Book Talk #2

Under the Feet of Jesus

Helena Maria Viramontes

OUTLINE:

Under the Feet of Jesus (1995) follows the lives of Latino migrant workers living and working in the California grape fields. At the beginning of the story, readers are introduced to the protagonist, thirteen-year-old Estrella. She has just arrived at a labor camp with her brothers and sisters, her mother Petra, and her mother’s lover Perfecto. It is at this labor camp that Estrella meets and falls in love with Alejo. Unfortunately, their happiness does not last long after Alejo falls ill with the daño of the fields, or pesticide poisoning. Although Estrella and her family barely have enough money for themselves, they decide to take him to a clinic where he can receive proper medical attention. However, the clinic only boasts one nurse that does not seem to care in the slightest about Alejo’s battle between life and death. Since Estrella and her family have no money left to purchase gas, Estrella attempts to barter Perfecto’s handyman skills in return for the clinic fee that she paid. When the nurse refuses, Estrella uses violence to force her to give the money back. Estrella eventually gets the money back and the family fills up on gas and leaves Alejo to his luck at the nearest hospital. The story ends with an optimistic Estrella perched on top of an old barn that is located near the labor camp where she and her family live and work.

BIOGRAPHY:

Helena Maria Viramontes is a Mexican-American writer best known for her portrayal of immigrants, women, and other marginalized groups. She was born in East Los Angeles to Mexican parents. After graduating from high school, she attended Immaculate Heart College before studying English and creative writing at the University of California, Irvine. The major themes of her stories are based on childhood experiences and the impact that Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers had on her and her family. Furthermore, her works often use stream-of- consciousness to move from one character to the next while highlighting different perspectives. Apart from writing Under the Feet of Jesus (1995), Viramontes has also written two short story collections and the novel Their Dogs Came With Them (2007). She is still working on her completing her third novel Cemetery Boys. Viramontes is currently a professor of English at Cornell University.

RATIONALE:

I first read this book during Spring Quarter 2015 in my Chicano History class and immediately felt a strong connection with Estrella. Her story resonated with me because I have grown up harvesting fruit like Estrella and her family. As far as I can remember, I have worked in the orchards with my family thinning, picking, and pruning apple and pear trees throughout the year. I know firsthand how hard and backbreaking this work can be from the long hours to the extreme conditions. Personally, I think that students will benefit from reading this book because they will gain an appreciation for the Latino culture by learning how hard Latinos work to have a better future for themselves and their families. This story will also serve to eliminate some of the stereotypes that are often associated with Latinos. In addition, I found it empowering that the protagonist of this story was a thirteen-year-old girl of color giving a voice to the silenced migrant laborers. There are not many books or authors taught in schools today that primarily focus on lifting women up, especially those of color. For students that are looking to read a text that is written by someone other than a white male author, this story of a teenage girl’s courage and faith will not disappoint.

AGE/ ABILITY: 7th to 8th grade

If I were to teach this book, I would teach it in the 7th or 8th grade because the Lexile score is right in between both of those grades. Also, students at this grade level would be more likely to relate to Estrella because they would be about the same age as her. Although they may not be able to understand her struggles in the labor camp, they would be able to connect with other aspects that teenagers face growing up.

TEACHING IDEAS:

1. Since this book is dedicated to the memory of Cesar Chavez, who led migrant workers to ask for better wages and conditions,students could conduct short research projects in which they investigate Cesar Chavez’s background and motives for leading labor strikes.After students have conducted their research, they can present their findings to the class. This teaching idea would be useful in understanding the background of the novel before reading it.
2. The language that Viramontes uses in this book is so vivid and powerful it begs for artistic interpretation. Students could easily use the imagery provided to create visual representations of their interpretations of the text. This teaching idea would give students an opportunity to be creative while also checking their understanding of what they have read.
3. The book uses stream-of-consciousness to move from one character’s thoughts to the next and it is often hard to determine which character is speaking and whether the story is in the past or the present. Students could explore ways in which we identify point-of-view (POV) - Is this first-person POV? Is this second-person POV? Is this third-person POV limited omniscient? This teaching idea could help students find a lens in which to read this book and perhaps eliminate some of the confusion that they are having.
4. There is a definite amount of symbols in this book that are just waiting to be discussed. Students could discuss the various symbols in lit circles. This teaching idea would allow students to listen and share their thoughts and ideas with their peers in small groups.

OBSTACLES:

A potential obstacle that students may have with this book is understanding the language because the book is written in both English and Spanish. Students that know little to no Spanish will have a hard time comprehending what is going on at some points of the novel and could even become disinterested in the novel altogether. Another obstacle that students may encounter would be the stream-of-consciousness technique that Viramontes uses because it is sometimes unclear which character is talking or if the story is in the past or present. Lastly, since this book is culturally based, I would be concerned that students would say something inappropriate that would offend another student. I would remind students to be considerate of their classmates before making a comment. As for parents, I could see the title being a problem because at first glance it appears that the book is about religion. For parents that do not share religious views or think that I am trying to push beliefs onto their child, I would inform parents that is not my intention and emphasize that there is more to the story than faith. Lastly, the potential areas of concern for administrators would be the scenes in which Alejo is poisoned by the pesticides and where Estrella uses a crowbar to force the nurse to give her the money back. These scenes could be concerning for administrators because Alejo’s poisoning is described in some detail which might be difficult for students to handle and students could get the impression that it is okay to use violence and force to get what they want like Estrella.

REFERENCES:

http://www.gradesaver.com/under-the-feet-of-jesus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helena_Maria_Viramontes

Learning Letter

Dear Sean,

Out of all the quarters that I have attended Eastern Washington University, this was by far the busiest for me because I had a full course load and was spending more than 11 hours a week at my placement. However, I did enjoy English 493. The book talks were probably the best part about the class because I had the opportunity to share two of my favorite books with my peers and provide rationale for why they should be taught in the classroom. My first book talk was on Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh and it was towards the middle of the quarter. Although I received a good score on it, I felt that I could have done better. For example, I could have been more specific about the obstacles that students, parents, and administrators may have with the book. Since I wrote out my book talk the second week of the quarter, I did not look at it until I had to print it off. In the future, I would probably revise my book talk and make sure that I had included all the requirements before printing it off.  Despite not doing as well as I hoped on my first book talk, I took my feedback seriously and made sure that my second book talk on Under the Feet of Jesus by Helena Maria Viramontes was as polished as possible. I focused specifically on the teaching ideas and obstacles because those were the two areas where people kept on missing the most points. To my delight, my improvements paid off and I received a perfect scored on my second book talk.  In addition, the book talks also gave me an idea of the wide range of books that are out there. I had never heard of most of these books before learning about them from my classmates. Although I barely have any time to read for personal enjoyment, I plan on reading as many of these books when I get the chance. I also think that these books would be great recommendations for my students.    

 The unit plan was the most challenging project that I have ever worked on, but it was also the most rewarding. When I first heard about the unit plan, I panicked. I did not know how I was going to create a feasible three-week unit plan.  Nevertheless, I was able to complete my unit plan on Robert Fagles’ translation of the Odyssey. I found turning in drafts multiple times throughout the quarter helpful because I was able to receive feedback that I used to improve my unit plan.  I think that if I had not had deadlines to meet I would have ended up procrastinating and leaving everything for the end. If I could change anything about my unit plan or the process that I took to create it, I would probably consider choosing a book that is smaller or a graphic novel. Although I only chose selections from the Odyssey to teach and paired it with Gareth Hinds' graphic novel, I still felt that it was a lot of material to cover in three weeks. In addition, I would start working on my daily lesson plans earlier in the quarter to avoid cramming at the end. Despite turning in a lesson plan for my first draft, I did not really do anything with my lesson plans until the middle of the quarter which I regret. I think that I would slowly work on developing lesson plans throughout the quarter instead of doing them all at once.  I would also make sure to create them in order rather than jumping around and completing them at random. Overall, I think the fact that I completed this unit plan is a testament to my determination of wanting to become a teacher. 

Of the theories and discussions explored in class, the ones that stuck out to me the most were the ones on Stephen Brookfield's article "Discussion as a Way of Teaching" and Social Justice in the Classroom. These discussions stood out to me because two of the aspects that I want to focus on in my future classroom are discussions and social justice. I want to create a safe environment for my students where they can feel free to express their thoughts without being concerned about what others may think or say. I also want my students to have the necessary resources to succeed both inside and outside my classroom. 

Moreover, Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed was also an interesting read because it brought up many valid points such as the fact that the classroom needs to be more student-centered than teacher-centered. Even though teachers have good intentions about teaching students, they often lose sight of this when structuring their classrooms and expect students to listen attentively to them as they fill their brains with knowledge. I did not agree with this "banking concept" because I believe that students do not come to school with empty brains waiting to be filled. Instead, I believe that students come to school with some general knowledge of the world around them and teachers teach students how to process that information. After reading a section of this book, I am going to keep the "banking concept" in mind and try to avoid using it with my students.  I know that I was not always the most vocal individual during discussions, but I liked sitting around in a circle and listening to what other individuals had to say about a concept and every now and then voicing my own opinion. These discussions not only helped me strengthen my ideas about theories and concepts regarding teaching, but also taught me a lot about collaborating with my colleagues. As a future teacher, I will need to know how to collaborate with other teachers during staff meetings about a variety of topics. 

In large part due to this course, I now feel more prepared to become a teacher. Now that I have developed my own unit plan, I am honestly not afraid of what lies ahead. I think that this course provided me with a glimpse of what teachers experience on a daily basis. While creating one unit plan was hard enough, I cannot imagine how teachers create multiple unit plans throughout the school year. Additionally, the classroom discussions gave me an idea of how I am going to approach parents and administrators when dealing with difficult topics.  Furthermore, I learned that I am not going to be a perfect teacher. No matter how hard I try, there are always going to be things that I can improve. No matter how much I plan, there is always going to be something unexpected that comes up.  The best part is that I am okay knowing these things because that is part of the learning process.  I have to make mistakes and learn from them before I can truly experience success.

Sincerely,

Norma Ramos

Edgar Allan Poe Texts

Summary: This book contains the complete tales and poems of Edgar Allan Poe. At the beginning, readers will find an introduction that provides a biography about Poe and divides his works into four categories: poems, gothic stories, tales of ratiocination, and Poe as a critic. Overall, this book consists of 73 short stories ranging from "The Cask of Amontillado" to "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "Ligeia." In addition, it includes 49 poems such as "The Raven," "The Bells," and "Sonnet-To Science." My personal favorite Poe short story is "The Masque of the Red Death" because it serves as an allegory that death cannot be avoided no matter how hard people try. I also find it interesting that each of the seven rooms is painted a different color and that the last room in which Prince Prospero dies is black. In addition, it is rather ironic that his name is Prince Prospero when he ends up being anything but prosperous. Sure he is rich and can afford to throw lavish parties, but that does not prevent death from finding him. Another one of my favorite works by Poe is his essay titled "The Philosophy of Composition." In this essay, Poe describes the three elements of his works: length, method, and unity of effect. First of all, Poe believed that all literary works should be short so that they can be read in a single sitting. If they are longer, readers will lose interest and stop reading. Secondly, while some writers come up with ideas as they write, Poe did not agree with that method. He thought that all good writing was meticulous. Lastly, when Poe says "unity of effect," he means that the writer should only write a story once they have thought the ending out. After that, they can continue to work on other aspects of their story. I liked this particular essay because it explains the process that Poe used to write and explained how he came up with his best-known work "The Raven." This process can still be applied when writing today. As for poems, my favorite poem is "Sonnet-To Science" because it explains how science seeks to find an answer to everything and does not allow the poet to have an imagination.

Rationale: Poe's short stories and poems are frequently taught in English classes both at the secondary level and college level. There are already many lesson plans that exist today that can be used by teachers. I think that Poe needs to be taught in classrooms because his works ask students to use their critical thinking skills in order to understand them. There are many literary elements in his work that students can further explore.

Age/Ability Level: 6th-10th grade
The grade level depends entirely on the group of students and the works being discussed in class. For example, some of Poe's shorter poems can be discussed as early as 6th grade, but "The Raven" may be more appropriate for 8th grade and above because it is complex and full of symbolism.

Teaching Ideas:

1. Have students compare and contrast the female characters in selected works of Poe's. What do they look like? How are their names similar? It is believed that Poe based his female characters on his mother, do you agree or disagree with this statement?
2. Students can analyze how Poe's life influenced his writing by conducting a short research project. They can create a presentation and share what they found.
3. In "The Masque of The Red Death," students can analyze the short story for allegorical meaning.
4. Students can get creative and create their own masks for "'The Mask of the Red Death" and stage a Red Death masque to celebrate Poe's short story.
5. Students can rewrite "The Raven" using modern language and to better understand the famous poem.
6. In "Tell-Tale Heart," students could explore perspective, mood, and diction.

Obstacles: Although Poe's works are widely taught in schools across the country, there may still be some obstacles for students, parents, and administrators. I love Poe's unique writing style, but for some students it may be hard to understand and keep up with. As for parents, they may not want their children reading gothic stories that are full of dark and evil themes because they could be frightening. Additionally, Poe has a very mysterious background. He married his cousin when she was barely 13 years old and he was 27. There are also many speculations about how Poe died which could also be concerning for parents. Most administrators should not have a problem with Poe because as mentioned before, he is widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism.  However, I would still be sure to let them know what I am teaching and why I am teaching it.

References:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Allan_Poe

Elie Wiesel's Night

Summary: Night recounts Elie Wiesel's memories of living and working in concentration camps during World War II. The story opens with Moishe the Beadle warning the Jews of Sighet  what he witnessed the Gestapo do to Jews and babies in the Galician forest. Unfortunately, nobody heeded his warning. On the contrary, they thought he was a mad man and ignored his pleas to leave their homes while they still could. When Wiesel and his family arrive at the first camp, they are divided by gender. This is the last time that he sees his mother and sisters. From time to time, Wiesel and his father are transferred to different camps such as Auschwitz and Buchenwald. The routine is always the same. They have to pass through the showers before they can be incorporated into work Kommandos. Every now and then they have a medical check-up. Those that do not pass the check-up are killed. The rations of food are small and consist mostly of bread and soup. If they do not do as they are told, they are hung in public to serve as examples of what happens to those that break the rules. While Wiesel is in these concentration camps, he begins to lose his faith. He cannot understand how his God would let something so terrible happen to all of these people. In addition, he watches men fight each other for a morsel of food and sons turn on their fathers. Although Wiesel is told to stop giving his rations to his father because he could be using those rations on himself, he does not listen. His father and him have been through too much together and now that they are so close to being free he cannot leave his father by himself.  At the end of the story, his father dies from a beating. In April 1945, Wiesel is liberated from Buchenwald by the United States Army.

Rationale: As Wiesel states in the preface of the book, he is telling his story because he wants to inform people of what happened to him so that nothing like it can ever happen again. I agree with him and believe that his story needs to be shared. There are still many individuals that think that the Holocaust is merely a myth even though there are plenty of facts to prove that it did occur. Additionally, this book is a quick read. Since it is approximately 100 pages long, students will be able to finish it in a couple of sittings depending on grade level and how often they pause to discuss it in class. Furthermore, Night could be used  across History and English curriculums.

Age/Ability Level: 10th-12th grade
Although there are some graphic scenes in the story, the language is not difficult to understand with the exception of some foreign words. Therefore, I believe that students as young as freshmen could read this story in a English classroom.

Teaching Ideas: 

1. When Elie and his family have to leave the ghetto they are only allowed to take a few items with them. Students could make a list of the things that they would take if they had to suddenly leave their homes and explain their rationale for choosing particular items. 
2. This book can be paired with other books about the Holocaust such as Number the Stars and The Diary of Anne Frank. Students can write an essay comparing/contrasting the protagonists and events that take place in each story.
3. Before reading this book, students could conduct short group research projects in which they learn about the Holocaust. This teaching idea would give students prior knowledge regarding the background of the story.
4. Students can create a timeline of Elie's life from the beginning of the story to the end. This will help students review their understanding of the story.
5. Throughout the story, Elie changed. Students can discuss how he changed and what led him to become a different person in a whole-class discussion.
6. Since the language is so vivid, students can create their own visual representations of scenes from the story. This activity will help students literally visualize what they are thinking.

Obstacles: I think that students, teachers, and administrators will have the same issues about reading and teaching this book. The main obstacles are the graphic depictions of death and everyday life in the concentration camps. Inmates were treated terribly by the Gestapo. They were barely given anything to eat and could be killed on the spot. I would probably send a letter home before teaching this book and make sure that my administration approved. For parents that do not want their child to read this book, I would have them look research the Holocaust or read a different book that dealt with the Holocaust. Although the events described in this book are horrible, they tell the truth of what happened to Jews. Wiesel's raw emotions cannot be replicated, so I would strongly encourage anyone that has not read it to do so. They will be forever changed.

Graphic novels in the classroom

From my own personal experience, graphic novels are a great resource to have in the classroom. For example, my students recently finished reading The Odyssey at the beginning of the year and they used a graphic novel to supplement Homer's translation. Fortunately, my classroom has a set of graphic novels, so each student had access to a copy. One student said that the graphic novel helped him visualize what the characters looked like. The combination of prose with pictures made it easier for him to stay engaged with the text. Another student told me that she loved the graphic novel because it summarized each chapter in a few pages. Before reading a chapter, she would often look through the graphic novel to gain a better understanding of what the chapter was going to be about. Although many students found the graphic novel to be helpful, some students did not because it left out details from the book.  While it did leave out details, I thought that it stayed true to the story and readers were still able to comprehend what was going on with the exclusion of a few minor points. Over the years, graphic novels have become increasingly popular. However, there is still debate surrounding whether they are educational and should be used in the classroom. In the article, "Bold Books for Innovative Teaching: Show, Don't Tell: Graphic Novels in the Classroom," Don Gallo and Stephen Weiner give their rationale for why graphic novels should be a part of every classroom.  First of all, graphic novels can serve as transitions into more intensive works. Teachers can utilize graphic novels before or during reading the actual book to make it appear less daunting. Secondly, graphic novels are a great tool not only for visual learners, but also for reluctant readers.  Students who have  a hard time reading or staying engaged will love graphic novels because they read like comic books and cut to the chase instead of taking four pages to get their point across. Lastly, graphic novels will be sure to leave a lasting impression for students. Even long after students have finished reading a story, they will remember it. They may not remember every scene or minor detail, but they will remember the illustrations. As I create my own unit plan for The Odyssey, I intend to  use the graphic novel in my lessons for the reasons mentioned above. I want to give my future students an opportunity to experience this story in a completely different light. I want them to be able to "see" what they are reading. Graphic novels have been around for some time, but before this past year I had never seen one before. I had no idea what I was missing out on. Graphic novels are amazing and I wish I had started using them sooner.