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CSU Expository Reading and Writing Curriculum 1
The Distance Between Us
Developed by Jennifer Campbell
MODULE: TEACHER VERSION
Grade 11, 5 weeks ERWC with Integrated and Designated ELD
Module Purpose
Immigration has been and continues to be, a subject that invites not only controversy, but a myriad of stories, experiences, and exceptions. Reyna Grande’s memoir The Distance Between Us provides students with an astonishingly honest depiction of the struggles with immigration—before, during, and after. Her story appeals to a variety of readers, as it is not only a tale of transition in geography, but in age, family dynamics and identity. After reading and analyzing the memoir, students will be asked to write argumentatively about the turning point in Grande’s life. During the module, they will practice and refine numerous skills as they evaluate Grande as a writer and the techniques she uses to keep readers interested while telling her life story. To best meet your student’s unique learning needs, consider both the Integrated and Designated activities and strategies and use accordingly to facilitate student success on the final writing assignment.
Questions at Issue
- What are the effects of immigration on a family? How does the experience change the family before, during, and after the actual immigration has taken place? - How do family roles flex in response to situations and how is family defined in different settings? - How do writers of memoirs manage the maintenance of a narrative while staying true to their actual stories? - How can family dynamics influence an individual’s coming of age?
Module Texts
Grande, Reyna. The Distance Between Us. Washington Square Press, 12 Mar. 2013, New York, NY.
Module Learning Goals: Integrated
At the end of the module, students will be able to
- Analyze the impact of the author’s choice regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama. - Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure.
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- Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. - Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of a text, including how they interact and build upon one another to provide a complex analysis. - Provide an objective summary of the text. - Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text. - Analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text. - Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness or beauty of the text. - Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of a text, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. - Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. - Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on what is most significant for a specific audience or purpose. - Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information. - Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. Module Learning Goals: Designated In addition to meeting the ELA objectives for this module, Expanding and Bridging students will be able to: - Exchange information and ideas with others through oral collaborative discussions on a range of social and academic topics. (I A. 1) - Interact with others in written English in various communicative forms. (I A. 2) - Offer and justify opinions, negotiating with and persuading others in communicative exchanges. (I A. 3) - Read closely literary nonfiction to determine how meaning is conveyed explicitly and implicitly through language. (I. B. 6) - Express information and ideas in formal oral presentations on academic topics. (I C. 9) - Write literary and informational texts to present, describe, and explain ideas and information, using appropriate technology. (I C.10) - Justify own arguments and evaluate others’ arguments in writing. (I C. 11)
4 The Distance Between Us Immigration has been and continues to be, a subject that invites not only controversy, but a myriad of stories, experiences, and exceptions. Reyna Grande’s memoir, The Distance Between Us , provides students with an astonishingly honest depiction of the struggles with immigration—before, during, and after. Her story appeals to a variety of readers, as it is not only a tale of transition in geography, but in age, family dynamics and identity. After reading and analyzing the novel, students will be asked to write argumentatively about the turning point in Grande’s life. Please note that this module does not explore the overall concepts of immigration. For a deeper discussion of that issue, please consider doing the module on that topic. Module Background: English Language Development Resources in this module enable teachers of ELD students at the Expanding and Bridging levels and other linguistically diverse learners to support their engagement with complex full-length texts with activities that amplify or differentiate support for students. Modification for activities and additional activities build necessary background information, offer support in skills needed in the integrated class, provide additional opportunities for discussion and allow students strategies to complete independent and a group reading of the core text. How to Use Activities Designated for Designated Students:
- They can be used for all students within the integrated class, as appropriate - They can be used to differentiate instruction for designated students within the class by replacing or supplementing an integrated activity - The can be used during a time set aside for designated instruction for students grouped by proficiency level Assessment of the needs of individual students, using an initial diagnostic process and regularly evaluating on-going formative assessments, can help determine how best to make use of these activities. Setting Teaching Goals for this Module In this module, students will be reading a full-length memoir, and this might be their first experience reading a full-length nonfiction text. As you consider the activities within the module, assess your students’ needs concerning the genre and adjust activities accordingly. This module is paced for a brisk five weeks. Homework in this module will be essential. Consider how you can structure the five weeks to best support the students you currently have, keeping in mind their motivation level, and adjust your formative assessment of their independent reading accordingly. How will you ensure that students are keeping up and able to participate fully in the in-class activities and discussions? Having looked at the Integrated and Designated objectives for the module, as well as the final writing assignment, which of your teaching practices would you most like to focus on as you teach this module in order to make it the best learning experience for your students?
CSU Expository Reading and Writing Curriculum 5 Formative Assessment Statement Formative assessment opportunities are built into all learning activities in this module in order for it to occur daily. Formative assessment, or assessment for learning, is a process and not a test, tool, or event (which is an assessment of learning). It is “in-the-moment” and happens while instruction is happening, where both teachers and students engage in a feedback process. This two-way feedback is a) teachers (or another student) to students, who use the feedback to adjust their thinking and/or actions and b) student to teacher (or another student), who use the information to adjust their next supportive moves. Formative assessment includes the following components:
- A collaborative classroom culture where students and teachers (and students with other students) are partners in learning; - Clear lesson and learning goals and success criteria , so students (and their teachers) understand what students are aiming for; - Careful observation of student learning during lessons to determine where students are relative to goals; - Feedback that supports student learning by helping them understand where they are going, where they are currently, and what their next steps will be; and - Peer and self-evaluation to strengthen students’ sense of self-efficacy, support their autonomy, and promote their collaborative learning. (Adapted from the ELA-ELD Framework, Chapter 8, p. 823).
CSU Expository Reading and Writing Curriculum 7 Reading Rhetorically Preparing to Read
Day 1
Activity 1: Getting Ready to Read – Looking at the Map Suggested Time: 15 Minutes Purpose: To introduce students to the geography of the region in Mexico where Grande originated from. In order to fully understand Book 1, students will need to have a good grasp of Mexico and the geography of the state of Guerrero, Grande’s home. Grande includes a map at the beginning of the book. It might be useful to have students use Post-it notes to layer information on the map. This map will be used mostly for Book 1, although students may return to it in Book 2, Chapter 19 when Reyna returns to Mexico for a visit. If possible, pull the maps (or a similar version) up on your screen or Smart Board and work with the students to examine the map. Pose the following questions:
- What books or texts typically have maps?
- What is significant about this map? What do you notice?
- Why would Grande include this in the book? What predictions can students make? Activity 1: Getting Ready to Read – Looking at the Map Directions: Examine the map at the beginning of the book and answer the following questions. Your teacher will lead a discussion after everyone has examined the book and thoughtfully answered the questions.
- What books or texts typically have maps? Nonfiction books, books about geography, history books, fantasy novels
- What is significant about this map? What do you notice? There is a line from Mexico to the United States
- Why would the author, Reyna Grande, include this in the book? What predictions can you make? She is showing us the route someone will take, she is showing how she got somewhere else, she is showing us the way she immigrated, she wants the reader to know more about her setting
8 The Distance Between Us Exploring Key Concepts Activity 2: Exploring Key Concepts – Memoir Suggested Time: 20 minutes initially, but remember to return back to it as the memoir unfolds Purpose: To identify the conventions of the genre of memoir, especially point of view and reliability of a narrator.
- Decide on an event that most people in your class have shared—maybe a school-wide assembly, a pep rally, a lockdown, etc.
- Post the event clearly.
- Provide students with 3 minutes to write down their opinion of the experience. Urge students to recall as many details as they possibly can. a. Initial quickwrite: What is your opinion of the event your teacher selected? Recall as many sensory details as you can. You will have three minutes to write. Please note that you will be sharing your writing.
- After the timer goes off, review the expectations of the strategy of think-write-pair-share.
- Strategically pair up students and letter them using A or B.
- Double check to ensure that each partnership has an A and a B.
- Remind them of good listening procedures.
- Ask Partner A to share first. During the sharing, Partner B can jot notes or actively listen.
- Pause for a moment to allow Partner B to question or clarify Partner A’s statement.
- Switch roles and repeat steps 8-9.
- Allow students to now choose a partner.
- Ensure everyone is paired up and re-letter students.
- Repeat the same procedure.
- Have students return to their seats to complete the reflection questions individually. - Which partner’s retelling of the event was most similar to yours? Why? - Is it possible for anyone to be 100% accurate in their retelling of the event? Explain. - Who is telling the “truth” or who is “right”? - Did either partner remember anything extremely different from you? Why?
- Debrief with the whole class: How does the person’s point of view or role in the overall situation play a part in the way he or she retells it?
- Information for the notes page: Have students label the first element box with “Point of View”. Based on the quickwrite and class discussion, have students complete the definition. At points in the reading, students will be directed to take this organizer out and add definitions and reactions.
10 The Distance Between Us Focus and scope -concentrates on experiences -some details may be invented -focus is either a short time person or related events -relationship between events is the focus Tone and Worldview -reveals thoughts and feelings of the author -makes the subject “come alive” Style -includes natural dialogue both what they say and how they say it -highly descriptive -context is woven into the story Theme and Personal Truth -based on truth, but the story is more important than 100% accuracy -has meaning, shows a lesson and makes people think
Activity 1D: Exploring Key Concepts – Memory Deep Dive
Suggested Time: 45 minutes Purpose: To have students connect to the idea of a memoir by anchoring on to a key memory.
- Ideally, this lesson will be done after students have taken notes on memoirs in their ELA class.
- Instruct students ahead of time to bring either an object or photograph with them to the class that has a strong memory attached to it.
- Provide the Memory Deep Dive Worksheet.
- Guide students through the given example and have them complete the 5W and 1H chart with the specifics of the event.
- Give students the time (and space, if possible) to practice explaining their memory.
- Partner students up and letter them A and B.
- Remind students about the importance of careful listening.
- After reviewing listening procedures, allow students to share.
CSU Expository Reading and Writing Curriculum 11
- Have the class pause and redirect their attention to the example memory.
- Model creating a follow-up question such as: a. Do you remember any particular smells or sounds? b. Why is this memory so special to you? c. Why do you think you remember this thing in particular over all the other memories you have?
- Give students a few minutes to construct 2-3 follow up questions for their partners.
- Review appropriate academic language in both their reporting of the incident and their follow up questions with their partners.
- After they have had time to question each other, choose students to report about their partner’s memory.
- Whole class debriefs: Conclude the lesson by asking students to refer back to their notes about memoirs. What conventions of the genre did they include in their story? Which ones could they add if they were going to expand the incident?
Activity 1D: Activity 1D: Exploring Key Concepts – Memory Deep Dive
Directions: Using the object or photograph you brought with you to class, complete the Memory Deep Dive worksheet. Example Memory Object: A photo of a rollercoaster The memory it triggers: Who? My Uncle Ron and Aunt Melissa What? My first time on a rollercoaster When? I was in elementary school, it was the summer, it was in the evening Where? Elitches Amusement Park Why? My parents didn’t like the rides very much, but my aunt and uncle did. They took me with them on the rides. It was so exciting. How? My parents stayed with my sister in the kiddie area and I got to go to the big rides. It made me really appreciate my aunt and uncle and it was one of the first times I felt independent. My Memory Object: _____________________________________________________________
CSU Expository Reading and Writing Curriculum 13
Day 2
Surveying the Text
Activity 3: Surveying the Text – Book Walk
Suggested Time: 15 minutes Purpose: To examine the memoir and have students preview the material to begin making predictions.
- Distribute the books. Give students a few minutes to peruse the book (probably about 5 minutes maximum). Remind students that they will not be reading any of the actual books at this point, although other parts of the text are okay to skim. Give students the purpose of examining the structure Grande has chosen to tell her story.
- After they have had time to examine the text, lead an informal classroom discussion with the following ideas. - What kind of divisions exist in the book? Are they named, numbered or otherwise marked? - What kind of text features does this memoir contain? Are the text features evenly scattered throughout the text or concentrated in one area? - What do you think the title means? - What do you notice about the images on the cover or within the book? - Are there prologues, dedications or acknowledgments? Activity 3: Surveying the Text – Book Walk Directions: Examine the book and jot down notes on the following items in preparation for a discussion. Discussion Questions:
- What kind of divisions exist in the book? Are they named, numbered or otherwise marked? The book is divided into two sections-Book 1 and Book 2. There are chapters. They are numbered.
- What kind of text features does this memoir contain? Are the text features evenly scattered throughout the text or concentrated in one area? Each chapter contains a picture at the beginning under the number. There is an extra picture on the front cover. There is a map at the beginning. The text features seem to be distributed evenly through the book.
- What do you think the title means? The title means that the author is separated from her family. It also says “A Memoir”, so this is going to be a true story about someone’s life.
- What do you notice about the images on the cover or within the book? The images on the cover show rocky terrain. There is a picture of a girl walking. Her back is to the reader. There are no other people or buildings, or signs of life. There is a yellow sticker that says “A National Book Critics Circle Awards Nominee”.
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- Are there prologues, dedications or acknowledgments? There is a dedication to her father, Natalio Grande 1947-2011 and to all DREAMers.There is a quote from Carl Sandburg on the next page that says, “Nothing happens unless first we dream.” There is a very short prologue where La Llorona is compared to the United States.
Activity 4: Surveying the Text – Dedications
Suggested Time: 25 minutes Purpose: To direct student’s attention to the author’s dedications and to help analyze the author’s purpose.
- Provide students with the Making Predictions and Brainstorming Worksheet. Start out by explaining the word “dedication.” - What does it mean as a verb? - What does it mean as a noun? - What connotations does the word have?
- Have students explain what they think it means to dedicate something to someone. Have them connect to their own lives by asking what they might dedicate to someone. Next, direct them in the book to the dedication. Have them answer the questions on the page as thoroughly as they can. - If Reyna Grande dedicates her memoir to her father, what does it tell you, as the reader, about their relationship? - Who is the second part of the dedication directed to? Make a prediction. - Next, direct students to the quotation that begins the book by Carl Sandburg. - What does this quote mean? - What could this mean in relation to this memoir? Make a prediction.
- After analyzing each of the features in writing, have students select one of their predictions to share in a “whip around” activity. Provide sentence frames such as: - “One prediction I have is that Grande will ___________________.” - “Based on the _______________, I predict the memoir will be about __________.” Activity 4: Surveying the Text – Dedications Directions: After a brief discussion, complete the following questions as honestly and thoroughly as you can. What does it mean to dedicate something to someone? If you were to dedicate something to someone, what would it be and who would you dedicate it to? The verb “to dedicate” means to devote time, energy or effort to a particular task or purpose and to cite as being issued or performed in someone’s honor.
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- Have students write it down underneath their dedication.
- After students have selected their quote and written it down, have them stand up, hand up, pair up to find a partner.
- Partnerships should take turns reading their dedications and quotes and explaining them to their classmates.
- Using the questioning techniques from the last class, students should ask at least one or two probing questions to their partner about either their dedication or quote.
Activity 2D: Surveying the Text – Creating Our Own Dedication Pages
Directions: Gather a piece of paper for a quickwrite. Write for 2-3 minutes, brainstorming the people who are most important to you in your life and have helped you get this far in your educational journey. Choose one and write a dedication to that person for your work in this module. Next, go online and search for a quote that sums up your life philosophy, makes you think, or relates to your journey to adulthood. Write this quote underneath your dedication, making sure to state who originally said the quote you selected. Next, you’ll be sharing with a partner. Read your dedication and quote to your partner and explain why you chose each. Ask your partner at least two questions about their selections. Expect to answer questions on your choices.
Making Predictions and Asking Questions
Activity 5: Making Predictions and Asking Questions – Step In
Suggested Time: 20 minutes Purpose: To help students connect to the author and form predictions about the topics of the memoir.
- Have the students form a circle. It can be outside if there is ample room. If there isn’t room for a circle, a line will also work well.
- Prepare students by explaining that they will be sharing a little bit of personal information in this activity. (If your classroom culture doesn’t allow students to comfortably share, you can adapt this activity to a more traditional anticipation guide.)
- Read each statement. Allow an almost uncomfortable pause between statements so that hesitant students have time to step in. Those who step in quickly can use the time to think about the statement. Do not allow questions during this activity. If they do not understand the statement, just have them do the best they can. This is intended to be a silent activity which should help them to anticipate some key elements from the memoir.
CSU Expository Reading and Writing Curriculum 17
- Statements: - You have siblings. - You have wanted something you couldn’t have or afford. - You are the youngest member of your family. - You have been separated from one of your parents. - You have missed someone. - You are close to your grandparents. - Someone you know has struggled with addiction. - You have helped with chores. - You question the choices a family member makes. - You play a musical instrument. - An adult other than a family member has been important in your life. - Your parents are divorced.
- Have students complete the following quickwrite: The statements you responded to all relate to The Distance Between Us. Judging from your experience in the game, what do you predict the memoir will be about? How many times did you step in? What did you notice about your classmates? Do you think you will have anything in common with the narrator of the memoir? Activity 5: Making Predictions and Asking Questions – Step In Directions: After completing the Step-In activity with your classmates, write to the following prompt. The statements you responded to all relate to The Distance Between Us. Judging from your experience in the game, what do you predict the memoir will be about? How many times did you step in? What did you notice about your classmates? Do you think you will have anything in common with the narrator of the memoir?
CSU Expository Reading and Writing Curriculum 19 Summary Juana leaves Reyna, Mago, and Carlos to join Natalio in the US. The kids to have to stay with Abuela Evila, who doesn’t like them much. The kids adjust to their new home. Reyna struggles when she’s called an orphan. Mago takes her on a little memory trip. The children’s jealousy over the treatment of Elida worsens. They are “treated” for lice with kerosene. Reyna gets her hair chopped off. She is terribly lonely for her mother. The children find out that Juana is pregnant. Mago takes it the hardest and begins to resent other families. She feeds poop tacos to two boys who have a mother. Reyna and Mago both have a birthday and actually get a party. Elizabeth is born in the US. Elida has her quincenera and the girls and Carlos help out. Golden line (cited) “Yet I never imagined that ‘not too long’ woud turn out to be never… because I never really got my mother back “ (6). “’Don’t ever think that your parents don’t love you,’ he said. ‘It is because they love you very much that they have left’” (22). “I cried for my hair. It was the only beautiful thing I had” (28). “’They’re replacing us,’ Mago said… ’she promised.’ Carlos and I tried to make her feel better, yet no matter what we said, Mago was inconsolable” (33). “Some other girl I did not know had replaced me” (41). Reflection Juana seems relieved and almost proud to be needed. Mago accepts a lot of responsibility. Mago really shows Reyna kindness with the trip to the old house and the shed. Doing the right thing pays off for Reyna. The kids are treated awfully because Abuela Evila doesn’t trust their mother. The treatment is/borders on abuse. Mago is volatile when she gets mad. Carlos deals with things using humor. The kids are still being treated badly. They are still treated poorly, like helpers instead of family. The aunt is rude to them. It’s hard to be replaced by a sibling born in the US.
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Activity 3D: Understanding Key Vocabulary – Sociogram
Suggested Time: 20 minutes to start it, but remember to return to it throughout the memoir. Purpose: To have students review the relationships between characters and the family name vocabulary in Spanish.
- You will need large paper, markers, and pencils for this activity.
- You will start this activity and set it up, but the real work will be done once the students have started reading the memoir. You may consider posting yours for students to look at.
- A glossary of Spanish family names may be nice to display. This is a useful one https://www. spanish.cl/vocabulary-lists/family-members.htm.
- An example sociogram is included below.
Activity 3D: Understanding Key Vocabulary – Sociogram
- Directions: You will be constructing a map of all the characters in the memoir, how they relate and what they think of each other. USING A PENCIL, create a key in the corner of their paper. The key should include family relationships and feelings. For example
