Justice: Childhood Love Lessons

Mrs. Gonzalez

ERWC-12th Grade

The difference…

• Discipline • Punishment

What makes a good parent?

Who is right?

• Lito thinks his wife Jill’s cursing and yelling is too hard on their children. Jill says she’s harsh because she doesn’t feel respected as a step parent.

• Jason wants to bust his wife, Tressa, for using a spatula to spank their daughter. Tressa defends herself saying she uses a spatula because she can’t hit hard enough with her hand.

• Becky says her husband John’s drill sergeant ways are terrifying her 5 year old daughter so much, that she hides from him. John believes kids need to know who is the boss in the house.

Dr. Phil’s GuidelinesTeens:• · If you want your parents to do what you want, you have to figure out what

their needs are, and try to meet them. For example, one of their needs may be to know that you are safe, and that when they're not around, you're not in danger.

• · You won't get what you want by rebelling. You'll get what you want when you start talking to your parents. Slamming your bedroom door is not communicating. To have a relationship that will be a source of support and strength for a lifetime, you have to work through conflicts by communicating.

• · If you want your parents to stop nagging you about doing your chores, how about doing some of them?

• · Put yourself in your parents' shoes. Would you like being called "stupid," "mean" or "retarded" by your teenager?

• · Prove you can be responsible if you want your parents to change the rules.

• · Get to know your parents. Talk to them and ask them about their lives — especially if you want them to do the same with you.

Dr. Phil’s guidelinesParents:• · You won't get what you want by being a totalitarian dictator.

Communication and mutual participation are the keys.• · Kids needs to be able to predict with 100 percent accuracy what

the consequences of their actions will be. Jay recalls that when he had a go-cart, it was made clear that if he was caught driving it without a helmet, it'd be sold immediately. Knowing that consequence gave him a choice, and he chose to wear the helmet.

• · Take the time to discuss the reasoning behind a decision. Just saying "no" isn't always sufficient, and certainly doesn't make the teen's desire go away. Teens can learn how to reason things through if you give them a lead to follow.

• · The greatest things you can give your son or daughter are your ear and your voice. When Jay asked teens across the country what they wanted most from their parents, the number one answer was to have their parents more involved in their lives. They don't want to be interrogated — just talked to!

Toddlers and Tiaras

• http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/toddlers-tiaras-top-10-controversial-parents/

• Who really wants to win?

• How is this abusive behavior on the part of the parents?

Quickwrite

• As you prepare to read this essay, take a few moments to focus your thoughts on the relationships between discipline and expressions of love: In what ways do you think children should be punished? Do you believe in hitting children? Why or why not? How else might children be disciplined? Do you believe that discipline and love can coexist?

Surveying the Text

• Who is the author of this essay?• When and where was this essay published?• Scan the essay. Underline words that are

synonyms for justice and punishment.• Hwk: go to

www.education.miami.edu/ep/contemporaryed/Bell_Hooks/bell_hooks.html and research the author’s life. Bring to class 2 pieces of information that interest you about her.

Making Predictions

• What do you think this essay is going to be about?• What do you think is the purpose of the essay?• Who do you think is the intended audience for this

piece? Explain.• Based on the title and other features of the selection,

what information/ideas might this essay present?• Will the article be negative or positive in relation to the

topic? Explain.• What argument about the topic might it present? What

makes you think that?

1st paragraph & Topic sentence read

• What is the general topic of the essay?

• What is the author’s opinion on that topic?

• What do you think the writer wants us to do or believe? How did you come to this conclusion?

• Turn the title into a question to answer as you read the essay.

Key Concepts

• With symbols, categorize the words below by the concepts that can go together.

• Justice• Abuse• Equality• Legal• Juvenile• Intimate• Hugging• Time-out

• Rights• Law• Discipline• Judge• Fairness• Spanking• Lawyer• Young mother• Civil rights• Punishment• Justify• Court

Vocabulary

• Define the words and use them correctly in a sentence

• Dysfunctional• Meted• Overindulged• Counterparts• Affirmations• Indict• Coercion• autocratic

• Fascistic• Misogynist• Debunk• Negate• Cathected• Demystify• Fictive• Mediation• estrangement

Chunking

• Read the essay silently and mark the breaks in subject matter with a line through the text. Next, number each of the chunks you have identified. Then go back to the beginning of the essay and label the category of each chunk.

• On a sheet of paper, draw a picture that represents each of your chunks.

1st read questions

• Which of your predictions turned out to be true?

• What surprised you? Explain.

• Are you persuaded by the text? Explain.

Looking closely to language

• What is “intimate terrorism” (para. 4)?

• Why does Hooks use quotations from children in paragraph 3?

• What connotations does “utopian” have for you?

• Choose 3 terms already discussed, and write questions about these words based on the context of the article.

Rereading the Text

• What is the essay’s thesis?• State the thesis in a question.• Highlight details throughout the essay that

directly answer that question.• Label in the left margin: the introduction,

the issue or problem the author is writing about, examples the author gives, the main arguments, and the conclusion

• Label in the right margin: your reactions

Analyzing Stylistic Choices

• Words– What does the term “justice” bring to your

mind?– What synonyms for “love” does the author use

in this essay?– What synonyms for “punishment” does the

author use in this essay?– Does the author make more references to

love or punishment in this essay? Why do you think this is so?

Analyzing continued

• Sentences– Would you characterize Hook’s sentences as

long, short, or medium length? What effect does this sentence length have on this essay?

– Is the author’s sentence structure mostly varied or not? What effect does this variety or lack of variety have on the essay?

Structure of the text

• What is the main method of organization in this essay?

• In PAIRS, write brief statements describing the rhetorical function and content of each of the chunks that you marked at the beginning of this essay.

• Make sure to answer the following:– What does each section say? What is its content?

What is the author’s purpose in each section? How does each section affect the reader? Which section is most developed? Which is least developed? Most persuasive? Least persuasive? What is the main argument? Is it explicit or implicit?

Analyze findings

• As a class lets figure out the organizationI. Background: definition of loveII. Justice: we need justice for children in our

culture. Story.III. Abuse: abuse and love cannot coexist.

Shelby, confusion, Master’sIV. MystificationV. Non-abusive punishmentVI. Models in the mediaVII. Love: we need to show children how to love

Summarize and Respond

• In groups of 3 or 4, use your knowledge of the organization of the essay to summarize its main points. Limit your summary to 5 sentences. Then generate 5 questions that might be the basis of a class discussion

Logos

• List 2 major assertions the author makes in this essay.

• Highlight the support the author provides for these assertions.

• Come up with 2 counter arguments that the author doesn’t deal with.

• What do you believe the author has left out on purpose? Explain.

Ethos

• Does the author have the right background to speak with authority on this subject? Explain.

• Is this author knowledgeable? Smart? Successful?

• What does the author’s style of language tell you about her?

• Do you trust this author? Explain.• Do you think this author is deceptive? Explain• Do you think the author is serious? Explain

Pathos

• How does this piece affect you emotionally? Explain.

• Do you think the author is trying to manipulate your emotions? Explain.

• How do your emotions conflict with your logical interpretation of the arguments presented? Explain.

Questions

• According to Hooks, why are children’s civil rights so delicate?

• Why does Hooks, think we must challenge the idea that “abuse and neglect can coexist with love” (paragraph 11)?

• Why do we use different standards for the treatment of children and adults?

• Explain what Hooks means in the last sentence of her essay: “Without justice there can be no love.”

• Are you convinced by this essay that physical punishment and love cannot coexist in the same household? What details or examples are most persuasive to you?

Essay Topics

• What aspects of a child’s life should a parent control? Take a position on this issue and write an argument for your assertion. Use specific evidence and examples to support your case.

• Make sure that your body paragraphs follow the format that you have learned in class.

Reflection

• What was most difficult about this assignment?

• What was easiest?

• What did you learn about arguing by completing this assignment?

• What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of your argument?