The Glass Castle - Reading Notebook
To give you space to process The Glass Castle, you will be required to keep reading notes in your notebook. These notes can be used on reading quizzes, and will help you engage in conversations and write thoughtfully about this text. The anticipated reading schedule is below:
Pages 3-25... are to be completed in class on Wednesday, 9/12
Pages 26-53... are to be completed in class on Friday, 9/14
Pages 54-125... are to be completed prior to class on Wednesday, 9/19
Pages 129-195... are to be completed prior to class on Friday, 9/21
Pages 195-241... are to be completed prior to class on Wednesday, 9/26
Pages 245-288... are to be completed prior to class on Friday, 9/28
For each reading deadline, you are challenged to connect with the text using the steps outlined below. There is an example provided for each step, but please know that this reading notebook is meant to provoke thought and reflection, so you are encouraged to personalize your reflections so they are meaningful for you.
Pages 3-25... are to be completed in class on Wednesday, 9/12
Pages 26-53... are to be completed in class on Friday, 9/14
Pages 54-125... are to be completed prior to class on Wednesday, 9/19
Pages 129-195... are to be completed prior to class on Friday, 9/21
Pages 195-241... are to be completed prior to class on Wednesday, 9/26
Pages 245-288... are to be completed prior to class on Friday, 9/28
For each reading deadline, you are challenged to connect with the text using the steps outlined below. There is an example provided for each step, but please know that this reading notebook is meant to provoke thought and reflection, so you are encouraged to personalize your reflections so they are meaningful for you.
WHAT memories does the author choose to capture?
Capture memories/vignettes from the text that you feel are KEY to the book as a whole, or this particular section. Explain why they are important to our understanding of the text, and our essential questions.
Capture memories/vignettes from the text that you feel are KEY to the book as a whole, or this particular section. Explain why they are important to our understanding of the text, and our essential questions.
Example: "Dad, however, would not talk about Mary Charlene. If her name came up, his face grew stormy and he'd leave the room" (Walls 28). This passage clues the reader into Rex's unhappy history, and helps us begin to understand why
HOW does the author shape the meaning and tone of her memories?
Select examples of Walls' establishing her voice in this section, and describe the effect of each strategy. Remember, voice examples could include: surprising word choice, striking imagery, metaphors and similes, unconventional sentence structures, or allusions.
Select examples of Walls' establishing her voice in this section, and describe the effect of each strategy. Remember, voice examples could include: surprising word choice, striking imagery, metaphors and similes, unconventional sentence structures, or allusions.
Example: "For comfort, I tried to cradle Quixote, our gray and white cat who was missing an ear, but he growled and scratched at my face" (Walls 17). Walls' cat was named after Don Quixote, the hero of Miguel Cervantes' novel. The allusion to canonical literature suggests that the family might be well read/educated, as this is an incredibly challenging novel. Moreover, the character Quixote sees the world quite differently than most people, which makes me think of Rex, who also seems to do the same.
WHAT questions will help us better connect with the text?
Create discussion questions that relate to this section of the text. They could address content, style, or structure. Include a potential answer, too.
Create discussion questions that relate to this section of the text. They could address content, style, or structure. Include a potential answer, too.
Example: How might the "skedaddle" mean something different to each family member (Walls 19)? Perhaps for Rex, the "skedaddle" is a new beginning, where he can jump start his plans to achieve his dreams. For Lori, the "skedaddle" is much more troubling, as sees through her parents' stories and realizes that their failures keep forcing the family to uproot. Jeannette sees her early years as an adventure, with"the skedaddle" being a characteristic of her unusual childhood.
WHY might the author choose to focus on this memory? WHY might his memory be relevant to our understandings of poverty and homelessness?
Consider the essential questions of this unit, and reflect on how this text might help us begin to answer them.
Consider the essential questions of this unit, and reflect on how this text might help us begin to answer them.
Poverty and Homelessness Essential Questions
Who are the poor and homeless?
What does it mean to be a justice-oriented citizen?
Who are the poor and homeless?
What does it mean to be a justice-oriented citizen?