summer
vacation and learns that they have saved
her gold nuggets. Her ordeal behind her,
Nhamo looks at the past with sadness, but
her future looks anything but disastrous.
A Gir l N amed Di sast er
11
OP TIONS FOR MOTIVATIN G STU DENTS
Growing Up, American Style
Help students understand the importance
of coming of age in Shona society.
• Write “coming-of-age rites” on the board
and ask the class to brainstorm for ways
in which U.S. society marks a teen’s
readiness to be an adult. Discuss such
aspects as proms, drivers’ licenses,
diplomas, voting rights, makeup, and
physical changes. Ask them about
celebrations such as quinceañeras and
bar and bat mitzvahs.
• Explain that coming of age in societies
like the Shona’s means being ready to
contribute to a community by working
to support and protect it and by
replenishing it with children. Is this true
in the United States? Ask students to
think about images of adulthood they
see in magazines and on television
programs. What aspects of adulthood
does the U.S. education system prepare
students for? Urge them to think about
how the aim of adulthood may be
different in U.S. culture than in Nhamo’s
culture.
The Realm of Spirits
Help students understand the spiritual
aspects of the Shona culture.
• Nhamo’s belief in spirits may seem like
the stuff of movies to some students
firmly grounded in a world defined by
science. Explain that Nhamo’s village is
remote, it is surrounded by sparsely
inhabited land instead of cities, and the
people have no sense of science as an
explanation for the world. They see the
world as animated with spirits—in
animals, in people, in the land—and
their religion speaks of deities connected
12
with the land. In such a world, a belief
in mythic powers is quite real.
• Help students understand the power of
healers in Shona society. To a people
who believe in animism, illness and
misfortune have spiritual origins, and
people naturally consult ngangas and
muvukis to heal the body by healing the
spirit. Although modern medicine relies
chiefly on science to explain and cure
ailments, “healing” through spiritual
and natural means is still common in
many parts of the world. Have students
comb through newspapers and
magazines for articles or ads about
herbal remedies, hypnosis, and medical
miracles and cures. Ask them to bring
their findings to class for discussion.
Urge them to look closely at
pharmaceutical ads on television. Do
these ads play on a human need to
believe in such cures?
The Power of Myth
Have students delve deeper into the
function of myth and ritual.
Myths and rituals pervade most societies.
What is their purpose? Challenge students
to answer this question by investigating
the myths, customs, or ceremonies of other
cultures—or those of U.S. culture. Suggest
that they read Bill Moyers’ famous
interview of mythologist Joseph Campbell
in The Power of Myth as a starting point.
Students may want to focus on particular
kinds of myths (such as fables) or rituals
(such as marriage rites). Have them
compile their findings on the purpose of
the myth or the rite in a report, complete
with illustrations and artwork.
OP TIONS FOR USING REL ATED READINGS
RELATED READINGS
It was a long time
before
by Leslie Marmon Silko
Abuela
by Rosa Elena
Yzquierdo
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 24)
from Down the
Zambezi
by Paul Theroux
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 25)
MAKING CONNECTIONS TO A Girl Named Disaster
This poem and short story express the irreplaceable value of a grandmother.
• This story would work as either a pre- or postreading activity for A Girl Named
Disaster.
• Before they read, ask students why elderly people might be regarded as cultural
treasures.
• After they read, ask how U.S. society tends to regard elderly persons. Do
people in the United States receive the respect and reverence shown to older
people in these two readings?
In this article, an author journeys through a rich and virtually unchanging African
landscape.
• This scene would work best as a postreading activity for A Girl Named Disaster,
because students can easily compare descriptions of people, scenery, and
lifestyles.
• After students read, ask them what really defines “civilization.” Is it modern
conveniences, or is it something deeper, something in the heart of a people? Is it
having a car or offering a welcoming hand that makes a person civilized?
A Story from
Zimbabwe: The
Hunters and the Axe
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 26)
This story/song exemplifies how folklore and music are used for
education in Shona society.
• You can use this story/song as a pre- or postreading activity for A Girl Named
Disaster.
• Ask students what their lives would be like without music or stories. Would
conversations be dull? Would radio or television exist? What would happen to
libraries? Ask students how often they hear a story or music of some kind. Discuss
what place stories and music play in American culture.
Frank and Stein
This short story captures the anxiety of a boy approaching his bar
mitzvah and, ultimately, manhood.
• This short story might work best if read before A Girl Named Disaster. Reading this
story gives the class a chance to discuss coming of age from a male point of view.
• Before students read, ask them what they know about Jewish traditions such as the
bar or bat mitzvah. What other cultural traditions for males can students think of?
by Eve B. Feldman
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 27)
Thank You, M’am
by Langston Hughes
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 28)
This short story demonstrates the powerful effect a traditional role model can have.
• This short story would work well as a postreading activity for A Girl Named Disaster.
• Ask students whether they’ve ever been given a second chance by someone. What
did they make of that chance? Does it make a difference when someone believes in
them enough to risk giving them a second chance?
A Gir l Na med Di sast er
13
ANSWER KEY
All answers are sample answers except those for
Vocabulary Practice.
CHAPTERS 1–12
BEFORE YOU READ
Write the Caption
In some cultures, elaborate tattoos mark a person’s
entry into adulthood.
ACTIVE READING
Who is Nhamo in the family: given dangerous jobs; seen
as possible witch; punished for her parents’ actions;
Aunt Chipo is jealous of her; Grandmother is the only one
who sees her worth and loves her. Who is Nhamo in her
own mind: sees herself as ugly; works hard for approval;
wants to be a woman; misses her mother; a good
storyteller. Who is Nhamo in the village: they suspect
she’s a witch; she is not important like Masvita; she can
be sacrificed to save the village.
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Setting
Nhamo lives in a lush world surrounded by nature and
steeped in tradition. The picture shows a modern
household, a well-dressed woman and child, and foods
that Nhamo has never had before, margarine and white
bread. The picture makes Nhamo think of her mother,
which makes her wish she had a life like the one she
sees depicted there.
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: How Do You Stay True to Yourself?
Nhamo steals a boat and other items from her family.
Her values tell her not to steal, but they also tell her to
obey her grandmother, an elder, who told her to flee.
She also feels guilty leaving her cousin, but knows that
the cousin would never stand up against an elder to
fight for Nhamo.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. He killed a man and ran away. He is supposed to
arrange Nhamo’s marriage and bride-price so she
can marry well.
2. She must remove her fertility cord, learn the
“secrets” of womanhood from her father’s sister,
shave her head, wear a new dress cloth, and
celebrate her new status.
3. They hope to ward off witches. Nhamo suspects
they think she’s a witch, but Masvita merely forgot to
pass out the charms.
4. He seems wealthy (wears a suit, has servants),
haughty, and proud of his power. Student responses
may vary as to his authenticity. They may mention he
seems inauthentic because Grandmother and Joao
suspect he gains knowledge through spies.
5. Answers may vary. Nhamo thinks for herself and
seeks challenges, things a woman shouldn’t do. This
would be her nature regardless of her parents’
actions.
Literary Element: Setting
Sensory details include strange, silvery light; gray
green trees melted into the sky; still air; water gleamed
with silver light; the flat yellow eyes of the crocodile.
The details create feelings of suspense or fear.
Reading Skill: Analyze Character
Nhamo tries to make the best of every situation. She
has optimism even when things aren’t going her way.
She trusts her imagination even though she knows
what is real and what is not. She tends to look toward a
better future.
Reading Skill: Analyze Character
The grandmother is a wise woman and even though
she can’t speak she sees what is going on with her
people and Nhamo. She feels helpless because she
can’t stick up for Nhamo as she has always done in
the past.
14
Apply Background
Students may mention that understanding the tradition
of bride-prices helped them to better appreciate the
unconventional attitudes and actions of Nhamo in
regard to marriage.
Literary Element: Setting
1. Rosa is friendly and warm. She gives Nhamo snacks
and compliments her on her storytelling ability.
Nhamo enjoys the richness and ease of the store’s
environment.
2. Most students will say that Nhamo’s position had
become very dangerous because members of her
own family had turned against her.
ANSWER KEY
Reading Skill: Analyze Character
1. She wanted to ask about her mother’s spirit, so she
added some false details to an experience she’d
had. Then she got excited about the story she was
making up and when the others got upset, she
couldn’t take it back.
2. She feels the others think she is ugly and
disobedient. She has to work harder than her cousin.
She has a knack for storytelling. She is curious
about, but can’t remember, the leopard attack that
killed her mother years ago.
Vocabulary Practice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
mortar
calabash
totem
chaff
centipede
Academic Vocabulary
definition: to obtain from a specific source
synonym: draw from, receive, gain
antonyms: let go, release
sentence: You can derive milk from the coconut and
juice from the pineapple.
Writing
Personal Response
Students will probably say that, given all the variables,
Nhamo has good reasons for leaving and not many
reasons for staying. They should provide examples from
the text to support their point of view.
Speaking and Listening
Literature Groups
Members of each literature group should reference
their ideas and opinions using their notes and charts. In
addition, they should
• present their ideas clearly to the class
• write an effective self-evaluation
CHAPTERS 13–30
BEFORE YOU READ
Write the Caption
Little Red Riding Hood is one of many fairy tales that
feature anthropomorphism.
ACTIVE READING
Guinea Fowl Camp: Physical challenges: must hunt for
and gather food, successful in hunting, making traps,
preserving food; Spiritual development: proud of
success, sings men’s boastful chants; yes; Little Red
Riding Hood recollection. The Rock: Physical
challenges: copes with loneliness and starvation,
perfects swimming; Spiritual development: tells stories,
talks to spirits, doesn’t give up; yes; recollection, dream
sequence. Njuzu Island: Physical challenges: finding
shelter, warding off Long Teats, builds shelter; Spiritual
development: overcoming fear of abandoned house,
finds courage to enter house, is caring enough to show
respect for Portuguese body, doesn’t give up goal of
reaching Zimbabwe; yes; daydream, narrative. Nhamo’s
Island/Garden Island: Physical challenges: damaged
boat, exhaustion, loneliness, dangerous animals and
insects, lack of shelter, dwindling food supplies during
dry season, takes on challenge of building boat, makes
weapons and hunts (men’s work), makes a garden;
Spiritual development: incorporates her fears into
stories, triumphs over baboons, becomes proud of her
self-sufficiency, chants about her success, follows
dreams/intuition, doesn’t give up; yes; dream sequence,
narrative, recollection.
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Description
The author starts the paragraph with the sound of a
screaming baboon and then reveals that the whole
baboon tribe had approached almost silently until they
were standing all around Nhamo without her becoming
aware of them.
Literary Element: Description
The battle takes place in the branches of a tree. Nhamo
is armed with a flaming branch; she is fighting for her
life because if Rumpy gets her supplies she will starve
to death. The author uses strong verbs such as shoved,
clambered, flinched, and smashed. The scene also
comes alive with sound as the author lets us see and
A Gir l Na med Di sast er
15
ANSWER KEY
hear Nhamo screaming and cursing the baboon and the
baboon shouting back at her.
First she offered the ancestors the gift of her aunt’s
beads. Next she packed her supplies. Then she climbed
up onto the island. Finally she hauled herself over the
top of the cliff and looked out over the island’s
vegetation.
1. Students may choose any of the characters. For
example, if they choose Rumpy they might point out
that he is nervous, clever, dirty, unkempt, needy,
loud, and selfish.
2. Students may mention sensory details, events,
character traits, or other information that helped
them form a clear picture.
Reading Skill: Identify Sequence
Reading Skill: Identify Sequence
She wanted to show how Nhamo connected the hut
she discovered to the huts made by native villagers like
her own.
1. The dream/flashback points up the differences
between Nhamo’s former life, where she was one of
a community, and her life on the island, where she
has come to depend only on herself and the spirit
world.
2. Rumpy is killed. Nhamo hears the sound of a leopard
in the night and then there is a terrible shriek. Later,
when the usual night noises begin again, she notices
that Rumpy’s moan is missing.
Reading Skill: Identify Sequence
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: How Do You Stay True to Yourself?
Nhamo is respectfully curious about the njuzu, as she
has always been, but she doesn’t want them to crawl all
over her and make her a njuzu. This shows her true self,
someone who embraces her culture’s spiritual beliefs
but also asserts her independence and will to live.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. She holds the mealie bag, because it’s a link to her
people.
2. She needs another boat, which she tries to make on
her own. When she is halfway finished, she decides
to stay on the island forever.
3. Nhamo wants to die, but the njuzu save her by giving
her water. She is afraid that she will have to live with
them because she accepted drink from them. She
realizes she doesn’t want this.
4. Answers may vary, but most students will see that
some aspects of the troop—for example, their social
structure—are similar to those of Nhamo’s village.
The baboons are the closest thing to human contact
that she has.
5. Answers may vary. Nhamo realizes that womanhood
means more than bearing children; it is being strong
and thinking wisely and believing in herself. She
uses whatever skills she needs, whether they are
men’s or women’s skills.
Apply Background
Students may say that knowing the author’s
experiences with the Shona’s religious beliefs made
them better appreciate the spiritual elements she
included in the novel.
16
Literary Element: Description
Vocabulary Practice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
inevitably
forage
pariah
hapless
haunches
Academic Vocabulary
The word in this context means to make payment for
future benefits. Both uses are verb forms, but one
involves the emotions and the other involves money or
a payment of some kind.
Write with Style
Apply Description
Students’ paragraphs should
• focus on a single incident or moment
• be organized in a logical progression
• use vivid description and interesting word choices
Research and Report
Literary Criticism
Students’ presentations should
• reflect their understanding of the story
• feature their personal opinions about the literary
criticism
• include details described in the novel
• use performance techniques such as eye contact and
good posture
ANSWER KEY
CHAPTERS 31–42
BEFORE YOU READ
Write the Caption
In 1980 the independent nation of Zimbabwe was born
after a long and bloody civil war, but soldiers still
patrolled the borders.
ACTIVE READING
Nhamo’s village in Mozambique: primitive living, no
electricity or doctors, belief in witches as cause of bad
things, tight family/community bonds. Efifi: modern
living and conveniences, plentiful food, scientific
explanations for disease, educational opportunities,
confusing religious practices, lack of true family.
Masvita: obedient, submissive, content with
motherhood role, believes in mystic explanations.
Dr. Masuku: discards tribal traditions, yet still retains
some beliefs, believes in independence and education
for women. The muvuki: uses magic and spirit world,
makes money from his practice, coldhearted. Baba
Joseph: mixes African and Christian religions, sincere,
cares about Nhamo, perhaps too fervent in belief in his
power. Nhamo’s grandmother/great-grandfather: have
practical and spiritual knowledge to pass on, command
respect, are generous and loving, have both lost
children to modern lifestyles, yet understand the
opportunities. Jongwe family: are rich and comfortable,
seem jaded and unhappy, have lost touch with heritage
and traditions yet don’t fully embrace Christian ideals,
not a true family bond.
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Conflict
Nhamo wants to stay on at Efifi and she is afraid the
people there won’t let her. She has always felt like an
outsider, although she desperately wants to belong.
Hiding and eavesdropping is a way of taking care of
herself and planning for her future.
Literary Element: Conflict
Mother wants Nhamo to be given an education that will
allow her to live up to her potential. Dr. van Heerden
likes having Nhamo around and knows that she is a
hard worker, so he wants to keep her at Efifi.
Reading Strategy: Make Predictions About Plot
Answers will vary. Most students will predict that
Nhamo’s response will be a happy belief in the old
man’s words.
Reading Strategy: Make Predictions About Plot
Answers will vary. Students may say that Nhamo,
knowing the truth about her parents, is finally free. They
may predict that she will use her intelligence and her
money to become better educated and perhaps begin a
career.
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: How Do You Stay True to Yourself?
Nhamo is curious about medicine. Her respect for the
doctors and tolerance of their teasing and scolding
shows her natural stubbornness as well as her desire
to learn and be helpful.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. It is a scientific research center. The people become
attached to Nhamo and see her good qualities.
2. They think she’s pretty, and they grudgingly admit
her to the family because they cannot oppose the
great-grandfather, a nganga who recognizes and
accepts her.
3. Dr. van Heerden saves them and weighs them. The
money will make her independent.
4. Answers may vary. Some rituals and beliefs are hard
to forget, and some make more sense as people
grow older. Remembering them often brings back
good feelings.
5. Answers may vary. Nhamo has escaped ignorance
and drudgery, but she misses the feeling of
community and the practice of her religious beliefs.
Apply Background
Students may say that understanding the political
situation of Zimbabwe helped them see how that
conflict could affect an individual.
A Gir l Na med Di sast er
17
ANSWER KEY
Literary Element: Conflict
1. It is similar in that she is still perceived as an
outsider in many ways and yet there are those in her
new family who love and accept her just as her
grandmother and Masvita did back in the village.
2. Her need to belong has been met, as she has found
both family and a larger community. She is no longer
an outsider, but her experiences have helped her to
become a more complete person.
WORK WITH RELATED READINGS
It was a long time before and Abuela
The grandmothers offer the girls models of confidence
and give them an identity. They also provide
unconditional love. For Nhamo this is especially
important. That love gets her through some difficult
times.
Reading Strategy: Make Predictions About Plot
from Down the Zambezi
1. Many students will have predicted the outcome.
They may list clues such as the food in the picture,
the poses and placement of the people in the
picture, and so on.
2. Nhamo is consistently drawn to older people who
are gentle and kind. She will very likely continue to
be drawn to this type of individual.
The worlds are very similar. People live off the land,
with fishing a main occupation. Villages are scattered
everywhere; people journey to market for items such as
sugar and clothing; cooking includes a staple corn
mixture and vegetable relish or fish; wildlife is
everywhere. Village life seems to stand still in time in
both writings.
Vocabulary Practice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
opposite
opposite
opposite
same
same
Academic Vocabulary
Students’ examples will vary but should reflect their
understanding of the word culture.
Writing
Write an Article
Students’ articles should
• focus on one of Nhamo’s conflicts
• take place in a single setting
• use details from the novel
• show an awareness of the target audience
Connect to Content Areas
Art
Students’ poster graphics should
• be visually appealing and legible
• show a clear pattern of organization
Students’ poster text should
• provide clear indication of the reasons behind the
choice of totem
• use proper spelling, grammar, and mechanics
18
NOVEL AFTER YOU READ
A Story From Zimbabwe: The Hunters and the Axe
Nhamo sings of her bravery, her triumphs in hunting,
and her ability to outwit aggressors. She chants about
survival. The story/song also touches on aspects of
survival: hunting, being brave, surviving through family,
having enough to eat. Nhamo’s songs express her
identity; the story/song reinforces cultural identity.
Frank and Stein
Like Benjy’s grandfather, Nhamo’s great-grandfather
speaks of her ancestors and parents, making her feel a
part of a tradition, even when the Jongwes are not very
welcoming. He listens to her and respects her.
Thank You, M’am
Answers will vary. Students may think that Nhamo
might have died from sickness and starvation or that
she might have found another place to live off the land.
The Efifi people revive her and begin to give her an
education; they give her a chance for an independent
future.
ANSWER KEY
CONNECT TO OTHER LITERATURE
Setting: Nhamo took her trip alone; she made multiple
stops; her trip took place during the 20th century; she
traveled only in Africa. The Africans in The People
Could Fly, by contrast, were crowded into a slave ship;
they made only one stop: America where they were put
to work; their trip took place during the 19th century.
Description: Nhamo’s stories, like the one told in The
People Could Fly, tend to feature magic, heroic
behavior, and happy or uplifting endings.
Conflict: In A Girl Named Disaster, Nhamo leaves her
village in search of a new life with her father’s family.
Instead she spends long days in a boat on the river
before finding refuge in several different island
settings. In The People Could Fly, the people are taken
from their homes in Africa to a plantation in the
American South during slavery. Nhamo leaves seeking
freedom from a life that will be difficult, unpleasant, and
even dangerous. She leaves of her own free will and, by
relying mostly on herself, eventually finds a form of
freedom. In The People Could Fly, the people’s freedom
has seemingly been taken from them. However, they
have a secret in that they still carry its power within
them. That is what allows them to fly.
Write About It
The old man keeps his freedom alive despite the
hardships of slavery. In the end, that is what allows
him to fly. Nhamo refuses to settle for a worse life than
she feels she deserves. Throughout the novel, she
fights for her own betterment, and by the end she has
achieved it.
RESPOND THROUGH WRITING
Students’ expository essays should
• use examples from both texts
• feature a cogent guiding idea
• use a logical progression to support the topic
sentence or guiding idea
A Gir l Na med Di sast er
19
Picture Bride
Yoshiko Uchida
20
ABOUT THE WORK
Picture Bride by Yoshiko Uchida
Picture Bride is a novel inspired by the
hundreds of Japanese women who
immigrated to the United States in the
early nineteen hundreds to enter into
arranged marriages. The novel chronicles
the life of one Japanese picture bride from
1917 through the early years of World War
II. Like many of Uchida’s other writings,
Picture Bride reveals the struggles that
Japanese Americans faced during this
period, when strong anti-Asian sentiments
were widespread in the United States.
Synopsis
In 1917 Hana Omiya leaves what she sees
as a limited life in Japan to sail to the
United States to become the wife of a
Japanese shopkeeper, Taro Takeda, whom
she has never met. After arriving in
Oakland, California, Hana is disappointed
with Taro and his struggling business and
has difficulty adapting to American
customs. She is, however, quickly
welcomed into Taro’s close community of
friends.
Hana, who is pregnant, becomes ill during
the influenza epidemic of 1918 and nearly
dies. Her infant son is born prematurely
after she falls down a flight of stairs. The
baby dies shortly after birth. Later, Hana
gives birth to a daughter, Mary, and the
family moves to a small house in a white
neighborhood. Hana grows in strength as
she takes care of her family and a friend in
need of support, learns to live with the
prejudice of her white neighbors, takes a
job as a maid to earn extra money, and
helps save Taro’s shop when he falls deeply
into debt.
Taro and Hana grow closer as they work
together to improve their shop and watch
their daughter become a young woman.
Although Hana is proud of her daughter,
she is bothered that Mary seems much
more American than Japanese. Hana and
Mary grow apart and cannot relate well to
each other. The Takedas are bitterly
disappointed when Mary, rejecting her
Japanese heritage and the wishes of her
parents, leaves college, marries a white
man, and moves away to Nevada—all
without consulting her parents or even
saying good-bye to them.
After the Japanese bombing of Pearl
Harbor in December 1941, the Takedas and
other Japanese Americans on the West
Coast are forced into detention camps.
While at Topaz Camp in Utah, Taro is shot
and killed by a guard. When Mary and her
husband visit Hana and see the terrible
conditions at the camp, they try to convince
Hana to get clearance to leave and move in
with them. Hana, however, will not leave
Taro, who is buried just outside the camp.
Showing the same independence and
strength of spirit that helped her through
difficult times in the past, she vows to stay
and someday take Taro back to Oakland,
bury him next to their son, and reclaim
their shop.
Pi ct ure Bri de
21
OP TIONS FOR MOTIVATIN G STU DENTS
Survival Skills
The Melting Pot
Relate events in the novel to events in
students’ own lives.
• Tell students that the characters in
Picture Bride struggle to survive difficult
circumstances by searching for creative
solutions and by drawing on inner
strengths. You might ask students to
recall times when they have had to deal
with difficult circumstances. Ask them to
think about specific survival skills they
used. You may wish to invite volunteers
to share their experiences with the class.
Discuss cultural diversity and cultural
assimilation.
• Remind students that the United States
has long been a nation of immigrants,
populated by people from different
countries and backgrounds. In 1782 J.
Hector Saint John de Crèvecoeur, a
French immigrant living in New York,
wrote, “Here individuals of all nations
are melted into a new race of men,
whose labours and posterity will one
day cause great changes in the world.”
Invite students to discuss whether they
think that the United States truly
consists of people from different
countries who have “melted into a new
race.” Also ask whether they believe that
de Crèvecoeur’s prediction has come
true. Have Americans caused “great
changes in the world”?
• Ask students whether they believe that
people of different cultural backgrounds
should try to “melt together”? What if
such melting results in a loss of cultural
identity? Explain that different
characters in Picture Bride must struggle
with these issues.
• Have pairs of students discuss how each
of the scenarios listed below might make
them feel. Then ask them to list ways in
which they might try to cope with each
situation.
– You have moved to a place where you
do not know anyone and must adapt
to unfamiliar customs.
– A close friend or family member moves
far away.
– You feel that you can no longer
communicate with a friend or family
member with whom you once had a
close relationship.
– You are made to feel different and
unwelcome by people in your
community.
– You are forced to leave your home
quickly and can take only a few items
with you.
22
OP TIONS
OP TIONS
FOR
FOR
USING
MOTIVATIN
REL ATED
G READINGS
STU DENTS
RELATED READINGS
Natsu Okuyama
Ozawa—A Japanese
Woman Remembers
by June Namias
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 25)
from Nisei Daughter
by Monica Sone
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 26)
Topaz: City of Dust
by Yoshiko Uchida
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 27)
Sent from the Capital
to Her Elder Daughter
by Otomo No Sakanoe
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 28)
Rain Music
by Longhang Nguyen
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 29)
MAKING CONNECTIONS TO Picture Bride
The experiences of an actual Asian immigrant of the 1920s are similar to the
experiences portrayed by the author of Picture Bride.
• Read aloud a few current news clips about immigrants and immigration
policies in the United States. Have students discuss challenges that modern
immigrants face.
• Discuss with students how the experiences of immigrants today differ from those of
Asian immigrants in the 1920s.
In her autobiography, Monica Sone describes her immigrant parents’ early
experiences in the United States and her childhood as a second-generation
Japanese American.
• Have students make a list of words describing Monica as a five-year-old.
• Ask students to offer explanations for Monica’s reluctance to go to Japanese
school. Does it have anything to do with her ancestry, or is it a child’s reluctance to
give up her free afternoons?
In this nonfictional piece, Yoshiko Uchida gives a firsthand account of day-to-day
life in a detention camp. She used her firsthand knowledge in Picture Bride to
portray the experiences of her characters.
• Ask students to imagine what it would be like to choose only the bare essentials for
family living and board a bus for an unknown location. Remind them that they would
be assured of having a room to live in and bedding.
This poem, written by a mother for her child, examines the pain of separation,
particularly when parents and their children must live far apart with little hope of a
reunion.
• Remind students that in the novel Picture Bride, mothers and daughters were
separated by great distances and different cultures and traditions.
• Ask students to imagine living in the early nineteen hundreds and leaving their
families and friends to make a new life on another continent. Have
students freewrite for five to seven minutes on how they would feel.
This poignant story centers on the difficult decision that a young Vietnamese
American must make: Should she follow her heart and marry her African American
sweetheart, or should she respect her parents’ wishes and marry a young
immigrant whose cultural background is similar to her own?
• Before students read the story, pose the following discussion questions:
– In a special issue devoted to multiculturalism, Time magazine said that
– the United States is the first nation to develop a genuinely international
– culture. Do you agree? Why or why not?
– If you disagree, do you think that the United States should work to
– develop an international culture? Explain your reasons.
• After students read the story, ask them how the characters in “Rain Music” might
answer the discussion questions.
Pi ct ure Bri de
23
ANSWER KEY
All answers are sample answers except those for
Vocabulary Practice.
CHAPTERS 1–9
BEFORE YOU READ
Write the Caption
This early Japanese immigrant finds work and success
as a farmer.
ACTIVE READING
Taro: shopkeeper; hardworking, kind, fatalistic,
generous Yamaka: close friend of Taro; friendly,
talkative, undisciplined, lonely
The Todas: Taro’s good friends, Kiku becomes Hana’s
close friend; gregarious, Americanized, friendly, loyal
Dr. Kaneda: doctor, community leader; highly ethical,
caring, devoted to patients and community
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Text Structure
The novel opens in November 1917, when Hana is on
board a ship coming to America. Before this time she
lived in Oka Village. After the scene on board ship, her
ship docks, and she spends two miserable days on
Angel Island. On the third day, she receives a message
from Taro, reaches San Francisco, and meets him for
the first time.
Literary Element: Text Structure
Time order words and phrases include “by five the next
morning,” “noon,” “the last hours,” “two . . . days and
nights,” “on the third day,” and “the early morning.”
Reading Skill: Analyze Cultural Context
People bow in this culture. People do not interrupt or
respond with words in some circumstances. They
preserve the old customs from Japan in their new
home.
Reading Skill: Analyze Cultural Context
He had a higher status in the culture he left than he has
in his new culture. He felt that wearing a suit was
appropriate or expected for reporting to work as a
houseboy. He had never used a mop before. He didn’t
know how many potatoes to peel. He was not used to
physical labor.
24
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: Reading: What’s in It for You?
Answers will vary. Students’ thoughts might include
surprise that Hana and Taro would be Christian,
feelings of not wanting to shop at a place like Taro’s,
and surprise or shame that no Americans would enter
Taro’s shop.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. Hana agrees to marry Taro because she wants to
escape from her village in Japan. She regrets her
decision.
2. The Todas are good friends of Taro who take Hana
in. Kiku is Americanized and not as traditional as
Hana.
3. Their marriage will last because both partners are
committed to it and divorce is not a viable option. In
time, Hana and Taro may come to truly love each
other.
4. Hana does take her role seriously. She demonstrates
this when she refuses to continue her relationship
with Kiyoshi Yamaka and resolves to be a good wife
to Taro.
5. Students may mention the likelihood that picture
brides were disappointed both with the men they
married and the circumstances they met up with.
They might mention how hard their lives were and
how they had no option but to accept them.
Apply Background
Students may say that the Introduction helped them
realize that “pictures brides” were not unusual among
the Japanese in America in the early 1900s.
Literary Element: Text Structure
1. About two years have passed. The novel begins in
late 1917. The next section begins with 1920.
2. The novel is divided into groups of years. It is in
chronological order. Not all years are covered,
however. The novel skips many years, such as those
between 1921 and 1930.
ANSWER KEY
Reading Skill: Analyze Cultural Context
1. They had very difficult, lonely lives. They faced
discrimination. They took jobs that were often of
lower status than those they might have had in
Japan. Only those who worked exceedingly hard
and saved every penny could afford to send for a
wife.
2. It consists of many men and few women. The center
of their community is the church. Some people are
the leaders, such as Dr. Kaneda. Members of the
community have only each other to rely on.
Vocabulary Practice
1. e, 2. c, 3. g, 4. b, 5. f
Academic Vocabulary
Here, indicate means to express or to show.
Writing
Personal Response
Students’ responses should list various challenges and
make judgments about how well Hana responds to
each of them.
Research and Report
Visual/Media Presentation
Students’ visual reports should
• present basic beliefs of Buddhism and Christianity
• explain how each religion was introduced to Japan
• use headings, bullets, and legible type
• include a clear, effective narrative
• use a respectful tone
CHAPTERS 10–23
BEFORE YOU READ
Summarize
Government policies and laws discriminated against
not only early Japanese immigrants, Issei, who were
not citizens, but also against their children, Nisei, who
were citizens.
wishes to return to Japan, Mary’s shame about her
heritage, and Mary’s elopement. Some challenges
reflect specific universal experiences, such as losing
friends, but most show how difficult life was in America,
which caused some people to move or do desperate
things, others to go back home, and others to reject or
feel ashamed of their heritage.
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Theme
Many immigrants must earn their way to decent
housing or a neighborhood they want to live in.
Literary Element: Theme
Asian immigrants faced not only discrimination but
actual government policies against them, such as the
Gentlemen’s Agreement and laws such as the Alien
Land Law. They were called the “yellow peril” and
forced to attend segregated schools.
Reading Skill: Identify Cause-and-Effect
Relationships
Mary is an outsider. There are only a few other Nisei.
White students do not include her; some places
exclude her.
Reading Skill: Identify Cause-and-Effect
Relationships
It is a problem for Hana who cannot speak much
English and has never been to the school before. It a
problem for Mary because her mother is, in her view,
too Japanese in her dress and manners.
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: Reading: What’s in It for You?
Answers will vary. Students may comment that whites
intimidated the newcomers and acted with unfairness
or cruelty toward them.
ACTIVE READING
Challenges include finding a house they can rent,
meeting with neighbors who don’t want them on their
block, being robbed by a member of their own church,
having Kiku and Henry move away, helping Nishima,
being asked by a neighbor to be a housekeeper, Taro’s
nearly losing his shop, Hana’s inability to express
herself well in English, Kaneda’s announcement that he
Pi ct ure Bri de
25
ANSWER KEY
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. Ellen Davis represents a sympathetic white person.
She helps show that not everyone agreed with or
practiced discrimination against Japanese
Americans.
2. Nishima has had a nervous breakdown, and Hana
thinks she can help him. Her actions reveal the
caring and generous side of her nature.
3. She is ashamed of her mother’s Japanese ways and
has little concern for her mother’s feelings.
4. Students might say that Hana and Taro are more
relaxed and settled in their roles. Their child seems
to have brought them closer, and Taro seems
appreciative of Hana’s work in the shop.
5. Japanese Americans needed each other. Almost no
one else would befriend them. They understood
each other’s language and customs, as well as the
challenges they all faced in common.
Apply Background
Students may say that the Background made them
realize that racist laws against the Japanese started
long before World War II.
Literary Element: Theme
1. Students may select a variety of scenes, including
the neighbors’ visit and Hana’s visit to school, and
explain how the characters face and react to either
or both spoken and unspoken prejudice.
2. Students may select Nishima, Kiku Toda, Henry Toda,
or Dr. Kaneda and describe the character’s outsider
status, economic and/or social hurdles, and key
events that affect his or her life.
Reading Skill: Identify Cause-and-Effect
Relationships
1. Taro’s store begins to fail. Hana and Nishima help
him clean it, reorganize it, stock it, and make it more
customer-friendly and successful.
2. Answers will vary, but may include the pleasures of
close friendship; the countryside; a change of scene;
singing, and eating, and relaxing with others, as well
as the escape from daily living among whites.
26
Vocabulary Practice
1. dissuade, persuasion
Dissuade means to discourage. Persuasion is used to
encourage someone to think or act in a certain way.
2. effusive, profuse
Effusive means very talkative, or a pouring forth with
talk. Something profuse pours forth or is bountiful.
3. erratically, erred
Erratically means not consistent, as if in error. Erred
means made a mistake or error.
4. impel, propelling
Impel means to move forcefully. Propel means moving
forward.
5. Indignation, dignified
Indignation means outrage. Dignified means composed,
not outraged or upset in any way.
Academic Vocabulary
her own awareness of how others see her.
Writing
Write a Letter
Students’ letters should be addressed to both Hana and
Mary. Letters should explain the differences between
them as coming from outside pressures and cultural
issues. Letters should suggest ways for Hana and Mary
to come together.
ANSWER KEY
Speaking and Listening
Speech
Students’ speeches should
• present a list of reasons for putting aside prejudice
• show awareness of the audience and occasion
through the use of the pronoun we and an informal
tone
• be delivered at an effective pace and volume
• be accompanied by one evaluative paragraph about
content and a second evaluative paragraph about
delivery
CHAPTERS 24–35
BEFORE YOU READ
Write the Caption
These “enemy aliens” are forced to move to an
internment camp in 1942.
ACTIVE READING
Tanforan: long lines for meals, showers, laundry, etc.;
bad food; lack of privacy; twice-daily head counts;
barbed wire; armed guards; FBI searches Topaz:
located in hot, dusty desert with frequent dust storms;
internees live in dusty, drafty barracks; temperatures
are cold in mornings, searing hot in afternoons; broken
refrigerators, spoiled food; lack of privacy;
overcrowded conditions; barbed wire; armed guards
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Mood
Details include “cold night in January,” “sound of
distant explosions,” “war so close,” “bed empty,”
“quiet room,” “disarray,” “middle of the night,”
“blacked out the windows,” “cold seeped,” and “no
warmth.” These details create a mood of desolation,
depression, loss, and impending greater loss.
Literary Element: Mood
Words and phrases include ominous, uprooted,
“interned without even a trial or hearing,” evacuated,
“to remove; to send away,” and rid.
Reading Strategy: Visualize
Details include “long dusty road,” “Block Seven,”
“ankle-deep in fine powdery sand,” “utterly desolate
land,” “centuries-old bones and stone,” “mass of
dust,” “a wretched barrack camp encircled with
barbed wire,” “guard towers,” “soldiers’ barracks,”
“horse stalls,” “two army cots,” “single light bulb,”
“stuffed newspapers into crevices to keep out the
dust,” “tacked cardboard over the hole in the roof,”
“lived out of their suitcases,” “water froze,” “food
spoiled,” and “water abruptly stopped flowing.”
Reading Strategy: Visualize
The dust seeps into Hana’s nostrils and eyes. The
sunset is beautiful and full of color: flaming red,
lavenders, and pinks. The stars are brilliant and in them
Hana sees the River of Heaven.
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: Reading: What’s in It for You?
Answers will vary. Students’ thoughts might include
questions about how Henry died or inferences that
show awareness of how some innocent people died as
a result of the anti-Japanese feelings at this time.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. Both Hana and Taro are resigned to the situation and
try to make the best of it, although Taro seems more
accepting than Hana. Their reactions reveal Taro’s
stoical nature and Hana’s more assertive nature.
2. Taro is shot to death by a guard, who says he thought
Taro was trying to escape from camp. Mary is griefstricken and racked with guilt, reflecting the deep
love for her parents that coexists alongside her
desire to live an independent life and to fully
assimilate into U.S. society.
3. Taro apologizes for not giving Hana a better life;
Hana apologizes for the times she has hurt Taro.
Students may say the apologies are unnecessary.
Taro gave Hana the best life he was able to provide;
though Hana hurt Taro when she fell in love with
Yamaka, she did her best to make up for it.
4. Some students may say Hana made the right
decision because Hana wants to stay near her
husband’s grave and see to it that he is buried with
their son. Others may say that she should leave the
camp so she can spend time with her surviving
family members.
5. Accept any reasonable answer that reflects an
accurate reading of Picture Bride.
Pi ct ure Bri de
27
ANSWER KEY
Apply Background
Academic Vocabulary
Students may say that the fact that the author herself
lived in the two “detention centers” described in the
novel make her descriptions very believable.
Reside means “lie” or “to be present.” In the first
sentence, reside is an actual physical act. In the
second sentence, reside refers to a quality or presence
that is not physical.
Literary Element: Mood
1. A mood of sad resignation is created by details that
emphasize bleakness, loneliness, and lack of
comfort, loss of hope, loneliness, separation, and
betrayal.
2. Students may say the mood is hopeful as Hana
resolves to carry on and become a citizen, and as
she is joyously reunited with Kiku. They “weep for
joy,” “walk arm in arm,” and do not “seem aware of
the murky gathering of clouds in the sky” or feel “the
ominous gusts of the hot grumbling wind.” Students
may also say the mood is a mixture of hope and
despair, or is ultimately one of despair, by quoting the
details above, as well as the final detail about yet
another dust storm “enveloping all of Topaz in its
white fury.”
Reading Strategy: Visualize
1. Students may say they could see Hana reading the
instructions for what evacuees must bring, packing
up utensils and bedding, agonizing over things she
could not bring including old magazines and
clippings, cleaning out cupboards, and preparing
crates to store at the Davis house.
2. Students may say they could visualize the look on
Hana’s and/or Taro’s face as both realized that they
were to live in horse stables, as they saw the tiny
stall for the first time, or as they smelled it. They
might also have visualized Kenji going to get a
broom, setting up the cot, blowing dust from the
cots, shivering with cold, or other details.
Vocabulary Practice
1. rushed, careless [synonyms]
2. chattered for the entire two-hour ride [explanation/
example]
3. for our courage or criticize us for our risk-tasking
[examples/antonym]
4. damaging the electrical plant was [explanation/
general context]
5. those in need by providing food and shelter
[explanation/inference]
28
Write With Style
Apply Imagery
Students’ descriptions should
• create one main impression of the place
• use spatial order
• include words chosen for their connotations
• use images that appeal to sight as well as to other
senses
Speaking and Listening
Debate
Students’ debates should
• present clear, well-supported arguments
• anticipate, meet, and weaken counterarguments
• be accompanied by a detailed rating
ANSWER KEY
NOVEL AFTER YOU READ
WORK WITH RELATED READINGS
Natsu Okuyama Ozawa—A Japanese Woman
Remembers
Like Ozawa, Hana and Taro could not buy a home and
were sent to Topaz. Like Ozawa’s husband, Taro lost his
business. Like Ozawa’s son, Hana and Taro’s daughter
suffered discrimination at school.
from Nisei Daughter
CONNECT TO OTHER LITERATURE
Text Structure: This article has headings and
introductory text. It is not divided into chapters. It lacks
dialogue.
Theme: Both works have themes related to the many
difficulties of the immigrant experience including the
disappointments it brings and the challenge of being
neither part of the old country or culture or part of the
new country or culture.
Answers will vary, but students should use excerpts to
give a sense of Mary’s conflicting feelings regarding
her parents and her identity.
Mood: Students may contrast any scene, noting how
Jin Hua Zhang’s tone is fairly matter of fact, so the
reader tends to be educated by her words rather than
affected emotionally by them.
Topaz: City of Dust
Talk About It
Hana’s reactions to the living quarters, the strong winds
and blowing dust of the desert, and the inflexibility of
the guards are much like Uchida’s.
Students may note similar problems with a difficult or
disappointing living situation but far less overt—and no
institutionalized—prejudice.
Sent from the Capital to Her Elder Daughter
Both the speaker and Hana “prize,” or value, as well as
mourn the loss of, their daughter. Unlike Hana, the
speaker seems to face a loss over which her daughter
had no control: her daughter was “summoned” by her
man. The speaker of the poem also suggests that she is
nearly dying from her loss. Hana, on the other hand, is
sad but not so desperate: Hana has hopes of being
reunited with her daughter at some future time.
Rain Music
Both sets of parents hope that their children will adhere
to the conventions of their native culture and will
choose spouses who share that culture. These
similarities suggest that first-generation Americans
may be torn between their allegiance to their parents
and native culture and their desire to fit in with
mainstream America.
RESPOND THROUGH WRITING
Research Report
Students’ research reports should
• focus on health and sanitation at today’s refugee
camps
• use at least three sources, including one or more
primary sources
• present a clear thesis in the introduction and support
the thesis in the body paragraphs
• correctly credit and cite sources
Pi ct ure Bri de
29
Dogsong
Gary Paulsen
30
ABOUT THE WORK
Dogsong Gary Paulsen
Dogsong is a novel set in the midwinter
wilderness of northern Alaska. To most
readers, the novel offers eye-opening
details about the subsistence culture of the
Yup’ik. But it is the process of growing up
that is central to Dogsong. Russel Susskit’s
struggle to forge his own identity and selfrespect will resonate with many young
people. His journey through a strange,
harsh world—often told in poetic
language—is both intriguing and
mystifying. For its wondrous setting and
timeless theme, this 1985 novel was named
a Newbery Honor Book and an ALA Best
Book for Young Adults.
Some students may be repulsed by the
graphic depiction of killing that
characterizes the life of the Yup’ik hunter.
To give context to this lifestyle, you may
wish to provide background on the
environment and its effect on the culture of
the Yupik, particularly as it relates to food,
shelter, and clothing. Students should see
that the Yupik waste almost nothing,
taking what they need with gratitude from
a fierce but abundant land.
Synopsis
Russel Susskit lives on the edge of the
modern world in an Alaskan village. He is
unhappy with his life but is only vaguely
aware of the reason. He resents and
dislikes the influence of the white man’s
culture, represented by snowmobiles, the
smell of diesel oil, and his father’s hacking
cough—the result of chronic tobacco
smoking.
At his father’s suggestion, Russel visits
Oogruk, one of the last to uphold the
traditional Yup’ik way of life. Oogruk,
whose eyesight is failing, sees into Russel’s
soul and realizes that the boy yearns for
the simpler life of his ancestors. Oogruk
adopts the boy and tutors him in the ways
of hunting and survival.
When Oogruk realizes that he is about to
die, he explains to Russel that the time has
come for Russel to embark on a long,
perilous journey to attain manhood. Russel
sets out, leaving his mentor to die. In the
days that follow, Russel becomes
increasingly skilled at driving his dogs and
at surviving the fierce conditions of the
Arctic. He experiences a series of dreams
about his mystical past and about an
ancestral hunter, whom Russel is startled
to recognize as himself.
As dream and reality become increasingly
blurred, Russel encounters Nancy, a
pregnant girl, nearly dead from exposure.
Unwed, she has been driven from her
village. Russel takes her in and continues
his journey northward. The two nearly
starve to death, but Russel has learned—
from his dreams and from Oogruk’s
tutelage—how to survive, so he sets out on
a final desperate hunt. When he kills a
polar bear, he not only proves himself a
man, but he also saves the lives of his
companions. Nancy’s baby is stillborn, but
Russel and Nancy return to civilization,
having recaptured the ways of the past.
The book ends with Russel’s song to his
dogs, a testimony that he has learned to
live in what Oogruk calls “the right way.”
Dogsong
31
OP TIONS FOR MOTIVATIN G STU DENTS
32
Quest Stories
I Don’t Want to Grow Up
Invite students to share their knowledge
about quest stories to prepare them for
Russel’s quest in Dogsong.
• Have students share quest stories that
they have read or seen at the movies or
on TV. (Examples include Jason and the
Argonauts’ search for the golden fleece
and the quest for the Ark of the
Covenant in Raiders of the Lost Ark.)
• Ask students to point out what these
stories have in common.
• Point out that Dogsong is a quest story.
As students read, challenge them to
determine the purpose of each quest
Russel undertakes.
• After students have read the novel, have
them discuss ways in which the quest in
the novel is similar to or different from
the quests discussed earlier in this
activity.
Encourage students to think about the
meaning of growing up.
• Ask students if they have ever wished
they were grown up. Ask them why
they have wanted to grow up fast.
• Explain that growing up is a long
process. Ask if there are circumstances
that cause some people to grow up
faster than others do, and if so, what
those circumstances might be.
• Encourage students to share ways in
which they believe they have matured in
the last five years.
• Give students a minute or two to
complete the following phrase: Growing
up means . . . Make a list of their
responses on the board.
• Point out that many books for young
adults, including Dogsong, address the
process of growing up.
Forces of Nature
The More Things Change . . .
Explore with students the impact of
nature on their lives.
• Explain that nature is one of the most
powerful forces that humankind must
contend with.
• Invite students who have had a
confrontation with a natural force to
describe the experience and to share
what they learned.
• Have students discuss ways in which
people can survive destructive forces in
their environment.
• Prepare students for Russel’s encounters
with the harsh realities of nature by
having them note, as they read, the
obstacles that he faces and the ways he
manages to overcome those obstacles.
Prepare students to understand the
impact of technological and social change
upon society.
• Point out that, while no one can predict
precisely what is going to happen in the
future, it is a certainty that things will
change. Lead students to understand
that change can be exciting and
beneficial, but it can also be disturbing
and destructive, especially when it
occurs suddenly.
• Ask students to name technological or
social changes that they have observed
in society during their lives. Invite them
to discuss whether these changes made
life easier or more difficult for them.
OP TIONS FOR USING REL ATED READINGS
RELATED READINGS
from Woodsong
by Gary Paulsen
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 24)
Caribou Girl
by Claire Rudolf
Murphy
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 25)
from Songs of the
Dream People
James Houston
(editor)
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 26)
The Iditarod
Lucid Interactive
Web site
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 27)
from I Am the Ice
Worm
by MaryAnn Easley
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 28)
MAKING CONNECTIONS TO Dogsong
Living in the north woods of Minnesota, Paulsen discovered that he had many
neighbors, not all of them welcome.
• Before students read this excerpt, ask them whether they believe wild animals pose
a threat to people. Discuss with them the images of animals, particularly wolves
and bears, that they get from literature and the media.
• Encourage students to consider their relationships with the natural world. Ask them
whether it would be possible for people in modern society to live in harmony with
living creatures, as Gary Paulsen describes in Dogsong and Woodsong.
A modern story about Inuit culture, Caribou Girl retains the spirit of a traditional
myth.
• Ask students to imagine that they lived in a world that lacked modern scientific
knowledge. What questions would they ask? How would they go about finding
answers?
• Point out that myths are stories that attempt to solve some of humankind’s most
puzzling mysteries, many not explained by modern science.
• Invite students to create modern myths explaining natural phenomena such as
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods.
These two Eskimo songs capture the joy and melancholy of the northern hunter’s life.
• Invite students to consider the role of songs in their society. What are their favorite
songs about? Lead students to understand that songs, like poetry, often express
powerful emotions.
• Point out that Russel sings his own song in Dogsong. Ask students to describe what
their personal songs would be about.
• Encourage students to compose songs of their own in the Inuit style.
A dangerous outbreak of diphtheria in Alaska was the dramatic inspiration for
North America’s most famous dog sled race.
• Make sure that students understand the devastating effect of epidemic diseases in
times and places without vaccines. With their help, compile a list of once-dreaded
diseases that are now largely under control.
• Point out that over time populations in contact with diseases develop partial
immunity. Native American people were particularly susceptible to European
ailments because of their physical distance from Europe.
Easley’s novel explores the culture shock of a fourteen-year-old California girl who
finds herself suddenly among the Inupiat of Alaska.
• Invite students to share experiences they have had in different cultures, either
living in other countries or within their own community.
• Encourage students to describe the types of challenges they faced adapting to
such cultures. What were their greatest challenges? How did they overcome them?
• Have students compare and contrast fourteen-year-old Russel Susskit’s attitude
toward modern civilization with Allison’s attitude toward Inupiat civilization. With
whose viewpoint do the students most agree? Why?
Dogsong
33
ANSWER KEY
All answers are sample answers except those for
Vocabulary Practice.
CHAPTERS 1–5
BEFORE YOU READ
Summarize
On his journey, Russel lives according to the traditional
ways of his people, who sang songs that were like
prayers.
ACTIVE READING
Students’ answers might include the following:
Hunting tools: bow and arrow; rifle Way of Eating Meat:
raw or uncooked; cooked Way of Learning: learning
from elders; school learning Clothing: bearskin pants,
deerskin parka, mukluks; store pants and coat, shoepac
Housing: animal skin shelter; government housing
Lighting: candles; electricity Men in Russel’s life:
Oogluk; Russel’s father Religion: myths; Christianity
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Conflict
Russel is in conflict with his home and the sounds of his
father coughing and spitting that he hears there, diesel
fuel, and snow machines. He is in conflict with the
Outside, or the world that is different from the
traditional world of his people.
Literary Element: Conflict
“He wanted to say, Father, I am not happy with myself,
but he did not.” or “Father, something is bothering me.”
Reading Skill: Analyze Theme
Oogruk communicates ideas about living the old way,
about having a “settled mind,” and about the
importance of songs.
Reading Skill: Analyze Theme
Russel lives in the modern world, where the old ways
and songs have almost completely disappeared. He
does not have a “settled mind.”
34
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: What’s More Important, the
Journey or the Destination?
Oogruk is comfortable. He says it is time to leave and he
accepts that. He simply tells Russel to go. He is ready
for death.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. Russel dresses in the fur clothing he finds there. He
takes traditional weapons and goes out on the ice
with the dogs. While in a trance he has learned from
the stories that Oogruk has told him.
2. Oogruk instructs Russel to put food in a dead land
animal’s mouth or fresh water in the mouth of a sea
animal and to thank it for sacrificing itself. This
suggests that hunters did not take their prey for
granted in traditional society.
3. Russel leaves a harpoon with Oogruk. He probably
does this because he believes Oogruk will hunt seals
in the afterlife.
4. Students’ responses to Russel’s discontent will vary.
Some may point out that many people today are
unhappy with the rapid changes and environmental
destruction that accompany modern society.
5. Oogruk sends Russel on a journey to discover or live
the traditional ways of his people, as well as,
perhaps, on a journey to adulthood. Oogruk values
the journey; he never mentions a destination.
Apply Background
It helps explain the values of Oogruk, who represents
traditional ways of life, and it explains the role of the
shaman.
Literary Element: Conflict
1. Many answers are possible. He lives in the Arctic
where he does not seem to be surrounded by cars,
popular music, and electronic devices. He turns to
an elder to find direction or wisdom.
2. He is dissatisfied, but he doesn’t know why. He
wants to reject the ways of his father. He wants to
find his own path.
ANSWER KEY
Reading Skill: Analyze Theme
1. Themes include respect for the ways of the past,
respect for nature, and the journey from childhood to
adulthood.
2. The author shows the theme through the difference
between the ways of the past and ways of the
present and through the home and character of
Oogruk.
Vocabulary Practice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
aloof
grimace
tempt
rancid
cringe
Academic Vocabulary
Here, structure means building. A building is a physical,
concrete structure. The structure of a novel is an idea
or pattern of organization.
CHAPTERS 6–10
BEFORE YOU READ
Summarize
Arctic people depended on animals such as caribou for
their survival and treated them with due respect or
reverence when they killed them.
ACTIVE READING
Students’ answers might include the following:
Chapter 6: He realizes how much he depends on them.
He and his and dogs kill four caribou and feast on them.
Chapter 7: Hunter leaves his wife and children and sets
out on journey. He kills a mammoth with his lance.
Chapter 8: Russel finds a shelter from a storm. He finds
an ancient stone lamp and lights it with caribou fat.
Chapter 9: Hunter is welcomed at a village.
In a dramatic dance, he tells how he killed the
mammoth. Chapter 10: Russel continues his journey
north. His dogs begin to follow the tracks of a
snowmobile. He is hoping to get a pot or can in which to
melt snow and boil meat.
Writing
Write an Argument
Students should state a clear opinion or thesis and
back up their thesis with reasons that are well
explained.
Speaking and Listening
Interview
Students’ interviews should
• present Russel with at least ten questions
• elicit rich, full answers
• be presented with effective verbal and nonverbal
techniques
• include an oral report summarizing the main ideas of
the interview in order
• be accompanied by an evaluation of an interview
done by other classmates that assesses the quality of
the questions, verbal techniques, and nonverbal
techniques
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Imagery
It is possible to see an oil lamp; yellow smoke; two
small, round, fat children eating fat red meat rich with
yellow fat; a young woman tending the lamp; the flame
of the lamp; and a man in the shadows. Students may
smell the smoke and hear the laughter of the children.
Literary Element: Imagery
Images include the fog; the deerskin parka; the long
spear with its black, shiny stone point; the
incomprehensible words and glowing eyes of the
woman; the dogs with their great gray eyes twitching,
wide heads, heavy triangular jaws, and yellow eyes; the
sled of bone and ivory, with large rib bones for a runner,
and lashed with yellow rawhide; the yellow-white color;
the lunging of the dogs; and the man alone, driving his
dogs silently on the sweeps of tall tundra grass.
Reading Skill: Evaluate Style
Most of the sentences are fragments. Some are just
one word. Some are just one prepositional phrase.
Others are several prepositional phrases. Several
sentence beginnings repeat out and into.
Dogsong
35
ANSWER KEY
Reading Skill: Evaluate Style
Students may say that they like or dislike the way the
fragments and the repetition carries them along as the
words of a song might. They might say that they like or
dislike the poetic language . They might say they like or
dislike how the repetition creates a dreamlike or
trancelike feeling.
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: What’s More Important, the
Journey or the Destination?
Russel does not appear to have any destination. His
goal is to make a journey, not to arrive at any one place.
Students may ask where or why Russel is going on his
journey and note that there is no stated answer to this
question.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. The dogs become exhausted and won’t eat. Russel
realizes that he needs them for survival.
2. Russel realizes that he is the man. Both he and the
man are setting out on a long and dangerous
journey.
3. The hunter pretends to be a mammoth. He may be
trying to make the story of his hunt as real as
possible to his audience.
4. Students’ responses will vary. Some may suggest
that dreams often relate to inner desires or anxieties.
5. Students reponses will vary, but they should
acknowledge that Russel is embarking on a journey
to manhood. He is able to reach the destination only
by following the guidelines set forth Oogruk, who has
reached the end of his own journey.
Reading Skill: Evaluate Style
1. Students may cite any evidence that shows a switch
from a matter-of-fact tone, such as “He did this” and
“He did that” (as in “He used the back of his knife . . .
he needed some fat . . . he took a burning stick”) to a
less matter-of-fact, more poetic, or more dreamlike
tone, with repetition, long sentences with many
clauses, often excessively coordinated, as in “he
was in a new land but the people were known to him
as all people are known to all other people and their
words made him think of his own family and he
missed them, and for a moment Russel thought he
might turn the team and head for home with the red
meat and yellow fat.”
2. Aspects of the style include alternating chapters;
long sentences; short, highly dramatic sentences
such as “Great Fear”; repetition of words and
phrases; repeated uses of and and but; and the use
of fog to begin and end dream sequences.
Vocabulary Practice
1. A, 2. B, 3. A, 4. A, 5. B
Academic Vocabulary
definition: more than average in importance, size, or
other quality or effect
synonyms: significant, substantial, great
antonyms: insignificant, little, inconsequential
sentence: My paper needed considerable revision to
earn a high grade.
Apply Background
Write With Style
Build Background explains some of Russel’s thoughts
and actions when he kills and uses the four caribou, or
deer, to survive.
Apply Tone
Students’ writing should
• take the form of two focused, unified paragraphs
• create a transition between the paragraphs
• employ two distinctive tones, one reflecting the real
world and one a dream world
Literary Element: Imagery
1. Accept any reasonable answer, such as the fog,
whirling wind, or shadows that often surround the
man at the beginning of each dream sequence.
36
2. Students may discuss any details related to the
setting, such as details about the cold, the terrain, or
the storm; or details related to the dogs and actions
of running and feeding them.
ANSWER KEY
Speaking and Listening
Literatuve Groups
Students’ reports should
• present appropriate chapter titles
• be based on evidence from the novel
• reflect group consensus
Reading Strategy: Make Generalizations
About Plot
Many answers are possible. Students may note that
Russel changes from a boy to an adult. He changes
from someone concerned about himself to someone
who takes responsibility for another human being. He
changes from someone who must be taught to
someone who can teach others.
CHAPTERS 11–PART III
BEFORE YOU READ
Write the Caption
For the Inuit, hunting and killing a polar, a difficult
animal to kill, is a way of becoming a man.
Active Reading
Russel’s story and the hunter’s story: both go on long
journey by sled; both kill ferocious animals with lance;
both leave women behind; both race to carry food back
home Russel’s Story: Russel has wooden sled; Russel
kills polar bear; Russel leaves Nancy in a shelter;
Russel returns in time to save Nancy Hunter’s Story:
Hunter lives in ancient past; Hunter has bone sled
pulled by wolf dogs; Hunter kills mammoth; Hunter has
wife and two children; Hunter finds family dead on his
return
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Motivation
They have run out of food.
Literary Element: Motivation
He knows that they will all die if they do not find meat.
He thinks there may be meat in the creek run.
Reading Strategy: Make Generalizations
About Plot
Many answers are possible. Students may mention
books in which the protagonist has faced great danger
or a threat to life and has survived or triumphed.
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: What’s More Important, the
Journey or the Destination?
Answers will vary. Students’ notes may include a
feeling of oneness with the dogs, the word wife, the
singing of “my hunts” and “of Oogruk,” and the
continuation of the journey (“they go, I go, we go”).
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. The dogs find Nancy. She might have died if Russel
had succeeded in making them go on.
2. Russel decides to look for game. The result of this
decision is that he kills a bear. Students may suggest
that this marks the point where Russel reaches
maturity and independence.
3. Some students may have difficulty accepting the
way reality and dream become one. Others may
accept it because they may have experienced
situations in life that appeared dreamlike to them.
4. Killing the bear was Russel’s supreme
accomplishment. This act saved his and Nancy’s life
and gave Russel a new sense of independence.
5. Russel has accomplished two great things: he has
killed a bear, and he has saved the life of another
human being. From his song, the reader infers he is
now married to Nancy. The journey was everything:
he learned to live according to the ways of the past,
he learned to be a man, he learned to take care of
himself and others, and he learned his song.
Dogsong
37
ANSWER KEY
Apply Background
Writing
Students may say it helped them appreciate the scene
in which Russel kills the bear.
Personal Response
Answers will vary but should be based on actual novel
events.
Literary Element: Motivation
1. She is pregnant and has been made to feel sinful.
She wants to die. Then she turns around because
she wants to live.
2. Russell wants to get help for Nancy. Students may
also say that Russel has reached a kind of
destination because he is more mature now and can
go back to civilization as a changed person.
Reading Strategy: Make Generalizations
About Plot
1. The climax is killing the bear. It is like other stories in
which a hero has to undergo a great test, which is
often a test of physical bravery, and comes back
afterward as a changed person or a hero.
2. Accept all reasonable answers with specific
support.
Vocabulary Practice
1.
2.
3.
4.
clamor, from Latin clamare, to cry out
clarity, from Latin clarus, clear
gore, from Old English gar, spear
impertinence, from Latin im-, not, and pertinere, to
belong
5. submission, from Latin sub-, beneath, and miss, send
Academic Vocabulary
Answers will vary but may list challenges such as
oceans, deserts, or mountains, and climate events such
as flooding, tornadoes, earthquakes, or hurricanes.
Speaking and Listening
Performance
Students’ performances should
• be based on research in multiple sources
• match the mood of the music to the words
• match facial expression and posture to the mood of
the song and the intended effect on the audience
• be accompanied by an evaluation of both the song
and the performance
NOVEL AFTER YOU READ
WORK WITH RELATED READINGS
from Woodsong
Students may suggest that both Russel and the author
treat animals with respect. Russel, however, depends
on wild creatures to survive, whereas the author
does not.
Caribou Girl
Students should understand that Oogruk is a similarly
wise old person who understands the ways of the
natural world.
from Songs of the Dream People
Students should understand that the singer of the
Greenland song is an old hunter, similar to Oogruk, who
also is losing his sight.
The Iditarod
“These men had stamina and toughness in common,
and all shared the special understanding and working
38
partnership with their sled dogs that would be the key
to the success of the venture.”
from I Am the Ice Worm
Students should understand that Ikayauq is a traditional
Inupiat hunter who still follows the old way of life as did
Oogruk.
CONNECT TO OTHER LITERATURE
Conflict: Both Swift Runner and Russel face an external
conflict with a fierce bear. Russel’s conflict seems real;
Swift Runner’s conflict is a myth.
Imagery: In this scene, the bear is, at first, a dark figure
outside a circle of light; it is also a talking bear. Then the
bear reappears, at first running, then falling heavily to
the earth and panting. Once again, it talks. When Russel
faces the bear, it is immense, has its teeth bared, and is
a “yellow-white tower.” It breaks the back of a dog in a
savage bite. It gets down on all fours and charges
Russel.
Motivation: Swift Bear wants to kill the bear because it
killed his people and threatened the Great Peace.
Russel must kill the bear for meat; he must also kill it to
stay alive; and he may also be motivated by a sense of
confidence as he becomes the man in his dream.
RESPOND THROUGH WRITING
Review
Students’ reviews should
• open by creating interest in Dogsong
• present a clear thesis near the beginning
• present and support three reasons for reading
Dogsong
• use precise evidence or explanations
Talk About It
Both triumph over a bear that could have easily killed
them. The tone and mood of the story of Swift Runner is
much lighter, however. It is a myth, with a talking bear,
not a realistic and suspenseful story of wilderness
survival.
Dogsong
39
Barrio Boy
Ernesto Galarza
40
ABOUT THE WORK
Barrio Boy by Ernesto Galarza
Barrio Boy, an autobiography of a Mexican
American writer, began as a series of
anecdotes that Galarza shared with his
wife and children. He shaped them into a
book because he felt that his family’s
experiences mirrored those of hundreds of
thousands of Mexicans in the United
States.
When Barrio Boy was published in 1971,
critics praised it at a time when Mexican
American writers had difficulty getting
their books reviewed. Although it
specifically focuses on the Mexican
American experience, Barrio Boy raises
issues relevant to all students.
Note that Barrio Boy contains sensitive
references to underage drinking, cigarette
and marijuana smoking, sexuality, the use
of profanity, and children being trained in
military drills and how to use guns. Before
assigning the book, you may wish to
explain that Galarza included these details
because they present a realistic portrayal of
the social, cultural, and political conditions
that existed when he was growing up.
Synopsis
Barrio Boy opens in Jalcocotán, a village in
Mexico’s Sierra Madre Mountains. The
Galarza family consists of little Ernesto, his
mother Doña Henriqueta, Uncle Gustavo,
and Uncle José. Galarza describes the daily
rituals of village life in vivid detail.
Although poor, Jalcocotán is generally
peaceful until the onset of the Mexican
Revolution. When officers arrive looking
for young men to recruit into the army, the
Galarzas decide to flee to Tepic, a city
located forty miles to the north.
Ernesto and his family move from place to
place in Tepic and Mazatlán, another
Mexican city, where Gustavo and José
work for the railroad and Doña Henriqueta
earns money as a seamstress. Ernesto
contributes to the family income by
performing odd jobs. In Mazatlán he
attends school for the first time and joins a
neighborhood gang. After the
revolutionaries take over Mazatlán, José
barely escapes getting killed by a deceitful
boss. Doña Henriqueta decides that the
best thing for the family’s future is for
them to leave Mazatlán.
Ernesto and his mother ride a train north
to meet Gustavo and José in California.
They rent an apartment in Mrs. Dodson’s
boarding house, which is located in a poor
Sacramento neighborhood.
Ernesto makes many friends in
Sacramento. At school, the teachers are
eager to transform him into an American,
but they also encourage him to take pride
in his Mexican heritage. He proves to be
an excellent student. After many years his
mother remarries and has more children.
By the time Ernesto is a teenager, the
family has grown secure enough to buy a
house, but their dream is shattered when
the Spanish flu epidemic kills Doña
Henriqueta and Gustavo. Ernesto moves
into an apartment with José and continues
his studies. During the summer, he earns
money by working in the fields. Galarza,
who later became an important labor
leader, ends Barrio Boy with a description
of his first attempt at organizing
immigrant workers.
Barri o Boy
41
OP TIONS FOR MOTIVATIN G STU DENTS
Those Were the Days
Help students appreciate the role of older
generations in passing down knowledge.
• Tell students that in Barrio Boy, Galarza
shows how young people learn cultural
traditions and history through
conversations with elders. Explain that
Galarza told anecdotes to his children to
teach them about their origins.
• Ask students what questions about their
own cultures have prompted them to
talk with older members of their families
about the past. Encourage them to
describe the experiences of family
members who have overcome major
obstacles in life.
• Point out that in many cultures, the
elderly are esteemed for their knowledge
and wisdom. Have students list
questions that they would like to ask an
older relative or friend about the past.
On the Move
Help students understand the important
role of immigration in our nation.
• Remind students that the United States is
often called a nation of immigrants. Most
citizens can trace their ancestries to
people who came here from overseas to
seek greater opportunities or to escape
persecution.
• Ask students to imagine that they are
going to make a film about someone
who immigrated to the United States.
The subject can be one of their ancestors,
a family member who is still alive, or
42
someone they admire. Have students
begin researching how the immigrant
came to the United States. They might
get information from relatives or from
other sources, such as memoirs or the
Web site for the Ellis Island immigration
history center (www.ellisisland.org).
• Ask students to form groups to share
their initial findings. Encourage them to
include visual media such as maps and
photographs and present their findings
to the class.
South of the Border
Familiarize students with the geography
of Mexico.
• Draw students’ attention to the map of
Mexico included at the end of Barrio Boy.
Point out that like the United States,
Mexico is a large country with regions
that vary in their geographical features.
Encourage students to refer to the map
as they read Parts One through Three of
Barrio Boy.
• Divide the class into groups. Have each
group focus on a particular region of
Mexico. (Make sure that one of the
groups covers the central western
portion of the country that includes the
cities Mazatlán and Tepic and that
another group covers the region that
borders Arizona.)
• Have each group make an oral
presentation to the class about the land,
climate, resources, and culture of the
region that they chose to focus on.
OP
TIONSFOR
FORUSING
MOTIVATIN
G STU
DENTS
OP
TIONS
REL ATED
READINGS
RELATED READINGS
The Mexican
Revolution
by Mexico Connect
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 24)
Latinos Gain Visibility
in Cultural Life of U.S.
by the New York Times
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 25)
An Hour with Abuelo
by Judith Ortiz Cofer
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 26)
Day in the Barrio
by Judith Ortiz Cofer
Linked
by Naomi Shihab Nye
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 27)
The Balek Scales
by Heinrich Böll
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 28)
MAKING CONNECTIONS TO Barrio Boy
This article provides information on the Mexican Revolution, which had a great
impact on the lives of Galarza and his relatives.
• You may wish to use this selection as a prereading activity for Part One of the book
to provide background on the Mexican Revolution for the students.
• Discuss the difference between a democracy and a dictatorship. Ask students to
identify laws and institutions that are characteristic of a democracy.
This article shows how Hispanic Americans have grown in number and influence
since Galarza’s generation immigrated to the United States.
• You may wish to us this selection as a postreading activity for Part Four, which
describes Galarza’s Americanization in the Sacramento public school system.
• Give students a few minutes to fill in a word web with the words Hispanic culture in
the center. Then ask them which items they jotted down are now part of
mainstream American culture.
• Invite students to compare and contrast Galarza’s feelings toward his Mexican
culture with those of the Mexican Americans quoted in this selection.
A boy gains a better understanding of his immigrant grandfather when he
reluctantly visits him.
• You may wish to use this selection as a postreading activity for Part Two to
emphasize the importance in Mexican culture of showing respect to elders.
• Have students compare the grandfather’s situation in Puerto Rico with the
opportunities available in Ernesto’s hometown, Jalcocotán.
• Ask students to discuss the obstacles that prevented the grandfather from pursuing
a teaching career. Ask if they agree with Arturo’s suggestion that the grandfather
didn’t try hard enough.
Like Ernesto, the speakers of these two poems are careful observers of
everyday life.
• You may wish to use these poems as a prereading activity for Part Four to prepare
students for the sights and sounds that Ernesto experiences in the barrio and to
describe Galarza’s connection to his culture after he immigrates to the United
States.
• Ask students to compare the portrayal of barrio life in Cofer’s poem and in Galarza’s
book.
• Have students consider the ways in which the speaker of Nye’s poem is “linked” to
the Middle East, even though she has never been there. How does Ernesto remain
linked to Mexico after he immigrates to the United States?
Like Ernesto, the protagonist of this story grows up in a place where families labor
together for meager wages.
• You may wish to use this story as a postreading activity for Barrio Boy to compare
and contrast Ernesto Galarza’s family life with that of Franz’s.
• Both Ernesto and Franz work in a system where power and wealth are held by
others. Ask students how they think this shapes their view of the world.
Barri o Boy
43
ANSWER KEY
All answers are sample answers except those for
Vocabulary Practice.
PART ONE
BEFORE YOU READ
Write the Caption
Barrio Boy is based on Ernesto Galarza’s experiences
growing up in the shadow of Mexican dictator Porfirio
Diaz.
ACTIVE READING
Doña Henriqueta—aunt: Ernesto admires and emulates
her ability to stand up to authority with respect; Jose—
uncle; Ernesto likes him and looks up to him; feels lucky
to be in his care; Gustavo—uncle; Ernesto likes and
looks up to him; they have a secret code; Doña Ester—
aunt: Ernesto likes her because she is strong, tells
jokes, and smiles with her eyes.
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Narrator and Point of View
Students may or may not feel it is objective. The author
uses many verbs that make the rooster sound heroic.
Literary Element: Narrator and Point of View
It is important for him to credit the rooster’s bravery and
to exaggerate the story to the point where the bird is a
hero. His view changes only a little when he finds out
that the rooster was never in very much danger. He
loves Coronel and wishes the rooster could know that
people were talking about him.
Reading Strategy: Make Predictions About Plot
Students may say that some family or friends will
become caught up in the hacienda system, or that
people who are already owed will take vengeance on
the officials who run the haciendas.
Reading Strategy: Make Predictions About Plot
Students will most likely predict that the men on
horseback will cause problems for the “people who
walk,” the villagers.
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: What’s Worth Fighting For?
It is clear from this passage that the Galarzas do not
want Gustavo or Jose to fight for either side of the
conflict. To avoid this, they must leave their village.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. Don Catarino is head of the household. The others
show respect for him, but they don’t show affection
toward him.
2. Madero’s followers have revolted against President
Diaz. They seem to sympathize with Madero; they
have not benefited from Diaz’s rule.
3. Possible answers: to teach the children about their
heritage; to inform them of the forces that helped to
shape their parent’s personality.
4. Some students will respond that the village was a
good place because it was fairly peaceful and
harmonious; others might respond that it wasn’t a
good place for a child because of its poverty and
limited opportunities.
5. The rurales come in and take over the village for a
day, demanding food, searching people’s homes and
demanding answers to their questions. The villagers
feel they have been invaded and are in danger of
losing their men and boys to the army, a situation
that forces them to take direct action.
Apply Background
Build Background provided context about the hacienda
system and the debt peonage that kept peasant
workers in bondage to the wealthy landowners.
Literary Element: Narrator and Point of View
1. He has a fairly happy and routine life there, with an
extended family, friends, and pets.
2. As the revolution begins, the villagers live in fear,
and some are forced to leave. He develops a hatred
of the soldiers; when he and his friends play, they
refer to the soldiers as malditos and other insults.
Reading Strategy: Make Predictions About Plot
1. Answers will vary in terms of students’ personal
experience. They may mention moving to a new
44
ANSWER KEY
town or school, making new friends, and so on. They
may mention the difficult adjustment for the Galarza
family, as they are splitting off from a close-knit
village where they have lived for a long time.
2. Predictions will vary, although many students may
have predicted that José and Gustavo would be
caught by the soldiers.
VOCABULARY PRACTICE
1. obliterate
2. lazy
3. presume
4. flickering
5. recitations
Academic Vocabulary
In the second sentence, conduct is a verb meaning “to
carry out or perform.” As a verb, conduct is
pronounced with the stress on the last syllable. As a
noun, it is pronounced with the stress on the first
syllable.
Writing
Write an Article
Students’ articles should include information about any
of the following things: the hiding of the money; the
silent, watchful villagers as the rurales search their
homes; the stiff politeness with which the rurales and
the villagers treat each other; the lack of argument
about preparing food for the rurales.
Speaking and Listening
Oral Report
Students’ reports should:
• show an understanding of the issues.
• show knowledge of how radio and television reports
sound.
• clearly present ideas to the class.
PART TWO
BEFORE YOU READ
Write the Caption
Mexico has a long and complex history of defending its
independence.
ACTIVE READING
Possible answers: Tepic: Responsibilities—shopping
for food Pleasures—watching people at the
marketplace Acaponeta: Housing—a cottage
Responsibilities—carrying water from the well
Pleasures—visiting the railroad station Casa Redonda:
Housing—a tent Responsibilities—delivering lunches
Pleasures—going on trips with José Leandro Valle:
Housing—a brick room Responsibilities—working for
the pozole seller Pleasures—riding in carriages and the
mini-train
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Style
The hosts are very polite and do not ask questions.
They refuse money for shelter, give the travelers food,
and accept a small gift in return. These details reveal a
code of mutual respect and support among the
mountain people.
Literary Element: Style
Details include: the tops of walls set with pieces of
glass and broken bottles, women with blue shawls,
wicker baskets filled with various foods, the sound of
foot and cart traffic on cobblestone streets. The overall
effect is one of a bustling center of activity.
Reading Strategy: Analyze Conflict
They are struggling against poverty to survive.
Reading Strategy: Analyze Conflict
Ernesto is torn between his need to help his family and
his desire to fit in with the barrio boys.
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: What is Worth Fighting For?
Ernesto’s mother has a great deal of power in the
family–what she says goes. Once she sees that Jose is
unsafe in Mazatlan, she fights to potect her family by
once again insisting that all of them leave town.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. They raise money by pawning a gold ring or
borrowing from Doña Florencia, they buy groceries
on credit, and they cut food expenses. Their poverty
makes them vulnerable to illness, and the doctors,
Barri o Boy
45
ANSWER KEY
2.
3.
4.
5.
dentists, and druggists do not provide the credit they
would need to pay for healthcare expenses.
He fights with the gang’s leader, El Perico. Ernesto
has lacked stability because of his family’s frequent
moves, and the gang gives him a sense of belonging
and importance.
José’s boss tries to have him killed to avoid paying
his wages, and Doña Henriqueta fears that there will
be more trouble from him. Possible answer: the
revolution has made it difficult for the uncles to find
work, and there is no place in Mexico that is free
from the danger of armed conflict.
Some students might respond that she should have
forbidden it because the gang encourages him to
smoke and fight. Others might respond that the
gang’s activities are fairly harmless and that the
vices Ernesto picks up are outweighed by the sense
of belonging he gets from the gang.
For Dona Henriqueta, it is more important to leave
Mazatlan and preserve her family than to allow Jose
to risk being hurt or killed.
Apply Author Information
Students may mention Galarza’s background in
bilingual education and his fight against stereotypes as
having a direct bearing on their understanding of this
section of the novel.
Literary Element: Style
1. Students may mention the food vendors, the Cinco
de Mayo celebration, the encounter with the
villainous patron, or other scenes. They should back
their selections with specific details from the story.
2. Students may say the Spanish words give the story
more authenticity.
Reading Strategy: Analyze Conflict
1. The family could not afford to be sick because they
would lose money and work. Also they had little or
no money or credit to pay doctors. Although illness
could be painful, the family was more afraid of the
expense.
46
2. El Perico picked on Ernesto until Ernesto at last
fought back. They both threw rocks, and Ernesto
was knocked unconscious. As a result of this
encounter, Ernesto was admitted as a junior member
of the Brewery Boys.
Vocabulary Practice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
consternation
perfidious
sonorous
indelible
desolate
Academic Vocabulary
Here credit means “the provision of money, goods, and
services with the expectation of future payment.”
Write with Style
Apply Description
Students’ paragraphs should
• focus on a single place or incident
• be organized in a logical progression
• use concrete images
• avoid figurative language
Speaking and Listening
Literature Groups
Many groups will feel that the Galarzas have made the
right decision in moving to the United States, as life in
Mazatlan had become dangerous. Some groups may
feel just the opposite—that the Galarzas should have
stayed in Mexico where they knew the land and the
language. Students should create detailed charts and
then work together cooperatively to merge information
in search of consensus.
ANSWER KEY
PART THREE–FIVE
BEFORE YOU READ
Summarize
It is estimated that the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic killed
at least 20 million people of all ages around the world.
ACTIVE READING
They did not learn English; Ernesto votes for Homer,
Homer votes for himself and wins the election; his
family buys him a violin, he takes lessons, eventually
he’s asked to join the Sacramento Boys Band, the rest
of the world around Sacramento opens up; they move
out of the barrio to a house; they partition the basement;
Gustavo and Doña Henriqueta die; he meets Mr. Lubin
who tells him to organize the workers, he later makes
his first organizing speech.
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Diction
Students may say that the distinction between
acceptable “American talk” and unacceptable “pocho
talk” gives them insights into the mind-sets of Gustavo
and José, of Ernesto, and of Ernesto’s mother.
Literary Element: Diction
It shows that he has respect for her opinions and
customs.
Reading Strategy: Identify Cause-and-Effect
Relationships
The illnesses and deaths of his loved ones were the
causes. Even more basic causes might be José’s
lifelong struggle to earn a living and be treated fairly.
Reading Strategy: Identify Cause-and-Effect
Relationships
She immediately sent for a curandera, or traditional
Mexican healer.
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: What’s Worth Fighting For?
Ernesto knows that he will be ordered off the ranch by
the powerful contractor. This powerlessness makes
him understand that his life will not change unless he
helps to change the way immigrant workers are
treated. He understands that he and other immigrants
like him have been given unfair treatment for years,
they have no power, and they must unite to change that.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. She marries a Mexican who arrived in California
soon after Ernesto’s family did. Possible responses:
he doesn’t feel that his stepfather was an important
part of his life; he may not have liked him.
2. He generally has excellent relationships with his
teachers; he is an eager, intelligent student, and the
teachers are very helpful. She is probably concerned
that working in a dance hall will be a bad influence
on him.
3. The scene demonstrates that Ernesto has become a
mature and independent person and shows the
beginning of his labor activism. Some students might
like the ending because it completes Galarza’s
portrait of his youth; others might prefer a more
emotional or dramatic ending.
4. Possible response: He might miss the connection to
a distinct culture as well as the more communal
nature of Mexican society compared to that of the
United States.
5. He has found a cause in defending the rights of
immigrant workers.
Apply Background
Students may say that the fact that two of the memoir’s
major characters died in the space of two pages made
sense in terms of the information in the Background
section about how quickly the illness took lives.
Literary Element: Diction
1. While many students will find the unadorned diction
compelling, some may believe that the memoir
would be more exciting and moving if Galarza used
more emotional wording at times.
2. Students may mention context clues, Spanish words
that have come into common usage in English, and
direct translation in appositive phrase.
Reading Strategy: Identify Cause-and-Effect
Relationships
1. José moves himself and Ernesto out of Mrs.
Dodson’s and into a basement apartment on the
edge of the barrio.
2. The death of a child led the women of the village to
guess that the ditch water was responsible for the
illness. This made them unite to bring in an inspector.
Barri o Boy
47
ANSWER KEY
Vocabulary Practice
Day in the Barrio/Linked
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Make Connections Some students might say that
Cofer’s poem reminds them of Ernesto’s experience
because it is set in a crowded Hispanic neighborhood;
others might respond that “Linked” reminds them of the
strength that Ernesto gains from his close ties to his
relatives.
adaptation
illegal goods
adherent
trance
ephemeral
Academic Vocabulary
The Balek Scales
definition: to restrain or confine
synonyms: constrain, impede
antonyms: broaden, set free
sentence: Though Charles had to restrict his
movements, the doctor said his leg would heal within
six weeks.
Make Connections Both boys work hard to support
their families. Both boys live in societies that require
much of them but which give back little.
Write with Style
Apply Diction
Students’ letters should contain multiple examples of
slang or other language specific to a particular social
group. While there may be examples of text message
slang that do not use standard spelling, students should
make a reasonable attempt to create letters that are
clear enough to be read by a general audience.
Research and Report
Literary Criticism
Students’ reports should
• have a clear, reasoned thesis statement
• feature a strong, reasoned point of view
• be supported by examples from the novel
• use proper spelling, grammar, and mechanics
NOVEL AFTER YOU READ
WORK WITH RELATED READINGS
The Mexican Revolution
Make Connections Ernesto’s uncles were all poor
farmers, and they resented being abused by rich
landowners who supported Diaz.
Latinos Gain Visibility in Cultural Life of U.S.
Make Connections Possible answer: Galarza might
have argued that his generation had more ethnic pride
than the article suggests.
An Hour with Abuelo
Make Connections Both boys love to read and are
determined to fulfill their dreams.
48
CONNECT TO OTHER LITERATURE
Narrator and Point of View: While the narrator in
“Escaping” glosses over the problems immigrants face,
Ernesto in Barrio Boy takes a hard look at what it takes
to survive and thrive in a new land.
Style: Although both stories cover a number of years,
they do so in very different styles. Barrio Boy is episodic
and takes the narrator through childhood, adolescence,
and early adulthood. By contrast, the essay by
Sloboknik is so brief that it touches on only the most
major aspects of his parent’s flight to the United States
to escape communist rule in their native
Czechoslovakia.
Diction: Answers will vary but students may note that
the excerpt is very brief and covers a lot of time and
many events. They may feel that Barrio Boy’s longer
structure allows for the use of Spanish idioms to enrich
and enliven the narrative.
Write About It
While both authors credit their family with fighting to
achieve a better way of life in the United States,
Slobodnik’s assessment of the journey is much sunnier
than Galarza’s. At the end of “Escaping,” Slobodnik
says he had boundless opportunities and a wonderful
life. At the end of Barrio Boy, Galarza clearly is still
struggling to attain fair treatment for immigrants like
himself.
RESPOND THROUGH WRITING
Expository Essay
Students’ expository essays should
• analyze cause-and-effect relationships.
• use examples from the text.
• feature a cogent guiding idea.
• use a logical progression to support the topic
sentence or guiding idea.
The Story
of My Life
Helen Keller
The S t ory of My Li f e
49
ABOUT THE WORK
The Story of My Life by Helen Keller
In 1902 Helen Keller wrote The Story of
My Life as a student at Radcliffe College.
Covering the first two decades of her life,
the work involves a series of recollections
rather than a continuous narrative. Keller’s
is an interesting and remarkable story, and
publishers were certain her autobiography
would be well received by the public. First
published in installments in the Ladies’
Home Journal, The Story of My Life gained
instant popularity and was soon published
in book form. Particularly evident in the
work are Helen’s earnestness, her obvious
thirst for knowledge, and her determined
will—qualities that would enable her to
achieve what no one thought possible.
Keller’s story is a classic illustration of
triumph over adversity.
Synopsis
In The Story of My Life, Keller introduces
herself by detailing her family history and
the setting into which she was born.
Unfortunately, when she was nineteen
months old, she suffered an illness that
was diagnosed as “acute congestion of the
stomach and brain.” This illness left her
unable to see or hear.
When Helen is six years old, Anne
Sullivan, a teacher who had studied newly
developed methods for teaching persons
who were deaf-blind, comes to live with
the Kellers and act as Helen’s governess.
Sullivan is able to break the
communication barrier and teach Helen
sign language. In Chapter 4 of the
autobiography, Keller relates the story of
her “awakening”—that moment when she
first discovered the meaning of language.
50
As Helen stands at a water pump with
water flowing over her hands, Sullivan
spells the word water into Helen’s hand.
Suddenly, Helen connects her teacher’s
gestures to the cool liquid she is feeling;
she makes the leap between gesture,
sensation, and meaning. This revelation
leads Helen to view life in a whole new
way; almost in an instant, the world comes
alive to her touch, and she is eager to learn
more. Much of the autobiography recounts
Sullivan’s patient instruction on nature,
literature, life, and spirituality.
Helen’s education continues, and her
attitude and behavior improve. Her
lessons are informal, unstructured,
practical exercises that often involve games
or outdoor activities. She learns to read
and takes pleasure in her
accomplishments.
Among Keller’s crowning achievements
are learning to speak and gaining
admission to Radcliffe College. At age ten,
Helen begins the arduous task of learning
to produce intelligible audible speech.
Desperate to make herself understood by
her family, she practices even on her
homeward journey. She shows similar
determination in preparing for admission
to college. After years of painstaking
preparations, Helen finally gains
admission to Radcliffe at age twenty. The
Story of My Life is an account of her
struggles and triumphs, and her success as
the first deaf-blind woman to achieve a
college education.
OP TIONS FOR MOTIVATIN G STU DENTS
Bringing the Story to Life
Help students to gain an understanding
of Helen Keller’s circumstances.
• Have students discuss what challenges a
person who is hearing- or visionimpaired might face. Focus on the
challenges of completing daily tasks,
gaining an education, working, playing
sports, or enjoying entertainment.
• Show a brief clip from The Miracle
Worker or another film or documentary
about Helen Keller’s life, illustrating the
obstacles that Keller had to overcome.
Choose scenes from the video that reflect
Keller’s specific challenges. Ask
students to speculate on how Keller
might have overcome these challenges.
Understanding Form
Prepare students for the form and
structure of the autobiography.
• Have students develop a list of some of
their fondest childhood memories. Then
ask them to think about how they might
use their lists to compose their own
autobiographies. Explain that Helen
Keller’s The Story of My Life is not a
continuous narrative but a series of
memories, like those on the students’
lists. Point out that often one recollection
prompts another; consequently, students
will need to pay careful attention to the
sense of time as they read the
autobiography.
• Explain to students that the experiences
described in Keller’s autobiography
hold special meaning for the author.
Referring back to students’ lists, have
students reflect on why the particular
memories they wrote down are
important to them. Invite some of the
students to share specific memories and
tell why those memories hold special
meaning for them.
• Point out that Helen Keller traveled a
great deal. Although Keller’s home was
in Alabama, she frequently spent time in
the North. Ask students to discuss some
of the differences in settings in different
parts of the country, especially those
between Massachusetts and Alabama.
For Everyone’s Benefit
Help students recognize how people who
have overcome the challenges of a
disability have helped society.
• Talk about the attitudes of society
toward persons with disabilities. Discuss
some of the ways in which attitudes
have changed since Helen Keller was a
youth. For example, Helen was
discouraged from marrying because
marriage was considered inappropriate
for a woman with her disabilities.
• Discuss Helen Keller’s later life and her
mission to help the blind, her fundraising efforts, and her struggle to raise
awareness about people with disabilities.
Ask students to brainstorm ways in
which people who have overcome
disabilities have made significant
changes in society, such as developing
programs, funding research, educating
the public, and fighting for civil rights.
• Talk about the Americans with
Disabilities Act. Ask students to give
visible examples of ways in which the
ADA has helped Americans with
disabilities. You might discuss such
topics as transportation, parking,
restroom facilities, and others.
The S t ory of My Li f e
51
OP TIONS FOR USING REL ATED READINGS
RELATED READINGS
Selected Letters
by Helen Keller
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 24)
Of One Who Neither
Sees Nor Hears
by Richard Watson
Gilder
On His Deafness
by Robert F. Panara
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 25)
from Sound and
Silence: What Made
Alexander Graham Bell
Invent the Telephone?
by Joseph Epstein
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 26)
from The Miracle
Worker: A Play for
Television
by William Gibson
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 27)
from Call Me Anna:
The Autobiography
of Patty Duke
by Patty Duke and
Kenneth Turan
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 28)
52
MAKING CONNECTIONS TO The Story of My Life
These letters capture Keller’s enthusiasm for sensory experiences,
especially those she encounters during her travels.
• You may wish to have students read the letters before they begin the autobiography
to develop a sense of Keller’s personality and exuberance.
• As students read, ask them to make brief notes about the content of the letters so
that they may refer back to the letters as they read the autobiography.
• Point out to students that the letters were written over a period of several years.
Ask them to evaluate the letters in the context of Keller’s age at the time they were
written. Does her writing change in any way over time?
These poems describe ways in which people who face challenges, such as
hearing- or vision-impairment, meet those challenges with creativity and
determination.
• Ask students to evaluate irony in the poems. How are the images in the poems
ironic in view of the circumstances of the individuals described in the poems?
• You may wish to focus further on the sensory images in the poems. Ask students to
consider the effect of each of the five senses addressed in the poems.
• After students read, ask them to reflect on the tone of each poem. Is it positive or
negative? Happy or sad? Encouraging or discouraging?
This article provides an overview of Alexander Graham Bell’s life and
achievements.
• You may wish to have students read this selection as they near the end of the
autobiography and have developed a sense of Keller’s relationship with Bell. Explain
that Bell considered his work with the deaf to be his greatest contribution to society.
• Before students read, encourage them to note Bell’s achievements other than the
invention of the telephone. Point out that Bell worked in several fields.
• After students read, ask them to discuss which of Bell’s qualities they most admire
and why. Invite students to reflect on the lasting impact that a single person can
have on humanity.
This excerpt from the play dramatizes Helen’s experience at the water pump and
her initial realization that “everything has a name.”
• You may wish to have students read this excerpt in conjunction with Chapters 4–7.
• Ask students to compare the scene in the play to Keller’s description in the
autobiography. How does visualizing the event help highlight its importance in
Keller’s life?
This chapter from Patty Duke’s autobiography describes Duke’s preparation to play
Helen Keller in the Broadway production of The Miracle Worker.
• Before students read, have them list ways in which they might prepare to act the
role of a person who is hearing- or vision-impaired. What special challenges might
the project pose?
• After students read, ask them to compare their strategies for preparing for such a
role as Duke’s. Which seem most effective? Why?
• Ask students to consider how acting a role can help someone develop an
appreciation for the challenges others face.
ANSWER KEY
All answers are sample answers except those for
Vocabulary Practice.
CHAPTERS 1–10
BEFORE YOU READ
Write the Caption Annie Sullivan, Helen Keller’s
teacher, came to the family when Helen was just six
years old.
ACTIVE READING
Anne Sullivan arrives: Helen gains a friend; her
education begins; Helen learns to communicate
through sign language: Helen becomes eager to learn;
she feels more connected to the world; Helen begins to
understand the concepts of abstract ideas: Helen’s
relationships with others deepen; she is able to learn
about other abstract ideas; Helen learns to read: Helen
develops a love for stories; she starts to arrange
sentences herself; Helen and her teacher visit Boston:
Helen visits the Perkins Institute for the Blind and
makes friends; she learns much about U.S. history
through visiting historical places.
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Voice
She uses interesting verbs (crept, struggled), phrases
(invisible hands were holding me, cause of the tempest)
and emotional words (urgent, outburst, passion,
frantic). The passage contains mostly compound
sentences, and each sentence conveys a complete
thought.
Literary Element: Voice
It builds anticipation to find out more about this very
special person who changed Helen Keller’s life in such
a profound way.
Reading Strategy: Connect to Personal Experience
Answers will vary but will likely reflect students’
childhood disappointment, anger, or sense of loss or
loneliness regarding the once beloved object.
Reading Strategy: Connect to Personal Experience
Students may choose a city or town, a particular
building, a park, or even their own backyard or bedroom
at home. Their answers should reflect deep affection
for their chosen place. Differences between their
responses and Helen’s might include answers such as
this: “For Helen, her time in Boston flew by. But when
I’m in _____, time seems to stand still and I want to stay
right there forever.”
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Idea: What Really Matters
Understanding love and other complex concepts is
important to Helen because it is all so new to her.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. Miss Sullivan spells the word water into Helen’s
hands as the water flows over them at the pump.
Helen suddenly realizes the hand gestures have
meaning. This event gives her hope that she will be
able to communicate.
2. Helen arranges slips of cardboard with words in
raised letters into sentences. Miss Sullivan makes a
game of learning to read. She instills in Helen a love
of learning.
3. They visit the Perkins Institute for the Blind, Bunker
Hill, and Plymouth Rock. In Boston, Helen has her
first history lesson, and she communicates with
children her own age.
4. Helen and her teacher develop an inseparable bond.
This relationship allows Helen to reach her full
potential. Students’ responses about their own
experiences will vary.
5. The idea of love makes her see a connection
between her spirit and the spirits of others. The
abstract idea, put into physical terms, thrills her.
Apply Background
Students may have used links from the Introduction to
the Novel to understand the fragmented style of the
autobiography and Helen’s love of travel.
Literary Element: Voice
1. Answers will vary. Students may say that the brief
sketches work similarly to the way memory does, in
that a person doesn’t remember his or her whole life
in order but rather in brief moments, which together
form an overview of life.
2. Students may respond that despite Helen’s passion
for learning and her love of people, she is fairly
unsentimental. They may attribute this to the fact
that her disability makes her unwilling to write about
things that will elicit pity from readers.
Reading Strategy: Connect to Personal Experience
1. Answers will vary but students should list specific
traits and experiences that support the way they feel
about their chosen person.
The S t ory of My Li f e
53
ANSWER KEY
2. Students may mention subjects in school, job skills,
musical instruments, and other skills that can be
difficult to learn and do well. They may mention
feelings of frustration, anger, and childishness like
those Helen Keller writes about.
Vocabulary Practice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
indulgent
anecdotes
innate
poignancy
caprice
Academic Vocabulary
definition: fundamental law or assumption
synonyms: code, belief, standard
antonyms: lie, falsehood
sentence: The Golden Rule is a principle that everyone
should live by.
Writing
Apply Sentence Structure
Students’ paragraphs should
• reveal a childhood memory
• use varying sentence lengths
• use varying sentence structures
Research and Report
Visual/Media Presentation
Students’ presentations should:
• reflect key details from their research
• reflect their intentional use of design and layout in
their visual aids
• be neatly labeled and use proper terminology
• be presented using performance techniques such as
modulated voice, good posture, and eye contact
CHAPTERS 11–17
BEFORE YOU READ
Write a Caption
Most people enjoy a ride on the Ferris wheel, but many
don’t know that it debuted in 1893 at the World’s Fair.
54
ACTIVE READING
12: New England; there is a snowstorm; Helen enjoys
tobogganing; 13: spring of 1890; at or near the Horace
Mann School (Boston); Tuscumbia, AL; Helen learns to
speak; 14: winter of 1892; Alabama, at Fern Quarry;
Boston; the “Frost King” incident; she loses the
friendship of Mr. Anagnos; 15: summer and winter
following “The Frost King”; at home in Alabama;
Niagara Falls; the World’s Fair; Helen is enraptured with
Niagara Falls; she is allowed to touch exhibits at the
World’s Fair; 16: October 1893; Hulton, PA; Helen
improves her French and studies Latin; 17: summer and
fall of 1894; Wright-Humason School for the Deaf in
New York City; Helen learns German; she struggles to
improve her speech; she takes excursions.
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Flashback
The flashback begins with the second paragraph of
Chapter 14. The author uses flashback to bring readers
into the problematic story behind her writing “The Frost
King.”
Literary Element: Flashback
Answers will vary, but students will likely say that she
wanted to add drama or a sense of present action to
the flashback by including dialogue.
Reading Skill: Interpret Figurative Language
Metaphors: “The withered grass and the bushes were
transformed into a forest of icicles.” Answers may vary,
but students will likely interpret the metaphor correctly,
that the grass and bushes were like a forest made of
icicles and were made more beautiful. Personification:
“a mysterious hand had stripped the trees and bush,
leaving only here and there a wrinkled leaf ”; “Winter
was on hill and field. The earth seemed benumbed by
his icy touch . . . ,” “. . . the day was shrunk and cold . . .
earth and sea.” Answers may vary, but students will
likely interpret the personifications correctly, that
winter is like a man whose hands have pulled off leaves
and touched the earth with a cold hand, and that the
day is like a dying old woman.
Reading Skill: Interpret Figurative Language
“The air stung my cheeks like fire.”: very cold air and
fire; “The trees stood motionless and white like figures
in a marble frieze”: still, snow-covered trees and white
marble sculptures; “. . . the twigs sparkled like
diamonds”: glittering ice-covered twigs and sparkling
diamonds.
ANSWER KEY
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: What Really Matters?
She has difficulty distinguishing what ideas are original
and what are those she has read about. It’s important to
her to try to be original. By doing so, she may also be
able to get over the plagiarism experience she had.
2. Answers will vary. Students may say that most
stories use flashbacks as a specific way of returning
to a past event, whereas Helen Keller’s entire story
is about the past. In a sense her use of flashback is
like a flashback within a flashback.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. At first, Mr. Anagnos believes Helen. However, he
gradually comes to doubt her innocence. He is
embarrassed for having published the story.
2. Helen is awed by the majesty of Niagara Falls. At the
World’s Fair, she is fascinated by the exhibits and
entranced by all that she learns about other cultures.
She calls these places “wonders” because of her
sensory experiences and how these experiences
enhance her education.
3. Helen seizes every opportunity to gain knowledge.
Learning allows her to participate more fully in the
world and enjoy her life. Her successes give her
much personal satisfaction.
4. Possible answers: Helen might enjoy anything
related to nature and the outdoors. If the scenery is
interesting or historic, she might enjoy learning
about its history. Also, Helen would delight in lively
company.
5. She feels guilty about it and doesn’t fully understand
how it happened. Writing about it may have been a
way to get it out into the open and explain herself
once and for all.
1. Communication with others is compared to a
blossoming rose. Students should note that
blossoming is a positive thing that indicates growth
and health, meaning that Helen felt herself growing
spiritually and mentally by connecting with others.
2. It is an example of personification. Students may say
that the stream sounds like a child at play.
Apply Background
Students may remember that Meet the Author
mentioned that Helen’s love of nature and learning
pulled her through even her darkest moments. This
section of the novel features many details about
learning and nature. It also takes readers through one
of Helen’s darkest moments having to do with an
accusation of plagiarism.
Literary Element: Flashback
1. Students may say that the flashback is clearly
defined by the way the author introduces and
references it. She begins the chapter in the winter of
1892 and then takes readers back to the fall of 1890
when she first wrote the story for Mr. Anagnos.
Reading Skill: Interpret Figurative Language
Vocabulary Practice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
same
opposite
opposite
same
opposite
Academic Vocabulary
The context of two different things working toward a
common goal creates the meaning of correspond: “to
compare closely.”
Write with Style
Apply Figurative Language
Students’ paragraphs should
• be based on an incident from their own lives
• use one example each of metaphor, simile, and
personification
• begin with a strong topic sentence
• use interesting word choices
Speaking and Listening
Literature Group
Students should work together to create logical and
well-supported points. They should participate fully in
the discussion, maintain both their concentration and
their calm, and be polite to fellow speakers. Their
evaluations of their own and the group’s performances
should be supported with specific examples of what
worked and what could use improvement.
The S t ory of My Li f e
55
ANSWER KEY
CHAPTERS 18–23
BEFORE YOU READ
Summarize
Frenchman Louis Braille expanded on the work of
Charles Barbier to create an alphabet system for the
blind, which became known as Braille.
ACTIVE READING
Teachers lacked experience with deaf and blind
students: Miss Sullivan attended class with Helen and
interpreted for her. Today—there are many
technologies available for hearing- and vision-impaired
students in the classroom. Textbooks could not be
embossed quickly enough to be of use to Helen in class:
She used Braille to copy Latin and write compositions
and translations. Today—there are far more texts and
Internet resources that are readily available. Mr.
Gilman held Helen back: Helen’s mother took her out of
the Gilman Institute and got her a tutor. Today—Helen
would be protected against Mr. Gilman’s behavior by
antidiscrimination laws.
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Anecdote
Answers will vary, but students may say that Holmes
was moved by the fact that Helen, despite her disability,
was able to recite a sad and beautiful poem from
memory.
Literary Element: Anecdote
Students may say that it shows Bell to be an excellent
teacher and Helen to be a good and always curious
student.
Reading Strategy: Analyze Historical Context
The passage illustrates the well-meaning but restrictive
and biased attitudes toward students with disabilities.
Reading Strategy: Analyze Historical Context
Helen’s insistence on getting the workable information
and gaining the tools to overcome every obstacle
prepared her well for college.
56
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: What Really Matters?
Helen feels that knowledge is what connects her to not
only her personal power but also to other people and to
all of human history. Students may say that Helen did
not have the tools to acquire knowledge when she was
a little girl and as she grew and learned from Miss
Sullivan and others, she began to understand just how
important gaining knowledge really was to her.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. Helen enjoys sports, such as canoeing, sailing, and
horseback riding. In addition, she likes to knit and
crochet. She also plays checkers, chess, and
solitaire. Helen will not let her circumstances
prevent her from enjoying life’s pleasures.
2. Helen is especially grateful for her friendships with
Bishop Brooks, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Edward
Everett Hale, and Alexander Graham Bell. She also
mentions other literary figures as well as the
Huttons. Helen feels a reverence for these
friendships.
3. Helen might remind you not to be discouraged by
small failures but to keep trying. What may seem
impossible can become a reality through hard work,
patience, and time.
4. Perhaps Helen Keller hoped to inspire others in their
quest to overcome trials and adversity. Physical
limitations should not prevent individual happiness.
5. Although answers will vary, many students will
mention friendship, knowledge and learning,
meeting new people, travel, and love.
Apply Background
Students will probably note that Build Background was
about Louis Braille and his Braille alphabet, which
relates directly to this section about Helen’s higher
education, which required her to use Braille.
Literary Element: Anecdote
1. Students may choose any of the many anecdotes in
this series. They should back their responses with
specific personal insights about what they
responded to in the material.
2. She means that the temperature of the hand, the
pressure of the handshake, and other factors reveal
all kinds of things about each person she meets.
ANSWER KEY
Reading Skill: Analyze Historical Context
NOVEL AFTER YOU READ
1. Students may note that there are a great many more
facilities and technologies available to hearing- and
vision-impaired students today.
2. Although there are many similarities, students may
mention playing computer games, watching
television, visiting shopping malls, and other
activities they and other young people enjoy, which
were not available during Helen Keller’s youth.
WORK WITH RELATED READINGS
Selected Letters
The letters convey a friendly and personal tone, less
formal than that of the autobiography. In the letter to
her mother, for example, the tone is more intimate. The
letters express the closeness of her relationship to the
recipients.
Vocabulary Practice
On His Deafness and Of One Who Neither Sees
Nor Hears
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
d
c
f
a
g
Academic Vocabulary
Students may say that the word refusal combined with
the phrase the things she wanted to do gave them a
negative context for the word restrict, which means “to
limit or hold back.”
Writing
Write a Script
Students’ scripts should
• include both dialogue and stage directions
• portray a specific scene from the autobiography
• create a complete dramatic anecdote
Research and Report
Internet Connection
Students’ reports should
• make clear use of Internet resources
• cite all Web sites correctly
• make use of their charts of research questions and
answers
In their poems, Panara and Gilder do not lament over
physical disabilities. Instead, they suggest that sensory
experiences can come through various means. Keller
expresses the same idea in her autobiography.
from Sound and Silence
Keller characterizes Bell as a knowledgeable and
compassionate individual. She admires his sense of
humor and his love of children. Bell took a personal
interest in Keller’s life.
from The Miracle Worker: A Play for Television
In the autobiography, Helen is far less detailed and
focuses immediately on her feelings of awakening. The
play helps the audience or reader gain a greater
appreciation for the depth of emotion that Helen
experiences at this critical moment.
from Call Me Anna: The Autobiography
of Patty Duke
Like Helen Keller, Duke must focus intently in order to
learn. Helen Keller had to work out problems in her
mind rather than on paper. Similarly, Duke had to focus
on every movement, gesture, and action in order to
portray Keller.
The S t ory of My Li f e
57
ANSWER KEY
CONNECT TO OTHER LITERATURE
Voice: Both writers vary their sentence length and
sentence structure to create strong rhythms. Both have
a fairly straightforward, conversational style and rarely
use complex vocabulary. This makes their stories easy
to follow without being confusing or boring.
Flashback: Students may say that a flashback could
reveal information about Paulsen’s earlier life or his
other strange or scary experiences.
Anecdote: Both works reveal a strong sense of
fascination or curiosity on the part of their narrators, as
well as tenacity and the ability to move past their own
fears.
Write About It
Students will very likely point out that Helen Keller’s
separation from society had to do with her disability,
and she fought to close that gap. Gary Paulsen, on the
other hand, seems to be comfortable with the choice of
traveling in the wild with only his dogs to keep him
company. Through different means, each appears to be
seeking a way to be independent.
58
RESPOND THROUGH WRITING
Autobiographical Narrative
Students’ autobiographical narratives should
• be based on an event from their lives
• use a direct and straightforward writing style
• use a logical progression to support the topic
sentence or guiding idea
• use an example of flashback
• use strong transitions into and out of the flashback
The
Glory Field
Walter Dean Myers
The G l ory Fi el d
59
A BOUT THE WORK
The Glory Field by Walter Dean Myers
In The Glory Field, readers take a historical
journey from the African slave trade of the
mid-1700s to 1994 Harlem. Readers follow
the lives of the young central characters,
all members of the Lewis family, who
strive to find and define their identities as
they face critical life decisions. Along the
way they explore the themes of courage,
pride, self-reliance, perseverance, and the
power of family and of place.
This novel includes graphic descriptions of
violence and brutality and deals with
subjects such as drug addiction and racial
bigotry that many students will find
disturbing. As appropriate, discuss these
issues with students before, during, and
after their reading.
Synopsis
The novel contains six separate sections
and an epilogue, with each section
focusing on a young character from a
different generation of the Lewis family.
Each person faces a turning point in his or
her life. The turning points reflect the
political and social history of each time
period.
“July 1753” tells the story of Muhammad
Bilal, a young boy stolen from his African
village by slave traders. Muhammad, in
agony, spends days in shackles aboard a
slave ship, while struggling to survive.
“March 1864” introduces Muhammad’s
great-grandson Moses, his wife Saran, their
son Lem, and Lizzy, a teenager who has
lived with the family since her mother’s
death. All of them are enslaved on the Live
Oaks Plantation on Curry Island, South
Carolina. Lem is captured after running
away with his Uncle Joshua; Lizzy has to
60
flee after she becomes entangled with
Joshua’s attempt to free Lem. The three
end up in a Union army camp, committed
to freedom.
In “April 1900,” the main character is
Elijah Lewis, the son of Lizzy and Richard
Lewis (Lem’s brother). Now free, the
Lewises have become landowners on
Curry Island. They struggle to pay the
taxes on their land, which they call the
Glory Field. To earn the tax money, Elijah
agrees to undertake a dangerous search for
a lost white boy but demands fair payment
for his risk. The boy’s father agrees and
honors his pledge. But other whites resent
Elijah’s demands, and he must flee to the
North to escape an angry mob.
“May 1930” focuses on Luvenia Lewis,
Elijah’s daughter, who lives in Chicago.
She wants to go to college and needs help
from her employer to do so. When Luvenia
loses her job, she opens a beauty shop.
“January 1964” takes readers back to South
Carolina, where Tommy Lewis loses a
scholarship after he takes a stand on civil
rights.
In “August 1994,” Luvenia gives her
grandnephew Malcolm Lewis the task of
bringing his crack-addicted cousin, Shep,
to the family reunion on Curry Island.
Malcolm and Shep arrive on Curry, where
Lewis family members are picking the last
sweet-potato crop from the Glory Field
before the family property is converted to
a resort. Malcolm forms a close bond with
Planter Lewis, Tommy’s father and keeper
of the infamous shackles. In the
“Epilogue,” Planter has died, and Malcolm
inherits the shackles as a reminder of the
family’s journey to freedom.
OP TIONS FOR MOTIVATIN G STU DENTS
Setting the Scene
Discuss some of the geographical
locations and historical settings of the
novel. (Interdisciplinary: Geography/
History)
• Tell students that in 1753, Muhammad
Bilal, one of the main characters in the
novel, was captured by slave traders and
forced onto a ship off the coast of Sierra
Leone in West Africa. The ship set sail
with its human cargo, and eventually
Muhammad arrived in the United States,
where he was enslaved on an island off
the coast of South Carolina. Invite
volunteers to locate Sierra Leone and
South Carolina on a world map and to
calculate the approximate length of
Muhammad’s journey.
• If possible, show students pictures of
slave ships to help them understand the
deplorable and dehumanizing
conditions on these ships. Explain that
many captives died during the journey;
the others, surrounded by the stench of
death, were left to imagine the horrors
that awaited them.
Family Tree
Introduce students to the Lewis family
tree.
• Tell students that this novel follows one
African American family over a period
of 241 years, from 1753 until 1994.
• Have students turn to the
comprehensive family tree at the front of
the novel. Invite volunteers to explain
how it shows the relationships between
family members in the same generation
and in different generations. Then have
students look at the smaller family trees
that precede each section of the novel.
Do students notice that these smaller
family trees are excerpted from the
comprehensive one?
• Explain that the family trees will be
useful references as students read the
multigenerational stories that make up
this novel. Urge them to bookmark the
family trees and to refer to them as they
read.
Racism
Discuss racism, one of the novel’s
important themes.
• Invite volunteers to define racism. Then
have students meet in small groups to
brainstorm answers to questions like
these: What causes racism—is it fear,
hatred, ignorance, or other factors? What
makes racism such a negative and
harmful force in a community and in
society at large? How does racism affect
everyday life? What are some solutions
for the problems of racism? How can it
be eliminated from a society’s
institutions? From people’s hearts and
minds?
• Ask members of each group to share
their ideas and opinions with the entire
class. Tell students to keep these insights
in mind as they read the novel. Warn
students that The Glory Field depicts the
ugly fruits of racism: the injustice and
inhumanity of slavery, scenes of violence
and brutality, racial slurs, and attitudes
of racial superiority. Explain that the
author has depicted racism in American
life in a stark, realistic way, in order to
show its tragic and poisonous effects.
The G l ory Fi el d
61
OP TIONS FOR USING REL ATED READINGS
RELATED READINGS
Inheriting Slavery
by Katie Bacon
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 25)
Glory
by Roger Ebert
Federal Accounts of
the July 18 Assault on
Wagner
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 26)
Runagate Runagate
by Robert Hayden
Lay Freedom Among Us
by Rita Dove
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 27)
from The Promised
Land
by Nicholas Lemann
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 28)
The Sit-in Movement
by Belinda Rochelle
(Glencoe’s Literature
Library, BLM page 29)
62
MAKING CONNECTIONS TO The Glory Field
Edward Ball’s ancestors owned plantations in the South both before and after the
Civil War. In this interview, he talks about researching the history of the people his
family enslaved.
• Ask students what they know about the plantation system in the South before the
Civil War. As students read, have them note the reactions different people had
when they learned of Ball’s research plans.
• After students read, ask them whether or not they think Ball was successful in his
goal of bringing “black and white history into a shared history.”
In this movie review, Roger Ebert explains the historical background of a film about
the first African American regiment to fight in the Civil War. In the first-person
accounts, soldiers from that regiment describe their first, decisive battle.
• Before students read, tell them African Americans were excluded from the military
for the first two years of the Civil War. During the second half of the war, however,
hundreds of thousands of African Americans were recruited to fight for the North.
• As students read, ask them to compare Ebert’s description of the battle to the
soldiers’ descriptions.
Both of these poets celebrate freedom—Robert Hayden by evoking the terror and
joy of escaping from enslavement and Rita Dove by meditating on the statue
Freedom.
• Have students share what they know about Harriet Tubman and the Underground
Railroad. Then tell them that the statue Freedom was originally placed on the
Capitol Building during the Civil War.
• After students read the poems, ask them which one they think most closely
captures the spirit of The Glory Field. Why do they think so?
This excerpt tells about the experience of one of the millions of African Americans
who moved from the South to the North during the twentieth century.
• Tell students that prior to 1910, 80 percent of all African Americans lived in the
South. After 1970, more than half of all African Americans lived in the North. This
population shift is called the Great Migration.
• After students read, ask them to draw on Uless’s experience to list reasons African
Americans might have wanted to move from the South to the North.
This excerpted chapter introduces students who played a large role in the civil
rights struggle in the South.
• Point out that in the 1950s, a system of legally enforced racial segregation still
existed in the South. Ask students to imagine what it would be like to be in Joseph
McNeil’s or Harvey Gantt’s position.
• After students read, ask what modern-day situations might require the kind of
bravery shown by those who participated in the civil rights movement.
All answers are sample answers except those for
Vocabulary Practice.
JULY 1753–APRIL 1900
BEFORE YOU READ
Summarize
During the years of slavery, enslaved African
Americans had no control over their own lives and
spent their days serving their owners. After slavery,
laws changed, but African Americans could not
exercise their rights.
ACTIVE READING
Muhammad climax: faces death and despair during
horrible journey; resolution: uses strength of spirit and
thoughts of freedom to survive; Lizzy conflict: caught up
in Lem and Joshua’s escape plan; climax: spends night
in tree and commits to freedom; resolution: goes with
African American regiment of Union army to help cook
and mend; Elijah conflict: wants to help family pay taxes
and also prove himself; climax: stands up to white men
after risking great danger to rescue David; resolution:
gets tax money, goes North to escape white mob
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Plot
The conflict is the escaped slaves against their owner.
The owner’s agents are in pursuit. The sound of the
hounds contributes to the rising action by adding
tension or suspense.
Literary Element: Plot
This seems to be the point of highest excitement. Lem,
the escaped slave, has apparently been caught. (In
reality, however, he has reached the Union lines and
safety.)
Reading Skill: Analyze Text Features
The part heading tells that 101 years have passed since
Muhammad Bilal was captured and that the setting is
now a plantation on Curry Island, South Carolina. The
reader infers that these characters are the
descendants of Muhammad Bilal because the name of
Muhammad’s mother was Saran, and a woman named
Saran appears in this family tree.
Reading Skill: Analyze Text Features
The heading tells that the place is the same, but the
time is 36 years later. The family tree suggests that this
part of the novel will be about a new generation of
characters who are related to the characters in the
previous part and to Muhammad Bilal.
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: How Do You Keep from Giving Up?
Students’ thoughts may include ideas of pride in being a
Lewis and a sense of loyalty. They may reflect that the
family keeps from giving up by accepting the help and
love of each other in times of need.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. Muhammad was captured by African slave traders
and sold to European slave traders. His reactions
indicate that he is brave, loving, proud, strong, and
steadfast.
2. Lizzy goes to say goodbye to Lem and witnesses
Joshua’s attack on the overseer. Lizzy must flee the
plantation or likely be killed. Before this event, she
feels sorry for Lem but seems to accept her role in
plantation life. After this event, she feels frightened
but no longer willing to remain enslaved.
3. Elijah offers to brave a terrible storm to find David
and refuses Mr. Turner’s offer to pay him $10 rather
than the $25 he offers to the white men. In fact, Elijah
demands $35—the amount of tax money his
grandma needs. Elijah rescues David and collects
the $35 but angers many whites in the community
with his demand for respect and fair treatment.
4. Elijah carries the burden of his family’s many years in
bondage. In taking his stand for “manhood,” he
learns that he can be a man, can name and get his
own terms, but that this status carries a heavy price.
He also learns that sometimes a man must flee a
fight rather than face overwhelming odds.
5. Students may name Muhammad Bilal, who survives
despite horrors and cruelty; Lem and Lizzy, who
escape to freedom behind Union lines; and Elijah,
who does not give up in the storm and who also does
not give up even when he has to leave his home and
family.
Apply Background
It explains the organization or structure of the book as a
series of separate stories about young people. It
explains the relationship of Muhammad Bilal to all the
other characters and the place that the characters call
the “Glory Field.”
1. The most important conflict is between African
Americans and white Americans. Students may say
that these conflicts will be somewhat resolved over
time.
The G l ory Fi el d
63
ANSWER KEY
2. Students will probably note that most novels have a
single main plot, perhaps with subplots, instead of
being a combination of several plots that take place
at different times, as The Glory Field does.
Reading Skill: Analyze Text Features
1. The novel is organized chronologically, but great
spans of time are skipped. Only selected stories in
the history of the Lewis family are told. The novel
spans the years from 1753, when the slave trade was
legal, to 1994; it also spans two continents, Africa
and North America, as well as places within the
United States: South Carolina, Harlem, and Chicago.
2. Accept any reasonable answer such as helping the
reader to connect the characters to Muhammad
Bilal and to earlier generations and helping the
reader to figure out or remember who is who.
Vocabulary Practice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
none
sporadic
uppity
forage
tussle
none
treacherous
Academic Vocabulary
64
MAY 1930 AND JANUARY 1964
BEFORE YOU READ
Write the Caption
During the 1930s, many African Americans left the
South to move to northern cities such as Chicago.
ACTIVE READING
Luvenia: Toward Chicago: wants to stay in Chicago and
live city life; wants to attend University of Chicago;
dreams of opening a beauty shop, has many caring
friends to help her; Toward Curry: faces discrimination
in trying to attend college; loses job and has little
money; Tommy: Following Personal Dream: feels that
maybe segregation is better after all; feels that
education may bring more change than protest;
Working for Equal Rights: influence of Jennie and
others working to gain civil rights; brutal attack on
friend Skeeter during peaceful protest; sees KKK rage
and its effect on coffee shop clerk
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Setting
Miss Robbins and Jed are against change. They think
of King and the civil rights movement as unnecessary.
They think people should stay with their own “kind.”
Tommy knows how unfair the situation is and wants
change, but he expresses his ideas carefully.
definition: to connect or put together with, as if parts of
a chain
synonyms: join, connect, relate
antonyms: separate, disconnect, split
sentence: The new evidence will clearly link the
criminals to the crime.
Literary Element: Setting
Writing
Reading Strategy: Question
Personal Response
Students may give any opinion as long as they use
logical and convincing evidence from the novel or other
experience to support it.
Accept any reasonable question based on textual
evidence such as “What will the girls ask Luvenia to
do?” “Why doesn’t Luvenia know she will get in
trouble?” and “Will Luvenia lose her job?”
Speaking and Listening
Reading Strategy: Question
Literature Groups
Students’ discussions should
• be based on text evidence
• demonstrate effective speaking and listening
strategies
• be accompanied by an evaluation based on four
criteria
Accept any reasonable question based on textual
evidence such as “What is the author showing about
the attitudes of the time and place by including this
scene?” “How does this scene show prejudice or
African American history?” “Why does Luvenia go
along with the plan?”
It shows that change is coming by means of the civil
rights movement. It shows how Tommy cannot really
speak his own mind, even among people who might like
him, and that white people feel justified saying unfair or
cruel things. It shows how people in the South do not
want to end the policy of segregation.
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: How Do You Keep from Giving Up?
Students might jot down ideas about how Miss Etta
does not give up, and also about how the community
helps to keep one of its members from giving up.
Students might also say that everyone in the African
American neighborhoods who gets up earlier and
works harder than the whites do shows the spirit of not
giving up in an unfair world.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. To pay for college, Luvenia applies for a bank loan,
which she can get if her employer will guarantee her
job. Her employer’s daughter agrees to help with the
guarantee and then asks Luvenia to go along with a
prank; Luvenia loses her job when the prank
backfires. Readers learn that most whites in the
community don’t respect or trust the African
Americans, who are quite willing to help Luvenia
when she has to abandon her college plans and
decides to start her own business.
2. Possible answer: No. Florenz is the one who lies to
her father; Luvenia just goes along with the prank,
which she finds humiliating because it reinforces
racial stereotypes. Mr. Deets should give Luvenia
another chance because she has been a good and
loyal employee.
3. Tommy must choose between fighting for equal
rights in his community and going to college as a
non-political African American. The ugly, racist
behavior of the marchers from the White Citizens
Council; the nasty coffee shop clerk; the rocks and
bottles thrown at the civil rights marchers; his boss’s
racist views; and the attack on Skeeter, all help
Tommy decide that he must sacrifice his college
scholarship and take a stand on civil rights.
4. Possible answer: Tommy sacrifices his college
scholarship but gains maturity, self-respect, and the
admiration and respect of family members and
others in the community. He made the right choice
because being true to one’s principles is more
important than a scholarship.
5. Luvenia might have given up at any point in her work
as a maid, when she had to clean the home of rich,
white people. She also might have given up after the
girls used her as part of her plot and she was fired as
a result. Instead, she finds inner strength. She is
confident, hard-working, and determined.
Apply Background
It helps explain that even though many African
Americans left the South for Chicago, life there also
presented many challenges.
Literary Element: Setting
1. The novel suggests that life is constant work, where
African Americans work harder to earn less than
whites do, or where some African Americans work
as servants to whites.
2. In 1964, there is still segregation. People in South
Carolina believe that whites and African Americans
be separate. Protests have started, however, and
integration is beginning in schools and universities.
Reading Strategy: Question
1. Accept any reasonable question based on actual
choices the author made, such as “Why did the
author join up so many different plots?” or “Did the
author become interested by other books that tell
stories of families over time, or did he have family
members who lived some of these experiences?”
2. Accept any reasonable question based on novel
information such as “Why didn’t the author include
more about Martin Luther King, Jr., or show an
actual sit-in or other protest?” and “Did the author
read about a real event in or around 1964 when
someone used shackles to chain himself or herself
in protest?”
Vocabulary Practice
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
opposite
same
same
opposite
same
Academic Vocabulary
A contract is a legal document that states an
agreement between two or more parties.
Writing
Write a Letter
Students’ letters should address the editor, focus on
Sheriff Moser’s press conference and the treatment
Tommy receives while in jail, and adopt the point of
view of someone living in 1964.
The G l ory Fi el d
65
ANSWER KEY
Connect to Content Areas
Math
Students’ reports should
• correctly calculate total rental expenses as well as
numbers of guests and drinks that would generate
that total
• be accompanied by clearly documented, traceable
sources
• reflect on any discrepancies or unpredictable factors
in the costs
AUGUST 1994 AND EPILOGUE
BEFORE YOU READ
Summarize
Harlem, which expanded rapidly during the Great
Migration of the 1930s, became a center of African
American culture.
ACTIVE READING
Malcolm: feels his identity is shaped by his link to his
family; admires Planter, proud of his heritage as a
Lewis; Shep: bitter that the family judges him; finds
strength in the family’s expectations for him; wants help
from family but has trouble saying so
INTERACTIVE READING
Literary Element: Tone
Planter’s attitude is that the chains are much more than
memorabilia. They have been passed down from
generation to generation. They mean everything
because they robbed the family of being human.
Literary Element: Tone
Malcolm laughs at the difference between the country
and city family members as sweet potato pickers, and
Planter jokes, too. There is a light-hearted feeling, even
as some family members exchange glances that show
the work is hard for them.
Reading Strategy: Make Generalizations About
Theme
For Malcolm, both his music and his family give his life
meaning. Music makes him think of his family,
especially Planter. Music is part of Malcolm’s identity,
and so is his family.
Reading Strategy: Make Generalizations About
Theme
The shackles help show the family’s African American
identity and its survival through many hard times,
66
beginning with the days of slavery. It helps show how
the family did not give up.
ON-PAGE NOTE-TAKING
BIG Question: How Do You Keep from Giving Up?
Students might reflect on how Shep needs the support
of his family. His help must start from within himself; yet,
it helps to have family talk to him and surround him.
AFTER YOU READ
Respond and Think Critically
1. Both boys live in Harlem and are almost the same
age. Malcolm lives with his parents and works for
Luvenia while finishing high school. He is a
dedicated musician but also hopes to attend college.
Shep has left home and is living in a street shelter.
He is a crack addict and makes money selling tapes
on the street. The boys share the Lewis family
history.
2. During the trip, Malcolm learns how to solve
problems creatively and how to survive physical
trials; Shep learns that Malcolm won’t desert him. On
Curry, Malcolm learns more about his ancestors and
their suffering. He develops a strong link to Planter
and a personal connection to Lewis family history.
Shep learns that his family really does care about
him. He learns that he can survive, one day at a time,
without crack.
3. Memory and remembering allow the Lewises to
honor their ancestors and celebrate their strengths
and triumphs, while never forgetting the suffering
they endured. They help the Lewises understand
who they are and where they came from.
4. Some students may say that Malcolm and Shep
seem oversimplified, with Malcolm having too many
positive qualities and Shep too many negative ones.
Others may find the characters believable, perhaps
because they know or have read about people who
are like them.
5. Planter never gives up on the farm work or the sweet
potatoes. He is physically strong and mentally
determined. He never gives up on family, and he
preserves the family history through buying back
and passing down the slave chains.
Apply Background
It tells how the author grew up in Harlem in a close-knit
community and among hard-working families. It shows
how he knew firsthand the benefits as well as the tough
problems of life there.
Literary Element: Tone
Speaking and Listening
1. Students may hear easy-going laughter and good
will as well as quiet determination to do what’s right
and wisdom about finding inner strength.
Performance
Students’ performances should
• present a scene showing the outcome of a choice
Malcolm did not make
• effectively use the tone of voice and the type of body
language that each character might actually have
used in the scene
• be accompanied by a group rating
• be accompanied by paragraph of self-assessment
Literary Element: Tone
2. The tone is positive, optimistic, and warm. Malcolm
is playing the music he loves, and at the core of that
music is Planter and his family ties. What has
happened in the Glory Field is called “a good
harvest”: love, family ties, and better lives have
grown out of a challenging history.
Reading Strategy: Make Generalizations About
Theme
1. One way to state the theme is that African
Americans have had an extraordinary struggle but
have triumphed through hard work and family or
community ties. Students may refer to every part of
the novel for evidence.
Reading Strategy: Make Generalizations About
Theme
2. One way to state the theme is that family members
help each other to keep going, despite challenges. A
second way to state the theme is that family ties can
remain strong across the generations. Students may
refer to every part of the novel for evidence.
Vocabulary Practice
NOVEL AFTER YOU READ
WORK WITH RELATED READINGS
Inheriting Slavery
The Lewises may have been cool toward him because
of what their ancestors suffered at the hands of his
ancestors. However, they may have also welcomed the
opportunity to share their family’s history with him.
Federal Accounts of the July 18 Assault on
Wagner/, Glory
The soldiers, unlike the enslaved people, are able to
bear arms and to fight back. They get paid wages
instead of having to work for free, and they are
respected for being brave instead of punished for it.
Runagate Runagate/Lay Freedom Among Us
Answers will vary.
Joshua, Lem, and Lizzy might relate to “Runagate
Runagate” because they themselves escaped from Live
Oaks at night. Other family members may also relate to
the poem since it ties to their family’s history. Tommy
Lewis, who stood up for civil rights and the belief that
freedom “is each of us,” may relate to “Lay Freedom
Among Us.” Deepak Lewis, who is in a multicultural
band, may also relate to the inclusive spirit of that
poem. Other Lewis members may also relate to the
spirit of the poem.
Write With Style
The Promise Land
Apply Tone
Students’ descriptive essays should
• focus on a person or people, a place, or a thing
• convey one attitude and a single dominant impression
• employ a deeply emotional tone
• use a logical order
• use describing words; active, vivid verbs; and figures
of speech
During both decades, the church was a strong factor in
people’s lives, Chicago had a large African American
community, and racism and prejudice were common
problems. In the 1940s, jobs seemed easier to find; the
African American community was growing larger, and
African Americans may have had more opportunities.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
a newspaper column
while waiting in a long line
leaving him out of a plan
in a desert
in a locker room
Academic Vocabulary
The Sit-in Movement
In The Glory Field, Tommy loses his chance to attend
college when he stands up for civil rights in Johnson
The G l ory Fi el d
67
ANSWER KEY
68
City, so he would probably be willing to participate in
the sit-ins.
Write About It
CONNECT TO OTHER LITERATURE
Plot: This is rising action. There is a feeling of suspense
or dread. Students could compare this to the rising
action of any of the plots in The Glory Field. An
especially good match is the suspense that occurs
when Lizzy and Lem are running for their freedom.
Setting: In both cases, there is extreme prejudice
against the “other,” or those perceived as different. The
powerful majority engages in this prejudice against the
weak minority. The weak minority is innocent. The Jews
in this scene fear for their lives, while the African
Americans in The Glory Field fear for their freedom,
their rights, and their livelihoods.
Tone: Students should hear great fear and anxiety in
this passage. They may logically argue that there is no
exact or true equivalent in the novel, or they may
mention passages where characters in The Glory Field
must have been very frightened, such as in the scenes
in the first part about Muhammad Bilal’s experiences,
with the overseer and Joshua, in the small boat during
David’s rescue, and with the townspeople and Elijah.
RESPOND THROUGH WRITING
Short Story
Students’ short stories should
• contain an exposition with a clear conflict
• present rising action that leads at an effective pace to
a clear climax
• present a clear resolution
• use transitions effectively to link ideas
• use concrete sensory details to locate the story in a
specific time and place
Students’ reflections will vary.