Fun With Dick and Jane

Now that we've gone through the two opening chapters of The Bluest Eye, I would like us to discuss the Dick and Jane imagery along with the actual texts which were prominent in the 50's and 60's. Please utilize the activity sheet and graphic organizer below to further discuss , critique and question the use and consequences of the Dick and Jane books on yourself if you were a child in the 1950s.

The Bluest Eye: Dick and Jane Activity

Part One

1. What did you learn from critically examining the advertisements yesterday? What can you infer about the media? About society?

2. What do you think (negatively) affects members of our community the most? Issues surrounding race, class, or gender? Explain your answer with evidence from your own experiences and/or the images from yesterday.

Part Two: Imagine it is the 1950s and you have been given a book by your elementary school teacher called The Dick and Jane Reader. Look at the images and read the words. Then respond to the following questions:

1. Just state facts:

What are their names?	What do they look like?	What kinds of things do they have?	What kinds of things do they talk about?

2. Now make some inferences: What do you think their lives are like?

3. Who is excluded from these stories?

4. Dick and Jane Readers were used all over the US to help children learn to read. If you grew up reading these books, how do you think it would affect the way you thought about yourself? Explain.

The Bluest Eye

The first text we will be working on this year is The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. In order for us to gain a greater understanding of the complex characters, themes and vocabulary in this book, I want the class to fill out a graphic organizer with a partner on our first day of class. This graphic organizer will help us to understand on a personal level the major themes in the text, which motivate many of the characters actions. Please note that you should come to class considering the questions on this worksheet so that when you sit with your partner, you are prepared for this discussion.

See you on Wednesday!

Opening Day of The Bluest Eye

Essential Question: How do race, class, and gender affect members of a community?

My Responses/My Partner’s Responses	Responses from my Peers
How do you define race?
How do you define gender?
How do you define class?
How do you define discrimination?
How do you define oppression?
Describe a moment (in real life, in the media, or in a text) where you have seen an act of racism.
Describe a moment (in real life, in the media, or in a text) where you have seen an act of sexism.
How do you think a person’s class affects their life?
What makes “beauty”? What makes a person beautiful?
How do we set the standard for what beauty is?

Welcome to 10th Grade English

Welcome to your blog for our English class! Each week I will ask you to read the posts we have online in order to make sure that you are fully prepared with all class materials each week. Additionally, I will post graphic organizers and articles related to the texts we will read in class to help along the way. Also, for those of you who have difficulty speaking up in class, I will count your comments on articles towards class participation, so if you're shy, you don't have to worry. There's room for everyone in this English class.