Thursday, February 27, 2014

Into the Beautiful North

Agenda:

BIG READ LESSON 7  CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!



Part 1: Ask students to make a list of the major challenges or obstacles the characters face in the novel. Divide the students into four teams by major characters: Team Nayeli, Team Tacho, Team Yolo, and Team Vampi. Although the characters face most of their challenges together, ask the teams to delve deeper into their individual character’s response to each challenge. What emotions do they experience? What attitudes, qualities, and resources
(or lack of) do they contribute to the group response? Has the character changed in any fundamental way as a result of these challenges?


Part 2: Focusing on the same character they had been assigned earlier, ask each student to think about the character’s attitudes, thoughts, and actions from the beginning of the novel through the most recent chapter they have read. In their journals, ask the students to write a letter home to a loved one in Tres Camarones from the point of view of their character. What might the character reveal to a loved one about his/her feelings at this point in the journey that he/she might not reveal to the others? The letter should express how the journey thus far has changed the character’s attitudes, feelings, and thoughts.


Post your group's letter HERE!

Continue to work on your quest stories........

4 comments:

  1. Nandi, Reyenne, Avana, Kami
    Dear, Aunt Irma

    I’ve been through a lot since I began my journey into the North. I’m learning more about Tacho, Yolo, and Vampi. We have faced a lot of obstacles. I’ve tried to help with food and shelter. Many times I have faced a lot of obstacles. I’ve tried to help with food and shelter. Many times I have backed tracked because people tried to attack me and harassed me more than once. The first time an officer had harassed Tacho. He starts calling him a fag and many other names that are rude to gay people. Tacho begin to feel under pressure so I stuck up for him and told the officer I was his girlfriend.

    The officer left alone so we went along with our lifes. The second time we were harassed we were in our hotel and I was almost naked when I heard someone trying to break in our hotel room. At first I was scare, but then I got taco’s pepper spray and sprayed him with it. Then I slammed his arm in the door several times. Hopefully we can make it to the beautiful north with no more problems. We’ll be back soon bye for now.

    -Nayeli

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jasmina, Janelys, Jahde'

    Dear La Osa,

    Hola Irma! How have you been? How’s little Tres Camarones? Well we’ve finally arrived to Los Yuinates and it has been quite a journey. I have a lot to fill you in on!
    Well first off, the bus ride was treacherous! We almost died for Christ sake! Also there were a lot of police trying to deport us. But we made it past that. Well, until we almost fell off of a cliff and the driver left us to die. We had to wait for hours before the next bus could come and save us. Luckily, we were almost to Tijuana. That’s where our luck stopped.
    Tijuana may be the dirtiest city in the entire world. Es muy sucio y inmundo! We were starving and the restaurant was filthy. The pay phone wouldn’t accept our pesos. After we ate, we got lost pretty fast and it would be dark pretty soon. This group of men came along and seemed nice enough when they led us to a cheap hotel. But, later that night when we were asleep, they tried to break into our room. I’ve never seen Nayeli so brave!
    She grabbed my pepper spray and got ready by the door. She stood in the front of the room, and then she slammed his arm in the door a thousand times and sprayed his eyes. When his friends left, she kicked her in the balls! I think she is really growing up and getting brave. All of the girls are changing. Vampi is getting stronger, and she fell in love with a fool. Yolo and Nayeli both like Mateo a lot, and Yolo slept with him!
    We tried to cross the border a few times, and the first time, la patrulla fronteriza caught us. I told them that I hope La Mano Caida was still in business. La policia attacked me and took me away. I don’t know why, but I didn’t see the girls for a long time. I felt alone, and I didn’t want to make them feel alone.
    I got help from a friend I met at a bar in Tijuana. He was nice and drove me across the border to a train station. I don’t know much of what happened after that, but when I got there Nayeli was upset. We left almost immediately for KANKAKEE. It was the longest part of the journey yet and I was so exhausted. Ill talk to you once we get back home, okay? Hasta luego!

    Tacho

    ReplyDelete
  3. Moma,

    I think I am in love, Moma. I don’t know whether it is with American alcohol, or with an American boy. Do you remember the missionary Mateo? I think he loves me. He looks at me lustfully and I think that I am in love. I think our skin colors match well, our baby would be very cute. Vampi has a love too! He is a wizard, I think they are very good together. The notorious girlfriends are growing up.
    Is it possible to hate somebody that you love? I wish people were like subjects en la escuela. Something I can read more than once and highlight the important parts and turn in to get an A. I need an A+ on my people skills, Moma. I think I hate Nayeli sometimes. She is such a great person, but such a horrible friend. She is so wrapped up in finding her father, she has forgotten that I want to find mine. I’m looking for your husband and your son Moma, but I’m afraid I have been sidetracked by love. Can you understand?
    I’ll bring you some of this American beer; it’s truly magical. All the bubbles tickle you nose and your tummy. How is La Mano Caida? Tacho was so worried about it when he and Nayeli left for Kankakee to find her father. Look after the restaurant, please? I want a good big Mexican meal when we get home.
    The mission is going very well, please tell everyone. No troubles getting here, a smooth journey. La Osa tells me they have 70 men who want to come home and protect us. Si! Los hombres son magnificas, just like the seven!
    I will be back soon Moma, I miss you very much.
    Love tu hija,
    Yoloxochitl

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dear Aunt Irma,
    Things have been well interesting here up north. Lately I have been meeting my friends in a whole new way. I know- I know that sounds kind of wierd they're my friends I should already know them but it's like each day I learn something new about each and everyone of them each day. Other than that, it seems like alot of people have targeted me that delays me alot they tried attackiing me or harrasing me and my friends. Like Tacho, he's gay and a police officer harrased him ! He called him a fag and other slurs. I hated it I wanted to hit him titi and I stopped it all before it got out of hand and I said i was HIS girlfriend I had to do it. Anyways, yeah that's it for now. Bye love you titi.
    Love,
    Nayeli <3

    Leilanis Molina and Kierra Iglus

    ReplyDelete

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