Yale Initiative and final unit plan

The Yale Initiative takes a very historical approach to teaching Maggie and House on Mango Street together, which I can respect. I think putting to two texts under the umbrella of immigration can be an enlightening way to view both of their themes. However, when I think of incorporating Twelve Angry Men into the mix, it seems like a disservice to only talk about the historical context and commentary their contemporary time. The Yale unit is fully developed, but I naturally gravitate towards the idea of teaching each text as a way to get at the idea of literature for social change, not just for reading into the time period it was written in.

For my own unit, I would like to focus on larger themes that deal with human nature as a whole. Students are likely to be disinterested in texts if we tell them that they are historical pieces that can or should only be viewed in light of their historical surroundings. I want students to read these texts and identify themselves in the theme that each present: self-identity. Immigrants, upon moving to a new country or even neighborhood, are forced to rediscover themselves in relation to their surroundings. Students will find that they will always need to be doing this, whether in college, in a workplace setting, in a new neighborhood of their own. Knowing oneself, one's beliefs and experiences, can help a person discover how best they can contribute their skills to society. Issues of morality, perception (self or others'), justice, and assimilation are all at play in each of the three texts that I will be engaging with.  Hopefully, I will be able to tweak some of my previous activities, brainstorm new  and better ones, and help students understand the texts, the themes, and themselves in beneficial ways.

#similes in HOMS

Meme Ortiz's house: "Out front there are twenty-one steps, all lopsided and jutting like crooked teeth (made that way on purpose, Cathy said, so the rain will slide off)..."(22) #yourhouseneedsbraces #smilinggirl #homeisnofriend


Louis' cousin: "The nose of that yellow Cadillac was all pleated like an alligator's and except for a bloody lip and a bruised forehead, Louie's cousin was ok" (25).  #SeeYaLaterAlligator #InaWhileJuvenile #drivinglesson


Rosa Vargas' kids: "The kids...dangle upside down from knees and almost break like fancy museum vases you can't replace. They think its funny. They are without respect for all things living, including themselves" (29). #parentswhereyouat #comequick #bringsomeselfworth


Darius: "That one there. See that. That's God, Darius said. God? somebody little asked. God, he said, and made it simple" (34).  #discipledarius #OneNationUnderGod #andtherewaslight


"And what about the kind that looks like you combed its hair? Yes, those are clouds too" (36). #cloudsarepeopletoo #appreciatedifferences