Speakby Laurie Halse Anderson

Multi-text Assignment

Christina Tucker Dyson

MSED 7331

July 9, 2009

This book is about teenager Melinda Sordino. When she was in middle school, she had a lot of friends and a good existence. Then during a summer party everything changes for her. She loses all of her friends. She called the copsto a party during the summer where a lot of people got in trouble. When she enters the ninth grade, she has lost all of her friends. People that do noteven know her hate her. She is not the same girl that she used to be. She becomes withdrawn. She doesn’t like to talk to anyone. Something happened at that party that has changed her. Will she ever tell anyone what happened?

Speak Web quest• Students will be put in groups of three.• They will work together to complete the

web quest on the book speak.• The web quest explores sexual assault

and ways to prevent it.• Each group member will assume a

different roll within their group.• The website for the web quest is

http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/crc/webquest/SPEAK/

Elephant in the Room (author unknown)There's an elephant in the room.

It is large and squatting, so it is hard to get around it.

Yet we squeeze by with, "How are you?" and "I'm fine," and a

thousand other

forms of trivial chatter. We talk about the weather. We talk about

work.

We talk about everything else, except the elephant in the room.

There's an elephant in the room.

We all know it's there. We are thinking about the elephant as we talk

together.

It is constantly on our minds. For, you see, it is a very large

elephant.

It has hurt us all.

But we don't talk about the elephant.

Oh, please, let's talk about the elephant in the room.

For if I cannot, then you are leaving me....

alone....

in a room....

with an elephant.

Plan for use of poem “Elephant in the Room”• Students will write an essay responding to this poem.

Some of the things they may want to include in the essay are as follows:

• Who is the speaker in this poem?• What is the “elephant”? • What does the elephant represent?• What will be accomplished if they talk about the elephant?• What are your thoughts about the mood of the poem?• What elements of dialog are used in the poem? Why are the

effective?

How does this poem relate to Speak? Have you ever had an elephant in the room?

Depression VideoDepression is a major theme in this book. Melinda is

depressed and no one seems to notice. During the reading

of this book would be a good time to address the symptoms

of depression with students. The following video can be

watched by the students. After the video, put students in

groups of 3 to 4 students. Each group of students needs to

make a list of signs of depression. Give groups about 20

minutes to make their list, then come together as a class to

compare lists. After the class has made a list, students need

to get back into their groups. Each group will make a flyer

giving the symptoms of depression. This flyer can be shared

with other students around school.

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/hsw/13026-depression-teen-depression-video.htm

I'm Nobody! Who are You?

by Emily Dickinson

I'm nobody! Who are you?Are you nobody, too?Then there's a pair of us -don't tell!They'd banish us, you know.

How dreary to be somebody!How public, like a frogTo tell your name the livelong dayTo an admiring bog!

Plan for use of poem “I’m Nobody, Who are You?

• Teacher and students will read this poem together.• This poem describes how Melinda may have felt at

times.• After discussing this poem as a class, students will write

a poem that describes themselves.

Information Sheet on Date Rape

• Students will read this information sheet individually.

• Students will then write at least two paragraphs on why it is important for boys and girls need to know about Date Rape.

• If teacher feels students are mature enough a classroom discussion about date rape is a possibility.

• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a book filled with many issues that could be covered in a classroom. I know that the web quest says it is for seventh graders, but personally I would not read this book with seventh graders. I think the lowest age level I would read this with is eighth graders. The reason I say this is because this book deal with depression, date rape, entering high school, and other teenage issues. Depending on your group of kids, you can explore some of these issues more deeply if you think it is appropriate.

Resources

Book cover picture:http://www.amazon.com/Speak-Laurie-Halse-Anderson/dp/0844672920/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-8412856-6020010?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1191217225&sr=8-1

Poems:http://www.writerlady.com/LeeBrownCurrUnit.html

Depression Video:http://videos.howstuffworks.com/hsw/13026-depression-teen-depression-video.htm

Web quest:http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/crc/webquest/SPEAK/

10 Facts about Date Rape:http://teenadvice.about.com/od/factsheetsforteens/a/10thingsdrape.htm