Collection 1: Ourselves and Others

Why this Text? Students often read fictional stories starring complex characters who develop over the course of the narrative. In this story, Etgar Keret explores people’s dreams and their reality of living in a land where people from many cultures often struggle or coexist.

Academic Vocabulary Accumulate Appreciation Conform Persistence Due Friday Accumulate Appreciation Conform Persistence Reinforce Part of speech Definition Exemplar sentence

READING NOTES SHOULD BE KEPT IN YOUR BINDER As you read List details that describe the characters Write questions that come up during reading. Pay attention to visual aids and graphics included with the text. Summarize chunks of the text that cover similar ideas. Use the following TEXT FOCUS slides to guide you through the text. READING NOTES SHOULD BE KEPT IN YOUR BINDER

Analyze Character (Lines 1-13) Consider the things a character thinks, says, and does to understand his or her personality. Think about Yoni’s plan to create a documentary and the question he plans to ask. What kind of person is he? Summarize what you know so far about Yoni’s project.

Analyze Character (Lines 14-26) An author develops a character by providing the reader with additional details that deepen a reader’s initial impression of the character and may change a reader’s opinion about the character. Cite the details from the text that help you fully understand Yoni’s character and his intentions.

Point of View (Lines 31-47) By setting this story in Israel, the author has the opportunity to populate it with characters of many different cultural backgrounds and points of views, or ways of looking at the world and life. Identify cultural backgrounds of some of the characters. What types of people are involved in this story so far?

Analyze Character (Lines 60-72 ) The way an author describes what characters think and want can make it easier to understand why they behave and interact with each other in certain ways. What does Sergei want from life? Reread the sentence, “Until one day some kid with a ring in his ear…comes knocking. Hard like that – rapping at his door.” How does the description of Yoni and the use of the words knocking and rapping help you understand the effect Yoni has when entering Sergei’s life?

Point of View (Lines 73-77) Continue looking for information about the cultural background of various characters. These details can help you understand why the characters relate to one another in certain ways. Think about whether Yoni and Sergei are communicating well with one another and cite text to support their view.

Analyze Character (Lines 83-100) Sometimes an author develops a character develops a character by contrasting two actions or juxtaposing (aligning) one character’s impression with another character’s actions. What does Sergei’s actions tell you about his personality? How does Sergei’s actions contrast with Yoni’s first impression of Sergei? What is the result?

Analyze Character (Lines 104-113) Authors can create humor through the use of understatement, or creating emphasis by making something seem less significant. An author’s use of understatement can help readers better understand a character’s personality. Identify one example of understatement. What does this tell you about Sergei’s character?

Analyze Character (Lines 126-150) Paying close attention to a character’s actions can tell you things about their personality that are not directly stated by the author. What new information is revealed about Sergei’s character? What do Sergei’s first two wishes reveal about his character? What was the result of Sergei’s second wish and how do you think it affected his hesitation to decide on a third?

Analyze Author’s Choice (Lines 135-144) Authors choose different techniques in order to create specific effects. For example, they may want to create mystery, tension, or surprise. What technique does the author use to tell us about Sergei’s wishes?

Analyze Character (Lines 159-166) Review what you have learned so far in the story about the various cultural backgrounds of people living in Israel. Why does Yoni think the Arab he finds is perfect for his film?

Point of View (Lines 176-181) Review what you have learned so far in the story about the various cultural backgrounds of people living in Israel. Why does Yoni think the Arab he finds is perfect for his film?

Individual Practice Analyze the Text: Questions 1-7 on page 10 (e-book). Performance Task: Complete the writing activity on page 10 (e-book).