Summer Reading Bless Me Ultima Black Like Me

Summer Reading Bless Me, Ultima & Black Like Me

Day 1: Focused Note -Taking o Essential Question: What major events ended Antonio’s childhood?

Journal o What do you remember most about Bless Me, Ultima?

The Three Big Themes o Family expectations vs. personal desire o Christianity vs. Witchcraft or Atheism o Sin/Grace/ Forgiveness n Turn to your neighbors and share the examples you came up with and how they impacted you.

Other Major Themes o Discuss and list any other themes

End of Childhood Questions Write down the big events that ended Antonio’s childhood? Save space for analysis next to each of the events

o Next to each of the events, write down the effect that they had on Antonio. o Do not just write a summary but rather an analysis that connects the event to the end of childhood.

The End of Childhood o “Ultima interrupted, “You leave Antonio alone, please. Last night was hard for many men” (…) “The men yes, ” my mother acknowledged, “but my Tony is only a boy, a baby yet. ” (…) “Ah, but boys grow to be men, ” Ultima said (…) “and what a sin it is for a boy to grow into a man” (Anaya 30 -31).

TOD: Focused Notes Summary o Using proposition/support academic language, write a paragraph about one of the major events that caused Antonio’s childhood to end. Be sure to include the specific effect this event had on Antonio. o CFU: Whip Around

Turn to your neighbor o Is it a sin to grow up? How/Why Not?

Day 2: Essential Question o What are the four deaths that occurred in the story, and how did each of these deaths impact Antonio?

Death o In the novel, there were four major deaths: Lupito, Narciso, Florence, and Ultima n Write down: o The way in which each character died o Was this character a symbol? Of what? o What Antonio’s response was immediately after the death o Which characters received the “last rights” o What the long term effect was o What he learned as a result of the death

Cause and Effect Antonio’s Response Cause Character who Died Last rites Antonio Learned? Symbol? Long Term Effect of Death

Focused Notes Summary: TOD o Using Cause and Effect language, write an analysis of the four major deaths in the story and the effects of each on Antonio.

Day 3: Essential Question o Where in Bless Me Ultima do we see evidence of cultures clashing, and what is the author’s purpose in addressing these points of conflict?

Culture Clash (work with a partner) o Bless Me, Ultima is full of clashes between cultures, religions, languages, and expectations. o In your notes, draw a line down the page, as you go, and on each side write n n n One culture that was seen in the book A description of it On the other side the converse and a description of it. o Once you have developed at least four examples, write an analytical explanation of this literary element. n Meaning, why do you think Anaya went to so much trouble to set up opposites in this novel? 4 -6 sentences

Culture Clash o “She understood that as I grew I would have to choose to be my mother’s priest or my father’s son” (Anaya 41) o “She pointed at me but I did not understand her. Then the other boys and girls laughed and pointed at me. I did not feel so good. Thereafter I kept away from the groups as much as I could and worked alone” (Anaya 58). o “Do you know about the golden carp” (Anaya 80). o Was it possible that there was more power in Ultima’s magic than in the priest” (Anaya 98) Discuss as a group how these quotes add to your understanding of this theme.

Focused Notes Summary: TOD Bless Me, Ultima is full of clashes between cultures, religions, languages, and expectations. Why do you think Anaya went to so much trouble to set up opposites in this novel? 4 -6 sentences

Black Like Me Academic Tool Box Training and Analysis

Essential Question: Day 4 Is Black Like Me a novel about white racism or is it about racism in general?

Journal o What do you remember most about Black Like Me?

The Three Big Themes o White Racism o Black Strength o Dehumanization of Blacks n Turn to your neighbors and share the examples you came up with and how they impacted you.

White Racism vs. Black Racism White Racism Black Racism

Day 4: Focused Notes Summary o Using compare and contrast language, analyze the elements of Black and White Racism that are similar, as well as the ways in which they are different. (3 -4 sentences)

Day 4: Focused Notes Summary o Using proposition/support language, write an analysis of whether or not Black Like Me is a book about white racism only or racism in general. Be sure to use examples from the story to support your answer. (4 -6 snetences)

Socratic Seminar Homework o Prepare three questions that you want to discuss during tomorrows Socratic seminar. o Your questions will need to be from either levels two or three to get full credit, and please highlight the verb that you use from below. o Level 2 n Analyze, compare, contrast, group, infer, sequence, or synthesize o Level 3 n Apply, evaluate, hypothesize, imagine, judge, predict, or speculate