Identity

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.4.A Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word's position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

This is recommended to be individual-led and has a lower-level text complexity.

Students can use this infographic as a way to track how their identity has formed. The image will serve as a template for each student to examine the various parts of their life. It offers a way to see connections in the many facets of identity and a chance to explore where their values and beliefs come from. After creating their personalized graphic, students will write a one-page reflection that address the questions below.

Reflection Questions:

• How does this fit with the focus question of this section, how do you define yourself?

• What was the easiest part to fill out? The hardest?

• What insight does this give you in connection to your core values?

Link to Original Site

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.D Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

This is recommended to be teacher-led and has a higher-level text complexity.

Luisa Igloria was born in the Philippines and is the author of numerous poetry books and chapbooks. She has won many literary awards and currently lives and works in the United States (Bio -- Luisa A. Igloria). Her poem "Dear Federico" is addressed to Federico Garcia Lorca, a Spanish poet, who wrote about how the concept of a poem is something necessary to figure out who we really are (Smith, 2005). Igloria's poem talks about the lives of people in the Philippines who are forced to live a bleak existence because of the many tragic choices they are left to decide.

The teacher can read the poem to the students as they follow along. Because of the complexity of the poem, it should be read through a few times before moving on to discuss and analyze it. In the discussion, the teacher can ask students to look at the surface level of the poem first and figure out what story the speaker is telling. After figuring out the surface-level meaning, the teacher can facilitate the analysis to look at some of the deeper meanings of the poem. In doing so, the students can be guided to see the speaker's opinion about how people define their places in life, which directly connects to the focus question of this section. This also adds to the exploration of the text set's essential question so that a prediction can be made as to how the poem's speaker would decide how to address the injustices that are shown through the choices that people must make. Furthermore, a comparison can be made between the lives of the people described in the poem and the victims of drug policy enforcement in the novel. Students can demonstrate their understanding through their participation in the discussion and/or through writing.