Focus Lessons Theme:“Recitatif:”English

Monday: Warm-Up!: 10/19 What is the TONE or feeling of this photograph? What is the SUBJECT or who/what of this photograph? What do you think the MAIN IDEA of this photograph is?

Draw with me… This is your text. A text is whatever you are reading.

Plot The sequence of events

You Remember!

PLOT

Tone The mood or attitude in a text The feeling a reader should have when reading

TONE PLOT

Subject What the text is about The GIST of it: Who, What, When, Where, Why

SUBJECT TONE PLOT

Theme The big idea about life and human nature that the writer is trying to get across Most themes are not told directly in the text

THEME SUBJECT TONE PLOT

But how do we find the theme if the author doesn’t say it directly? The author wants you to think about it! Here are some big clues… Think about the title Look for important statements made about big ideas Think about the ways characters change throughout the story and lessons they learn

Let’s Practice!

“Recitatif:” Act I:

Written by Toni Morrison - Born Famous for writing African- American Literature - Known for writing using epic themes - Has won the Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize for literature - Has won almost every award for book-writing possible

Common themes in Morrison’s writing are… - - Freedom - Good and Evil - Roots/Ancestry - - A sense of Identity - Community - A sense of Loss

“Recitatif” tells the story of two young girls who share a room in an orphanage for a few months in the 1950s. As they grow up, move to neighboring towns, marry, and have children, the girls (now women) meet unexpectedly several times. Near the end of the story, they take opposing sides in a protest about busing students to distant schools to promote racial integration. Although Toni Morrison tells us that one girl is white and the other is black, she is not clear about which is which. Overview

Predict! Based on the overview, what do you think could be a theme in this story?

Overview “ Recitatif” A musical term for “in- between” talking and singing during an opera Written in five acts over the course of the girls’ lives From the Latin root, recite To repeat from memory

Overview of 1960’s vEsEI&feature=related

Tuesday: Warm-Up! 10/11 Subject? Tone? Theme?

Get out your notes! Let’s define the terms together…

Let’s Practice! =21&ob=5#p/a/u/2/dZmZzGxGpSs

“Recitatif:” Clarifying Who is the Bozo? Who is Maggie? What do we know about Maggie? Why are Roberta and Twyla in St. Bonny’s orphanage? What are their mothers like?

Initial Predictions RobertaTwyla Race? Why? Race? Why?

Jimi Hendrix - Musician - Gained fame shortly before his death in Remembered as one of the most influential musicians of his era - m/watch?v=2h2ywNdG4 5I

Read“Recitatif:” Acts II and III Be sure to begin identifying Plot elements; setting, rising action Tone Subject (Gist)

Wednesday: Warm-Up: 10/12 =av2e =av2e Watch this music video to determine… Plot? Tone? Subject? Theme?

“Papa Who Wakes up Tired in the Dark” by Sandra Cisneros Use our the visual on the back to identify the theme Justify your answer by underlining the parts of text that supports the theme

Use these clues to guide you as you search for the theme Think about the title Look for important statements made about big ideas Think about the ways characters change throughout the story and lessons they learn

“Recitatif:” Clarifying Acts II & III What is Twyla’s life like in Act III? Where does she live? What is her family like? How would you describe her financial status? Roberta’s? What does Roberta remind Twyla about from the orphanage?

Continuing Predictions RobertaTwyla Race? Why? Race? Why?

Desegregation

“Recitatif:” Read Act IV: Be sure to finish identifying Plot elements; setting, rising action Tone Subject (GIST)

Thursday: Warm-Up: 10/13

“A Smart Cookie” by Sandra Cisneros Identify the theme in this vignette Justify your answer by citing an example from the text and explaining it

Use these clues to guide you as you search for the theme… Think about the title Look for important statements made about big ideas Think about the ways characters change throughout the story and lessons they learn

“Recitatif:” Clarifying Act IV How do Twyla and Roberta run into each other again? What does Roberta tell Twyla about Maggie? Why did Twyla make a picketing sign?

Continuing Predictions RobertaTwyla Race? Why? Race? Why?

“Recitatif:” Read Act V:

Friday:Warm-Up: 10/14

Recitatif A musical term for “in-between” talking and singing during an opera From the Latin root, recite To repeat from memory

Think about the title Look for important statements made about big ideas Think about the ways characters change throughout the story and lessons they learn

Concluding Thoughts RobertaTwyla Race? Why? Race? Why?

Group Discussion Take a vote! What do you think? Why do you think Morrison never tells us which girl is white and which is black?