Our reading from last night really illustrates some of the changes that are going on in Esperanza’s life. What are some of the changes that she’s dealing with? List 3 of them here:
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Let’s orally share some of our journal entries from last night…would anyone like to volunteer to read what they’ve written regarding the changes that Esperanza is going through in the book? While the volunteers are reading their journal entries, I want the rest of you to be thinking of the advice you’d give to Esperanza for how to deal with these changes . (listen to oral readings)
If you were a close friend of Esperanza’s, what advice would you give her for dealing with the things that she sees going on in her life? In 3 sentences, write down your advice:
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Remember…Reflective Journals will be collected tomorrow for grading over the weekend. I will use the rubric we always use for our journal entries, so be sure to pay attention to the content of your entries, the length of your entry, and your spelling/syntax.
Over and over in The House On Mango Street we examine the Mexican culture that is so much a fundamental part of Esperanza’s life. We read about her family’s traditions and customs, and how those clash with the reality of day-to-day life in the streets of Chicago. Though we may not be familiar with Mexican traditions, we usually are familiar with traditions of our own family, ethnic group, or religious group. It’s important to realize that though we may not celebrate holidays or dress in the same way as people from other ethnic groups, that’s O.K. – we still can learn about and appreciate the cultures of other people.
The United States used to be referred to as a "melting pot"…people from all over the world would come here to become "Americans", and traditions from native countries were often left behind in a desire to blend in with everyone else. Today, America is often called "the fondue pot". Does anyone know what a "fondue pot" is? (accept oral answers - explain what a fondue pot looks like, and how food is prepared in a fondue pot). Explain how the term "fondue pot" describes the way that immigrants in the 1990’s might approach life in the United States?
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Now we’re going to a web site created by high school students in Pasadena, California. These students are part of the Cultural Awareness Club at LaSalle High School. Their school, just like many of our schools in Chicago, is a blend of students from many countries and many cultures. The Cultural Awareness Club felt that it wanted to promote knowledge about cultural differences by publishing a newspaper. Students wrote articles about their cultural groups, and writings were printed in "The Cultural Gazette". It was then distributed to every student in the school. Do you think that this is a good way to educate peers about different cultures? Why or why not?
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Let’s take a look at the "Cultural Gazette" from LaSalle High School.
Click here for a peek. Take a few minutes to look at the newsletter. Read the titles of the articles. Read one or two articles that interest you. Be ready to discuss this newsletter with your classmates. (elicit discussion, impressions, feedback, etc.)
Homework for tonight is to read pages 74-94 in the book. The topic for your Reflective Journal tonight is "Talk about one custom, tradition, or holiday that you and your family observe. Think about birthdays, weddings, funerals, holidays, reunions, etc. Why is it important to keep these traditions alive?
