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Issue 7 / APRIL 2012
Featured in this issue
Fiction I.D., by Vicki GrantNonfiction Nowhere Else on Earth, by Caitlyn VernonGraphic Novel Dalen & Gole, by Mike Deas
In this month’s Digital Nation:
“Video Games: Are They Really So Bad for You?”
Best of 2011 Professional Resources
—Resource Links Magazine
A monthly Language Arts program for middle schools, presented by Orca Book Publishers
CONTENTSWelcome to Text2Reader
1. Fiction Excerpt: I.D. (Focus: reading literary texts for meaning) Exercise 1A: As You See It—Who Are You, Anyway? (Focus: responding to literature; making connections; evaluating) Assessment Rubric: Paragraph Writing Exercise 1B: Get That Kid Into Therapy! (Focus: asking questions; speaking and listening; offering feedback; evaluating) Exercise 1C: Write It Down—The Next Chapter (Focus: narrative writing; characterization and plot development) Assessment Rubric: Narrative Writing Exercise 1D: Extending the Learning—The Debate (Focus: researching, developing and refining arguments; speaking and listening)
2. Nonfiction Excerpt: Nowhere Else on Earth (Focus: reading nonfiction texts for meaning) Exercise 2A: Looking for Answers (Focus: comprehension) Exercise 2B: When Your Identity Is Taken Away (Focus: making connections; speaking and listening; presenting) Exercise 2C: The Potlach—Understanding a Cultural Icon (Focus: reading and viewing for meaning; connecting with experience) 3. Graphic Novel Excerpt: Dalen & Gole (Focus: reading graphic novels/visual texts for meaning) Exercise 3A: Making Meaning—Deconstructing the Graphic Novel (Focus: analyzing text features; metacognition) Exercise 3B: Making Meaning—Jumping That Language Barrier (Focus: storytelling; interactive strategies; nonverbal cues)
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TEXT2READER
4. Digital Nation: People, Tech, News Article: Videogames: Are They Really So Bad for You? Exercise 4A: Looking for Answers (Focus: comprehension; synthesizing) Exercise 4B: Making Connections—Assuming an Identity (Focus: connecting to experience)
5. Readers Theater Assessment Rubric: Readers Theater Exercise 5A: Readers Theater Script: “There’s Something Fishy in Budap” (Focus: reading with expression; developing fluency) Exercise 5B: Extending the Learning—Script It! Suggested ResourcesAnswer Keys
Prescribed Learning Outcomes Learning outcomes for the April 2012 issue can be found on the Text2Reader website under the Resources tab.
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You’re a busy professional, and your prep time is a precious commodity. That’s why Orca Book Publishers brings you Text2Reader, a monthly resource for grades 6 to 8 English Language Arts (ELA) teachers. Text2Reader offers high-quality reading selections from award-winning books and engaging activities to help your students make meaning from what they read. Text2Reader speaks to the real-life issues that concern teens today, and reaches students with passages that connect to their own lives—including Digital Nation, a feature article with accompanying activities based on current issues in the online world. And for you? We’ve bundled a load of easy-to-use, teacher-created comprehension exercises, reading and writing activities, asessments and opportunities for enrichment—all directly tied to ELA learning outcomes.
It’s affordable—way more affordable than (yet another) set of textbooks. And every class in your middle school can use Text2Reader, for one low price.
In each issue of Text2Reader you’ll find:award-winning fiction, nonfiction and graphic novel selections;teacher-created reading comprehension exercises that support English Language Arts learning outcomes across North America;a feature article examining current issues and significant people in the digital world;literacy-based projects, both independent and guided, that focus on reading, writing, speaking and listening, and that support your students in learning to read instructions and complete tasks on their own;numerous opportunities for you to integrate concepts from Math, Social Studies, Science and Health;multimedia and web-based research and exploration;Readers Theater from a bestselling novel or graphic guide;profiles of popular authors;a variety of ready-to-go assessment rubrics, including authentic assessments such as student self-evaluations; and an engaging layout and conversational tone that appeals to your students.
TEXT2READER at a glance
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Each month, when a new issue of Text2Reader arrives, you can download a checklist of English Language Arts learning outcomes for your jurisdiction and grade from our website (www.text2reader.com). In that checklist, we break down which outcomes are covered in that month’s issue of Text2Reader. Who knew it could be so easy?
WELCOME TO TEXT2READER
Text2Reader April 2012 5
Text2Reader arrives as a ready-to-use package and covers all of your ELA outcomes in a fun and engaging way. You don’t have to consult a hefty resource guide or plan an entire unit around reaching a particular set of outcomes. Text2Reader does it for you. Even better? Most sections of Text2Reader can stand alone, with-out teacher guidance. You can pick and choose parts of the program or photocopy the entire package and assign it to your students. You can use it in the classroom or send parts of it home as independent study. And it’s the perfect solution for those days when you’re too time-pressed to plan—or when a sub covers your class.
Text2Reader is a supplementary resource—one that supports you in your goals of teaching students to love reading, to understand a variety of texts, to think critically and personally about the texts they encounter, and to make meaning by listening, speaking and writing about what they’re reading. It complements your ongoing Language Arts program.
Text2Reader is published eight times a year by Orca Book Publishers. To subscribe, please visit www.text2reader.com, call 1-800-210-5277 or email [email protected].
Subscribe to Text2Reader at a cost of $175 per year for your entire school. Each issue may be printed and photocopied and shared with other teachers in your building.
Your annual subscription includes eight issues from the time you subscribe. For example, if you subscribe in September you will receive eight issues over the course of the school year. And if you subscribe in November, you will receive all remaining issues for that school year plus issues into the next school year. In addition to the upcoming issues, you will receive access to the past issues on the Text2Reader site and all additional content.
An annual subscription also allows school access to the dedicated Text2Reader website at www.Text2Reader.com, which includes addi-tional resources, web links, archived content, Readers Theater scripts and more.
Visit www.text2reader.com for more details. If you have any questions, please call 1-800-210-5277.
Text2Reader is available as a PDF file. If you require a hard copy, we can do that too! Hard-copy mailout is $225 annually.
Text2Reader is the copyright of Orca Book Publishers.
Ok, if it’s really that easy...sign me up!
How to use this resource
We want to hear from you. What do you like about Text2Reader? What works particularly well in your classroom? What would you like to see in future issues?
Email: [email protected]
6 www.text2reader.com
The fiction passage in this issue is adapted from I.D., by Vicki Grant (Orca Book Publishers, 2007). Here’s a summary of the book:
Chris thinks his life is worth nothing: his stepfather constantly tells him how useless he is, his teachers think he is a failure, and even his mother yells at him for being inconsiderate. He doesn’t really have any friends, and when he meets a girl he really likes, she refuses to go out with him. So when Chris finds a wallet with $75.00 cash, credit cards and other identification papers, he thinks he has found a way to escape—into someone else’s identity. Nervous and
paranoid the first time he uses the ATM and credit cards, Chris finds it becomes easier every time he gets away with it—until the police catch up with him.
Now that you know what I.D. is all about, read the following section adapted from Chapters 10 and 11. In this passage, Chris decides to take on Andrew Ashbury’s identity—from dyeing his hair to wearing his suit to using the guy’s bank card.
I ate my lunch and thought about Ashbury. This was his neighborhood. I bet he’d been to this park before. He might even have sat under this exact same tree. He might have eaten a hot dog, bought from the exact same guy. He might have looked out at the exact same view. He might have done all the exact same things I was doing right then—but I knew it would have been entirely different for him. He wouldn’t be eating his hot dog wondering where he was going to find enough money for his next meal. He wouldn’t be thinking about where he was going to stay that night. He’d just be enjoying the view, thinking about his girlfriend and what the two of them had planned for the weekend. A guy like that wouldn’t give me a reward. He wouldn’t care about his stupid wallet. I chucked the rest of my hot dog at some ugly pigeon. It took off. Even a stupid pigeon could get away whenever it wanted. I was stuck in my frigging life. I had to just sit there and watch other people make money, get girls, have fun, be some-body. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t my fault my parents couldn’t get their crappy lives together. It wasn’t my fault my mother had to quit hairdressing school when I was born. It wasn’t my fault my father took off. It wasn’t my fault Ron was a jerk, we lived in a hole, school sucked. I didn’t ask to be born. If I did, I sure wouldn’t have
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1. FICTION
Fiction • Text2Reader April 2012 7
asked to be born into that screwed-up family. This was their fault—but I was the one who had to live with the consequences. Well, frig that. No more. I’d had enough. I realized what I was going to do. I should have thought of it earlier. I opened the wallet. I looked at that picture of Ashbury again. I counted the money I had left. I’d passed a drugstore on the way here. I was going back to find it.
* * *
It’s all about looks. That’s how people decide what they think about you. You look poor, they think you’re stupid. You look rich, you’re the smartest guy around. You look like Chris Bent, your life is crap. You look like Andrew Ashbury, who knows? I was ready to find out. I was only going to buy the blond hair dye, a razor and a pair of scissors, but I saw some cheap reading glasses up by the counter. The brown ones were kind of like what Ashbury was wearing on his driver’s license. I bought those too. Glasses make you look intelligent. The saleslady told me how to get to the public wash-room. I cut my hair. It was pretty much a hack job. Once I found work, I’d go to a barber and get it done right. I shaved off my beard. The razor was toast by the time I was done. It felt weird. I’d had a goatee before, and a mustache, and even just a soul patch for a while, but I hadn’t been clean-shaven since I was a kid. My skin felt really sensitive, as if I’d just taken off a wet shirt on a cold day. I liked it. I’d watched my mother dye her hair for years. It wasn’t that hard. I took off my T-shirt, put on the plastic gloves and squished the stuff all over my head. I rubbed some into my eyebrows too. Mine were too dark for someone blond. I didn’t want anyone to see what I was up to. I sat in a cubicle and waited for the dye to work. It was pretty boring. After a while, I took the wallet out again. If I was going to start applying for jobs, I needed to find out everything I could about Andrew Ashbury. I already knew his address and his size. I memorized his birthdate and his postal code. I took a pen out of my backpack and practiced his signature, just in case I needed it. Four loops and a line. It was almost too easy. What else did I need to do? I figured I should know something about his family, what he did for a living, stuff like that. I looked all through the wallet again. There was nothing about his family. It didn’t matter. If anyone asked, I’d just make something up. Joanna and Blake, those would be his parents. He’d have one brother, Bryce, and a sister, Ann-Marie. No, Marina. Bryce and Marina. When I’m rich, that’s what I’m going to name my kids.
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I thought about giving myself a dog too, but what I really wanted was a Dober-man. Andrew wasn’t the type to have a Doberman, and I didn’t want some wussy little rich-kid dog. His girlfriend, the one in the picture I’d found, she probably had a cat. I could talk about her cat, how it bugs me, sheds on my clothes, hisses when I kiss her. Guys never like their girlfriends’ cats. I needed a hobby too. I thought of sailing, but I didn’t know anything about boats. That was okay. I knew everything about cars, and now I was rich enough to own a couple too. That stopped me. Who was I kidding? I wasn’t rich enough to own anything yet. I had about three bucks in my pocket—but nobody needed to know that. Someday it would be different. I’d laugh about this. I kept looking through the wallet. The business cards, baggage claim, key—they wouldn’t help me. The dry-cleaning receipt, though, was for a suit and a shirt. It was marked “Paid.” I checked the address. The dry cleaners wasn’t far from here. Things were looking up.
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Fiction • Text2Reader April 2012 9
Exercise 1A: As You See It—Who Are You, Anyway?Ever wanted to be someone else? Whether you’ve dreamed about being the prime minister, the top NHL goalie or even J.K. Rowling, there’s lots to talk about in this passage.
Choose one of the following questions about the passage from I.D. On a separate page, use full paragraph format to respond. Use the rubric on the following page to guide your writing.
Text TipFor a thorough review of how to write a proper paragraph, from the topic sentence to the supporting sentences to the concluding sentence, head to www.text2reader.com and follow the links.
What’s so tempting about stealing someone’s identity?
Summarize another movie or book you know that’s based on this premise.
Write about a time where you felt “stuck” in your life.
Would you swap your life for someone else’s if you could? Why or why not? Who would you pick?
In this passage, Chris places a lot of blame on his mother and stepfather for his situation. Is blame a useful emotion? Explain.
We often make assumptions when we see people wearing certain accessories or certain items of clothing. For the following items: glasses, overalls, suits, baggy jeans and designer bags, discuss how we make assumptions about each. Do our assumptions differ depending on who’s wearing a given item?
Think about the following expression: You never get a second chance to make a first impression. What does this mean? Are these important words to live by?
Is being rich better? Discuss.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
10 www.text2reader.com
Ass
essm
ent R
ubric
: Par
agra
ph W
ritin
g (S
ix T
raits
)
Not
Yet
With
in
Expe
ctat
ions
Mee
ts E
xpec
tatio
ns
(min
imal
leve
l)Fu
lly M
eets
Ex
pect
atio
nsEx
ceed
s Ex
pect
atio
ns
IDEA
• mai
n th
eme
• sup
port
ing
deta
ils
• Lac
ks ce
ntra
l ide
a; ce
ntra
l
id
ea is
unc
lear
or c
lutte
red
by
irr
elev
ant d
etai
l• D
evel
opm
ent i
s min
imal
or
no
nexi
sten
t• Th
esis
is no
t cle
ar
• Mai
n id
ea m
ay b
e cl
oudy
beca
use
supp
ortin
g de
tail
is
to
o ge
nera
l or e
ven
off-t
opic
• Evi
dent
mai
n id
ea w
ith
su
ppor
t tha
t may
be
gene
ral o
r lim
ited
• Writ
ing
is re
ason
ably
clea
r,
fo
cuse
d an
d in
tere
stin
g w
ith
ad
equa
te d
etai
l
• Par
agra
ph ce
nter
ed a
roun
d a
signi
fican
t ide
a or
topi
c • E
xcep
tiona
lly cl
ear,
focu
sed,
enga
ging
with
rele
vant
, str
ong
supp
ortin
g de
tail
ORG
AN
IZAT
ION
• str
uctu
re• i
ntro
duct
ion
• con
clus
ion
• Lac
ks co
here
nce;
conf
usin
g,
di
sorg
aniz
ed o
r oth
erw
ise
ha
rd to
follo
w• N
o id
entifi
able
beg
inni
ng o
r
endi
ng
• Atte
mpt
s at o
rgan
izat
ion;
may
be a
“list
” of i
tem
s• B
egin
ning
and
end
ing
uncl
ear
or
wea
k
• Org
aniz
atio
n is
appr
opria
te
an
d st
ruct
ure
is so
und
• Int
eres
ting
open
ing
and
satis
fact
ory
clos
ure
• Effe
ctiv
ely
orga
nize
d in
logi
cal
an
d cr
eativ
e m
anne
r• C
reat
ive
and
enga
ging
intr
o
an
d co
nclu
sion
VO
ICE
• per
sona
lity
• sen
se o
f
audi
ence
• Writ
ing
is lif
eles
s or s
tiff• N
o hi
nt o
f the
writ
er• V
oice
may
be
inap
prop
riate
or
no
nexi
sten
t• W
ritin
g m
ay se
em m
echa
nica
l
• App
ropr
iate
to au
dien
ce a
nd
pu
rpos
e• W
riter
beh
ind
the
wor
ds
co
mes
thro
ugh
• Exp
ress
ive,
enga
ging
, sin
cere
• Str
ong
sens
e of
audi
ence
• Sho
ws e
mot
ion:
hum
or,
ho
nest
y, su
spen
se o
r life
WO
RD C
HO
ICE
• pre
cisio
n• e
ffect
iven
ess
• im
ager
y
• Lim
ited
rang
e of
wor
ds• S
ome
voca
bula
ry m
isuse
d• W
ords
may
be
corr
ect b
ut
mun
dane
or r
epea
ted
• Com
mon
wor
ds ch
osen
• Lan
guag
e is
func
tiona
l,
ap
prop
riate
and
des
crip
tive
• Wor
d ch
oice
cont
ribut
es to
inte
rest
leve
l
• Pre
cise
, car
eful
ly ch
osen
• Str
ong,
fres
h, v
ivid
imag
es
SEN
TEN
CE
FL
UEN
CY
• rhy
thm
, flow
• var
iety
• Diffi
cult
to fo
llow
or r
ead
alou
d• C
onfu
sing
or ra
mbl
ing
• Fre
quen
t run
-on
sent
ence
s
• Som
e aw
kwar
d co
nstr
uctio
ns
or
frag
men
ts• C
omm
on si
mpl
e pa
ttern
use
d• S
ever
al se
nten
ces b
egin
the
sam
e w
ay
• Gen
eral
ly in
cont
rol w
ith
go
od rh
ythm
• Var
iety
in le
ngth
and
stru
ctur
e is
evid
ent
• Hig
h de
gree
of c
rafts
man
ship
• Effe
ctiv
e va
riatio
n in
sent
ence
patte
rns
CO
NV
ENTI
ON
S• a
ge-a
ppro
pria
te
for
spel
ling,
c
aps,
p
unct
uatio
n,
gra
mm
ar
• Num
erou
s err
ors d
istra
ct th
e
re
ader
and
mak
e th
e te
xt
di
fficu
lt to
read
• Err
ors m
ay b
e m
ade
mor
e
th
an o
ne w
ay fo
r the
sam
e
pa
ttern
or s
truc
ture
• Lim
ited
cont
rol o
f con
vent
ions
• Som
e er
rors
in co
mm
on
pa
ttern
s or s
truc
ture
s do
not
un
duly
inte
rfer
e w
ith
un
ders
tand
ing
• Con
trol
of m
ost w
ritin
g
co
nven
tions
• Err
ors r
eflec
t risk
s with
unus
ual o
r sop
hist
icat
ed
st
ruct
ures
• Exc
eptio
nally
stro
ng co
ntro
l of
st
anda
rd co
nven
tions
of
w
ritin
g• C
ompl
ex co
nven
tions
atte
mpt
ed
Ada
pted
from
Reg
ina
Publ
ic S
choo
ls
Fiction • Text2Reader April 2012 11
Exercise 1B: Get That Kid Into Therapy!Who doesn’t have issues? Christopher is struggling with some pretty big ones. Take a few minutes to change your own identity—to that of Chris’s therapist. How would this person approach Chris’s problems?
1. Imagine that you’re a therapist and that Chris is your new patient. And imagine that he’s actually ready—and willing—to talk. What would you ask him?
In the boxes below, write three questions you’d ask Chris. (Check www.text2reader.com for links to resources on asking good questions.) On the lines provided, explain your reasoning for asking Chris each question.
Not
Yet
With
in
Expe
ctat
ions
Mee
ts E
xpec
tatio
ns
(min
imal
leve
l)Fu
lly M
eets
Ex
pect
atio
nsEx
ceed
s Ex
pect
atio
ns
IDEA
• mai
n th
eme
• sup
port
ing
deta
ils
• Lac
ks ce
ntra
l ide
a; ce
ntra
l
id
ea is
unc
lear
or c
lutte
red
by
irr
elev
ant d
etai
l• D
evel
opm
ent i
s min
imal
or
no
nexi
sten
t• Th
esis
is no
t cle
ar
• Mai
n id
ea m
ay b
e cl
oudy
beca
use
supp
ortin
g de
tail
is
to
o ge
nera
l or e
ven
off-t
opic
• Evi
dent
mai
n id
ea w
ith
su
ppor
t tha
t may
be
gene
ral o
r lim
ited
• Writ
ing
is re
ason
ably
clea
r,
fo
cuse
d an
d in
tere
stin
g w
ith
ad
equa
te d
etai
l
• Par
agra
ph ce
nter
ed a
roun
d a
signi
fican
t ide
a or
topi
c • E
xcep
tiona
lly cl
ear,
focu
sed,
enga
ging
with
rele
vant
, str
ong
supp
ortin
g de
tail
ORG
AN
IZAT
ION
• str
uctu
re• i
ntro
duct
ion
• con
clus
ion
• Lac
ks co
here
nce;
conf
usin
g,
di
sorg
aniz
ed o
r oth
erw
ise
ha
rd to
follo
w• N
o id
entifi
able
beg
inni
ng o
r
endi
ng
• Atte
mpt
s at o
rgan
izat
ion;
may
be a
“list
” of i
tem
s• B
egin
ning
and
end
ing
uncl
ear
or
wea
k
• Org
aniz
atio
n is
appr
opria
te
an
d st
ruct
ure
is so
und
• Int
eres
ting
open
ing
and
satis
fact
ory
clos
ure
• Effe
ctiv
ely
orga
nize
d in
logi
cal
an
d cr
eativ
e m
anne
r• C
reat
ive
and
enga
ging
intr
o
an
d co
nclu
sion
VO
ICE
• per
sona
lity
• sen
se o
f
audi
ence
• Writ
ing
is lif
eles
s or s
tiff• N
o hi
nt o
f the
writ
er• V
oice
may
be
inap
prop
riate
or
no
nexi
sten
t• W
ritin
g m
ay se
em m
echa
nica
l
• App
ropr
iate
to au
dien
ce a
nd
pu
rpos
e• W
riter
beh
ind
the
wor
ds
co
mes
thro
ugh
• Exp
ress
ive,
enga
ging
, sin
cere
• Str
ong
sens
e of
audi
ence
• Sho
ws e
mot
ion:
hum
or,
ho
nest
y, su
spen
se o
r life
WO
RD C
HO
ICE
• pre
cisio
n• e
ffect
iven
ess
• im
ager
y
• Lim
ited
rang
e of
wor
ds• S
ome
voca
bula
ry m
isuse
d• W
ords
may
be
corr
ect b
ut
mun
dane
or r
epea
ted
• Com
mon
wor
ds ch
osen
• Lan
guag
e is
func
tiona
l,
ap
prop
riate
and
des
crip
tive
• Wor
d ch
oice
cont
ribut
es to
inte
rest
leve
l
• Pre
cise
, car
eful
ly ch
osen
• Str
ong,
fres
h, v
ivid
imag
es
SEN
TEN
CE
FL
UEN
CY
• rhy
thm
, flow
• var
iety
• Diffi
cult
to fo
llow
or r
ead
alou
d• C
onfu
sing
or ra
mbl
ing
• Fre
quen
t run
-on
sent
ence
s
• Som
e aw
kwar
d co
nstr
uctio
ns
or
frag
men
ts• C
omm
on si
mpl
e pa
ttern
use
d• S
ever
al se
nten
ces b
egin
the
sam
e w
ay
• Gen
eral
ly in
cont
rol w
ith
go
od rh
ythm
• Var
iety
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Question #1
Rationale
Question #2
Rationale
Question #3
Rationale
2. Feedback time! Grab a partner and take turns going through your questions. Are they all open-ended? Which ones will yield the most informative answers?
3. Between the two of you, decide which of all six questions is the most powerful. Write it below. What makes this such a good question?
Best question
Why it’s so good
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Exercise 1C: Write It Down—The Next ChapterOr maybe you’d prefer to write the preceding chapter. Decide which chapter you’d most like to write: the one that comes before this passage? Or the one that comes after?
Portfolio possible!
What appeals to you more? Uncovering the events that led up to Chris deciding to take on Andrew Ashbury’s identity? Or bearing witness to where his decision will take him?
As you write your chapter, consider the following:
The story is told in first-person, from Chris’s point of view. How does he see the world? Is he a pleasant, positive kid? Or does he have his fair share of attitude? Stay true to his voice.
From a wide-angle view, we see Chris as someone who can’t get it together—he’s been dealt a crummy hand in life. Looking at the close-up shot (the details), we know he likes Dobermans and cars; we know he wants to be rich; and we know he’s planning on having kids. In your chapter, add more to our developing picture of Chris’s character.
You won’t resolve the entire story in the next chapter. Nor will you be able to explain the entire backstory if you’re writing the previous chapter. But you can still do a lot to build out the story. In the above passage from I.D., we can see Chris realizing that his life sucks, and that he has an escape hatch in the palm of his hand. As you write, consider: What events led him to this decision? Where does he go from here?
A lot of what Chris is doing is thinking about possibilities. If he does X, then he will get Y. Let this kind of thinking guide you in figuring out what he does next.
Use the rubric on the following page to help you create a powerful, engaging additional chapter for I.D. As always, proofread and edit your writing to make it your best work.
1. Stay in character
2. Develop your character
4. Think if...then
3. Advance the plot
Fiction • Text2Reader April 2012 13
Source: BC Quick Scale
Assessment Rubric: Narrative Writing
ASPECT Not Yet Within Expectations
Meets Expectations
(minimal level)
Fully Meets Expectations
Exceeds Expectations
SNAPSHOT The story consists ofloosely connected ideas; often very brief or flawed by serious errors.
The story is complete and has some detail; quality is often uneven; frequent errors.
The story is complete and has some engaging features.
The story is expressive and has emotional impact in places.
MEANING• ideas and information• use of detail
• often very simple; sometimes illogical• few details• little sense of audience
• predictable; may be closely modelled on another work• limited detail• some sense of audience
• straightforward; some individuality or originality• supporting details and description• sense of audience
• plausible; some originality, creativity, sense of voice• “shows” through detail and description• clear awareness of audience
STYLE• clarity, variety and impact of language
• simple language; may be inappropriate in places• simple and compound sentences; often runs on
• conversational language, with some variety• two or three sentence patterns
• language is varied; some sensory detail, figurative language• variety of sentences
• language is varied; sensory detail and figurative language• flows smoothly; variety of sentences
FORM• beginning, middle, end• sequence• setting• characters• dialogue
• series of events without problem or resolution• often loses focus; ends abruptly• focuses on action; characters are rarely described• dialogue is often confusing
• beginning, middle and end• series of related events; focus may wander; ending weak• characters presented through direct description• dialogue may sound unnatural
• beginning establishes problem• events develop logically to a believable ending• characters are described; often stereotypic• appropriate dialogue
• engaging beginning reveals problem• believable events, but often unpredictable; ending may have a twist• characters have individuality• effective dialogue
CONVENTIONS• complete sentences• spelling• punctuation• grammar (e.g., agreement, verb tense)• word choice
• frequent errors in simple words and structures• no control of sentence structure; often runs on• may be difficult to read
• some errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar that do not interfere with meaning• may include some run-on sentences• legible
• may include errors in complex language, but these do not interfere with meaning• most sentences are correctly constructed• clearly and neatly presented
• may include occasional errors in complex language, but these do not affect meaning• sentences are correctly constructed• shows care, pride
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Exercise 1D: Extending the Learning—The DebateSometimes we debate political, economic or health issues (remember our debate last Septemnber about whether fast-food restaurants should be forced to disclose nutritional information?). Sometimes we debate social issues that pertain to all of us. No matter what topic is up for discussion, however, it’s important to table your arguments in a clear, compact and convincing way.
Debate Christopher’s assertion that “it’s all about looks.”
Follow the debating links on the T2R website. Here, you’ll find straightforward instructions for how to plan and execute a debate.
If you didn’t already do this for the September issue of Text2Reader, develop a debate-scoring rubric together as a class.
Plan on using one or two classes to research your arguments, another class to organize them, and a final class to actually hold the debate.
Use reliable print and online sources to gather information for your side of the argument. Keep in mind last month’s article in Digital Nation about how to decide whether you can trust the information you find on the web. (You can link back to it for a refresher at the Text2Reader site.)
Don’t forget to consider what the other side will argue!
Text TipDebating is an essential life skill. If you think of a debate as a discussion involving parties that hold opposing views, you’ll see that life is absolutely jam-packed with debates, from the schoolyard to the supper table to the boardroom. Debating develops your communication and negotiating skills, amps your assertiveness and helps you develop the ability to make quick decisions—all important work skills for the twenty-first century. It helps you understand the point of view of others while being able to clearly and confi-dently explain yours. And the more able you are to convince others of your argument…well…you can figure out the benefits!
Nonfiction • Text2Reader April 2012 15
Arrival of the Europeans
In 1774, a Spanish ship sailed up the coast of BC. Without even coming ashore, the sailors claimed the region for Spain. A few years later, a British ship got lost in the fog and ended up on Vancouver Island. Someone jumped off the ship, stuck a flag in the ground and declared that the island was now under the control of the British Empire. For over a decade Britain and Spain argued about who owned this far-off land. Meanwhile, the First Nations people were already here. Visitors from Russia had been trading with them for decades. And people from Asia, Hawaii and the west coast of North America had been crisscrossing the Pacific Ocean in both directions for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. When the Europeans arrived, the newcomers claimed the land for their own without asking permission from the people who lived there. Almost no treaties have been signed in BC, meaning that most of the First Nations never formally agreed to share their land.
A Great Injustice
To give immigrants somewhere to live, the government of the day had to find a way to move aboriginal peoples off the land. First Nations were informed that they could now only live within small Indian reserves that had been mapped out by government officials. The government was then able to sell the rest of the land to immigrants, to live on and build their farms. But the way First Nations tell the story, they saw their land being taken away from them.
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2. NONFICTION
This month’s nonfiction passage is taken from Nowhere Else on Earth: Standing Tall for the Great Bear Rainforest by Caitlyn Vernon (Orca Book Publishers, 2011). In Nowhere Else on Earth, environmental activist Caitlyn Vernon takes you on a journey deep into the Great Bear Rainforest, one of the most ecologically diverse areas on the planet. Vernon mixes facts and scientific research with personal anecdotes, history and stories from the people who love—and live in—this breathtaking, threatened ecosystem.
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With the land went their ability to provide for themselves and to feed their children. The reserves they were told to live on were too small to provide food or jobs. In the 1880s, Tsimshian chiefs from the north coast paddled all the way (more than 1,000 kilometers, or 600 miles) down to Victoria, the province’s capital, to protest how their land had been taken away. When they weren’t listened to in Victoria, they traveled even farther, this time to Ottawa, to try and be heard. Some went as far as England to talk directly with the Queen. But it didn’t help. By the year 1900, most of the Indian reserves in BC had been established, and they were small. In total, all the Indian reserves in BC make up less than half of 1 percent of the province. As the First Nations were moved off their land, saw their children taken away and had their cultural and political traditions banned, they also witnessed the harvesting and depletion of the plants and animals they depended on. Settlers assumed that all the fish, fur and timber were theirs for the taking. Trees were logged to clear land for agriculture and to have lumber for buildings. Salmon were caught in large numbers, packed into tins at canneries up and down the coast, and shipped to England. The whales were hunted for their oil until there were hardly any left. Forced to live on small reserves, often the only way to survive was for the First Nations people to get work in the forestry industry, or to go fishing and sell salmon to the canneries. In this way, the First Nations also played a role in the depletion of the very things they depended on. Eventually, things started to change. At no point had First Nations passively accepted all of the changes that were imposed on them. They spoke up, they protested, they lobbied political representatives. Some of the settlers were sympathetic, but it took years of organizing and court cases before First Nations got some of their rights back. In 1960, they were able for the first time to vote in federal elections. But it wasn’t until 2001 that First Nations in the Great Bear Rainforest were finally recognized as governments with the authority and the right to make decisions about land use.
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Taken From Their Families
In the late 1800s and throughout much of the 1900s, children were removed from First Nations communities and sent to live at residential schools. By 1896, fifteen hundred children from all of the First Nations across BC were living at these schools, cut off from their families and their culture. At the schools the students were punished for singing their family’s songs, practicing their own religion and speaking their own languages. Many young children tried to run away, and not all survived. Those who eventually returned home had a hard time fitting in—they had forgotten their language, didn’t know their cultural traditions and hadn’t learned to hunt or fish. Nor had they learned the skills needed to get work among the settlers. To this day, the legacy of the residential schools affects the lives of many First Nations people.
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Nonfiction • Text2Reader April 2012 17
Exercise 2A: Looking for AnswersAnswer the following questions using complete sentences.
1. Who were the first Europeans to claim BC’s land as their own?
2. In your own words, summarize the way Europeans settled lands that traditionally belonged to First Nations.
3. What did the Canadian government do once the First Nations were moved onto reserves?
4. List two problems that the First Nations faced on reserves.
5. What did some chiefs do to try and make their views heard?
6. The First Nations ended up being forced to assist European settlers in destroying the land around them. How did this happen?
7. What happened in 2001 for the First Nations in the Great Bear Rainforest?
8. Briefly describe how residential schools affected the First Nations’ children.
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Exercise 2A: Looking for AnswersChoose the best response for each question about the passage.
1. The first non-First Nations people to claim BC as their own territory were the:a. Spanish and Hawaiiansb. British and Asiansc. Russians and Asiansd. Spanish and British
2. The Indian reserves that were established throughout BC:a. were too small to sustain the First Nations and their familiesb. covered one percent of the provincec. clustered close to the Great Bear Rainforestd. were sold to immigrants to build their farms on
3. The First Nations of the Great Bear Rainforest found themselves unwittingly supporting the destruction of the land that was their home because:
a. settlers assumed that the fish, fur and timber were theirsb. their traditions had been bannedc. the only jobs were in canneriesd. they relied on the Europeans’ resource development for their jobs
4. In reaction to being packed away on reserves, the First Nations of BC:a. formed a politcal partyb. accepted the changes that were imposed on themc. protested and lobbied political representativesd. burned settlers’ cabins and destroyed their property
5. In 2001, First Nations living in the Great Bear Rainforest:a. formed a federal political partyb. were recognized as governmentsc. voted for the first time in federal electionsd. sued the Canadian government to get their rights backe. none of the above
6. First Nations children in residential schools were punished for:
a. singing their families’ songsb. practicing their own religionc. speaking their own languagesd. all of the above
Nonfiction • Text2Reader April 2012 19
Exercise 2B: When Your Identity Is Taken AwayIf it wasn’t already enough for First Nations people to be pulled off their lands and resettled on reserves that were inadequate to provide for their needs, many of their children were taken from home and sent to residential schools, where they were forced to turn their back on their culture.
Learn more about what kids had to deal with in the residential school system.
1. Go to the T2R website. Read the CBC story called “A History of Residential Schools in Canada.”
2. Imagine that you’ve been scooped up and sent away to school, far from your family. You aren’t allowed to listen to your music. No Internet or chatting with friends on Facebook. You have to wear totally different clothes. You can’t speak your native language anymore—you have to learn a new one. You’re not allowed to write to your parents unless it’s in the new language (which they can’t speak). And you have to do everything your teachers say, whether you like it or not—or else you’ll be beaten.
Now, with a partner or in a small group, discuss the following questions:a. What would be the hardest thing about residential school?b. How would you feel if this was your reality?c. How conflicted would you feel when you returned home for the summer having been brainwashed by your school that your culture and language—even your parents—were stupid and backwards?d. Why was it so hard for these kids to grow up and lead healthy lives?e. Why is our identity so important to us?
Figure our your own identity. (Lucky for you, no one’s going to take it away.)
1. Make a self-portrait. Do this on the computer, by hand, with clay, in glass mosaic, with Styrofoam and lentils…you get the idea. However you like!
2. On your self-portrait, label all the things about yourself that make you unique and that are different from other people.
3. Label things that are important to you and your family, community and friends.
Have someone else reveal your identity to the class.
1. Explain your self-portrait to a partner.
2. Now listen as your partner explains her self-portrait to you.
3. Each of you will present the other partner’s self-portrait to the class. (This is an exercise in listening carefully to what other people say!)
Part A: Learn more about what kids had to deal with in the residential school system.
Part B: Figure our your own identity. (Lucky for you, no one’s going to take it away.)
Part C: Have someone else reveal your identity to the class.
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Doesn’t sound very fair, does it?
Learn more about this important First Nations tradition. Visit www.text2reader.com for links to the BC Archives, First Nations band websites and YouTube videos of this important event.
Potlatch may not be a tradition in your culture, but chances are you celebrate events that have special significance. On the lines below, describe one such celebration.
What would your community’s reaction be if government suddenly banned this celebration—and jailed you if you got caught partying?
Exercise 2C: The Potlach—Understanding a Cultural IconSince time before memory, the First Nations held potlatches—sacred cultural ceremonies where they sang, gave gifts and danced with ceremonial masks. But soon after European settlers arrived in Canada, the government banned potlatches. Read about it below [excerpted from Nowhere Else on Earth].
Banning the Potlatch In 1884, the potlatch was banned by the government of Canada. A potlatch is a sacred cultural feast that can go on for days. Stories are told, masks are danced and the host family gives gifts to everyone who attends. The wealth and status of the host family is judged not by how much they have but by how much they give away. Potlatches are held to mark major events like births, deaths, the transfer of names and other important community business.
These gatherings are so important to First Nations that even after they were banned, people would travel great distances to hold potlatches in secret. Those who got caught were put in jail, and their ceremonial masks were taken away and sold to museums. It wasn’t until 1951 that First Nations were legally able to hold potlatches once again.
Graphic Novel • Text2Reader April 2012 21
This graphic novel excerpt is from Dalen & Gole: Scandal in Port Angus by Mike Deas (Orca Book Publishers, 2011). Dalen and Gole are refugees on Earth in a race against time to save their home planet from an evil plot. With seconds to the finish line, Dalen and Gole lead the distant world of Budap’s annual Junior-Jet Race. Suddenly they are overtaken. Left behind in a cloud of mysterious purple exhaust, they realize something doesn’t add up. Looking for clues, the two friends uncover a tunnel that leads them to Earth. They arrive in Port Angus, once a lively west coast fishing community. In this scene, Dalen and Gole meet face-to-face with…an Earthling.
3. graphic novel
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Graphic Novel • Text2Reader April 2012 23
Exercise 3A: Making Meaning—Deconstructing the Graphic NovelRemember back in October, when we worked on how to decode the pictures and text in a graphic novel? Dust off your observation skills: we’re gonna do it again!
With a partner or in a small group, work your way through the following questions. Write your answers in the spaces below.
1. What’s happening in the first panel?
2. What do the markings in the girl’s speech bubble mean? How do you know?
3. As you see it, why are names the first pieces of information the characters exchange? What’s the significance of a name, anyway?
4. How would you describe Rachel’s emotional state in the ninth panel? What is the reason for her reaction? How can you tell from the picture?
5. List three things you know about the guys in suits without even knowing what they’re saying. How can you tell?
6. Do you like reading graphic texts better than other kinds of texts? If you could choose the way you receive information and stories (any way you like), what would be your preferred method? Why?
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Exercise 3B: Making Meaning—Jumping that Language BarrierEver tried to talk to someone who only speaks a different language? Awkward, isn’t it? People do funny things when they can’t make themselves understood. Sometimes they talk loud; sometimes they smile and laugh; sometimes they’re just too shy or embarrassed, and turn away from a poten-tially interesting encounter. In this activity, you get to exercise your powers of explanation—without a single spoken word.
What strategies can you use to convey information to someone who might not understand your words? Write your ideas below.
Do this alone or with a partner.
1. Create a story to tell to a younger audience—maybe a younger grade at your school, or a class at your previous school. Your story must be original (i.e., not a recycled fairy tale that the younger kids will recog-nize!). Keep the characters simple, and don’t have too many or it’ll be confusing, because…
2. You’ll be using no language to tell the story. Use only facial expressions, body movement, gesture and props. (Your story must lend itself easily to being told in this way!) Consider each of the above strategies carefully: all of them, from facial expressions to props, are very powerful tools for conveying information.
3. Practice your story with a partner or in front of a mirror. You’ve got to be able to see yourself in order to know whether you’re telling the story clearly. Ask a family member to watch and provide feedback.
4. Tell your story! When you’re finished, talk with your audience to see what their perceptions were. Did they understand the story as you had meant them to? What parts confused them? What would you change if you were to do this activity again?
Text TipStorytelling in front of a group is a great way to practice public speaking and make yourself heard. Which, of course, boosts your confidence. And which, in turn, boosts the chances that people will actually listen to you when you speak. All this…from just a little bit of theater.
Digital Nation • Text2Reader April 2012 25
Here’s something to tell your dad next time he’s beaking at you that all your gaming’s going to rot your brain. A 2009 report from the European parliament concluded that video games may actually be—gasp—good for you.
Mortal Kombat = More Creativity? Evidence from recent studies by psychology and computer gaming experts in France, the Neth-erlands, the United States and Germany shows that gaming can teach young people essential life skills like creativity, strategic and innovative thinking, and cooperation. Even better, the same research suggests that schools should use more games in the classroom! Research in 2009 found that when girls played Tetris for half an hour a day, their brains showed growth in the areas of language, reasoning and critical thinking. Racing games in particular help to strengthen math skills. And all that time down in Sim City? It’s helping you develop your planning and strategic thinking skills!
But What About Violent Crime? In 1999, high school students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold went on a shooting rampage in a US high school in Columbine, Colorado. Along with other pastimes, both boys played violent video games. The shootings sparked major public debate about whether the games were partly to blame. But violent crimes like Columbine—while incredibly scary and sad—tend to be very rare, not to mention supersized by endless media coverage. While popular culture tends to point its finger to graphic video games as contributing to violent crime among youth, those find-ings just don’t stand up in the face of the evidence. Video games—even the violent type—don’t necessarily correlate with increased levels of aggression. Despite the occasional headliner, FBI statistics show violent crime has been declining among teenagers over the past decade and a half.
4. DIGITAL NATION PEOPLE, TECH, NEWS
Experts can’t agree whether video games are good or bad for developing minds. This month, Digital Nation separates truth…from fantasy.
Video Games: Are They Really So Bad for You?
Game Stats (2009)• 97% of teens play video games• boys play more often and for a longer period• the most popular game type is racing games, at 74%• 21% play massive multiplayer online games (MMOGs)
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In fact, some researchers think playing violent video games is a good way for over-stressed teens to blow off steam in a world that’s increasingly intense and turbulent. Games let kids escape their everyday woes and allow them to imagine that they actually have some power in this world. Another positive? Any negative effects of violent video games seem to be wiped away entirely if the game is played coopera-tively, with friends or family members.
Remember, This Is Virtual Reality, People It’s not all fun in the land of games. Video games do have their drawbacks. One of them is that they consistently portray sexual stereotypes: buff guys with big biceps and large-breasted women wearing hardly any clothing. Even worse, female charac-ters tend to have little power, relying on male characters to “save” them from harm. Not exactly the way things roll in the real world, where more girls graduate with post-secondary degrees than guys. Other research has found that, while video games might not lead to violent behavior, they can correlate with depression and anxiety. Kids who game a lot are at risk of experiencing less satisfying relationships with their parents—and lower marks at school. And lastly, some people think it’s not so good that video games have built-in rewards. There’s always action, and there’s always something to achieve. Whereas real life? Well, it’s not always so exciting. Some worry that kids might end up prefer-ring to spend more time in the electronic ether than in the real world.
Coming in next month’s Digital Nation:
From Roots to Fruit: How Apple Grew Into
What It Is Today
Words in Text: Glossarydelegate: to assign something to another person who has the ability to do it
strategic thinking: thinking about how actions now will impact future outcomes
innovative thinking: thinking of new and useful ideas
correlate: a statistical relationship between two sets of information where the action of one has an impact on the action of another. For example, sitting in front of a fire correlates with having warm feet!
turbulent: always changing, never predictable
anxiety: an unpleasant feeling of fear or concern
Sitting at Death’s Doorstep?OK, so we know video games aren’t going to rot your brain. But what about your body? What does all that sitting still do to you? Lots, according to experts. And none of it is good. First off, research shows that people who sit for most of the day are at a 54 per cent greater risk of having a heart attack. Not me, you think. I’m just a teenager. Guess what? The findings apply to everyone aged 13 and over. If having your ticker kick isn’t bad enough, consider that the more sedentary you are, the harder it is to keep your body in shape. And if your body isn’t fit, your brain isn’t balanced—and your moods will be all out of whack. (Remember the anxiety and depression we men-tioned a couple paragraphs back?) Finally, your friendships (and familyships!) could suffer. Time you spend with the gaming console is time away from face-to-face interac-tion with other people. While games are evolving to be more social in na-ture—you can play with fifteen other people online, or with a few friends in your basement, for example—we’re still naturally wired to spend time talking and just hanging out. At the end of the day, positive rela-tionships with others are what keep us happy. If you have to choose, choose face time over screen time.
“Look at World of Warcraft: You’ve got 11-year-olds who are learning to delegate responsibility, promote teamwork and steer groups of people toward a common goal.”
—Ian Bogost, associate professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology and founder of software maker Persuasive Games.
Digital Nation • Text2Reader April 2012 27
Exercise 4A: Looking for AnswersAnswer the following questions using complete sentences.
1. What proportion of teens play video games?
2. List four benefits of playing video games.
3. Explain why some people think video games correlate with more violent behavior among youth.
4. How does gaming put your body at risk?
5. Explain how video games are not a realistic representation of the real world.
6. List four drawbacks of playing video games.
7. What’s your knowledge of video games? Do you play? What do you like about them?
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Exercise 4B: Making Connections—Assuming an IdentityEverybody wants to be somebody else some of the time. Else why would we get so deep into video games? Or buy costumes at Halloween? Or act in movies? Or tell people we can do a 360 pop shuvit when really…we can’t even ollie yet?
Think about an identity you’ve assumed that isn’t actually yours. (Don’t think you’ve done it? Don’t be so sure. Wasn’t that you jumping off the sofa in the red cape and blue pajama bottoms about eight years ago?) Maybe you pretended to be a princess when you were little, or maybe you’ve created an avatar that you use every day in World of Warcraft. Whoever you have been, use the lines below to describe the character whose identity you’ve assumed.
Remember in Dalen & Gole, when the aliens meet Rachel? The first thing they establish is their names—be-cause names are such an important part of our identity. Think about your name. Like it? Hate it? Have you ever wished you could have a different name than the one you have now? Explain.
Write about the advantages of taking on a different identity.
When is it a safe thing to do? When does assuming a different identity cross the line and become a bad idea?
Readers Theater • Text2Reader April 2012 29
5. readers theater
Assessment Rubric: Readers TheaterLevel 1
(Approaching)Level 2
(Meeting)Level 3
(Exceeding)
VOLUME Speaks too softly (or too loudly) for audience to hear
Usually speaks loudly enough for audience to hear
Consistently speaks loudly enough for audience to hear
CLARITY Many words pro-nounced incorrectly, too fast or slow; mumbling
Most words are pro-nounced correctly and are easily understood
Words are pronounced correctly and are easily understood
READS WITH EXPRESSION
Reads with little or no expression
Usually reads with appropriate expression
Consistently reads with appropriate expression
READS IN TURN Rarely takes turns on a consistent basis
Takes turns accurately on a somewhat consis-tent basis
Takes turns accurately on a consistent basis
COOPERATES WITH GROUP
Difficulty in working with others
Sometimes works well with others
Consistently works well with others
Dalen & Gole: Scandal in Port Angus, by Mike Deas
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“There’s Something Fishy in Budap”The following scene is adapted from Chapter 1 of Dalen & Gole: Scandal in Port Angus, by Mike Deas (Orca Book Publishers, 2011).
Narrator
Tunax: an alien who wins the annual Junior Jet-Racer Competition through suspicious means
Tunax’s father (“Father”): a business guy who uses whatever tactics he must to get ahead
Dalen: a young, naive alien who looks up to Tunax as a leader
Gole: Dalen’s friend, who is suspicious of Tunax’s sudden racing abilities—and of Tunax’s character in general
Scene SummaryDalen and Gole are competing in the annual Junior Jet-Racer Competition. As they near the finish line, they’re literally blown away by Tunax, one of their peers. Tunax may have won the race, but Gole thinks something’s fishy about the purple exhaust that was coming from his tailpipe. None of the other jet-racers have purple exhaust! Dalen agrees to put the winner’s jet-racer away so that Tunax can revel in a finish line photo shoot. Gole goes along so he can have a closer look at the garage where Tunax keeps his stuff. Maybe he’ll find some answers there.
Narrator: It’s a beautiful day in Budap—perfect weather for the annual Junior Jet-Racer Competition. Dalen and his best friend, Gole, are stoked and ready to win. In fact, as they close in on the last few meters of the race, it looks like it’s going to be in the bag for both of them. Until…
All: [noise of engines; one gradually becomes louder, as though it’s passing the others] Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…
Dalen: Huh?
Gole: What just happened?
Narrator: As Dalen and Gole pull up to the finish line, the crowd goes nuts. All for Tunax, one of their so-called friends.
Cast of Characters (in order of appearance):
Exercise 5A: Readers Theater
Readers Theater • Text2Reader April 2012 31
All: [wild cheering]
Dalen: What a racer!
Gole: He shot right past us. How’d he do that?
Dalen: I don’t know, but I’m impressed!
Gole: Dalen, that race was totally ours. What’s with that purple smoke that came out of Tunax’s jet-racer?
Dalen: I don’t know about that, either. But he won, and we didn’t.
Gole: Yeah, but...
Dalen: [exasperated] Gole, don’t be a sore loser. Tunax won, fair and square. Now, I’m going to go congratulate him. You coming?
Gole: [under his breath] Fair and square my butt. [then louder] You go ahead, Dalen. I’ll catch up with you later.
Dalen: Okay, suit yourself.
Narrator: Dalen moves off toward the group gathered around Tunax.
Dalen: Hey, Tunax!
Father: [to Tunax] Wonderful race, son. You make me proud.
Tunax: Thanks, Dad.
Father: You’re just like me, my boy. A winner at any cost.
Gole: [under his breath] You can say that again.
Dalen: Hey, Tunax!
Tunax: [looking around] Oh, hey, Dalen.
Dalen: That was an amazing race. Congratulations!
Tunax: Yeah, uh, thanks, Dalen. Uh, can you move back a little bit? You’re kind of in the photo.
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Dalen: Oh, sure, sure. Sorry about that.
Tunax: Actually, can you do me a favor and put my jet-racer in the garage?
Dalen: Of course! No problem! Thanks, Tunax. I’ll do that right now.
Father: [laughing] No sense wasting your time on the trivial tasks, my boy. The more you win, the more people you’ll find who are eager to help you.
Narrator: Dalen walks away to get Tunax’s jet-racer, trying to decide whether he should be feeling happy…or whether he just got kicked in the stomach.
Gole: [catching up to Dalen] Dalen, what are you doing?
Dalen: Tunax is letting me put his jet-racer away in the garage.
Gole: He’s “letting” you put it away? Dalen, are you on drugs? The guy can put it away himself. Why are you letting him boss you around like this?
Dalen: He’s not bossing me around. He’s my friend. And I want to help him.
Gole: Um, friends don’t take advantage of each other like that, Dalen. And besides, Tunax is a cheater.
Dalen: A cheater? What are you talking about?
Narrator: Dalen and Gole enter the garage area and proceed down a long hallway filled with doors.
Gole: Come on. How did he pass us right at the end of the race? He must’ve cheated. No regular jet-racer can possibly go that fast. And what’s up with the purple smoke?
Narrator: As Gole rants against Tunax, Dalen searches for the door to Tunax’s garage.
Gole: I don’t trust him, Dalen.
Dalen: [ignoring Gole] Hm. Now which one is Tunax’s garage? Ah, here it is.
Narrator: Dalen presses a large green button and the door slides open: sssssshhhhiff. The two stand at the entrance and take it all in.
Dalen: Holy fritos, it’s huge in here!
Readers Theater • Text2Reader April 2012 33
Gole: Yeah. Maybe if we look around we can find a clue about what he’s up to with that purple smoke.
Dalen: [heading toward the back, towing the jet-racer behind him] Gole, dude. Give it a rest. Why are you so suspicious?
Gole: He must have used something illegal to make his racer go ultrafast. He never races fair. He always has to win…just like his dad.
Dalen: What do you have against Tunax’s father?
Gole: The guy didn’t get rich being honest, Dalen. His huge factory put my dad’s shop out of business!
Narrator: Dalen finds a spot to park the jet-racer and begins tying it up.
Gole: Anyway, why are you so intent on defending Tunax?
Dalen: I’m not! He’s just a great racer. Let’s just drop it, okay? And get out of here.
Gole: [looking toward the back of the garage] Just a sec. I want to look around a bit before we go.
Narrator: Gole grabs a toolbox on wheels.
Gole: Well, look at that. This toolbox moves!
Dalen: Gole, come on. I don’t want to get busted for snooping.
Narrator: Gole ignores Dalen. He slides the toolbox to the side and discovers…
Gole: A secret door!
Dalen: [whispering] What?! What do you mean, a secret door? [peering over his shoulder] I think we should just leave. NOW, Gole.
Gole: Whoa. Check it out. You’re not gonna believe this.
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Exercise 5B: Extending the Learning—Script It!If you like watching movies, you appreciate the value of a well-written script. How cool would it be to be able to write your own? It’s easier than you think—especially when you use a story that already exists.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating your own script:
1. Think of a book where the characters talk a lot. Scripting is easier if you use a story that’s already rich in dialogue. Graphic novels are great for this, as the story is pretty much exclusively told through dialogue and images.
2. Choose a section of the story that: • takes about three to five minutes to read out loud; • has three or more people talking (group conversations make for more interesting Readers Theaters than dyads);• involves action, conflict or an interesting issue. Don’t script a boring conversation about what the characters are having for dinner that night!
3. Rewrite the scene(s) using the dialogue that already exists. Add more if you like. You can also add narrative (to be read by a Narrator) if it helps the audience understand where the characters are or what they’re doing. Don’t have enough characters? Characters not saying enough? You can add more lines, or even more characters. In the script from Dalen & Gole, we gave Tunax’s dad more lines than he actually has in the book.
4. Add sound effects and stage instructions where necessary. Sound effects make a story fun to read and listen to, while stage instructions [in square brackets] help the performers know how they’re supposed to read a certain section.
5. Rehearse it. As a group, decide whether you need to add more narrative to explain the scene, or whether you need to tweak any of the characters’ words to make it work. Consider the script a work in progress: in the real world, as movies and TV shows are shot, writers are constantly making adjustments to the script to make a scene work better.
6. Take it to the next level, and film your group’s performance. Up to you whether you post it on YouTube or your class website!
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Here’s a list of resources related to what we covered in this issue of Text2Reader. Visit the T2R website for even more web links.
FictionBat-Ami, Miriam. Two Suns in the Sky. Puffin, 2001.
Crowley, Suzanne. The Stolen One. Greenwillow Books, 2009.
Crutcher, Chris. Whale Talk. Laurel Leaf, 2002.
Hidier, Tanuja. Born Confused. Scholastic, 2003.
O’Donnell, Liam and Mike Deas. Wild Ride. Orca Book Publishers, 2007.
Sanchez, Alex. Bait. Simon & Schuster, 2009.
Walters, Eric. Special Edward. Orca Book Publishers, 2009.
NonfictionGeorge, Chief Earl Maquinna. Living on the Edge: Nuu-Chah-Nulth History from an Ahousaht Chief ’s Perspective. Sono Nis Press, 2003.
Hoose, Phillip. It’s Our World, Too! Stories of Young People Who Are Making a Difference. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002.
McAllister, Ian, and Nicholas Read. The Salmon Bears—Giants of the Great Bear Rainforest. Orca Book Publishers, 2010.
Web & VideoFirst NationsFirst Nations in Canada: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_NationsCoastal Guardian Watchmen Network: www.coastguardianwatchmen.caFirst Contact—First Nations and European Settlers Meet: www.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca/exhibits/timemach/galler07/frames/contact.htm
Self Esteem and IdentitySelf Esteem: http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/emotions/self_esteem.html
Want to know more about the topics covered in this issue of Text2Reader?
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Short Answer1. The first Europeans to claim BC’s land as their own were the Spanish.2. When the European settlers arrived, they treated the land as if it was their own. They didn’t ask permission from the First Nations who were living there, and the First Nations never agreed to share their land. First Nations were moved onto small reserves so that the white settlers could build farms on traditional lands.3. After the Canadian government had moved the First Nations onto their reserves, they sold off the land to the settlers so they could build their farms there.4. Two problems the First Nations faced on reserves are:
A. They could no longer feed their families from the land they lived onB. The reserves were too small to provide work
5. Some chiefs tried to resolve the issue by speaking to politicians in Victoria, and then Ottawa. Some even went to speak with the Queen in England. But it was no use. 6. The First Nations people ended up helping settlers decimate their native lands because they had little choice other than to work for the settlers. And since most of the settlers’ work involved exploiting the natural resources (fish, fur and forests), the First Nations were forced to take jobs extracting those resources.7. In 2001 the First Nations in the Great Bear Rainforest were recognized as governments with the authority and right to make decisions about land use.
Multiple Choice 1. d 2. a 3. d 4. c 5. b 6. d
Short Answer1. 97% of teens play video games.2. Four benefits of playing video games are:
A. better innovative thinkingB. better cooperationC. better strategic thinkingD. they promote creativity
3. Playing video games does not lead to increased violence among young people. FBI statistics show the rate of violent crime is decreasing. Some experts even think playing violent games is a healthy way to blow off steam.4. Gaming is bad for your body because you sit to do it, and too much sitting makes you unhealthy, overweight and possibly depressed. 5. Video games don’t accurately represent male and female bodies (or abilities), and they always give rewards, whereas day-to-day life doesn’t. 6. Four drawbacks to playing video games:
A. they possibly contribute to depression and anxietyB. they correlate with lower school marks C. they correlate with worse parental relationshipsD. being sedentary doubles your chance of having a heart attack
7. Answers vary.
Answer Keys for Exercise 2A: Looking for Answers
Answer Key for Exercise 2A: Looking for Answers
Answer Key for Exercise 4A: Looking for Answers
