Louise Shumway On the sidewalk bleeding Learning Intentions
Louise Shumway On the sidewalk, bleeding
Learning Intentions: to understand the main elements of a short story and respond to key ideas
Family? Identity Name? Nationality? Clothes? Career choices? Talents? Interests? Think about what this word means to you. If you were to pick one object to represent your identity, what would it be and why? Friends? Hobbies? Music choices?
What if that object was the only thing people judged you on? A person who didn’t like your shoes, or your hair and therefore didn’t like you? Pre-reading questions to consider What if they wanted to hurt you because of it? Is this an acceptable way to treat people? Answer the Pre-Reading Questions in your notebook
Read the Story • Audio version - https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=PK 6 s. Jzj. N 2 fk
Story Opening Read the opening three paragraphs. How does the writer hook you into the story? Write down FIVE things you learn about character, plot and setting from the opening of the story. Use bullet points. Why do you think the writer has made it rain at this point in the story? Find a word in paragraph 2 that shows the intense power of the rain and explain why it is effective. Whose point of view do we see the events from? Is this important? What becomes his identity in the opening of the story?
“rain drilled his jacket and drilled his body” What would you normally associate with a drill? power noise discomfort force pain precision purpose strength
COPY: COPY q“rain drilled his jacket and drilled his body” q. The weather is against Andy – it is as aggressive, aggressive powerful and painful as the gang member who stabbed him.
COPY: COPY q. The writer has us see the story from Andy’s point of view. q. This creates a strong sympathy for Andy as the victim, and teaches us the lesson he learns.
True or false? q. The main character is fifteen years old. False q. The rival gang is called The Guardians. True q. Sidewalk is a British term for pavement. False q. The story is set in the USA. True q. At the start of the story, Andy did not know he was dying. True q. The story mentions the Bronx and Staten Island, which are in New York. True q. Andy’s jacket was royal blue. False q. Andy had left on his own to get cigarettes. True q. Angela, Frankie and Laura are minor characters in the story. True q. Laura finds Andy’s body at a minute past midnight. True q. The cop doesn’t care who Andy is. True
There are THREE opportunities for Andy to be saved by other people in the story. q Copy the box below and write down who they are in each box of the table. q Discuss why each one didn’t save his life. Who could have saved his life? Why didn’t he/she save his life? The drunk man Freddie and Angela The old lady It was early enough to save Andy, but the man was too drunk to help him. They were too afraid to help him. The power of the gangs made them worry about their own safety. She was a little deaf, combined with the sound of the rain made her unaware of Andy being there.
Discuss in pairs: q. Do you think the young couple made the right decision? What were their reasons? Do you think they were morally right? What if you were Andy? What if Andy was your friend or brother? q. Feedback your conclusions to the class.
At the start of the story, Andy doesn’t believe he is dying – he thinks it is another rumble that he will walk away from. He is in pain, but isn’t afraid for his life.
As the story progresses, Andy starts to change his mind. q Read the last page of the story. Find, and copy a QUOTE that shows Andy’s changed emotions. q Explain what your quote means.
“He knew he was going to die now. That made him suddenly sad. He was filled with sadness that his life would be over at sixteen. ” “I don’t want to die, he thought. I haven’t lived yet. ” “He felt all at once as if he had never done anything, never seen anything, never been anywhere. ” “The knife hated only the purple jacket. ”
If a writer wants to help the reader understand deeper meaning in the story, he/she will use SYMBOLISM. Copy: Symbolism is where a writer uses OBJECTS to show KEY IDEAS or EMOTION.
Symbols used in the story Meaning 1 Knife Violence, aggression, hatred 2 Jacket Identity as a gang member, potential violence 3 Blood Innocence and waste of a young life
Writers are experts at describing details in stories. To do this effectively, they use language techniques.
Match the technique to the quote! onomatopoeia alliteration simile personification 1 “the bubbling of blood between his lips…” O&A 2 “the splash of neon…” O 3 “rain splattered…” O 4 “the old lady carried an umbrella…like a queen. ” S 5 “the knife hated only the purple jacket. ” P
Copy: q PLOT is the term used for the storyline in a story. q TURNING POINT is when something (often character) in the story changes.
Sequence the plot using numbers. Put a * where you think the turning point in the story is. 1 Andy is found by a drunk man, who doesn’t help him. He thinks Andy is drunk too, and staggers away without helping him. 2 Laura finds Andy lying in the street and calls the police. The cop isn’t interested in who he is, just what gang he belonged to. 3 A young couple discover Andy dying on the sidewalk. They consider helping him, but are too afraid of the Guardians and walk away. 4 Andy is stabbed in the street by another gang. He doesn’t realise he is dying and waits for some help to come. The weather is very dark and it’s raining. 5 An old lady comes to the alley to put her rubbish out. She is a little deaf and with the noise of the rain, does not see Andy lying there. 6 Andy reflects on his jacket and what it means to be 16 and in a gang. He finally realises he has lost his life for nothing, and his last moments in life are spent taking the jacket off.
Sequence the plot – use the numbers 4 Andy is stabbed in the street by another gang. He doesn’t realise he is dying and waits for some help to come. The weather is very dark and it’s raining. 1 Andy is found by a drunk man, who doesn’t help him. He thinks Andy is drunk too, and staggers away without helping him. 3 A young couple discover Andy dying on the sidewalk. They consider helping him, but are too afraid of the Guardians and walk away. 5 An old lady comes to the alley to put her rubbish out. She is a little deaf and with the noise of the rain, does not see Andy lying there. 6 Andy reflects on his jacket and what it means to be 16 and in a gang. He finally realises he has lost his life for nothing, and his last moments in life are spent taking the jacket off. 2 Laura finds Andy lying in the street and calls the police. The cop isn’t interested in who he is, just what gang he belonged to.
Theme Copy: Copy q A THEME is a main idea running through a text. q There can be several ideas in a story. q Themes TEACH us about an aspect of life.
Identify three key themes explored by the writer of ‘On the sidewalk, bleeding’. Explain a reason for each choice. THEMES family conflict friendship gang violence revenge loneliness prejudice war romance jealousy religion judging others identity nature helping others growing up
gang violence The writer explores the consequences of gang violence, which is the tragic death of a young teen. It is harmful and pointless conflict.
Answer the following questions What is the purpose of the story? To inform, to persuade, to teach? Who would be interested in reading this story? People who are interested in… Give a reason why you think so.
What do you think of the story? Do you think it had an important message? Do you think the writer was successful in getting that message across? Explain. Personal Response
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