Power

Think about the Revolutionary War and compare the Continental and British Armies.  The British Army was a large, professionally trained force.  They had a lot of power.  What gave the Continental Army power?  They were a smaller, untrained group, but they were fighting on their own land with the motivation to win.  Their power came from the inside, and that can be just as powerful. 

Looking at our books with the lens of power leads to all sorts of new thinking.  When we investigate who has the power, what form power takes, and how power changes, it helps us find huge meaning in books. 

Throughout history, power has been held by many people, but it takes form in different ways.  Sometimes power makes itself visible through physical strength, like size, force, or weapons.  Power can also be shown through community, integrity, or courage.  Power can certainly shift throughout the course of a book, and it is important that we read closely to notice what causes these shifts.  

Let's look at chapter 12 of the Quilt Walk, we are going to focus on how power is shown in both big and small ways.  We will work to notice the details that reveal power to us.  

We’ll use the lens of power.  I’m going to reread pages 117-119.  Think about how power is shown and who has it.  

Now that we have some ideas that fit together, let’s talk about some new understandings we gain from this passage.  I’m thinking that Mr. Bonner and Mr. Hatchett have very different ways that they assert power.  There is also a power shift during this part.  

Your job is to choose a section in your own book to do a close read with.  Remember to go through the steps of the Close Reading Ritual.  Read through the lens of power to form a new idea about the book you’ve been reading.  Think about which details fit together and see if you can create a new understanding of the text.