Bronx Masquerade
In this unit, we'll read Nikki Grimes' book Bronx Masquerade. Each chapter is unique and focuses on a particular character, then it provides a poem. Naturally, we'll also work on some of our own poetry writing. We'll read the text as readers, then we'll look closely at the poems the characters produce as writers to see where we can add in what they do into our own poetry. I will post as much as I can here for this unit, but if you don't see something here and you know it was handed out in class, please just ask me for a copy. Check the calendar for daily assignments.
Journals
The following are a list of journals we will work on while reading Bronx Masquerade. We will do these in class and in our classroom journals that stay in the room.
*True Life: I'm An American Teen-Part I: Brainstorm tough choices/decisions/issues you feel most high school students face. Think about what you've seen in your years of high school. What have you or your friends had to deal with? Did you expect these before you started high school? Why or why not? How have you or your friends handled it? What piece of advice do you wish you had before starting high school or what piece of advice has worked well for you as you've gone through high school?
Part II: What are the social groups you typically see walking the halls of CHHS? How easy is it for students to move from one social group to the next? Have you tried to change your look, interests, etc to "fit in" with another group? How did that go? How did your friends respond?
*Logos: How much of your identity is influenced by the media, your friends, your music, your interests, etc. How have you branded yourself? Based on your observations from the weekend, how much do you buy in to the brand name images in clothing stores, magazines, music videos, and professional athletes? Explan.
*Dreams and Dreamers: Would you describe yourself as a dreamer or more of a logical person? Why? What are some of the dreams you currently have? Why are they important to you?
*The Value of Education-Do you feel that having an education is valued by all members of our society (think races, genders, socioeconomic classes, ages, etc..)? Why or why not? Who do you feel values it more or less? Why? What is the purpose of education? Discussed. Read article and while we read, we dialouged with the text (raise questions, find places where you agree or disagree, make connections-text to self, text to text, text to world/society).
*Doubts and Expectations- Choose one of the following:
*True Life: I'm An American Teen-Part I: Brainstorm tough choices/decisions/issues you feel most high school students face. Think about what you've seen in your years of high school. What have you or your friends had to deal with? Did you expect these before you started high school? Why or why not? How have you or your friends handled it? What piece of advice do you wish you had before starting high school or what piece of advice has worked well for you as you've gone through high school?
Part II: What are the social groups you typically see walking the halls of CHHS? How easy is it for students to move from one social group to the next? Have you tried to change your look, interests, etc to "fit in" with another group? How did that go? How did your friends respond?
*Logos: How much of your identity is influenced by the media, your friends, your music, your interests, etc. How have you branded yourself? Based on your observations from the weekend, how much do you buy in to the brand name images in clothing stores, magazines, music videos, and professional athletes? Explan.
*Dreams and Dreamers: Would you describe yourself as a dreamer or more of a logical person? Why? What are some of the dreams you currently have? Why are they important to you?
*The Value of Education-Do you feel that having an education is valued by all members of our society (think races, genders, socioeconomic classes, ages, etc..)? Why or why not? Who do you feel values it more or less? Why? What is the purpose of education? Discussed. Read article and while we read, we dialouged with the text (raise questions, find places where you agree or disagree, make connections-text to self, text to text, text to world/society).
*Doubts and Expectations- Choose one of the following:
- Think of a time when those around you doubted you in some way. Explain and describe.
- Do you feel pressured to meet other people’s expectations of you? Why? What specific expectations do you feel people place on you? At what specific times? How have you dealt with it?
*Acceptance and Rejection-Thinking back over Raul's chapter, what does he seem to accept about himself and what does he seem to reject about himself? What does this say about him? What about others? Who seems to accept him for who he is and who seems to reject him? Why? What does this say about them? Then consider how this question might apply to you: what do you accept or reject? Why? What do others accept or reject about you? Why? Describe/explain.
*Body Image: Who do you feel has the most pressure when it comes to body image? Girls or boys? At what age? Do you feel that it starts in elementary school, middle, high or adulthood? Who struggles with it the most? Why? Do you think that there are certain groups of people who have more difficulty than others? Are their races or ethnicities that deal with it more than others? Explain your stance.
*Friendship: Who is your closest friend? How long have you known them? What makes them your closest friend? What do you value about them? Why?
*Differences: Think back to a moment or the moment when you realized or felt you were different from those around you. Describe that moment.
*Turnign Points: Think back to the characters we've seen more than once. What shifts are you noticing about them? How are they dealing with their conflicts now that seems different than before? What do you think has lead to their changes? Explain with specific support from the text.
*Body Image: Who do you feel has the most pressure when it comes to body image? Girls or boys? At what age? Do you feel that it starts in elementary school, middle, high or adulthood? Who struggles with it the most? Why? Do you think that there are certain groups of people who have more difficulty than others? Are their races or ethnicities that deal with it more than others? Explain your stance.
*Friendship: Who is your closest friend? How long have you known them? What makes them your closest friend? What do you value about them? Why?
*Differences: Think back to a moment or the moment when you realized or felt you were different from those around you. Describe that moment.
*Turnign Points: Think back to the characters we've seen more than once. What shifts are you noticing about them? How are they dealing with their conflicts now that seems different than before? What do you think has lead to their changes? Explain with specific support from the text.
Poetry & Songs:
While I can't post the poems here, I've attached the assignments that go with them. Please ask me if you need something that isn't here.
"Without Commercials" by Alice Walker
"Ten Thousand Words" by The Avett Brothers
"Gone" by Jack Johnson
"Gone, Going" by The Blackeyed Peas
"Sure You Can Ask Me a Personal Question" by Diane Burns
"Dreams" and "A Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes
"We Wear the Mask" by Paul Lawrence Dunbar
"Two Kinds of Intelligence" by Rumi
"The Sacred" by Stephen Dunn
"Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes
"Those Who Don't" by Sandra Cisneros
"My Name" by Sandra Cisneros
"Making Contact" by Virginia Satir
"Without Commercials" by Alice Walker
"Ten Thousand Words" by The Avett Brothers
"Gone" by Jack Johnson
"Gone, Going" by The Blackeyed Peas
"Sure You Can Ask Me a Personal Question" by Diane Burns
"Dreams" and "A Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes
"We Wear the Mask" by Paul Lawrence Dunbar
"Two Kinds of Intelligence" by Rumi
"The Sacred" by Stephen Dunn
"Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes
"Those Who Don't" by Sandra Cisneros
"My Name" by Sandra Cisneros
"Making Contact" by Virginia Satir
sure_you_can_ask_handout.doc | |
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what_if_poems.doc | |
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the_sacred_poem.doc | |
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Those Who Dont and Object poems.doc | |
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Articles & Essays
We will read various articles while we read Bronx Masquerade. I can't post them here, so be sure to ask me for a copy if you are absent. Here is the list of articles so far:
"The Choice to Do It Over Again"
"Finding Hope in Hip-Hop"
"When Ordinary People Do Extraordinary Things"
"Masquerade and Identity" by
"What Masks Have You Worn?" by
"Letter to My People" by
"A Lack of Rigor Leaves Students 'Adrift' in College" by NPR Staff
"Slam" by
"Iran's Haircut Police Are Watching" by
"I'm Not Fat, I'm Latina" by Christy Hauberger
"How It Feels to Be Colored Me" by Zora Neale Hurston
"Roots: Random Thoughts on Random Hair" Tatsu Yamato
"I Want to Be Miss America" by Julia Alvarez
"The Choice to Do It Over Again"
"Finding Hope in Hip-Hop"
"When Ordinary People Do Extraordinary Things"
"Masquerade and Identity" by
"What Masks Have You Worn?" by
"Letter to My People" by
"A Lack of Rigor Leaves Students 'Adrift' in College" by NPR Staff
"Slam" by
"Iran's Haircut Police Are Watching" by
"I'm Not Fat, I'm Latina" by Christy Hauberger
"How It Feels to Be Colored Me" by Zora Neale Hurston
"Roots: Random Thoughts on Random Hair" Tatsu Yamato
"I Want to Be Miss America" by Julia Alvarez
Handouts and Notes
The following are other handouts that will be used through the unit. If you see something mentioned on the class calendar and you can't find it under poems or the journals, look at this list of documents.
response_to_wesley.doc | |
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response_to_tyrone.doc | |
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chankara_poem_response.doc | |
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diondra_accept_and_reject.doc | |
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lupe_and_gloria_questions.doc | |
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iranian_haircut_paraphrasing_practice.doc | |
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im_not_fat_im_latina.doc | |
File Size: | 25 kb |
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how_it_feels_to_be_colored_me.doc | |
File Size: | 25 kb |
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2nd_period_judianne_lupe_janelle.doc | |
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3rd_period_judianne_lupe_janelle.doc | |
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2nd_period_i_want_to_be_miss_america_notes.doc | |
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3rd_i_want_to_be_miss_america.doc | |
File Size: | 25 kb |
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turning_point_journal_and_notes.doc | |
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final_thoughts.doc | |
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2011_dbq_bronx_masquerade.docx | |
File Size: | 12 kb |
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bronx_masquerade_chapter_about_you.doc | |
File Size: | 22 kb |
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dbq_essay_prewrite.docx | |
File Size: | 22 kb |
File Type: | docx |