Katherine Rosario's Blog

Expanding Avenues for Learning

2011-11-26T15:24:00.000-08:00

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Katherine Rosario

ENG193T

American Born Chinese

Expanding Avenues for Learning

Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese presents an issue dealing with identity through three different stories that tie in together at the end with each story dealing with the issue of identity. There are three main characters that become someone else, the Monkey King becoming The Great Sage Equal of Heaven and Jin Wang becoming Danny and Wei-Chen becoming “an emissary” (Yang 216). Along the lines each of these characters loses their true self. The struggle with identity is presented through both pictures and words, which I find to be a great way to teach immigrant and second language learning students.

American Born Chinese can help immigrant and second language learners can develop language skills. Rebecca A. Wilson provides as article dealing with the strategies in teaching second language learning students, http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/pubs/projcat4/section1/wilson.pdf, while it may be more about children, the concept is still there; special attention to Don’t Just Tell, Show section of the article. This idea is incorporated in American Born Chinese and it can be used along with a vast range of other techniques available. Students not being able to understand the English language should not render them from learning, they just need to learn in a different manner and develop language skills along the way. American Born Chinese is an avenue that can be taken to accomplish this.

Another perk about this graphic novel is that immigrant students and second generation students might be able to relate to the text on a level that other students might not be able to. This would be possible personal connection, dealing with identity and struggle with culture

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within the text and related to the author, Gene Luen Yang, that may occur. Language is not going to be a barrier that will stop such students from understanding the struggle with identity that the Monkey King, Jin Wang and Wei-Chen all go through because the use of the pictures developing story and the words enhancing it aid students with understanding the story.

Graphic novels, such as American Born Chinese, not only can help immigrant and second language learners, but it may also help reluctant readers. In Jason Hales presentation on graphic novels he talked about this idea and how graphic novels may be an avenue in which the reluctant reader may get into reader more. He supplied the information about pairing graphic with other novels. An example that he gave was "paring Elie Wiesel's Night with the Art Spiegelman's graphic novel Maus" (Jason Hales, Slide 4). These are the kinds of thoughts that prospective teachers and teachers today should be thinking more about. If students are reluctant to read then why not try new and different ways to get students interested and motivate. It is like Jason said, "stop teaching to the test, the kids look miserable" (Jason Hales). I must agree with him and add that teachers should look at the dynamics of their class so see what is going to benefit them the most, if graphic novels are a way for this to occur then it should be used to its fullest potential.

There are a number of ways to teach this text along with a number of issues; identity, acceptance, stereotypes and much more. These are all important aspects and would be great to cover with teens in High School given that they will be dealing with as well. They will be able to relate to the text on a personal level and expand with their personal experiences. I draw special attention to are immigrant students, second language learners, second generation students and reluctant readers. They are very well capable of grasping the same concepts as any other student and this graphic novel, American Born Chinese, seems just the text to demonstrate that ability as well as the skills that these students will gain from this text.

Get on a personal level: Relate and make connections

2011-11-13T00:28:00.000-08:00

Katherine Rosario

ENG 193T

11/12/11

If a student in a classroom today were to be asked who Claudette Colvin is their faces just might go blank. For this reason, and many more, Phillip Hoose’s Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice is an important text that needs to be incorporated into classrooms today. Here, we have a young teenage girl, nine months prior to Rosa Parks, standing up for what she believes in. This text, call it a book or memoir or autobiography/biography, offers many avenues to take young adolescent students. It offers such a broad spectrum of issues that students can take on and make connections with. Civil Rights itself has many levels to it and through Twice Toward Justice we can examine some of those levels. This text is a newer text that is not used in the school system yet, but it has great potential to offer great things for both teachers and students. There are a number of topics that can be covered using this text. I would like to focus on the opportunity for students to make connections. The power that this text offers gives students a chance to get motivated and enthused about reading and learning something new, especially of such importance. Students learn about history in their history classes, but usually it is about older people that they cannot relate to. Twice Toward Justice offers something new for students.

Claudette Colvin is a teenage student who stood up for what she believed in. How many students today would be willing to do what she did? It might be few or more than we would anticipate. Students can look to Claudette Colvin as a role model and someone that they may be able to connect with, given that she is one of them; a teen. This can relate to Emmett Till that we learn about in the text. “‘There had been lynchings and cross burnings before, but this was a much stronger warning. Emmett Till was age.’” (59) An undeniable connection exists because they are all about the same age, thus, teens today may see Claudette as one of their peers. This is one way that students can begin to connect with the text, through Claudette herself. This is where the ball gets rolling; students may be more engaged with the text which opens up for more possible connections to be made.

A level at which students may make a connection is with Claudette when she is ridiculed by some and accepted by others for her actions; not giving up her seat for a white person and wearing her hair natural in pigtails. However, these actions may not have much of an impact today as they did back during Claudette’s time. Students may relate other actions of theirs in which they were ridiculed by some and welcomed by others to that of Claudette’s. This would be a great opportunity for a class open discussion or if students are not comfortable then it would be a great time to have them free write about a past experience of theirs. This offers a personal level for students to engage with and may offer for a better understanding.

Other avenues that I see that can be taken with students include incorporating expository and supplementary text. It would be an ideal time to have students to be required to do additional research about Civil Rights, in particular segregation and the bus boycotts. The text itself already offers bits and pieces of this with the addition information that it offers; news paper clippings, police reports and the blackout text boxes. Students can use those as a starting point and move on from there for further information. Once again, there are a number of avenues to take with this text which is why it has such great potential to be used in a classroom. I think that a very important part is to get students to connect on a personal level with Claudette and get their emotions into. This may very well lead to a greater outcome when they get personal engaged with it. Overall, Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice is absolutely a must to incorporate into a classroom.

Love or Hate?

2011-10-15T21:33:00.000-07:00

When I first thought about William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet my initial thought that came to mind was the tragic love story of “Juliet and her Romeo.” Now, after studying this play in college, I find the play to be a tragedy of what hate between two families can result in rather than a love tragedy between Romeo and Juliet alone. I have never before really seen this but now I find the hate between the Montague’s and Capulet’s to be the driving force behind what happens to Mercutio, Tybalt, Romeo and Juliet.

I find this idea to be the bigger picture of what the play really has to say. To begin with, the play opens with the prologue, “Two households” (1) telling us that it is about two families, then, “From forth the fatal loins of these two foes” (1) telling us that they are enemies and Romeo and Juliet caught in the middle of it. I would then like to draw the attention to, “Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.” (1) which indicates that blood will shed because of this hate between the two families. Romeo, Juliet, Mercutio and Tybalt all suffer because of a feud between their families. Little did I know this idea of examining the prologue is something that can be part of a lesson plan; Folger Shakespeare Library offers a lesson plan point that coincides with this idea of “hate” and examining the prologue.

In my 193T class we briefly went over who we thought to be responsible for Romeo and Juliet’s death or levels of responsibility that other characters may hold, some chose to examine Tybalt, the Friar, or another character or combination as being responsible. I would like to apply this idea of responsibility to examining the hate between the Montague’s and Capulet’s. It is this “hate” between the two families that I find as primarily responsible for their tragic deaths.

I see the opening prologue supporting this idea of hate between the families, “foes.” Many other instances support this claim when Juliet says to Romeo, “’Tis but thy name that is my enemy;” (26) Again it comes down to what family they come from; Montague or Capulet. Romeo and Juliet end up taking their own lives because of this family “hate” that keeps them apart. After Mercutio gets stabbed by Tybalt he says 3 different times, “A plague o’ both our houses!” (45-46) which I see as enforcing the idea I present about the families “hate” being responsible for what has occurred; death. Blood is present many times as Lady Capulet sees Tybalt, “O, the blood is spilt” (47) to the very end when Capulet sees his daughter dead, “O heavens! O wife, look how our daughter bleeds!” (89). It takes such terrible deaths to occur for the families to see what their feud (hate) has done, “See, what a scourge is laid upon your hate,” (92) as the Prince states at the end of the play. The latter is what sums up my point, the “hate” between the families being responsible, it was the driving force for the tragic deaths of Mercutio, Tybalt, Romeo and Juliet.

I find this idea to be something great to explore with students. Students can find what they see the playing being about and also find who they think to be responsible for the deaths with supporting evidence. I think this would be an interesting avenue to take students on when examining Romeo and Juliet.

Connecting

2011-10-01T21:20:00.000-07:00

I find Elie Wiesle's novel, Night, to be an essential piece of literature to teach students. Wiesel provides us with a testimony of his personal experience during the holocaust while he endured extreme measures in concentration camp. His novel, as a whole, serves as a personal account that students may connect holocaust with an actual person. This testimony, that Wiesel offers, makes this personal connection possible. I think that in order for this personal connection to be made that it would be necessary to communicate with history teachers so that when this novel is taught it is when the holocaust is being covered in the student's history classes.

I would like to point out a quote by Wiesel that I feel outlines his journey as a brief summary toward the end of the novel, “The last night in Buna. Once more, the last night. The last night at home, the last night in the ghetto, the last night in the cattle car, and, now the last night in Buna” (83). I see this as a outline of things that are covered in history classes about the holocaust. Wiesle's novel serves a personal account for students to learn about these events through a different perspective. Throughout the novel we learn about Wiesle's experience through every single one of these stages.

Jews were taking from their homes and placed in ghettos, moved from one to another, then into cattle cars that took them to what became the final destination for many. Wiesle describes, “The ghetto was to be liquidated entirely (13). The word liquidated has such a negative connotation to it and Wiesle's personal experience of this event can tie factual events to a human being for students to recognize. Again, another powerful moment for a personal connection to be made comes with, “Saturday, the day of rest, was the day chosen for our expulsion (21). Once again, in the word "expulsion" seems to carry a negative connotation with it. The information about how Jews were transported is another event for personal connection to be made, “The Hungarian police made us climb into [cattlecars], eighty persons in each” (22).

The arrival at “Auschwitz” (27) is another real moment for students to make a personal connection with, “In the air, the smell of burning flesh” (28) that Wiesel witnessed first hand. Wiesel's personal experiences in the concentration camp is extensive. Wiesel was dehumanized even more while in the concentration camp, “I became A-7713” (42). He went through a number of nerve wrecking selections and witnessed many fall victim to them, “AKIBA DRUMER HAS LEFT US, another victim of selection” (76). Wiesel also endures lack of food has he describes himself as “a famished stomach” (52). Physical abuse is another aspect learned about and something that Wiesel experience for himself and witnessed of others.

I point to these events as moments for personal connection to what is taught about the holocaust in history classes as examples. It is not just these events and moments, but rather, it is the whole novel in its entirety that serves as a personal connection for students to make.

Overlooking in Of Mice and Men

2011-09-17T13:54:00.000-07:00

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck has a plethora of themes manifested throughout the novel. I would like to point to the overlooking of important details through examining two characters in the novel, Curley and Carlson. These two characters seem to miss out things that should be apparent to them or things that they just do not understand because they do not know.

Carlson is oblivious and insensitive to Candy's feelings regarding the killing of Candy's dog. He is persistent on shooting Candy's old dog because it is to old. He overlooks how Candy is feeling, “[Candy] scratched the white stubble whiskers on his cheek nervously” (45). He overlooks “nervously.”Carlson is insensitive and says that he will shoot the dog himself. While Candy wants to wait on shooting the dog, Carlson pressures the matter of shooting the dog and that it should be done that night. Carlson overlooks what Candy is going through and is oblivious to the attachment that Candy has with the dog. What I strongly identify as supporting this overlooking is when Carlson comes back into the bunk, after shooting Candy's dog, and does not even acknowledge Candy. Carlson then goes on to cleaning his gun and when Candy looks at him Carlson just goes right into another conversation as if nothing had just occurred.

Curley too overlooks many matters, this happens a number of times throughout the novel with Curley. One is when Curley comes at Slim in the barn asking about where his (Curley's) wife is. Curley disregards that fact that, “Slims hands were covered in black with tar” (61) indicating that Slim had indeed been working and not involved with Curley's wife. Curley then advances on Lennie because Lennie laughed, but Curley missed out on what Lennie was laughing about. What indicates that Curley overlooks important details include, “Lennie looked blankly at him” (62), Lennie looked helplessly at Geroge, and then he got up and tired to retreat” (63). Curley overlooks the “blankly,” “helplessly,” and “retreat.” This incident results in Curley getting a broken hand. Had Curley understood the situation and not overlooked details then he may not have ended up with a broken hand.

Curley and Carlson again lend themselves to overlooking a situation when they find Curley's wife dead. Curley right of way decides it was Lennie, “I'll kill the son-of-a-bitch myself. I'll shoot'im in the guts” (96) Carlson joins right in, “I'll get my lugger” (96) They overlook an investigation into the death and an alternative answer; jail/prison imprisonment for Lennie. Had they not overlooked an alternative answer than I find it possible that George may not have decided to mercifully kill Lennie. I say mercifully kill Lennie because George knew that Curley was going to make Lennie suffer by “shooting him in the guys” (96).

Curley and Carlson continue until the end to overlook others feelings, they just do not get it. They, mostly Carlson, cannot see the emotional distress of George over Lennie, “Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin' them two guys” (107) Just as Carlson could not see Candy's emotional distress and attachment to Candy's dog. Not only will students go into character analysis, I feel that going over these two characters would be of great use in a diverse classroom. Everyone comes from different backgrounds and we all need to try and understand one another. I could use this to teach students not to overlook what could be important details that may influence an outcome.

The House on Mango Street

2011-09-03T22:13:00.000-07:00

I can relate to Esperanza in The House on Mango Street in a few areas, but what I find to be most apparent and relevant to my life are what I see as patterns in the novel in the form of determination for a better future and loyalty to family/oneself. Coming from a Hispanic family I know what it is like to want more than what my parents/grandparents had, Esperanza expresses this desire as well. I think that this would be a great aspect to cover with students in a classroom.

Esperanza has desires for a better life, which is made clear in the opening chapter of the novel with the idea of having “A real house.” This “real house” would mean that her family would have something much better than what they currently have; a small cramped place for six. She reinforces having a better future than her parents/grandparents in the chapter My Name; where she goes on to state that, “I have inherited [her grandmothers name], but I don’t want to inherit her place by the window.” (Cisneros 11) Again this pattern for a better future continues throughout the novel as she continuously speaks about having a “real house” or her “own house.” Esperanza is also pushed for a better future by her own mother, who did not go to school, urging her daughter to get educated. While Esperanza wants a better future for herself she also remains loyal to where she came from. A better future and loyalty are link together in Bums in the Attic, “One day I’ll own my own house, but I won’t forget who I am or where I came from.” (Cisneros 87) Loyalty continues to the end of the novel with, “I have gone away to come back. For the ones I have left behind.” (Cisneros 110)

I can completely relate to these feeling of a better future and loyalty to family/oneself. As much as I want a higher education, my parents/grandparents also push me to gain an education as well. I also want to obtain the things that my parents did not have growing up or even myself when growing up and this too does include a “real house” for me, one with more than just one bathroom.