Comments+on+Speak+from+Tucker

=== I like the recapping strategy of covering the Bare Tree at the end of each section. This can be a very reflective activity if you define the elements you are addressing and give examples from the text. Characters, themes and tone are very related, but I would be cautious about throwing in symbolism until nearly the end of the novel. Symbols are not supposed to be obvious at the outset, but tend to grow on you during a book. Maybe we could just ask if students noticed anything that could be symbolism but not really delve into the meaning until later in the unit? As for characters, what do you want them to say about them? Their hopes, flaws, deceptions, problems? If you, selected a passage and showed students what you might write about the character in it, then they would have an example. Same is true for tone and theme. We can get more specific with this since we will be tying these observations in with our summative assessment. How do we recognize the tone of writing? How do we recognize themes? These are actually whole lessons by themselves. ===

=== After reading the rationale and 10 lessons, I am still not sure if your theme is "Solitude and Society" or some variation. The rationale should make it obvious. If you go with the S &S theme, your analysis of Melinda has to start with relationships, how they fray and break during each chapter. How do we push people away from us? The flip side is how society fails her, so you should ask questions about her teachers, her friends, her parents, all these support structures that aren't working. Who is to blame for her alienation? Why is she unable to speak? There are, of course, other themes. I like the idea of tying in this denial aspect with the summative assessment. ===

=== The Bare Tree is an excellent formative assessment, but what kind of summative assessment can you build from it? Students could write an essay on the theme or tone or symbolism of the novel. A thematic unit really must address the theme in the summative assessment. You could, for example, have a panel discussion about whether the victim refused to help herself or if the school and family failed her. You could explore the destructive force of peer pressure through a case study of Melinda's plight. Many options, but try to relate theme to the texts of the unit. ===