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Cycle 2: Critical reflection of identity in Mexican-American short stories and poetry
M. Mallett
After the first unit’s building of historical context for the Mexico-Texas border, Cycle 2 will journey into critical literary reflection. This portion of the course will focus on various poems and short stories in Mexican-American literature, providing students the opportunity to explore critical reflection of personal identity. Through analyzing these shorter literary works, students will reflect upon the various historical, political, and other sociocultural influences for the experience of personal identity along the Texas/Mexico border.
Learning goals and objectives
Learning goals and objectives
By the end of this cycle, students will be able to:
Critically read, analyze, argue, and present complex ideas about shorter works of literature
Identify and explain the usage of various literary elements
Reflect on their personal experience of interacting with literature
Create and present an independent critical analysis of literature
Recognize historical, sociocultural, and political influences in literary works of Mexican-American literature
Reflect on their own experiences of personal identity (gender, race, culture, class, politics, etc)
Readings
Poems
Poems
Américo Paredes, Cantos de adolescencia
Américo Paredes, Cantos de adolescencia
A México / To Mexico
A una sajona / To an Anglo Girl
Canta / Sing
Short Stories
Short Stories
Américo Paredes, The Hammon and the Beans
Small Brown Bird
A cold Night
Living Beyond Borders: Stories About Growing Up Mexican in America
Anna Meriano, Warning Bells
Dominic Carrillo, Ghetto is Not an Adjective
Vignettes
Vignettes
Sandra Cisneros, The House on Mango Street
Boys and Girls
My Name
Hairs
Weekly Journal Reflections
Weekly Journal Reflections
The weekly journal assignment template (linked to the right) is a general guide for students' weekly reflections. As always, students are encouraged to reflect in whatever way they feel most connected to; every student is different, and every journal may be approached differently.
If students are looking for questions more specific to this cycle's content, the following are available:
What is your idea of personal identity?
How do you identify? Why do you think these are important characteristics of your identity?
How do you think the readings connect with this conception of personal identity?
Do you think the author's identity is connected to this notion of personal identity?
Why is personal identity important to contemplate?
What aspects of the history along the TX/MX border explored in Cycle 1 (if any) are relevant to your reading this week?
In Class Assignments
Close Reading
Close Reading
Through the course of this cycle, students will choose 1 of each type of reading -- poem, short story, vignette. With each chosen reading, students will closely analyze the text using the Close Reading Worksheet (linked to the left).
This exercise consists of three steps:
Close Reading Reflection: Students will reflect individually upon their experience with their chosen reading.
Paired Discussion: Students will pair up with someone who has read reflected upon the same literary work to discuss their reflections.
Literary Analysis: Each pair of students will collaborate to create an outline of a literary analysis for their chosen text.
Leading Class Discussions & Jigsaw Readings
Leading Class Discussions & Jigsaw Readings
Students will break into small groups divided along which reading was covered. Groups will have no more than 5-6 students; depending on class size, there may be more than one group for each reading. Using the Class Discussions worksheet (linked to the right) each group will coordinate a presentation for their reading, and take notes on other groups' presentations.
This exercise consists of three steps:
Preparation for Leading Class Discussion: In groups, students will prepare for leading a class discussion on their literary work.
Leading Class Discussion: Groups will discuss their literary analyses in a large class discussion.
Jigsaw Reading: Students will take notes on the literary works they have not read as other groups are leading the discussion.
End of Cycle
Final Project
Final Project
For the final project of Cycle 2, each student will present their own critical analysis of at least one literary work they explored in the course of this cycle. This presentation will build upon the critical analyses completed throughout the cycle. Students will be required to explore the notion of personal identity in Mexican-American literature in their literary analysis.
The final project consists of two steps:
Literary Analysis: Using a similar template to the Close Reading Worksheet, students will complete a new literary analysis of any reading from this cycle. This literary analysis will serve as an outline for the short essay portion of this project. See the next page for this project’s Literary Analysis template.
Short Essay: Using the complete outline from the Literary Analysis, students will write a short essay synthesizing their ideas. Students can choose to submit this essay in either written or verbal form.
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