Quickwrite: What do you know about Lance Armstrong Quickwrite: What do you know about Lance Armstrong? List as many things as you know about him. If you are unsure, look at this picture! Adapted from CSU ERWC Material

It's Not About the Bike by Lance Armstrong

Who is Lance Armstrong? Lance Armstrong is a world-renowned bicycle racer, famous for having won seven consecutive Tours de France (a race that is over 2,200 miles on a bicycle) from 1998-2005. He was sidetracked by cancer early in his career, but made a stunning comeback. He is also well-known for dating singer Sheryl Crow, having divorced his wife shortly after the publication of the book from which the excerpt we are going to read is taken.

Survey the Text Take a look at the Lance Armstrong article in your yellow packet: What is the significance of the fact that the book is written by Lance Armstrong with Sally Jenkins? What kind of text—what genre—do you think this book is? What do you think this book will be about?

Survey the Text What is the significance of the fact that the book is written by Lance Armstrong with Sally Jenkins? This is a flag that the book, although seemingly "co-written" by Armstrong and Jenkins, was probably written primarily by Jenkins. Many celebrity-authored books have this type of shared authorial byline. It is significant in that it indicates that actual authorship is not as straightforward as in a more traditional autobiography, but a reader can safely assume that the viewpoints provided are those of the "famous" person.

Survey the Text What kind of text—what genre—do you think this book is? What do you think this book will be about? This text is an autobiography. You may also know or predict that this may cover all of Armstrong's life, or be limited to a specific time period.

Making Predictions What topics do you think Lance Armstrong might talk about that are related to the issue of how we value life? Do you think Lance Armstrong's claim about the value of life will agree with Hamlet's or not?

Making Predictions What topics do you think Lance Armstrong might talk about that are related to the issue of how we value life? If you know about Armstrong's battle with cancer, you may predict that he might view that life is full of suffering.

Making Predictions Do you think Lance Armstrong's claim about the value of life will agree with Hamlet's or not? Again, if you know that Armstrong survived cancer and went on to great accomplishments in bicycle racing, you may anticipate that Armstrong has a less pessimistic tone to his piece.

Vocabulary Preview (Create a Cornell-Note Vocabulary Chart) 1. expire (v) die 2. poignant (touching, sentimental) 3. demise (ending, death) 4. cadence (pace, rhythm) 5. marbled (striated, multicolored) 6. acrid (bitter, sour) 7. puckered (indented, sucked-in) 8. catheter (tube used in medical procedures) 9. constitution (physical makeup or strength) 10. articulate (describe coherently)

Vocabulary Mapping Identify sets or pairs of words that are related to each other: 1. Which words refer to death? 2. Which words refer to the body? 3. Are there any other categories of words?

First Reading Read the text by Lance Armstrong. As you read, pay attention to the way that Armstrong talks about the value of life. As we did with Hamlet, to try to determine if Armstrong appears to be generally pessimistic or optimistic, based on your reading of the passage. Consider whether Armstrong’s view of mortality reflects a positive or negative view of life. Does the text, in other words, present an argument about the value of death?

Strategic Marking of the Text I: As we did with the Shakespeare text, mark Armstrong's text. Use a different highlighter (from HAMLET reading) to highlight the sentences, phrases, and/or words that Armstrong uses to describe what he thinks it means to be alive. Note: Use a different colored highlighter than you used to mark the Shakespeare text.

Characterizing the Text Partners: Once you have highlighted Armstrong's text, compare what you selected to highlight with the choices a classmate made. Then, working together, mark some of the commonly-highlighted parts with a "+" or "-" sign to indicate whether the quote shows a generally positive or negative outlook on life. Discuss the results with your partner and answer the question about Armstrong's outlook on life: is he an optimist or a pessimist?

Strategic Marking of the Text II Second Highlighting: Go through the text once more, this time with the same highlighter you used for Shakespeare’s text. Imagine that you are reading Armstrong's text from Hamlet's perspective. Highlight any passages that Hamlet would find particularly interesting or compelling. Some of these may be the same words you already highlighted, while others will be new.

Connecting the Texts—The Mock Interview Armstrong and Hamlet, in their respective texts, provide quite different perspectives on the meaning and value of life. Partners: Envision a scenario in which somehow Hamlet would have the opportunity to interview Armstrong and vice versa. One partner should write out a series of five questions that Hamlet would probably ask Armstrong, while the other writes five questions for Armstrong to ask Hamlet.

Connecting the Texts—The Mock Interview Interview questions might address such issues as Hamlet’s and Armstrong’s attitudes toward death, fear, vitality, human relationships, and endurance. Examples: 1. Are you afraid of death? 2. Are there any benefits to suffering? 3. How do you approach challenges?

Conducting the Interview Now, take on the personas of these two, and conduct the interviews. Be sure to give answers that are in keeping with the points of view provided in the two texts.

Rhetorical Appeals An autobiography is a form of nonfiction--a text that tells the "truth." Do you think Armstrong is being truthful in his account of his life? Explain your reasoning.

Rhetorical Appeals 2. Armstrong's autobiography is written by Armstrong "with" Sally Jenkins. What role do you think Jenkins played in the writing of the text? How does her participation in the creation of the text influence your interpretation of Armstrong's story? In other words, how does the combination of Armstrong and Jenkins as authors affect the "ethos" of the text?

Rhetorical Appeals 3. Do you think that Armstrong's story has an impact on the reader because of its use of logic (logos) or emotion (pathos) or both? 4. Unlike Hamlet, Armstrong is not in the midst of his crisis when he writes his story; instead, he writes about his experiences in hindsight. Does that have an impact on Armstrong's ability to make his ideas and story compelling to the reader? Explain your reasoning.

Chart the Text Make an entry in you charts for the Armstrong text, filling it out as you did with the soliloquy. When you reach the entry for "How does this text connect to other texts?“ briefly describe the ways that Armstrong responds to and/or challenges the assertions made by Shakespeare in his soliloquy for Hamlet.

After the Mock Interviews After conducting the mock interviews, discuss (in partnerships as well as a whole-class) the relative viewpoints of the characters. How well would they get along with one another? How would each respond to the arguments made by the other?