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| Day 1 |
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| What's on for today and why? |
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| Today is an introduction to New Mexico through the anthropological work of Leslie Marmon Silko. Last night the students should have read her essay "Landscape, History and the Pueblo Imagination," which frames Bless Me, Ultima and allows the students to see native life from a non-fiction standpoint. Many of the issues and topics discussed in this essay are relevant to Bless Me, Ultima and it gives the students an idea of what to pay attention to in the novel. In class we will discuss oral tradition, the concept of place, the native creation story and the Pueblo?s connection with nature. |
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| What to do: |
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| 1. Q & A |
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| The first five or ten minutes of class will be a basic answering of any of the questions the students have about the essay. These questions may lead into the discussion for the day, which would be fine. |
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| 2. Group Work |
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| The class will be broken up into four groups. Each student will receive a handout |
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| with four subsections. The subsections will be creation, oral tradition, concept of place and connection with nature. Each group will have to attack one of these four areas. From the text they will find what these things mean in the Pueblo culture and how they are used. When all the groups are done, they will each have to present their findings on the section. Each group will get up in front of the class and write down the most important points on the board and the other students will copy these points down and add any as needed. |
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| 3. Brief Introduction |
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| This is just a five to ten minute lecture about Rudolfo Anaya. This will explain about his life and how he came to write the novel Bless Me, Ultima. This is just a small background to help explain some of the aspects of the upcoming novel and its author. |
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| 4. Homework |
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| Students will read the first chapter of Bless Me, Ultima. They will be asked to pay |
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| special attention to the words used in this chapter and to find a favorite quote from the chapter. |
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| How did it go? |
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| If the students work together in their groups and gain the concepts that are in Silko?s essay, then this lesson is successful. Most importantly, if students can begin to ask themselves questions about other cultures and place then success is reached. |
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Handout 1 |
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Leslie Marmon Silko's "Landscape, History and the Pueblo Imagination" |
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Concept |
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Ideas Expressed in Essay |
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Creation: |
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Oral Tradition: |
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Place: |
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Connection with Nature: |
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| Day 2 |
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| What's on for today and why? |
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| Today is an introduction to the novel. By having the students track words on the first two pages, they get a feel for the rest of the novel. This activity sets up tone and it also gives the students a guide for the rest of the novel. By choosing this one word to be careful of, they will pay attention to it for the remainder of the unit. The students will also have to opportunity to read out loud, which will help their public speaking skills and the listening skills of the remainder of the class. |
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| What to do: |
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| 1. Q & A |
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| At the beginning of each class, there will be a five to ten minute time period where the students will get to ask any questions they have about the reading from the night before. This will not be a lecture, and the teacher will not necessarily answer the questions. Other students can have the time to help their classmates out and receive the help they need for initial understanding. This would also be the time for the students to share their favorite quotes from the chapter. |
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| ;2. Word Tracking |
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| Explain to the class that to track a word is to simply follow it throughout the text. Every text has words that are repeated and this is usually not a mistake on the author?s part. Most of these words have a great significance to the text. |
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| 3. Read aloud |
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| Have the class read the first two pages of Bless Me, Ultima out loud. Make sure one person does not read the entire two pages. It is better to have different people read for voice. |
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| 4. Tracking |
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| Have the students go through the text individually and choose one word that is repeated on these pages. Ask them: |
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| What significance does it have? |
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| How is the word used? |
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| How is it described or what does it describe? |
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| What does it say about the tone of the chapter if anything? |
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| Then, ask the students to write a short paragraph on the word. |
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| Also, ask them: |
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| Why did you pick that word? |
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| What does that word mean to you? |
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| Does the word bear any significance in your life or how does it bear any significance in your life? |
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| When everyone is done, go around the room and ask each student what word they picked. Tally up the results on the board. Let the students share some of their paragraphs with the rest of the class. |
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| 5. Homework |
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| Hand out a color-coded copy of the two pages from Bless Me, Ultima so the students can see how different words are used and clearly see all the repeated words on these pages. Have them read Pages 14-38 paying special attention to the word they chose to trace in class today. |
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| How did it go? |
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| If the students got a feel for the novel and learned a little bit about the importance |
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| of a single word, then this lesson was successful. The greatest result would be to have a student write a paper on the significance of this one word throughout the novel. |
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Handout 2 |
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| Anaya, Rudolfo. (1972). Bless Me, Ultima. New York: Warner Books, Inc. p. 1-2 |
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| Ultima came to stay with us the summer I was almost seven. When she came the beauty of the llano unfolded before my eyes, and the gurgling waters of the river sang to the hum of the turning earth. The magical time of childhood stood still, and the pulse of the living earth pressed its mystery into my living blood. She took my hand, and the silent, magic powers she possessed made beauty from the raw, sunbaked llano, the green river valley, and blue bowl which was white sun's home. My bare feet felt the throbbing earth and my body trembled with excitement. Time stood still, and it had shared with me all that had been, and all that was to come.... |
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| Let me begin at the beginning. I do not mean the beginning that was in my dreams and the stories they whispered to me about my birth, and the people of my father and mother, and my three brothers-- but the beginning that came with Ultima. |
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| The attic of my home was partitioned into two small rooms. My sisters, Deborah and Theresa, slept in one and I slept in the small cubicle by the door. The wooden steps creaked down in to a small hallway that led into the kitchen. From the top of the stairs I had a vantage point into the heart of out home, my mother's kitchen. From there I was to see the terrified face of Cha vez when he brought the terrible news of the murder of the sheriff; I was to see the rebellion of my brothers against my father; and many times late at night I was to see Ultima returning from the llano where she gathered the herbs that can be harvested only in the light of the full moon by the careful hands of a curandera. |
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| Day 3 |
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| What's on for today and why? |
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| Today we will be doing a listening activity for the regents. The novel incorporates a lot of different legends. One of them is the legend of La Llorona. There are at least four different versions to the story of La Llorona. The students will have to take notes on each version and note the differences. This will also be of help for Day 5?s lesson on myth, legend and religion. |
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| What to do: |
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| 1. Q &A |
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| This section is the same as other days. Also go over what the students found out about the word they were tracking. |
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| Did it change significance? |
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| Did it disappear in this section? |
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| Does it take on a larger and more meaningful role? |
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| 2. Listening Activity |
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| The students will listen to each of the four versions of "The Spirit of La Llorona" read two times. While they are listening, they are to take notes on each version. Have them answer the following: |
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| What are the differences between the four versions? |
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| Which version do you think fits in best with the novel? |
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| What purpose does this legend serve? |
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| Does each version of the legend serve a different purpose? |
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| Afterwards, discuss the role of La Llorona in the novel. |
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| 3. Performance (p 35-38) |
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| These pages are the introduction of the children who are to become Antonio's friends. This is an important part of the novel and also one of the funniest. Have each student read a line or so from these pages. Most of these voices are interchangeable. Take some time out with the class before the performance to decide how it will be directed. |
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| 4. Homework |
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| Have the students read pages 39-59. Make sure they choose five quotes from the reading that they like and why they chose them. |
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| How did it go? |
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| 	If the students get the idea behind "The Spirit of La Llorona" and get up on their feet to act out the scene, then this day has gone well. |
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Listening Activity |
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"The Spirit of La Llorona" |
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http://www.lallorona.com/html/legend/index.html?616.5+int |
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| Witch: |
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Sofia lived in a town where if you weren't married by the age of fifteen you were considered an old maid. Sofia was nineteen, single and extremely beautiful. But she was also considered selfish and egotistical, with some people even claiming she was a witch.
Sofia's reclusive life changed after meeting Luis. His physique and charm dazzled all the women--including Sofia. They soon became lovers, and within a year she gave birth to his son. Only a few days after the child's birth, Luis disappeared. Despite Sofia's agony, everyone blamed her.
One afternoon she overheard two men joke about having seen Luis in a nearby town with another woman. Sofía's sadness turned into uncontrollable rage. She ran to the lake and submerged her baby in water until there was only silence. When she realized what she had done, she let out a horrifying cry. Sofi;a stayed at the lake crying for days until she finally passed away. Since then, several children playing near the lake have mysteriously disappeared without a trace. |
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| Siren: |
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Laura was an attractive girl from an extremely humble background.
Almost as soon as she could walk, she began working to help support the family. When she was sixteen she landed a dream job as a sales clerk. Within a few days on the job, she met Miguel, a well-to-do man who relentlessly pursued her until she finally agreed to go out with him. One evening after only a few weeks of knowing each other he asked her to marry him. Laura accepted, and that night she made love for the first time.
After their passionate night, everything changed. Miguel refused to see her. Laura soon discovered she was pregnant and struggled to hide it as long as she could.
When her parents finally found out, they threw her out of the house. Her baby was born sick and undernourished. With no other place to go, Laura turned to Miguel and begged for his help. He told her to stay out of his life.
Laura wandered to a nearby lake and slowly walked into the water until both she and her baby were consumed.
A few weeks later, Miguel mysteriously disappeared. Since then, men who have been out drinking or cheating on their wives have also disappeared, all having last been seen following a mysterious woman through the winding streets of the dark city. |
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| Harlot: |
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Linda grew up in a tough part of town. She had learned from a tender age to use what she had to get what she wanted. A single mother, she worked as a waitress and was growing tired of her dead-end life. On one of her evening shifts, she met Alejandro, a sexy man with a decent job who was an easy target. Linda knew how to please men and easily seduced him.
She soon brought up the idea of getting married. Alejandro told her he couldn't marry her because there were prying eyes. Since Alejandro had always avoided being around Linda's baby she immediately thought her child was standing between her and a new life.
One week later her baby's body was found in the river. Shortly after the funeral, Linda again asked Alejandro about getting married -- now that she had "taken care of things." Alejandro was horrified and told her that it wasn't her baby that had kept him from marrying her, it was his mother. Linda started screaming like a crazed animal, grabbed a knife, stabbed Alejandro and then killed herself. To this day, children playing near the river hear her cries and run from her screams. |
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| Virgin: |
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Maria lived with her parents in a small, conservative community. She was innocent, sincere and, above all, her father's pride and joy. When she was only fifteen, something unusual happened. Maria gave birth to a baby boy. No one had even suspected she was pregnant. Her parents - especially her father - felt disgraced and betrayed. A shotgun wedding was the only solution. But when asked who the father was, Maria claimed she had never been with a man. Finding this hard to believe, Maria's parents struggled to keep the baby a secret.
One night when Maria was sleeping, her father quietly entered her room and took the child.
He carried the helpless bundle to a nearby river and threw him into the water. Maria woke up screaming, sensing that something terrible had happened. She ran out and saw her father heading back to the house. By the time she reached the river, it was too late--not only for the baby, but also for her. Blood was pouring out of her body.
Maria left only a trail of blood beside the river. Shortly after her disappearance, people in the community started seeing apparitions of a young girl holding a baby, weeping beside the river. These sightings continue to this day. |
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| Day 4 |
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| What's going on and why? |
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| Today is an all day performance day. The students will perform four pages from the novel, but before they begin, they must make the narrative into dialogue. This activity is useful because it gets the students actually using Anaya?s words and it has them thinking about dialogue. It is difficult to write dialogue from narrative and even harder to make sure it does not disrupt the course of the novel. |
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| What to do: |
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| 1. Q & A |
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| This section is the same as other days. Students will also have the opportunity to share the five quotes they chose from the reading the night before. |
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| 2. Groups |
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| The class will be broken up into four groups. Each group will have to work with one page from the novel. The groups will have about fifteen minutes to take the page they are given and create a performance. The dialogue on the page could be kept the same, but any narrative on the page must be turned into dialogue. Each group must break up the roles so that every student gets to speak at least one line in the performance. |
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| 3. Performance (p. 51-4) |
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| Each group will now have the opportunity to show the class what they have created. There will be about four minutes to spend on each performance and comments on the action. |
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| 4. Homework |
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| Have the students read pages 60-82. Make sure they take notes on the story of the Golden Carp and his people. |
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| How did it go? |
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| This lesson is both fun and a good learning experience. A great result would be to have the students come up with some great dialogue for the parts. It would also be good to see them perform with enthusiasm. If the students did not have fun, then this day was a failure. |
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| Day 5 |
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| What's on for today and why? |
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| Today we will discuss myth, legend and the stories of the Bible, how they are in many respects the same. In this novel, both the Bible and legend and myth play an important role in Antonio's road to manhood. It is a decision that he thinks he must make between these two things. The following activities are to show how maybe these two things are not so different. |
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| What to do: |
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1. Q & A |
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| This section is the same as other days. Being that the highlight of last night?s reading was the story of the Golden Carp, this should lead into the discussion of the day. |
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| 2. Recap of legend and myth |
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| ;Have the students list what legends are, how they function, and their purpose in life and in the novel. Ask the students if they know any legends or myths. |
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| 3. Group Work |
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| Give the handout to every student. Have the students work in pairs to complete the handout. A simple knowledge of the Bible is necessary; the novel should give sufficient information for those that are not read on this topic. Ask the groups to go through the story of the Golden Carp (p 80-2) and write down its major points. Then on the opposite side fill out the parts of the Bible that coincide with the story of the Golden Carp. There is no need for specific references regarding the Bible. General knowledge of that text is all that is needed to complete the assignment. When all the groups are done, have them share their findings with the rest of the class. In this way, those that were not as knowledgeable can still have an understanding. Then discuss how the legend and the biblical tales are used in the story and more so in society. |
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| 4. Homework |
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| Have the students read p 83-105. In these pages, have them pay special attention to the use and function of magic. |
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| How did it go? |
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| If the students can understand that ?old world? religions and myths are not so different than Western religions, then the class was a success. |
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Handout 3 |
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The legend of the Golden Carp |
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The stories of the Bible |
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| Day 6 |
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| What's on for today and why? |
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| Today the class will brainstorm the word "magic." Magic is a big part of the novel and it is an important concept to understanding it. The students will think of all the words associated with the word "magic" in the text and do various activities with the word and the initial brainstorm. Through these exercises they will see the power of the word "magic" in Anaya's novel. |
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| What to do: |
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| 1. Magic: Brainstorming |
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| Have the students get into groups and come up with ideas, words and images they associate with the word "magic." They will do their brainstorming on handout 4. When all the groups are done, tally up all the word associations and make a class brainstorm of "magic." |
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| 2. Writing about Magic |
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| Ask the students to pick 5 or 6 words from the class web. Ask them to either write a short poem about the word or a paragraph using the words they chose. Ask the students: |
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| Why did you choose these words? |
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| Are they significant to you in any way? |
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| Do they reflect the use of the word in the novel best? |
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| Have the students share their work when they are all done. |
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| 3. Class Discussion |
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| Have the students talk about the use of magic in chapter 10. |
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| What are the different types of magic? |
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| Is this magic the same as conjure, hoodoo or voodoo? |
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| Is all magic evil? |
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| What role does magic play in Chicano culture? |
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| 4. Homework |
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| Have the students read pages 106-121. Ask them to focus on nature imagery and the use of place, in the Silko sense of place. |
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| How did it go? |
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| If the students left the class thinking about magic in all its different forms and had images of magic in their heads, then this was a good day. |
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Handout 4: Brainstorming Magic |
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