English Grade 9 Part 2

result of the muckraking and investigative journalism she pursued after the killingof her three friends. She could not return to Memphis, so she moved to Chicago.She however continued her blistering journalistic attacks on Southern injustices,being especially active in investigating and exposing the fraudulent “reasons”given to lynch Black men, which by now had become a common occurrence.In Chicago, she helped develop numerous African American women and reformorganizations, but she remained diligent in her anti-lynching crusade, writingSouthern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases. She also became a tirelessworker for women’s suffrage, and happened to march in the famous 1913 march for universal suffrage in Washington, D.C. Not able to tolerate injustice of any kind, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, along with Jane Addams, successfully blocked theestablishment of segregated schools in Chicago.In 1895 Wells married the editor of one of Chicago’s early Black newspapers. She wrote: “I was married in the city of Chicago to Attorney F. L. Barnett, andretired to what I thought was the privacy of a home.” She did not stay retiredlong and continued writing and organizing. In 1906, she joined with William E.B. DuBois and others to further the Niagara Movement, and she was one oftwo African American women to sign “the call” to form the NAACP in 1909. Al-though Ida B. Wells was one of the founding members of the National Associationfor the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), she was also among the few Black leaders to explicitly oppose Booker T. Washington and his strategies. Asa result, she was viewed as one the most radical of the so-called “radicals” whoorganized the NAACP and marginalized from positions within its leadership. Aslate as 1930, she became disgusted by the nominees of the major parties to the state legislature, so Wells-Barnett decided to run for the Illinois State legisla-ture, which made her one of the first Black women to run for public office in the United States. A year later, she passed away after a lifetime crusading for justice. Lee D. Baker, April 1996. (ldbaker at acpub.duke.edu) Source: Franklin, Vincent P. 1995 Living Our Stories, Telling Our Truths: Autobiography and the Making of African American Intellectual Tradition. 1995: Oxford University Press. Source: http://people.duke.edu/~ldbaker/classes/AAIH/caaih/ibwells/ibwbkgrd.html 175

TASK 5 Crafting a Timeline 1. Construct a timeline of significant events in the life of Ida B. Wells. 2. Identify various civil rights issues that concerned Miss Wells. 3. Examine and evaluate Miss Wells’ responses to discrimination. 4. Analyze the impact a single person can have on history. (Source: http://mshistorynow.mdah.state.ms.us/articles/49/index.php?s=lesson-plans&id=50) YOUR DISCOVERY TASKS In the previous lessons, you have learned about the features of short prose. This time, listen as your teacher gives you information about the different types of short prose. TASK 6 Single It Out Look at the selection, Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Her Passion for Justice once again. Analyze what kind of short prose it is. Explain your answer. TASK 7 Texts or Figures? Study how information about natural disasters in the Philippines is presented in the texts below. Accomplish the activity that follows. Number of Natural Disasters in the Philippines 2000-2012Year Drought Earth- Epidemic Flood Mass Mass Storm Volcano Total quake move- move-2000 0 1 ment dry ment wet 1 132001 0 (seismic 0 2 112002 1 activity) 0 3116 0 122003 0 1 3006 0 112004 0 0 1 4006 0 132005 0 0 0 1018 0 4 1 3018 0 2002 0 0 176

2006 0 0 0 6 0 3 10 1 202007 1 0 0 5 0 0 9 1 162008 0 0 0 8 0 0 11 0 192009 0 1 0 8 0 0 14 1 242010 0 0 1 9 0 0 3 1 142011 0 1 3 15 0 0 12 2 332012 0 3 1 5 0 1 7 0 17Total 2 6 8 72 1 7 102 9 207Source: Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT): The Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA)/CRED InternationalDisaster Database. The Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) recorded 207 significant damaging natural disasters in the Philippines from 2000-2012. Tropical storms and floods were the principal disasters with 102 and 72 occur-rences, respectively. The most disastrous year was observed in 2011 with 33 disaster events mostly attributed to tropical storms and floods. Source: http://www.senate.gov.ph/publications/AAG%202013-04%20-%20Natural%20Disasters_final.pdf The teacher will give you information about how information is presented in linear and non-linear texts. Copy the Venn Diagram in your notebook. Use it to compare and contrast how information is presented in linear and non-linear texts. 177

TASK 8 Learn GrammarUse conditionals in expressing arguments and fallacies.TASK 9 Lend a HandRead the essay about helping others. Then do the activity that follows. The Time to Help Is Now Maria Zapetis - Miami, Florida As heard on The Bob Edwards Show, August 10, 2012 Last year my beliefs changed. Until last summer I had a very comfortable life: winter vacations skiing and summer cruises. My parents spent a lot of money on a private prep school, sothey could get me into a competitive middle school, followed by the uberexpen-sive high school. Everything was about tomorrow, next year, my graduation. Wenever had to worry about today. Before last summer I never thought much about the people in the world wholive day to day, every day, whose lives are controlled by poverty and hunger. ThenI enrolled in a two-week intensive program sponsored by Heifer International.We lived in a “Tribal Village,” in a hot, dry open grassland in Arkansas. I know itwas only a simulation, that I could go back to my regular life, but the experiencegave birth to a belief in helping others. Today. I am a tribal member in Mozambique. Every meal, I make the fire for my family, and feel the flames lick up my nostrils as I blow to keep the fuel alive. I cook mush with vegetables. This is all my family is ever given. I feed the hen and three rabbits their dinner. I grow attached to the rabbits,even though I know I shouldn’t. I name them. We are living in a house that feels like an oven with no air conditioning like Iam used to, and even though water is available, everyone is too hot and tired tomove. I go to the kitchen — an area of dirt floor — to make the fire for breakfast. Again I stir and eat the same unfulfilling mush. It’s a bad dream, over and over and over again. My lungs fill up with smoke, ash blocks my vision, and I can almost see through the eyes of people who really live like this every single daywith no hope for change. 178

I’m not getting enough to eat; it’s time to decide whether or not to kill the rabbits. I feel pain but it’s a privileged child’s pain because I know I will soon be eating again. That’s not true for a lot of other children around the world. Growing up comfortably in the U.S., I’ve never had to worry about my din- ner, and even though this whole process was only a simulation, it changed my life. Now I believe in doing whatever I can to help find practical ways to defeat hunger. Today. So I’ve become president of Roots and Shoots, a group working to improve local environments for people and animals. I’m also working to create a program at my high school called the “Safe Passage” trip, to help young people in the Guatemala City dump. And I’ve got plans to do more. If I ever feel lethargic, I remember laboring in the hot sun and think of the millions who still do. Now, I try to live for today and stop worrying so much about the future. When I eat or feel full, I am grateful for this fortunate life and want to extend the same feeling to others. I believe in offering help to those who need it. Right now. Maria Zapetis attended Miami Country Day School in Miami, Fla. In addition to her school activities and theatrical productions, Maria works to fight poverty and hunger in her community and around the world. Independently produced by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman with John Gregory and Viki Merrick.Source: http://thisibelieve.org/essay/43395/ Answer the following: What is the essay all about? How did the writer develop her main point?TASK 10 Learn Grammar Use conditionals in expressing arguments and fallacies. Hasty generalization Definition: Making assumptions about a whole group or range of cases based on a sample that is inadequate (usually because it is atypical or too small). Stereo- types about people (“librarians are shy and smart,” “wealthy people are snobs,” etc.) are a common example of the principle underlying hasty generalization. 179

Example: “My roommate said her philosophy class was hard, and the one I’min is hard, too. All philosophy classes must be hard!” Two people’s experiencesare, in this case, not enough on which to base a conclusion.Missing the pointDefinition: The premises of an argument do support a particular conclusion—butnot the conclusion that the arguer actually draws.Example: “The seriousness of a punishment should match the seriousness of thecrime. Right now, the punishment for drunk driving may simply be a fine. But drunk driving is a very serious crime that can kill innocent people. So the deathpenalty should be the punishment for drunk driving.” The argument actuallysupports several conclusions—“The punishment for drunk driving should be veryserious,” in particular—but it doesn’t support the claim that the death penalty,specifically, is warranted.Post hoc (also called false cause)This fallacy gets its name from the Latin phrase “post hoc, ergo propter hoc,”which translates as “after this, therefore because of this.”Definition: Assuming that because B comes after A, A caused B. Of course, some-times one event really does cause another one that comes later—for example,if I register for a class, and my name later appears on the roll, it’s true that thefirst event caused the one that came later. But sometimes two events that seem related in time aren’t really related as cause and event. That is, correlation isn’tthe same thing as causation.Examples: “President Jones raised taxes, and then the rate of violent crime wentup. Jones is responsible for the rise in crime.” The increase in taxes might ormight not be one factor in the rising crime rates, but the argument hasn’t shownus that one caused the other.Slippery slopeDefinition: The arguer claims that a sort of chain reaction, usually ending in somedire consequence, will take place, but there’s really not enough evidence for thatassumption. The arguer asserts that if we take even one step onto the “slipperyslope,” we will end up sliding all the way to the bottom; he or she assumes wecan’t stop partway down the hill.Example: “Animal experimentation reduces our respect for life. If we don’t re-spect life, we are likely to be more and more tolerant of violent acts like war andmurder. Soon our society will become a battlefield in which everyone constantly 180

fears for their lives. It will be the end of civilization. To prevent this terribleconsequence, we should make animal experimentation illegal right now.” Sinceanimal experimentation has been legal for some time and civilization has notyet ended, it seems particularly clear that this chain of events won’t necessarilytake place. Even if we believe that experimenting on animals reduces respect forlife, and loss of respect for life makes us more tolerant of violence, that may bethe spot on the hillside at which things stop—we may not slide all the way downto the end of civilization. And so we have not yet been given sufficient reason to accept the arguer’s conclusion that we must make animal experimentationillegal right now.Like post hoc, slippery slope can be a tricky fallacy to identify, since sometimesa chain of events really can be predicted to follow from a certain action. Here’san example that doesn’t seem fallacious: “If I fail English 101, I won’t be able to graduate. If I don’t graduate, I probably won’t be able to get a good job, andI may very well end up doing temp work or flipping burgers for the next year.”Weak analogyDefinition: Many arguments rely on an analogy between two or more objects,ideas, or situations. If the two things that are being compared aren’t really alikein the relevant respects, the analogy is a weak one, and the argument that relieson it commits the fallacy of weak analogy.Example: “Guns are like hammers—they’re both tools with metal parts that couldbe used to kill someone. And yet it would be ridiculous to restrict the purchaseof hammers—so restrictions on purchasing guns are equally ridiculous.” Whileguns and hammers do share certain features, these features (having metal parts, being tools, and being potentially useful for violence) are not the ones at stake in deciding whether to restrict guns. Rather, we restrict guns because they caneasily be used to kill large numbers of people at a distance. This is a featurehammers do not share—it would be hard to kill a crowd with a hammer. Thus,the analogy is weak, and so is the argument based on it.If you think about it, you can make an analogy of some kind between almost anytwo things in the world: “My paper is like a mud puddle because they both getbigger when it rains (I work more when I’m stuck inside) and they’re both kind of murky.” So the mere fact that you can draw an analogy between two thingsdoesn’t prove much, by itself.Arguments by analogy are often used in discussing abortion—arguers frequentlycompare fetuses with adult human beings, and then argue that treatment thatwould violate the rights of an adult human being also violates the rights of 181

fetuses. Whether these arguments are good or not depends on the strength of the analogy: do adult humans and fetuses share the properties that give adult humans rights? If the property that matters is having a human genetic code or the potential for a life full of human experiences, adult humans and fetuses do share that property, so the argument and the analogy are strong; if the property is being self-aware, rational, or able to survive on one’s own, adult humans and fetuses don’t share it, and the analogy is weak. Appeal to authority Definition: Often we add strength to our arguments by referring to respected sources or authorities and explaining their positions on the issues we’re dis- cussing. If, however, we try to get readers to agree with us simply by impressing them with a famous name or by appealing to a supposed authority who really isn’t much of an expert, we commit the fallacy of appeal to authority. Example: “We should abolish the death penalty. Many respected people, such as actor Guy Handsome, have publicly stated their opposition to it.” While Guy Handsome may be an authority on matters having to do with acting, there’s no particular reason why anyone should be moved by his political opinions—he is probably no more of an authority on the death penalty than the person writing the paper.X YOUR FINAL TASK TASK 11 Express It in Prose Create a short commercial/advertisement to be performed in the class asking support for a certain advocacy. 182

MY TREASURETASK 12 Shaping Up Review1. Accomplish the Shaping Up Review worksheet by pairs. 2. In the upper left-hand corner, “The Heart,” write one thing that you loved learning in the lesson.3. In the upper right-hand corner, “The Square,” write four things that you feel are important concepts from the lesson. One concept should be placed in each corner.4. In the lower left-hand corner, “The Triangle,” write the three most important facts that you learned from the lesson. One fact should go in each corner.5. In the lower right-hand corner, “The Circle,” write one, all-encompassing (global – like the circle) statement that summarizes all of the important concepts and facts learned in the lesson.Shaping Up Review Activity Sheetfrom Instructional Strategies for Engaging LearnersGuilford County Schools TF, 2002 183

LESSON 5SEEKING JUSTICE FOR OTHERS N YOUR JOURNEY How do we seek justice for others? Who will seek justice for them? When is the right time to liberate our brothers from injustices and discrimination? “Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God’s children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial in- justice to the solid rock of brotherhood.” ― Martin Luther King Jr., I Have a Dream YOUR OBJECTIVES Following the track of your journey, you are to be guided by these objectives: •  react and share your personal opinion about a viewed video and ideas  listened to •  determine word and word meanings through pictures •  distinguish prose from poetry •  identify  the  mood,  tone,  technique,  and  purpose  of  the  author  in  writing a speech •  single out types and features of short prose •  use conditionals in expressing arguments about social and environmental  issues •  interpret diagrams and charts about social conditions/issues and •  use appropriate and effective non-verbal communication to convey meaning  in a readers’ theater 184

YOUR INITIAL TASKSTASK 1 Black Out!Two friends were trapped in the school library for twelve hours without light. Think of five things the two friends might be deprived of. Write your answer in your notebook.TASK 2 ImagineView and listen to the song Imagine by John Lennon. List five (5) lines from the song and five (5) photos from the video that strike you the most. Cite your opinion about these lines.  Imagine - John Lennon (Lyrics) 185

YOUR TEXTTASK 3 Four Pictures, One Idea Identify the words being described by the photos below. All of these words have to do with social injustice.How do you contribute to an equitable, respectful, and just societyfor everyone? I Have A Dream Martin Luther King Jr. I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. Five score years ago, a great American in whose symbolic shadow we standtoday, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree cameas a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred yearslater, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition. 186

Do you have any idea how it feels to be an exile in your own land? In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the ar-chitects of our Republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life,liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has de-faulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segre-gation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.  Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children. It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This swelteringsummer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an in-vigorating autumn of freedom and equality–1963 is not an end but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foun-dations of our nation until the bright days of justice emerge. Can you imagine what could possibly happen if their efforts for change would generate physical violence in the process? 187

And that is something that I must say to my people who stand on the worn threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.  We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protests to degenerate into physi-cal violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfedthe Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny.  They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.We cannot walk alone. And as we walk we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.We cannot turn back. There are those who are askingthe devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.  We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a small-er ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their adulthood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating “For Whites Only.”  We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and the Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote.  No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream. How can you make justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream? I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials andtribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering.  Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to  188

Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our Northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us notwallow in the valley of despair.  I say to you today, my friends, though, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation wherethey will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their char-acter. I have a dream...I have a dream that one day in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters andbrothers. Have you been mistakenly judged before because of your physical appearance? I have a dream today...I have a dream that one day every valley shall be ex-alted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low. The rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hewout of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning. “My country, ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Landwhere my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.” And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.  189

So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let free-dom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. But not only that. Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from everyhill and molehill of Mississippi, from every mountainside. Let freedom ring... When we allow freedom ring–when we let it ring from every city and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Prot-estants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last, Free at last! Great God a-mighty, We are free at last.” Can you say you are free? How does it feel to be free?TASK 4 Dream Catcher Catch Martin Luther King’s Dream in a graphic organizer. Highlight his most important dreams about change, liberation, and social justice. Listen to your teacher’s further instructions.TASK 5 Device DeliveredTASK 5.1 A.Scan the text I Have a Dream once again. Locate the following literary devicesused in the text. Write your answers on the spaces provided. Do this in your notebook. Literary Devices Examples stated in the textRepetitionParallelismMetaphorAnalogy 190

TASK 5.1 B. Geogra-ture (Geography and Literature)Notice how Martin Luther King Jr. used geographical orientations as vehicles of idea. Match Column A with Column B to complete King’s characterization of social injustice in his time.Column A  Column B1.  island  A.  (of poverty)2.  ocean  B.  (of racial justice);3.  valley  C.  (despair);4.  sunlit path  D.  (of prosperity); 5.  quick sands  E.  (of racial injustice);6.  rock  F.  (justice); 7.  waters  G.  (of brotherhood);8.  a mighty stream  H.  (of freedom and justice);9.  an oasis  I.  (righteousness);10. mountain  J. (of segregation and later, of despair); TASK 6 In His ShoesRead the speech once again. Determine tone, mood, technique, and purpose of the author.Tone of my speech… Mood of my speech…Technique of my speech… My purpose in writing is… 191

TASK 7 Conditioning ConditionalsTASK 7.1 Below are three important social and environmental issues today. We all know for a fact that in one way or another, these issues do not only benefit people, but also bring harm to others. What is your stand in each of the illustrated issuesbelow? Use PRESENT REAL CONDITIONALS in presenting your arguments. Mining ______________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ Oil exploration ______________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ Quarrying ______________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________TASK 7.2 Below are optimistic expressions of the status of social justice today. Do you agree or disagree with the expressions below? Present your arguments using PRESENT UNREAL CONDITIONALS. 1.  We live in a fair and just society. I agree/disagree because ____________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________2.  It is important to treat others with justice and fairness. I agree/disagree  because _____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ 192

3.  Revenge can sometimes be justified. I agree/disagree because _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________4. There is justice and fairness in my school. I agree/disagree because _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________YOUR DISCOVERY TASKSCommentary is a kind of prose. It is an exercise in the close reading of a text, involving detailed analysis and appreciation of its significance and form, and a reader or listener. A good commentary will always explain, rather than merely summarise, paraphrase, or list effects.TASK 8 Parts and Parcel Read Krystie Lee Yandoli’s commentary entitled 13 Lessons about Social Justice from Harry Potter. Identify the features of this short prose.  Features DescriptionType of passage(Narrative, Descriptive, Dramatic, etc.)Main IdeaStructure(Delineated, Subordinated, etc.)Stylistic Features(enumeration, interrogation, apostrophe,exclamation, or other)Tone(playful, melancholic, languid, ironic,tragic, etc.)Devices(simile, metaphor, periphrasis, understate-ment, hyperbole, symbolism, etc.) 193

TASK 9 Merciful Portia You will be given by your teacher copies of the poem Mercy Portia’s soliloquy in The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare. Identify the act of mercy Portia did in the poem. Cite lines from the poem to justify your answer.TASK 10 A Poet’s Poem, A Fan’s Prose Go back to Yandoli’s commentary on Social Justice from Harry Potter Seriesand Shakespeare’s Mercy from The Merchant of Venice. Examine how prose and poetry differ from one another. Accomplish the chart below: Criteria Poetry ProseStructureMeasurementLanguage UseRhymeTASK 11 Lights On Remember the two friends caught in a black out. The lights are now on andtheir identities are revealed. They are Portia from The Merchant of Venice andHermione Granger from the Harry Potter series. Play on these characters and write a short paragraph about how Portia could seek justice on discriminations against Hermione.TASK 12 Numb on Numbers 194

Below are statistics on the state of social injustice and discrimination against  women, children, the poor, and the marginalized in the Philippines. Interpret  the tables and write their implications to our democracy. Processing: We go back to our motive question before reading Martin Luther King’s  Speech. Now is the time to answer the question: How do you contribute to the equitable, respectful, and just society for everyone? ________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________http://www.census.gov.ph/sites/default/files/attachments/hsd/pressrelease/Table%201%20Children%205%20to%201 7 % 2 0 Ye a r s % 2 0 O l d % 2 0 b y % 2 0 S e x % 2 C % 2 0 A g e % 2 0 G r o u p % 2 0 a n d % 2 0 R e g i o n % 2 0 W h e t h e r % 2 0 Wo r k i n g % 2 0 o r % 2 0Not%20Working%20-%202011.pdf 195

http://www.pcw.gov.ph/statistics/201304/statistics-violence-against-filipino-womenhttp://www.census.gov.ph/sites/default/files/attachments/hsd/pressrelease/PRAPIS2011-83TAB1.pdf 196

http://www.nscb.gov.ph/secstat/d_income.asp X YOUR FINAL TASK Remember that you are to perform a Readers’ Theater at the end of the quar- ter. The following tasks will help you (1) meet people in history who can teach  you how to be firm about a side you chose to be in, (2) learn how to collaborate  with a group, and (3) make use of appropriate non-verbal communication to  help you convey what you truly mean. TASK 13 A Glimpse from the Past Research an example from history about a person or a group of people who  worked toward achieving social justice. Prepare a presentation for the class on  the person or group. Be sure to include responses to the following questions: •  What was this person or group fighting for? •  What were some of the efforts they used for achieving social justice? •  Were these efforts successful? Why or why not? •  How was this success measured? Are they still pursuing these ideals? If  not, has someone else or another organization continued to pursue their  work? 197

TASK 14 Signs and Symbols Consider Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream as a sample piece for a Reader’s Theater. Draw two (2) columns in your notebook. Pick ten (10) lines or sentences which you would like to deliver. Write these lines on the left columnof your notebook and indicate on the right column nonverbal communicationtools such as facial expressions, gestures, and poses appropriate to these lines.MY TREASURE“We are our brothers’ keepers. Understanding other’s life challenges, buildingrelationship with them and collaborating with them to effect change in thelife of another is the secret of building a community with equality and socialjustice.”Complete the following in your notebook.1. My journey through this lesson enabled me to learn...2. It made me realize that...3. I therefore commit to... 198

LESSON 6OVERCOMING INDIFFERENCE N YOUR JOURNEY Sometimes that which hinders harmonious relationship among people is not just the lack of trust, communication, or time. It’s simple indifference. The human relationship that has real difficulty surviving is when people have gone into the “me, myself, and I” mode and become indifferent toward each other. Indifference is not caring about what the other person does - a challenge we all have to overcome. In this lesson, you will learn how your indifference can adversely affect the life of another and how caring for someone can be a means to peace. YOUR OBJECTIVES To pave the road on your journey, you have to be guided by the following objectives: • match diagrams with their corresponding write-ups • analyze a persuasive text and the feeling it conveys • make a judgment on circumstances that may be encountered in school, home, or community • use context clues to find the meaning of a word • draw similarities and differences of a vignette and other kinds of prose • make use of literary devices and techniques in writing a vignette • incorporate speech symbols in a chamber theater/reader’s theater piece • use past conditionals to express arguments YOUR INITIAL TASKS TASK 1 Unlikely Raffle • Imagine that life is no longer possible on Earth. A rocket ship has been built to carry six people to another planet and start a new life. A raffle was done 199

to select the final ten people whom you can choose the final six from. Whichsix would you take and which four would you leave behind and why?1. A classmate who bullies you since grade school2. Your teacher whom you find terrible3. Your snobbish crush4. A corrupt politician5. Your family doctor with a fake professional license6. Your nagging neighbor7. A famous terrorist8. A former convict9. Your stubborn sister or brother10. Your lazy best friendTASK 2 Time Pod Our indifference today can create an unknown impact in the future. This task will give you a taste of that future. Work in groups as instructed by your teacher. The group will decide on what they would like to upload in their TIME POD that, when opened in 3,000 years, would let the future know what our present society was like.TASK 3 Hands Do the Talking Say something about the picture. Have you ever encountered the same experience in school, at home or in your community? Find a partner and share your stories. Listen as your teacher processes this activity.200

TASK 4 Vocabulary DevelopmentContext Clues: Pick out the word which does not belong to the group.1. The man was shouting blasphemous ideas about different religions.a. authentic b. nonsense c. distracting d. humiliating2. The audience ignored the man’s clamor for change on social injustice.a. yell b. cry c. scream d. silence3. They were spoken by a man who had false ideas as to what is convincing in elocution.a. delivery b. inarticulate c. expression d. utterance4. The lawyers could not easily counterfeit his arguments.a. simulate b. reverse c. imitate d. fabricate5. The lady was wearing a bourgeois dress just like any other woman in their locale.a. traditional b. common c. original d. conservative6. He can never forget the entreaties made which was agreed upon for quite some time.a. answer b. petition c. request d. appeal 201

TASK 5 Drain in a TrainRead the text below entitled By the Railway Side by Alice Meynell and reflecton the questions enclosed in boxes. How can your character affect others? By the Railway Side by Alice Meynell My train drew near to the Via Reggio platform on a day between two of theharvests of a hot September; the sea was burning blue, and there were a som-breness and a gravity in the very excesses of the sun as his fires brooded deeplyover the serried, hardy, shabby, seaside ilex-woods. I had come out of Tuscanyand was on my way to the Genovesato: the steep country with its profiles, bayby bay, of successive mountains grey with olive-trees, between the flashes ofthe Mediterranean and the sky; the country through the which there soundsthe twanging Genoese language, a thin Italian mingled with a little Arabic, morePortuguese, and much French. I was regretful at leaving the elastic Tuscan speech, canorous in its vowels setin emphatic L’s and m’s and the vigorous soft spring of the double consonants.But as the train arrived its noises were drowned by a voice declaiming in thetongue I was not to hear again for months--good Italian. The voice was so loud that one looked for the audience: Whose ears was itseeking to reach by the violence done to every syllable, and whose feelings wouldit touch by its insincerity? The tones were insincere, but there was passion behindthem; and most often passion acts its own true character poorly, and consciouslyenough to make good judges think it a mere counterfeit. What would you do if you were in that train? Hamlet, being a little mad, feigned madness. It is when I am angry that Ipretend to be angry, so as to present the truth in an obvious and intelligible form.Thus even before the words were distinguishable it was manifest that they werespoken by a man in serious trouble who had false ideas as to what is convincingin elocution. 202

When the voice became audibly articulate, it proved to be shouting blasphemiesfrom the broad chest of a middle-aged man--an Italian of the type that growsstout and wears whiskers. The man was in bourgeois dress, and he stood withhis hat off in front of the small station building, shaking his thick fist at the sky.No one was on the platform with him except the railway officials, who seemedin doubt as to their duties in the matter, and two women. Of one of these there was nothing to remark except her distress. She weptas she stood at the door of the waiting-room. Like the second woman, she worethe dress of the shopkeeping class throughout Europe, with the local black laceveil in place of a bonnet over her hair. It is of the second woman--O unfortunatecreature!--that this record is made--a record without sequel, without consequence;but there is nothing to be done in her regard except so to remember her. And thusmuch I think I owe after having looked, from the midst of the negative happinessthat is given to so many for a space of years, at some minutes of her despair. Shewas hanging on the man’s arm in her entreaties that he would stop the dramahe was enacting. She had wept so hard that her face was disfigured. Across hernose was the dark purple that comes with overpowering fear. Haydon saw it onthe face of a woman whose child had just been run over in a London street. I remembered the note in his journal as the woman at Via Reggio, in herintolerable hour, turned her head my way, her sobs lifting it. She was afraidthat the man would throw himself under the train. She was afraid that he wouldbe damned for his blasphemies; and as to this her fear was mortal fear. It washorrible, too, that she was humpbacked and a dwarf. What would you feel if you were in that woman’s shoes? Not until the train drew away from the station did we lose the clamour. Noone had tried to silence the man or to soothe the woman’s horror. But has anyone who saw it forgotten her face? To me for the rest of the day it was a sensiblerather than a merely mental image. Constantly a red blur rose before my eyes for a background, and against itappeared the dwarf’s head, lifted with sobs, under the provincial black lace veil.And at night what emphasis it gained on the boundaries of sleep! Close to myhotel there was a roofless theatre crammed with people, where they were givingOffenbach. The operas of Offenbach still exist in Italy, and the little town wasplacarded with announcements of La Bella Elena. 203

The peculiar vulgar rhythm of the music jigged audibly through half the hotnight, and the clapping of the town’s-folk filled all its pauses. But the persistentnoise did but accompany, for me, the persistent vision of those three figures atthe Via Reggio station in the profound sunshine of the day.TASK 6 In Line with the TextAnswer the following questions: 1. What is implied by these lines found in the first paragraph - “the sea was burning blue and there were sombreness and a gravity in the very excesses of the sun?” 2. How is the setting described? 3. Why was the man speaking at the top of his voice in the station? What was his purpose? 4. How do you think people reacted to him? What do they feel and why? 5. Who do you think was the woman trying to stop the man from talking nonsense? 6. Based on the dialogue, actions, and attitude of the man, what can you say about his character? 7. If that man was a known person, for example, he is a politician, a priest, or a teacher, do you think people would listen to him? Why? 8. What would make a person be more credible to be given such attention? 9. How does the author describe her journey in the essay? What emotions are evident? 10. If you were one of the passengers on that train who saw the incident, how would you react? Explain your answer. 11. What specific literary devices were used by the author to make the story more interesting? 204

TASK 7 What a Feeling Scan the text once again and list at least three (3) people in the train. Analyzehow the author described and felt as they witnessed what happened. Write youranswers in your notebook by copying the chart provided below:Character Description of how they felt Analysis in terms of implications to real life 205

TASK 8 What if?Complete the sentences with the correct form of past conditional verbs inparentheses:1. If Rodrigo (exert) more effort, he (pass) the test.2. If Daisy (go) on ahead, you (be) able to reserve seats for all of us.3. If they only (ask) Jane, she (give) the tickets to the ballgame.4. If money not (blind) Jean, she (marry) her childhood sweetheart.5. If Shakespeare (write) nothing but this sonnet, he still (become) one of England’s greatest poets.6. If Girlie (follow) the doctor’s advice, she still (be) alive today.7. If Cris (walk) more slowly, he not (stumble)8. If Nelson (campaign) more vigorously, he (win).9. If freedom of speech not (be) curtailed, incidence of graft (report) by the press.10. If Francis not (offend) Ms. San Diego, his teacher, he (go) home sooner.TASK 9 If OnlyComplete the phrases below.1. If Luisa had eaten less, …2. If Joanne had watered the plants, …3. If Shiela had gone home early, …4. If cooler heads had not intervened, ...5. If conditions had not been different, … 206

Complete these phrases to form sentences.1. The swimming would have been more enjoyable if …2. We would not have been late if …3. The business would have prospered if …4. The house would have been completely demolished …TASK 10 “If” SaladThis is a mastery test on the conditional sentence - the future, present, and pastconditional. Complete the sentence with the correct form of the verb in paren-theses.1. If I like the book, (buy) you it for me?2. How would you feel if someone (treat) you like trash?3. If Nelson had asserted himself, he not (feel) so bad.4. If you exercise and not overeat, you (live) longer.5. If he had borrowed the magazine, you (lend) it to him?6. You (allow) me to attend the school dance if I (promise) to come home early?7. It would have been better if she not (give) up.8. If you treated unfairly, how you (respond)?9. If the worst possible thing had happened to you, how you (feel)?10. If you knew that smoking causes lung cancer, heart disease, and emphysema, you still (go) ahead and smoke? 207

YOUR DISCOVERY TASKSTASK 11 Much Ado about What to DoTask 11.1 Read the situations presented. Create bubble strips or comic stripsto explain what you would say if given the chance to confront the person whocommitted the wrong deed. Use past conditionals in expressing your answers.1. A classmate who was suspended for etching his name on a wooden arm chair2. A student who was sent to the guidance office for asking for excessive change in the school canteen3. A friend who was caught by the librarian trying to steal a journal from the library4. Your sibling who was scolded by your parents for cutting classes and playing online games instead5. A classmate who was reprimanded for creating hearsays about a teacher 208

Task 11.2. Explain why you should not get involved in any of the followingsituations:1. Two students beating up a classmate2. Cheating in the periodical examinations that you have witnessed3. A classmate you saw stealing another’s purse4. A gang smoking inside the school premises5. A student vandalizing school propertyTASK 12 Vogue VignetteBy the Railway Side by Alice Meynell is a kind of prose called “vignette.” Scanthe text once again and compare it to any one from the following texts you havepreviously discussed. Draw a venn diagram to illustrate your comparison of thetwo text types in terms of length, topic, writing style, and tone.1. The Man with the Hoe by Edwin Markham2. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson3. Chief Seattle’s Message4. Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Her Passion for Justice by Lee D. Baker How does a vignette differ from other prose? Do you find it interesting ornot? Explain your answer. 209

TASK 13 Nosy News Read the news article below and answer the questions that follow. His Name Is Reynaldo Carcillar The pedicab driver whose death has sparked debate and introspection by Bernard Testa, InterAksyon.com In a few hours, while transporting a passenger on his pedicab - which hechristened “John and Denver” - Carcillar would suffer either a heart attack ora stroke. In 2009, Carmencita said Reynaldo had his first heart attack. He almost diedin his sleep. That night four years ago, he was pale and cold and apparently clin-ically dead for half an hour, she told InterAksyon.com. Without proper trainingin CPR, however, she instinctively and desperately pumped her husband’s chestuntil he regained consciousness. Carcillar was not to be so lucky the second time around. “Wala po siyang sinasabi na may sakit siya sa puso. Nag meryenda posiya ng 5 o’clock kasama ng asawa niya at mga anak. Nagbibiruan pa munakami dito bago siya umalis,” Jennifer Liro, wife of Carcillar’s nephew, Melchor,recounted, after the pedicab driver left that afternoon. “May isinakay siyangpasahero papuntang San Andres o Estrada. OK pa daw siya noon. Nang samay tapat ng La Salle, may isang estudyante na nakapansin, akala langlasing lang po. Tapos may guard na nakakakita na nahihirapan na siya, sotinulungan siya.” (He didn’t mention anything about his heart condition. He had meriendawith his family. We were even joking around before he left. He took a passengerwho was going to either San Andres or Estrada. He seemed alright at that time.But when he arrived in front of La Salle, a student noticed that he was slumpedon his pedicab and thought that he was just drunk. Then a security guard sawhim and helped him.) Carcillar lay on a sidewalk right across the south gate of the De La Salle Uni-versity (DLSU) in Manila for some time before help arrived. “May tumawag sa akin dito, hindi namin kilala,” Melchor Liro, the husbandof Jennifer and Carcillar’s nephew, told InterAksyon.com. “Si Tito Naldo dawinatake. Punta kami dun sa Estrada. Nakahiga si Tito Naldo sa may gutterng island.” 210

(A stranger went to our place and told us that Uncle Naldo suffered from aheart attack. So we went to Estrada [a street right by DLSU]. He was lying rightby a gutter.) Liro continued: “Pumapara ako ng taxi, walang pumapara, may hawak ngaakong kadena para pumara lang, yung ibang tricycle ayaw ding magsakay,buti nalang si Agot nakuha ko.” (I was trying to hail a taxicab but none stopped. I even had a chain whichI used to get a cab. Some of the tricycles also refused us. Good thing we werehelped by Agot Perez, a tanod at Barangay 729.) It was around seven o’ clock in the evening, Liro said, adding he was in ahurry to get a cab because he could still feel his uncle’s pulse. “Isang guardiya lang ang umaasikaso sa kaniya ng abutan ko,” Liro said. (One security guard was taking care of him when I arrived.) For his part, Barangay Tanod Perez said: “Nung tinawag niya po ako, nakitako na nakabulagta si Naldo, walang magsakay na taxi, kaya ako na po angnagtakbo sa Ospital ng Maynila. May dumaang pulis Pasay na mobile perohindi isinakay.” (When Melchor called me, I saw Carcillar already lying on the sidewalk. Taxi-cabs refused to take him. That’s why I took it upon myself to bring him to theOspital ng Maynila. A Pasay City police car passed by but didn’t offer us a ride.) Perez said he was surprised when Carcillar’s wife arrived at the hospital. “Iniwanan ko na po sila doon, may mga sumigaw na ibang pedicab driverna ‘pangalawang stroke na niya yan,” Perez said. “Sa pakiwari ko dahil mainitnoong umaga at tanghali tapos umulan ng hapon at gabi kaya na stroke siya.” (I left both of them there. I also heard some pedicab drivers shout that it wasalready his second stroke. I guess the heat in the morning and afternoon, thenthe rains in the evening, must have triggered it.) When he was brought to the Ospital ng Maynila, “wala na daw pong pulso,patay na daw po,” Carmencita told InterAksyon.com. (They told us he no longer had any pulse. He was dead.) InterAksyon.com looked for - but failed - to reach the DLSU security guardwho helped Carcillar. However, another security guard witnessed the incident. “I was inside the Henry Sy building of the De La Salle University along TaftAvenue, when I heard the radio alert about the motionless man on the pavementin front of the north gate of the university,” said the guard, who requested an-onymity. He and “several of my colleagues tried to help and give CPR becausewe have Red Cross training,” the guard added in Filipino. But it was too late. 211

Answer the following questions:1. How was indifference shown in the news article?2. What would you have done if you were in the situation?3. How can your group help change indifference of the people involved in the accident?TASK 14 Mix and MatchTask 14.1 Go back to the selection By the Railway Side by Alice Meynell and HisName Is Reynaldo Carcillar by Bernard Testa. Based on the nature of the text,match the correct diagram with the title of the texts and explain your answer.1. By the Railway Side2. His Name Is Reynaldo CarcillarTask 14.2 Pick a text from task 14.1 and its corresponding diagram. Supply thediagram with the details from the text.TASK 15 Case ClosedYou will work in groups. Your teacher will assign a task for each group to work on. Case 1 Analyze the nutritional facts of the food on the left. It is to be served by a mother to her six-month old baby. Would you recommend this food to her? Why or why not? Justify your an- swer. 212

Case 2 A neighbor has recommended this bottle of medicine to your brother. Scan the informa- tion and decide if there is a need to warn your brother about the medicine or none. Case 3 You and your friends have been waiting for the sequel of your most favorite movie-series. However, you found out that the movie is now re- stricted to an audience 18 years and above. Your friends who are all under 18 presented fake IDs just to see the movie. Would you go with them? Case 4 You have volunteered in the relief op- erations of your school organization. Since the goods are limited. You have to give one pack of goods per family. You have noticed that a mother has asked her eight children to fall in line so that each one of them would get one pack of goods each. What would you do?TASK 16 A President in a Day Form a small group of five to six members. Think of a Philippine presidentwho has left an indelible mark on the history of our nation. Share your ideaswith the group. As a group, decide on one person and discuss what you wouldhave done had you been that person. Choose a rapporteur to report the group’sideas to the whole class. 213

TASK 17 Vignette Vigilance Remember what a vignette is and its elements. Write your own vignette about any incident you have seen or experienced which you could have changed or improved if you only had the courage to do so. Incorporate literary devices as parallelism, tone, mood, and imagery. TASK 18 Enduring Understanding Go back to our motive question posted before reading By the Railway Side by Alice Meynell. After accomplishing several activities in this lesson, it’s now time to answer this question: How can your character affect others?X YOUR FINAL TASK You have one more lesson before finally performing your Reader’s Theatre or Chamber Theater. Work with your group in choosing the piece you would like to perform. Discuss how the piece could be delivered. Use symbols of prosodic features of speech such as tone, stress, and intonation illustrated below to edit your piece. 214

Your work will be evaluated using the following rubrics: Features of Speech 3 2 1Tone Used three (3) Used at least two Used only one (1)Stress correct symbols for (2) correct symbols correct symbol for tone for tone toneIntonation Used three (3) Used at least two Used only one (1) Have fun! correct symbols for (2) correct symbols correct symbol for tone for stress stress Used three (3) Used at least two Used only one (1) correct symbols for (2) correct symbols correct symbol for tone for intonation intonationMY TREASURE Building relationship helps us not only to show how we care for someone, butmore importantly to see how we grow as persons. It teaches us lessons aboutlife that otherwise would be difficult to learn, lessons about communication,listening, compromise, and giving selflessly of ourselves and expecting nothingin return - the fruit of overcoming indifference.Complete the following in your notebook.1. My journey through this lesson enabled me to learn...2. It made me realize that...3. I therefore commit to... 215

LESSON 7 WORKING WITH OTHERS N YOUR JOURNEY What makes a community strong and stable is its people. It is the willingness to work with others that has helped the human race survive the ever changing world. It is the willingness to create a positive impact on somebody else’s life that makes us humans, unique of all creations. This lesson will introduce you to real-life experiences and make you realize how working with others helps you accomplish your tasks a lot easier. YOUR OBJECTIVES In your journey to work well with others, you need to be guided by the following objectives: • analyze an editorial cartoon • judge the relevance and worth of ideas presented in the video • write a cycle map out of the material viewed • identify the meaning of the words taken from a literary text • discuss a short story and identify its features as a form of prose • understand how literary texts are influenced by one’s culture, status, and environment. • craft a synopsis using appropriate literary techniques and devices • use conditionals to complete the meaning of a sentence • use appropriate prosodic features of speech in delivering a reader’s theater. 216

YOUR INITIAL TASKSTASK 1 Bundle of JoyWhat can a bundle do? Write your thoughts about the illustrations below andexplain why it is better if they come in a bundle or group.TASK 2 A Matter of PerspectiveLook at the editorial cartoon below. What can you say about the cartoon? Whatgeneral idea does it convey?Guide Questions1. What issue is this political cartoon about?2. What do you think is the cartoonist’s opinion on this issue?3. What other opinion can you imagine another person have on this issue?4. Did you find this cartoon persuasive? Why or why not? 5. What other techniques could the cartoonist have used to make this cartoon more persuasive? 217

TASK 3 Kindness Begets KindnessView the video entitled Life Vest Inside - Kindness Boomerang through this linkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwAYpLVyeFU.Guide Questions:1. What is the video all about?2. In what way was “working with others” shown in the video?3. Why is it entitled Kindness Boomerang?4. Do you believe that people nowadays can actually help and work with each other with kindness?4✓ Based on the video, draw a cycle map about how kindness begets kindness. 218

YOUR TEXTTASK 4 Word ClimbEach of the numbered vocabulary words appears in Hughes’s story. Look at thefour suggested definitions for each word and circle the correct one.1. tug a. force b. pull c. steal d. shoot2. permit a. allow b. keep c. push d. worry3. stoop a. forget b. run away c. bend over d. fool4. frail a. strong b. tall c. athletic d. delicate5. bothering a. whispering b. annoying c. stealing d. meeting6. sweat a. perspiration b. cake c. dessert d. blasphemy7. snatch a. trick b. watch c grab d. follow8. frowned a. grimaced b. discovered c. smiled d. laughedWho should be responsible for the moral education of a child?Parents? Society? Schools? Or Everyone?Carefully read “Thank You Ma’am” by Langston Hughes, and answer the ques-tions inside the boxes. Thank You, Ma’am Langston Hughes She was a large woman with a large purse that had everything in it but ham-mer and nails. It had a long strap, and she carried it slung across her shoulder.It was about eleven o’clock at night, and she was walking alone, when a boy ranup behind her and tried to snatch her purse. The strap broke with the single tugthe boy gave it from behind. But the boy’s weight and the weight of the pursecombined caused him to lose his balance so, instead of taking off full blast as he had hoped, the boy fell on his back on the sidewalk, and his legs flew up. The large woman simply turned around and kicked him right square in his blue-jeaned sitter. Then she reached down, picked the boy up by his shirt front, andshook him until his teeth rattled. After that the woman said, “Pick up my pocketbook, boy, and give it here.”She still held him. But she bent down enough to permit him to stoop and pickup her purse. 219

Then she said, “Now ain’t you ashamed of yourself?” Firmly gripped by his shirt front, the boy said, “Yes’m.” The woman said, “What did you want to do it for?” The boy said, “I didn’t aim to.” She said, “You a lie!” By that time two or three people passed, stopped, turned to look, and somestood watching. “If I turn you loose, will you run?” asked the woman. “Yes’m,” said the boy. “Then I won’t turn you loose,” said the woman. She did not release him. “I’m very sorry, lady, I’m sorry,” whispered the boy. “Um-hum! And your face is dirty. I got a great mind to wash your face for you. Ain’t you got nobody home to tell you to wash your face?” “No’m,” said the boy. “Then it will get washed this evening,” said the large woman starting up thestreet, dragging the frightened boy behind her. He looked as if he were fourteen or fifteen, frail and willow-wild, in tennis shoes and blue jeans. The woman said, “You ought to be my son. I would teach you right fromwrong. Least I can do right now is to wash your face. Are you hungry?” If you were Roger, would you trust Mrs. Jones right away? “No’m,” said the being dragged boy. “I just want you to turn me loose.” “Was I bothering you when I turned that corner?” asked the woman. “No’m.” “But you put yourself in contact with me,” said the woman. “If you thinkthat that contact is not going to last awhile, you got another thought coming.When I get through with you, sir, you are going to remember Mrs. Luella BatesWashington Jones.” Sweat popped out on the boy’s face and he began to struggle. Mrs. Jonesstopped, jerked him around in front of her, put a half-nelson about his neck, andcontinued to drag him up the street. When she got to her door, she dragged the 220

boy inside, down a hall, and into a large kitchenette-furnished room at the rearof the house. She switched on the light and left the door open. The boy couldhear other roomers laughing and talking in the large house. Some of their doorswere open, too, so he knew he and the woman were not alone. The woman stillhad him by the neck in the middle of her room. She said, “What is your name?” “Roger,” answered the boy. “Then, Roger, you go to that sink and wash your face,” said the woman,whereupon she turned him loose—at last. Roger looked at the door—looked atthe woman—looked at the door—and went to the sink. Let the water run until it gets warm,” she said. “Here’s a clean towel.” “You gonna take me to jail?” asked the boy, bending over the sink. “Not with that face, I would not take you nowhere,” said the woman. “HereI am trying to get home to cook me a bite to eat and you snatch my pocketbook!Maybe, you ain’t been to your supper either, late as it be. Have you?” “There’s nobody home at my house,” said the boy. “Then we’ll eat,” said the woman, “I believe you’re hungry—or been hungry—totry to snatch my pocketbook.” “I wanted a pair of blue suede shoes,” said the boy. “Well, you didn’t have to snatch my pocketbook to get some suede shoes,”said Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. “You could of asked me.” “M’am?” The water dripping from his face, the boy looked at her. There was a longpause. A very long pause. After he had dried his face and not knowing what elseto do dried it again, the boy turned around, wondering what next. The door wasopen. He could make a dash for it down the hall. He could run, run, run, run, run! If you were Roger, would you run? The woman was sitting on the day-bed. After a while she said, “I were youngonce and I wanted things I could not get.” There was another long pause. The boy’s mouth opened. Then he frowned,but not knowing he frowned. The woman said, “Um-hum! You thought I was going to say but, didn’t you?You thought I was going to say, but I didn’t snatch people’s pocketbooks. Well, 221

I wasn’t going to say that.” Pause. Silence. “I have done things, too, which I would not tell you, son—neither tell God,if he didn’t already know. So you set down while I fix us something to eat. You might run that comb through your hair so you will look presentable.” What did Roger feel at this moment? In another corner of the room behind a screen was a gas plate and an icebox.Mrs. Jones got up and went behind the screen. The woman did not watch theboy to see if he was going to run now, nor did she watch her purse which sheleft behind her on the day-bed. But the boy took care to sit on the far side of theroom where he thought she could easily see him out of the corner of her eye,if she wanted to. He did not trust the woman not to trust him. And he did notwant to be mistrusted now. “Do you need somebody to go to the store,” asked the boy, “maybe to getsome milk or something?” “Don’t believe I do,” said the woman, “unless you just want sweet milk your-self. I was going to make cocoa out of this canned milk I got here.” “That will be fine,” said the boy. She heated some lima beans and ham she had in the icebox, made the cocoa,and set the table. The woman did not ask the boy anything about where he lived,or his folks, or anything else that would embarrass him. Instead, as they ate, she told him about her job in a hotel beauty-shop thatstayed open late, what the work was like, and how all kinds of women came inand out, blondes, red-heads, and Spanish. Then she cut him a half of her ten-cent cake. “Eat some more, son,” she said. When they were finished eating she got up and said, “Now, here, take this ten dollars and buy yourself some blue suede shoes. And next time, do not make themistake of latching onto my pocketbook nor nobody else’s—because shoes comeby devilish like that will burn your feet. I got to get my rest now. But I wish youwould behave yourself, son, from here on in.” Remember the most recent act of kindness you did for someone. Why did you do it? 222

She led him down the hall to the front door and opened it. “Good-night! Behave yourself, boy!” she said, looking out into the street.The boy wanted to say something else other than “Thank you, m’am” to Mrs.Luella Bates Washington Jones, but he couldn’t do so as he turned at the barrenstoop and looked back at the large woman in the door. He barely managed to say“Thank you” before she shut the door. And he never saw her again.TASK 5 One with the TextGet a partner and discuss your common response to each question.1. How did Mrs. Jones react when Roger try to steal her purse?2. Was her reaction believable? Why or why not?3. When they arrived at the boarding house, what do you think Roger was planning to do?4. Did Mrs. Jones like the boy? Why? Why not?5. Do you think Roger’s encounter with Mrs. Jones altered his life? In what way?6. Why did Hughes title the story, Thank You, Ma’am?7. In what way did the characters show what they had accomplished at the end of the story?TASK 6 Group ThoughtYour teacher will group you into four (4). Listen to her/his further instruction.Group 1. Continue the story, assuming that the characters meet again. Write adialogue between Roger and Mrs. Jones. Describe their second encounter – aweek later, a month later, or a year later. 223

Group 2. Write a different ending to the story. Group 3. Have you ever had a purse or wallet stolen from you? Discuss the thingsone must do after losing his/her wallet.Step 1: ________________________________________________Step 2: ________________________________________________Step 3: ________________________________________________Step 4: ________________________________________________Step 5: ________________________________________________Group 4. Juvenile crime can be a problem anywhere in the world. Discuss thecurrent problems.Group 5. The chance encounter between Roger and Mrs Jones is likely to changethe course of his life. What would Roger become in the future?TASK 7 Of Choices and Bases Roger and Mrs Jones have choices as to whether to do what they did in thestory or otherwise. While choosing, they have come up with reasons and justifica-tions. What factors could have influenced their decisions? Copy and accomplish the chart below and find out what these factors are.Characters Choices How does their How does their How does their made economic status culture influence environment influence their their decision? influence their decision? decision?Roger 1.Mrs. Jones 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 224