Essential Question: “How does it feel to be
different?”
Unit Overview
In this
unit, you will read a poem called “Drum Dream Girl” by Margarita Engle
that speaks to the essential question: How does it feel to be different? You
will analyze how an author’s word choice affects the meaning of a poem. Analyzing the effect of word choice means
paying attention to descriptive words and phrases. As you read, take note of
the speaker’s language about the drum dream girl and the message it reveals.
Section A: Vocabulary
|
Clamor |
(noun) loud and confusing noise |
|
Conduct |
(verb) to behave (oneself) or carry out a
task in a specific way |
|
Disturb |
(verb) to interrupt or prevent someone from continuing what
they were doing Related: disturbance,
disturbed |
|
Gesture |
(verb) to use one’s body to communicate with
others to communicate through body movements |
|
Grimace |
(verb) to make a facial expression that
reveals disgust or pain, sometimes to be funny |
|
Predict |
(verb) to know or say what will happen in the future Related: prediction,
predictable, predictably, predictability |
|
Resemble |
(verb) to look like (something) |
|
Shame |
(noun) a feeling of embarrassment or humiliation that comes
from having done something wrong Related:
ashamed |
|
Survival |
(noun) the state of continuing to live or
exist despite danger or struggle Related:
survive |
|
Tone |
(noun) the feeling(s) that a person reveals
through the way they speak about something |
Context
Clues
Context clues are words and phrases within a text that can help you to
figure out the meanings of words you do not know or words you think you know
what they mean but are not sure. There
are several different types of context clues that you can use to figure out the
meaning of difficult words.
· Authors will provide the definition right after
the difficult word
· Authors will use synonyms to give a clue to the
unknown word
· Authors will use antonyms to provide any
evidence to the hidden word
· The reader can substitute a word
· The reader can use a dictionary
· Keep reading
· Don’t skip the words that you don’t know
Remember that using context clues is a process;
look at what you know, predict the meanings of words you don’t know, continue
reading to confirm your predictions, or even use a dictionary. Do not skip the
words you don’t know because it will make it even more challenging to
understand the reading.
Let’s Practice: Strategies
Using Context Clues
Directions: Match the related
information to the word or phrase.
Remember:
Context clues are using words
around an unknown word to figure out the meaning.
Let’s Practice: Fill in the Blank Sentence
Directions: Fill in the blanks using the correct
vocabulary word to complete each sentence.
Sometimes
a reader knows from experience how
people or things act in a given situation.
This knowledge provides a clue to a word’s meaning. Below is a practice
activity using vocabulary words to complete a scenario.
Let’s
Practice: Scenario
Directions: Fill in the blanks, using the correct
vocabulary word to complete each scenario.
The
most basic, and perhaps helpful, type of context clues are synonyms. If you can't decipher a meaning, adding a few synonyms,
or words with similar meanings, is a surefire way to point to a word's meaning.
Complete the activity below using your
vocabulary words and finding a synonym word that matches.
Let’s
Practice: Crossword Puzzle Synonyms
Directions:
Match the following vocabulary words to their synonyms.
Section B: Author’s Word Choice (“DRUM DREAM GIRL”)
The writing
style is a writer's distinctive way of using language. This could come in the
form of comical or severe, plain or ornate, formal or informal. Word Choice is the main element of a style.
It refers to the author’s or speaker's distinctive vocabulary choices and style
of expression in a poem or a short story. The author may choose to use long,
elegant words to appeal to a specific type of audience, just as they may decide
to use short everyday words to appeal to a different kind of audience.
Literature written primarily for teens may include the slang of the time so
that it can speak to that crowd comfortably and straightforwardly. By playing
with word choice, a writer may convey an entirely new meaning to his work.
Essential Question: “How does it feel to be
different?”
“DRUM DREAM GIRL” by Margarita Engle
About the Author: Margarita Engle is a Cuban-American poet,
novelist, and journalist, as well as the author of many children’s books. She
has received numerous awards, including the San Diego Book Award and the Claudia
Lewis Poetry Award. This poem is inspired by the childhood of Millo Castro
Zaldarriaga, who broke a Cuban drumming tradition.
Skill Focus:
In this lesson, you’ll practice
analyzing how an author’s word choice affects the meaning of a poem. Analyzing
the effect of word choice means paying attention to descriptive words and
phrases. As you read, take note of the speaker’s language about the drum dream
girl and the message it reveals.
Read the Text
Let’s Practice: Guided Questions
Directions: Answer the Guided Reading Questions based on
the poem “DRUM DREAM GIRL”.
In “Drum Dream Girl,” the young girl dreams
of playing drums in a society that only allows boys to play the drums.
This
poem expresses the theme that embracing your identity can create change. In the
poem, the speaker describes an island of music where everyone believes that
only boys should play drums. However, there is a “drum dream girl” who dreams “secret
dreams.” Drum dream girl embraces who she is even though her community
disapproves of it. When the island hears her play, they change their mind: everyone
who listened to her dream-bright music decided that girls should always be
allowed to play drums. This develops the idea that being yourself can affect
others, too.
Looking
at the essential question, “How does it feel to be different?”, did you notice
if “Drum Girl” was the only one that felt different or was there others in the
poem. Can you relate to anyone in the
poem? You are about to write an acrostic
poem on the word “Different.”
Below will give you a description of an acrostic poem.
Acrostic Poem
An
acrostic poem is a type of poetry where the first, last, or other letters in a
line spell out a particular word or phrase. The most common and simple form of
an acrostic poem is where the first letters of each line spell out the word or
phrase. Brainstorming a list of words or
phrases that describe or remind you of your topic word will help you with the
process of the acrostic poem.
Look at
the chart below for some hint words
to get started. Your poem needs to
relate to the essential question and poem.
|
D |
Does, Does not |
|
I |
If, Into, It, Is |
|
F |
Few, First, For, From, Full, Fun |
|
F |
Few, First, For, From, Full, Fun |
|
E |
Especially, Even, Every, Exactly |
|
R |
Rather, Really, Right |
|
E |
Especially, Even, Every, Exactly |
|
N |
Near, Never, Nothing, None, Not |
|
T |
That, The, There, This, To |