1. Christina Bookhart Twin Hills Elementary School TÍ A L OLA AND L IFE AS AN ‘ OUTSIDER ’

2. T ARGET AUDIENCE  Grade 4  Language Arts

3. OBJECTIVES  New Jersey CCCS 3.1.4.G.1  Discuss underlying themes across cultures in various texts  New Jersey CCCS 3.2.4.A.3  Use strategies such as reflecting on personal experiences

4. MATERIALS  Alvarez, Julia (2001). How Tía Lola Came to Visit Stay. Random House: New York.  Graphic Organizer ‘Outsider’  Writing Paper

5. E SSENTIAL QUESTIONS  When was a time that you felt like you did not belong?  What did you do to make the situation more comfortable for you?  How can you help others feel more comfortable in new situations?

6. PROCEDURES  Whole Group  This lesson begins with an introduction of the author, introduction of theme and the term ‘Outsider.’  The instructor will lead a discussion about the Dominican Republic.  Small Group  Students will brainstorm to generate terms related to the term ‘Outsider.’  Students will discuss a time that they felt like an ‘Outsider’, and what strategies they used to increase their comfort level in that particular situation.

7. P ROCEDURES (C ONTINUED )  Students will present ideas from their small group sessions  Instructor will lead a class discussion about outsiders/and the student responsibility related to making people feel included  Individual Activity  Students will complete writing task  Summary  Students will share individual writing responses with the class

8. T EACHER RESOURCES  About the Author  Tía Lola  Life in the Dominican Republic  Life as an ‘Outsider’  Graphic Organizer – ‘What is an Outsider’  Writing Task

9. ABOUT THE AUTHOR  Julia Alvarez  Part of the ‘Tía Lola’ Series

10. THEME  a unifying or dominant idea, motif, etc., as in a work of art.art

11. TÍA LOLA  Tía Lola is the aunt of the two main characters, Miguel and Juanita  She is from the Dominican Republic, an island in the Caribbean.

12. L IFE IN THE D OMINICAN R EPUBLIC

13. L IFE AS AN “O UTSIDER ”  In a small group, discuss what it feels like to be an ‘Outsider’  As a group, discuss strategies that help you feel included, and less of an ‘Outsider’

14. GRAPHIC ORGANIZER W HAT IS AN OUTSIDER ? OUTSIDER

15. W RITING T ASK  Write a 5-7 sentence paragraph that answers the following question:  Does ‘Outsider’ status have its advantages? Why or why not?

16. BIBLIOGRAPHY  http://www.tialolastories.com. (7/28/11). JPEG http://www.tialolastories.com  http://www.google.com/images/dominican+republic (7/28/11). Digital File http://www.google.com/images/dominican+republic  http://www.juliaalvarez.com/gallery/ (7/28/11). Image http://www.juliaalvarez.com/gallery/  http://www.domrep.org/ (7/28/11). Image http://www.domrep.org/  http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/flags/countrys /cribbean/domnrep.htm (7/28/11). Map http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/flags/countrys /cribbean/domnrep.htm  http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/theme (7/28/11) http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/theme