J. Belvedere MS Melba’s Choice

WARM-UP Copy and answer the following questions. 1. Describe a time when you experienced bullying or racism. 2. How did you feel when you experienced this? Explain. 3. Do you think bullying or racism against other people is fair? Why or why not?

SELECTION INFORMATION TITLE: Melba’s Choice AUTHOR: Melba Pattillo Beals Melba Patillo Beals started writing Warriors Don’t Cry soon after she left Central High, but it took almost 40 years before she could tell the story the way she wanted to. Although she left Arkansas and became a reporter and then a writer in California, her family stayed in Little Rock. Her brother Conrad became the first black U.S. Marshal in the history of the South.

GENRE MEMOIR: An expression of personal memories about events from a person’s own life.

THEME CONNECTION This selection tells about an African American high school student who made the difficult decision to participate in integrating a white school, despite the risks and challenges involved.

SELECTION SUMMARY Melba volunteers to be one of the African Americans to integrate Central high School in Little Rock, Arkansas. As she and eight other black students prepare for the school year, she realizes how dangerous her decision is. Every day she has to choose if she will continue to go forward or turn back.

J. Belvedere MS SELECTION VOCABULARY

ALTERNATIVE different choice

CONSIDER think over carefully

DECISION final choice

ENDANGER put in the way of harm

OPTION one of two or more choices

REASON think about facts and then draw conclusions

REGRET feel sorry about

SETBACK something that stops or reverses progress

RISK chance of harm or loss

PRACTICE! Let’s use these words in a sentence!! With your group, come up with three sentences, using AT LEAST 3 words. Try to use as many as you can!! Everyone must write the sentences! Share your sentences with the class!

READING STRATEGY (T) HOW TO USE A DECISION CHART 1. List the pros, or good things about someone’s decision. 2. List the cons, or bad things about the decision. 3. Evaluate the pros and cons. 4. Describe the final decision.

J. Belvedere MS LET’S READ THE STORY! Day 2

Vocabulary Practice – Vocabulary Flash Cards Choose a group leader. Group leader is in charge of the cards. Group leader quizzes the rest of the group. First person to get the definition gets the card. Group leader is the judge. Student with the most cards at the end wins.

DO YOU LOSE YOUR FLASH CARDS??? This will help you keep them all together!!!! Everyone gets an envelope. The envelope MUST be kept in your binder. Put the envelope in your Vocabulary section.

Vocabulary 4 Square! Word: reason Definition: think about facts and then draw conclusions Related words: think, decide, conclude, analyze Draw a Picture!! Class sentence: You have to reason carefully before making a decision. My sentence:

Vocabulary 4 Square! Definition: think about facts and then draw conclusions Related words: think, decide, conclude, analyze Picture Class sentence: You have to reason carefully before making a decision. My sentence: reason hmm…

J. Belvedere MS LET’S READ!! Read until page 271 – BYMO Read until page 273 – BYMO Read until page 275 – BYMO

J. Belvedere MS LET’S READ!! Read pages – BYMO Read pages – BYMO

J. Belvedere MS Day 3

Vocabulary 4 Square Word: endanger Definition: put in the way of harm Picture: Related Words: hurt, danger, harm, scared, careless Class Sentence: Melba didn’t want to endanger her family by going to an all white school. My Sentence:

Vocabulary 4 Square! Definition: one of two or more choices Related Words: hurt, danger, harm, scared, careless Picture Class Sentence: Melba didn’t want to endanger her family by going to an all white school. My sentence: endanger

Vocabulary 4 Square! Word: option Definition: one of two or more choices Picture Related Words: choice, pick, choose, decide, which way? Class sentence: Melba had the option to go to Central High School. My Sentence:

Vocabulary 4 Square! Definition: put in the way of harm Related Words: choice, pick, choose, decide, which way? Picture Class Sentence: Melba had the option to go to Central High School. My sentence: option hmm…

Vocabulary Competition Each student gets a whiteboard and marker. Make sure you are on a team of 4 or 5. For every word you see, each student on the team needs to write the definition. Your team will get a point if it is the first team where EVERY student holds up the whiteboard with the correct definition. Every student MUST write the correct definition for the team to get a point!

THIS IS JEOPARDY! VocabStoryPicturesPros/Cons

Vocabulary 100 Define the following words: alternative consider

Vocabulary 200 Use the following words in a sentence decision endanger

Vocabulary 300 Define AND make a sentence with the following word: reason

Vocabulary 400 Define AND make a sentence with the following words: regret risk

Story 100 Why did melba want to attend Central High School?

Story 200 How did the school administration react to the Black students? (pg. 271)

Story 300 Why did Melba not tell her parents about her decision to go to Central High School?

Story 400 How do you know that Melba’s mother and grandmother supported her decision?

Pictures 100 Draw a picture representing the word: regret

Pictures 200 Draw a picture for EACH word: risk endanger

Story 300 Draw a picture for each word: setback reason

Story 400 Draw a picture for each word: consider alternative option

Pros/Cons 100 What is a pro and what is a con?