1. Bless Me, Ultima & Black Like Me
Summer Reading
Bless Me, Ultima
&
Black Like Me

2. Day 1:Focused Note -Taking
Essential Question: What major events ended Antonio’s childhood?

3. Journal
What do you remember most about Bless Me, Ultima?

4. The Three Big Themes Family expectations vs. personal desire
Christianity vs. Witchcraft or Atheism
Sin/Grace/Forgiveness
Turn to your neighbors and share the examples you came up with and how they impacted you.

5. End of Childhood Questions
Write down the big events that ended Antonio’s childhood?
Save space for analysis between the events

6. Next to each of the events, write down the effect that they had on Antonio.
Do not just write a summary but rather an analysis that connects the event to the end of childhood.

7. TOD: Focused Notes Summary
Using proposition/support academic language, write a paragraph about one of the major events that caused Antonio’s childhood to end. Be sure to include the specific effect this event had on Antonio.
CFU: Whip Around

8. (If there is time) The End of Childhood
“Ultima interrupted, “You leave Antonio alone, please. Last night was hard for many men” (…) “The men yes,” my mother acknowledged, “but my Tony is only a boy, a baby yet.” (…) “Ah, but boys grow to be men,” Ultima said (…) “and what a sin it is for a boy to grow into a man” (Anaya 30-31).

9. Turn to your neighbor Is it a sin to grow up? How/Why/Why Not?
If time permits.

10. Day 2: Essential Question
What are the four deaths that occurred in the story, and how did each of these deaths impact Antonio?

11. Yesterday’s TOD
Please tape yesterday’s TOD in the Summary section of Yesterday’s Notes.

12. Death
In the novel, there were four major deaths: Lupito, Narciso, Florence, and Ultima
Write down:
The way in which each character died
Was this character a symbol? Of what?
What Antonio’s response was immediately after the death
Which characters received the “last rights”
What the long term effect was
What he learned as a result of the death

13. Cause and Effect Character who Died Last rites Cause Symbol?
Antonio’s Response
Character who Died
Last rites
Antonio Learned?
Symbol?
Long Term Effect of Death

14. Focused Notes Summary: TOD
Using Cause and Effect language, write an analysis of the four major deaths in the story and the effects of each on Antonio.

15. Day 3: Essential Question
Where in Bless Me Ultima do we see evidence of cultures clashing, and what is the author’s purpose in addressing these points of conflict?

16. Culture Clash (work with a partner)
Bless Me, Ultima is full of clashes between cultures, religions, languages, and expectations.
In your notes, draw a line down the page, as you go, and on each side write
One culture that was seen in the book
A description of it
On the other side the converse and a description of it.
Once you have developed at least four examples, write an analytical explanation of this literary element.
Meaning, why do you think Anaya went to so much trouble to set up opposites in this novel? 4-6 sentences
Day Three

17. Culture Clash
“She understood that as I grew I would have to choose to be my mother’s priest or my father’s son” (Anaya 41)
“She pointed at me but I did not understand her. Then the other boys and girls laughed and pointed at me. I did not feel so good. Thereafter I kept away from the groups as much as I could and worked alone” (Anaya 58).
“Do you know about the golden carp” (Anaya 80).
Was it possible that there was more power in Ultima’s magic than in the priest” (Anaya 98)
Discuss as a group how these quotes add to your understanding of this theme.
Day Three

18. Focused Notes Summary: TOD
Bless Me, Ultima is full of clashes between cultures, religions, languages, and expectations.
Why do you think Anaya went to so much trouble to set up opposites in this novel? 4-6 sentences

19. Academic Tool Box Training and Analysis
Black Like Me
Academic Tool Box Training and Analysis

20. Essential Question: Day 4
Is Black Like Me a novel about white racism or is it about racism in general?

21. Journal
What do you remember most about Black Like Me?

22. The Three Big Themes
White Racism
Black Strength
Dehumanization of Blacks
Turn to your neighbors and share the examples you came up with and how they impacted you.

23. White Racism vs. Black Racism

24. Day 4:Focused Notes Summary
Using compare and contrast language, analyze the elements of Black and White Racism that are similar, as well as the ways in which they are different.(3-4 sentences)

25. Let me get on my soap box
When dealing with race and racism, I strongly encourage you to phrase your response to the people presented in whatever source you are citing.
I am sure you will agree that not all whites or blacks are good or evil but rather fall on all points of the spectrum.
Therefore say: “The whites in the novel…”

26. Day 4:Focused Notes Summary
Using proposition/support language, write an analysis of whether or not Black Like Me is a book about white racism only or racism in general. Be sure to use examples from the story to support your answer. (4-6 snetences)

27. Socratic Seminar Homework
Prepare three questions that you want to discuss during tomorrows Socratic seminar.
Your questions will need to be from either levels two or three to get full credit, and please highlight the verb that you use from below.
Level 2
Analyze, compare, contrast, group, infer, sequence, or synthesize
Level 3
Apply, evaluate, hypothesize, imagine, judge, predict, or speculate

28. Keys to Questioning
Designed to assist you in developing questions which are more diverse and in-depth. So if you are stuck, check here.
Analyze the rationale used by the men to try to kill Ultima.

29. Socratic Seminar