From Final Definition of Historical Context Example of

From Final • Definition of Historical Context • Example of Historical Context – Teenage girl looses her father (because he was in WWI) • Definition of Social Context • Example of Social Context – A story where two brothers, although they are very smart and nice, struggle to make friends because they live in poverty and do not have very nice clothes.

(Agenda) • • Journal (5 min) Introduce Books for Lit Circles + Vote (20 min) Start Historical Context (definition + examples) Exit Slip

Friday, March 22, 2013 JOURNAL: What do you ALREADY KNOW about the Vietnam War? (It can be from very general to very specific. ) Try to write down at least FIVE things. HOMEWORK DUE YESTERDAY: Vocab Notes & Tiger Questions – Please turn in to back tray if you haven’t already.

Literature Circles

Review: Social Context • How do you figure out social context? • Look at actions and figure out WHY – values and beliefs of culture. • Think of it as the unspoken rules or norms of a culture/society. It’s the BECAUSE behind the actions/behavior. • Example: Two girls, though smart and nice, struggle to make friends… BECAUSE they live in poverty and don’t have nice clothes.

Historical Context • Historical Context - Refers to the events, setting, religious, or philosophical views, and social structures that have shaped a given time. • The events that took place around something through which you understand that thing. • Example: Girl’s father died… Because he fought in the Vietnam War. • Ask: WHEN was the text was made? WHAT WAS GOING ON at the time?

Historical Context: Example #1 "Sally hid her hands behind her back and crossed her fingers before she answered. " TODAY: It wouldn't raise much of a response to read this in a book published in 2010.

Historical Context: Example #1 "Sally hid her hands behind her back and crossed her fingers before she answered. " BACK THEN: You’re reading this statement from a transcript of court documents in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Religious fervor was at an extreme, and villagers were nearly obsessed with the devil and witchcraft. For a young woman to tell a lie--a reader would assume that poor Sally was a candidate for the gallows!

Historical Context: Example #2 Imagine you're reading a letter from a woman containing this sentence: "My daughter will be heading for California shortly after she marries. ” TODAY: How much information does this statement give us? Not much, until we look at the date. What happens when we discover that the letter was written in 1849?

Historical Context: Example #2 Imagine you're reading a letter from a woman containing this sentence: "My daughter will be heading for California shortly after she marries. ” BACK THEN: A young woman heading for California in 1849 might be following her husband on a treacherous treasure seeking expedition for the gold rush. This mother would be quite fearful for her child, and she would know that it would be a very long time before she'd see her daughter again, if ever!

Historical & Social Context • How are historical and social context related? • Historical context often influences social context, and vice-versa. • Example: Piece of writing from 1780 s (ish) – Historical Context: Industrial Revolution (Cotton Gin, Steam Locomotive, Human Labor Force) – Social Context: Family Structure (working parents)

Exit Slip For each sentence, create a historical context for the following scenarios: Example: A girl walks to the store for groceries. • Historical: Because she lived in the 1750 s before the rise of the automobile. 1. A boy travels to the country. 2. The girl never shows up for school.