The Perils of Indifference: Consideration Questions



The Perils of Indifference: Consideration Questions

1. Who is Wiesel’s audience and why is he giving this speech?

2. What is the central concept of his speech?

3. Define indifference.

4. How does he feel about indifference? Positively/Negatively/Sometimes it’s necessary?

5. How do you know he feels this way? (use specific evidence)

6. Is this speech just intended for Americans? How do you know?

7. What are some examples of indifference? Was everyone indifferent?

8. Is society getting better or are we still indifferent? What does Wiesel think? What do you think?

9. Wiesel makes many references to the US? How does he feel about them? Then and now? Does it change?

10. Is there any passage in particular that struck you as interesting/confusing/upsetting?

Writing Exercise:

Considering the thesis of Wiesel’s speech, discuss the role that indifference plays in your everyday life. You may choose to use your own life, the experiences of friends or other examples to which you have been exposed. First complete a rough list of your ideas and then use it to construct a more detailed examination of the role of indifference in your life (2 paragraphs).

Malala

(1) In how many of the countries on the graph is the literacy rate for women below 50 percent?

a one b two c three d four

(2) In Afghanistan, the literacy rate for women is about______the literacy rate for men.

a one-tenth b one-fourth c one-third d half

(3) In the U.S., about one out of every 100 women (and one out of every 100 men) cannot read or write. The U.S. literacy rate for women is ) ____ percentage points higher than Mexico's.

a 2 b 7 c 12 d 20

(4) Which Asian nation shown on the graph has a literacy rate for men that is 24 percentage points higher than its literacy rate for women?

a India b Pakistan c Iran d Afghanistan

(5) The global literacy rate for men is about 89 percent. This is about the same as the male literacy rate in --.

a Germany b Nigeria c Iran d China

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

(1) What factors do you think might contribute to different literacy rates for men and women in many parts of the world?

(2) According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the world's lowest literacy rates (for both men and women) are in sub-Saharan Africa. Why do you think that is?

(3) How do you think low literacy rates might affect a nation's economic, political, and social development? Explain.

(4) How can UNESCO and other organizations help nations around the world improve their literacy rates? How might they help address gender disparity in literacy in nations where such disparity exists?

(5) Does any of the data represented on the graph surprise you? Explain. ............................

Looking for Work by Gary Soto

Answer the following questions, based on your reading of Looking for Work, . Please answer in complete sentences.

1. Use a dictionary to define the following words or use in a sentence that shows its meaning.

a. bewilderment b. contagious c. contorted

d. feigned e. mimicked f. rifts

2. Why did Gary want to imitate the family in Father Knows Best ?

3. What does Gary seem to like about his own life?

4. At the end of the story, Gary is once again looking for work. Why?

5. What is stereotyping? Give an example of a negative and a positive

Stereotype. This will be a group discussion so be prepared.

6.  What do you know about the narrator, and how do you know? Give 2-3 examples.

7.   Describe the author’s overall writing style/tone. (Formal/informal, light/serious, etc.)

8. Identify specific techniques the author uses in telling the story-especially those, which contribute to the style/tone, described in # 2.

9.  Interpret and evaluate the title. How does it relate to or inform the story? Do you think it’s a good/effective title? Why or why not?

10.  Which parts or aspects of the writing do you find most effective or successful? Be specific about what you like about them and/or how they work for you. (3 examples)

11. If this author were looking for feedback to revise, what advice would you offer? Additions, deletions, changes in structure, etc.

Two Kinds

|Vocabulary Word |Your Sentence |Definition |Original Sentence |

|Devastate |But my mother’s |Destroy completely |When Jing-Mei’s |

| |expression was what | |mother gave up hope |

| |devastated me; a | |for her success, Jing- |

| |quiet, blank look that | |Mei was devastated, too. |

| |said she had lost everything. | | |

|Discordant | | | |

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|Envision | | | |

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|Fiasco | | | |

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|Lament | | | |

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|Prelude | | | |

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|Prodigy | | | |

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The Pressure of Being an Immigrant, as Expressed in “Two Kinds”

Jing-Mei’s mother desires success for her daughter, but she does not express that desire in ways that most American teenagers might accept. Because of her Chinese heritage and culture, her experiences in China before she left, and her attempts to live a successful American life, Jing-Mei’s mother exerts pressure on Jing-Mei.

Direct your thinking to Jing-Mei’s mother and reflect on her experiences. Complete the questions regarding the mother’s point-of-view.

|Whom did Jing-Mei’s mother leave behind in | |

|China? | |

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|What expectations for success does Jing-Mei’s | |

|mother have, now that she lives in America? On | |

|whom | |

|does the mother and Jing- Mei’s success depend? | |

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|Who and what puts pressure on Jing-Mei’s mother?| |

|Be | |

|very specific. | |

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|How will Jing-Mei’s mother know that she has | |

|been | |

|successful in raising a daughter who is an | |

|American | |

|success story? | |

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|Why is success so important to Jing-Mei’s | |

|mother? | |

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I Want to be Miss America

|Vocabulary Word |Your Sentence |Definition |Original Sentence |

|Acute | | | |

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|Sallow | | | |

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|Inane | | | |

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|Prodigies | | | |

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|Diaphanous | | | |

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|Gratifying | | | |

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|Gawk | | | |

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Everyday Use

Text Dependent Questions

|Text-dependent Questions |Evidence-based Answers |

|In the initial description of the outdoor setting, the narrator compares | |

|the yard to an “extended living room”. Re-read paragraph 1. What can we | |

|infer about the setting of the story from the details in the introduction? | |

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|Re-read paragraphs 1-3. This sequence is an account of a daydream that does| |

|not actually happen in the action of the story. Compare and contrast the | |

|way the narrator wishes she was in her dream to the way she is in real | |

|life. What is the impact of the usage of this structure? | |

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|We learn there was a house fire. Re-read the paragraph and describe how Dee| |

|reacts to the house fire. What do we learn about her from this passage? | |

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|In paragraph 9, the author uses several personifications to depict the way | |

|Dee reads to her family. Identify examples of personification and the | |

|effect that they have on the meaning and tone of the text. | |

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|Mama describes Dee and Maggie in paragraph 1 and 2. Given this information,| |

|describe Maggie and contrast her to what we know about Dee. How are they | |

|similar? How are they different? How might their differences contribute to | |

|the kinds of interactions they have, and how does this affect the story? | |

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|Dee takes several pictures with her polaroid camera and then puts it away. | |

|What is Dee careful to include in every shot? Why do you think Dee does | |

|this and what can we infer about how she views her family and home? | |

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|When Dee returns home, she has changed her name to Wangero Leewanika | |

|Kemanjo because she “…couldn’t bear it any longer, being named after the | |

|people who oppress me.” Mama reminds her that she was named after her aunt | |

|Dicie who was called Big Dee. Dee continues to probe her mother about the | |

|origin of her name. What conclusions can you draw about the different ways | |

|Dee and Mama view heritage from this exchange? What might we infer about | |

|the significance of Dee’s decision to change her name? | |

|Re-read paragraphs 5-12. Find textual examples that indicate the items | |

|mentioned in this section are still used on a regular basis. What | |

|significance do these items have for each of the Johnson women? | |

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|Notice the different references to Dee’s name Explain why the author uses | |

|different configurations to refer to this character throughout the | |

|remainder of the story. | |

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|The author chooses the word “rifling” to describe Dee’s exploration of | |

|Mama’s trunk. What is the connotation of this word and what does this tell | |

|you about Mama’s feelings towards Dee’s action? | |

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|Compare and contrast Mama’s expectations for the quilts versus Dee’s. How | |

|do they each think the quilts should be used and what value do they attach | |

|to the quilts? How does this interaction help develop the theme of the | |

|text? | |

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|What changes for Mama, Maggie, and Dee as a result of Mama taking the | |

|quilts back from Dee? What effect does this have on the characters and the| |

|story? | |

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Without Commercials

1. “Better you should have a nose impertinent as a flower”

The author uses a simile in this line to convey the importance of

a. Accepting what Mother Nature has given us

b. Appreciating how a wide nose be used

c. Embracing society’s definition of beauty

d. Understanding why people look different

2. The italicized word, Original, at the end of the poem serves to tell the reader to

a. Remember the first beauty

b. Appreciate inherited beauty

c. Use original beauty products

d. Ignore false propaganda

3. The author suggests that we see each other “without commercials” to convey that

a. We have to be selective when watching beauty commercials

b. We have to not let the media determine for us what beauty is

c. We need to request more good-looking people for advertisements

d. We must remember that we are all from the first humans on earth

4. Read the following line.

There are black nights that rock us in dreams

The author uses this personification to show that

a. Dark nights help us sleep well

b. Sinister nights are always dark

c. Bleaching prevents dreaming

d. Black has a positive connotation

5. What is the theme of the poem?

a. Confidence

b. Rejection

c. Vanity

d. Acceptance

6. What do lines 10-19 tell the reader/

a. Tanning creates a sense of beauty

b. Change to make other people happy

c. Physical alterations lead to happiness

d. Make decisions without external influences

Still I Rise

|Type of Resilience |Definition |Example of that type of resilience from the poem |

|Insight | | |

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|Independence | | |

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|Relationships | | |

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|Initiative | | |

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|Creativity | | |

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|Humor | | |

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|Morality | | |

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Still I Rise Notes

|Type of Resilience |Definition |Example of that type of resilience from the poem |

|Insight |Having insight means asking questions of yourself, even | |

| |when the questions are difficult. If you | |

| |answer honestly, you can learn and move forward. Having | |

| |insight helps you understand the | |

| |problem and how to best solve it. Insight helps you | |

| |analyze the situation from as many | |

| |perspectives as you can. | |

|Independence |Showing independence means keeping a healthy distance | |

| |between yourself and other people so | |

| |you can think things through and do what is best for you.| |

| |It also means knowing how to step away | |

| |from people who seem to cause trouble or make things | |

| |worse by their words or actions. | |

|Relationships |Building relationships means finding connections with | |

| |people that are healthy for both of you and | |

| |keeping those relationships growing. | |

|Initiative |Taking the initiative means taking control of the problem| |

| |and working to solve it. It means asking | |

| |questions of yourself and answering them as honestly as | |

| |you can, so you can move past a sticky | |

| |situation. Sometimes people who take initiative become | |

| |the leader in activities and teamwork. | |

|Creativity |Using creativity requires that you use your imagination | |

| |or resourcefulness to express your | |

| |feelings, thoughts and plans in some unique way. Remember| |

| |that when you make something | |

| |happen, it shows resiliency of spirit and a positive | |

| |attitude. | |

|Humor |Humor is the ability to find something funny (especially | |

| |yourself!) in a situation, even when things | |

| |seem really bad. Humor often gives you the perspective | |

| |needed to relieve tension and make a | |

| |situation better. | |

|Morality |Being a person of morality means knowing the difference between right and wrong and beingwilling to choose and stand up|

| |for what is right. |

I Know why the Caged Bird Sings

1. Which lines from the poem show that the caged bird has never been free?

A. “his wings are clipped and / his feet are tied / so he opens his throat to sing.” (lines 12-

14)

B. “his tune is heard / on the distant hill / for the caged bird / sings for freedom.” (lines 19–

22)

C. “But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams / his shadow shouts on a nightmare

Scream.” (lines 27–28)

D. “The caged bird sings / with a fearful trill / of things unknown / but longed for still” (lines

31–34)

2. What does the caged bird’s singing reveal about him?

A. He is terribly unhappy. B. He does not want to fly.

C. He is afraid to be free. D. He does not want to be heard.

3. Why does the caged bird sing?

A. It wants to challenge the free bird. B. It has to make others feel good.

C. It wants to entertain people. D. It has only one way to express itself.

4. “But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage”

What do these lines reveal about the caged bird?

A. The caged bird has strong feelings. B. The caged bird is aware of its surroundings.

C. The caged bird has difficulty flying. D. The caged bird is satisfied with its life.

5. According to the poem, the free bird can best be described as

A. content. B. hungry. C. cautious. D. thoughtful.

6. What is the main conflict in this poem?

A. The caged bird hates the free bird.

B. The caged bird wants the life of the free bird.

C. The free bird laughs at the caged bird.

D. The free bird cannot sing as well as the caged bird.

7. What is this poem mainly about?

A. Freedom and slavery B. The lives of birds

C. Joy and singing D. The dreams of birds

8. Read lines 23 and 24 from the poem. “The free bird thinks of another breeze / and the trade

winds soft through the sighing trees”… What is the effect of the trees sighing in this verse?

A. It indicates that it is still early in the day.

B. It shows the tree is sleeping.

C. It indicates that the bird is carefree.

D. It shows where the bird sleeps.

The Lesson

Maya Angelou writes if death and life exist as one, rather than the usual thought that death and life are opposite aspects of living. To Angelou, in order to live you must face multiple deaths as a part of the experience. Pain and death are coexisting with life. Rather than pain and death being a reason to avoid death, Angelou creates an image that they are simply aspects of life, and a reason to keep living. Death is a part of the journey of life.

|Literary Devices |Define |Example from poem |Analysis |

|Hyperbole | | | |

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|Imagery | | | |

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|Metaphor | | | |

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The Test

THE TEST The Test is a short story by Angelica Gibbs which illustrates the issue of power abuse, where actions all originate from personal prejudices and ignorance. The characters; Marion, the Inspector and Mrs. Ericson represent three different societies which collide and are caught in a situation where there is a victim, a perpetrator, and a denying, yet guilty onlooker. Representing the first "society" is Marion. Though stereotyped by some (the Inspector) as being an ignorant and uneducated black woman, who is expected to be illiterate, married and to come from the South. In this story, Marion proves these racist assumptions to be wrong, and in turn, shows that she is an individual.

Please identify the three “different societies” that “collide” within this short story and explain the significance or the “meaning behind them…. Minimum 2 paragraphs:

Incident

1. Describe the speaker of the poem.

2. Why would Cullen invent this speaker? How does the choice of speaker affect the overall meaning of the poem? (Author’s Purpose)

3. Identify the organization and rhyme scheme of the poem.

4. Why would Cullen chose to develop his poem this way? What is the significance of this? (Author’s Purpose)

5. Explain how this poem relates to our theme of “Alienation.”

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