Tatum 1

Multi-genre Project: Part 5 - Pedagogical Activities

Activity 1: Opinionnaire
In order to generate student thoughts on topics of family and adolescent development prior to
reading the core text, students will respond to an opinionnaire. An opinionnaire is exactly what it
sounds like: a questionnaire/survey written to gather opinions on possibly contentious topics
from its audience.
The teacher will open the unit by explaining to the class that they will be considering the
question, “how do the families of adolescents impact their identity development?” Students will
each receive a copy of the opinionnaire and work through it individually for five minutes.
Opinionnaire
Answer the following questions honestly about your parents (or guardians) and family. We
will discuss our answers in small groups and then as a whole class. Please share your answers
in discussions, but you do not need to share more information than you are comfortable
doing.

1. My identity comes from my family.

strongly disagree disagree neither agree nor disagree agree strongly agree

2. I make choices with my family in mind.

strongly disagree disagree neither agree nor disagree agree strongly agree

3. I can turn to my family when I need guidance.

strongly disagree disagree neither agree nor disagree agree strongly agree

4. The person I want to be resembles the person my family wants me to be.

strongly disagree disagree neither agree nor disagree agree strongly agree

5. Obedience is a virtue.

strongly disagree disagree neither agree nor disagree agree strongly agree

6. My family would be supportive of me no matter how I lived my life.

strongly disagree disagree neither agree nor disagree agree strongly agree

7. My parents want what is best for me.

strongly disagree disagree neither agree nor disagree agree strongly agree

8. It is good to obey one’s parents.

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strongly disagree disagree neither agree nor disagree agree strongly agree

9. My parents have certain expectations for me.

strongly disagree disagree neither agree nor disagree agree strongly agree

10. Mom and dad know best.

strongly disagree disagree neither agree nor disagree agree strongly agree

After the five minutes are up, students will discuss their answers in their table groups (5 students
or less). The teacher will circulate the classroom to observe the discussions, chiming in as
needed. The goal of the group discussions will be to “break the ice” on the conversation, giving
students an easier space to share their thoughts about a deeply personal topic than a whole class
discussion. With that said, students will not be required to share their answer to each response –
only those with which they are comfortable. Group discussions will continue for 10 minutes.
The class will come together to share their findings. The teacher will ask groups if there were
any interesting conversation points or if they noted any trends. Teacher will ask students to share
in a way that does not reveal personal information about classmates which they may not be
willing to share with the whole class (e.g., avoid attaching names to specific statements or
stories, be general rather than specific, etc.). This will last for 20 minutes.
Assessment:
Students will pick one of the prompts from the opinionnaire and spend 10 minutes responding to
the following prompts in reflection journals:
 What was your opinion and/or the opinions of your classmates on this question?
 Defend your response. What would you say to someone who rejected your opinion?
 Could you envision a perspective different from yours, but which is still valid? What
might that be?

Activity 2: Portrait of Antonio

In this task, students will have the opportunity to utilize their artistic abilities (or try to grow
them!) to display their analyses of the family dynamics at work in Bless Me, Ultima. Antonio’s
vision in the first chapter of the novel lays the groundwork for the events of the rest of the story,
and it will launch us into exploration of our guiding question, “how do the families of
adolescents influence their identity development?” To complete this task is to grapple with some
of the central ideas of the entire book, which are made evident in the first several pages.
The class will begin reading Bless Me, Ultima, beginning with chapter uno. The text will be read
aloud for fifteen minutes, or until we make it through Antonio’s recount of his dream on pages 5
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and 6. Then, students will be asked to re-read these two pages quietly for a couple of minutes,
taking notes on the things that stand out to them.
Students will then take bins of art supplies: paper, pens, colored pencils, markers, glue sticks,
stickers, etc. to their tables to complete a portrait of Antonio according to the following prompt:
“The main character of Bless Me, Ultima is a boy named Antonio. In chapter uno, he is five
years old. Complete a portrait of Antonio through the eyes of his parents – in other words, how
Antonio’s family sees him, or who they want him to become. You can accomplish this however
you choose but represent the differing perspectives of both his mother’s side and his father’s
side. Artistic skill is appreciated but not necessary!
Ground your artwork with ideas from the text, evidenced by excerpts. Have at least two ideas
(connected to quotes) for his father’s view, and at least two ideas for his mother’s view, before
you start on your artistic project.”
Students will have 30 minutes to complete as much as they can of their portrait. After project
time is completed, students will share their work in small groups. This can be a more fun, free
flowing conversations, as long as each person explains their artistic choices in light of the text.
This will go on for 10 minutes.
Finally, small groups will nominate their one favorite portrait to be shared with the entire class.
Selected artists will share their piece and an explanation. 5 minutes.
Assessment: each student’s portrait, along with 2-3 annotations referencing aspects of the text to
explain their artistic choices.

Activity 3: Reader’s Theater

This activity will challenge students to take on the roles of Antonio and his three brothers in
chapter ocho of Bless Me, Ultima. In this chapter, Antonio witnesses his brothers make the
pivotal decision to leave town and pursue adventure elsewhere just months after returning from
the war. While much of our discussion about the influence of family will have been related to
parents/guardians, sibling dynamics also play an important role in identity development. By
acting out this part of the text, students will have a better handle on Antonio’s relationship with
his brothers, which will increase the chance they make valuable learning extensions from the
story.
The teacher will begin the lesson by asking students to read chapter ocho quietly by themselves
(it is a short chapter, only 5 pages). The teacher will prompt students to consider the motivations
of each character and annotate the text with anything they notice about the influence of family in
this part of the story (this bridges to the unit’s guiding question). Students will read on their own
for 15 minutes, pausing at the halfway point to write down any notes on the reading or their
annotations. For several minutes after the conclusion of the reading, students will discuss in
groups things they notice about the characterization occurring in the chapter. “How would you
describe the characters’ attitudes, beliefs, language?” On a half sheet, students will write down
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one observation about how his brothers’ personalities and/or characteristics influence Antonio’s
identity.
At the conclusion of the reading and discussion, the teacher will introduce the reader’s theater by
inviting four students to come act out the roles of Antonio and his brothers for the class to better
understand what happens in this moment of the story. Each student will receive a script the
teacher has put together which incorporates lines from page 66 to 68. The audience will be given
the following questions to respond to after the performance:
“Pick one actor/character to focus on. How did the actor portray their character, and what verbal
or nonverbal acting strategies did they use? How do you think this actor understood this
character? How does this understanding compare with yours? After watching this performance,
what influence do you think family has had on the characters’ decisions?”
The actors will also be given these questions, along with an invitation to “reflect on your own
performance. What acting strategies did you use, and why? How did this connect to your
understanding of your character?”
The students will be given 3-5 minutes to prepare their performance. Then, they will perform for
about 3 minutes. After the performance, and the 10 minutes allotted to all students to respond to
the reflection questions, there will be a whole class discussion on themes of family, conflict, and
choice in the play, and any others students want to talk about. Finally, we will culminate the
discussion by reconnecting to our central question.
Assessment: students’ written reflections.
Activity 4: Say Something
Say Something is a reading activity to aid students’ comprehension of the text. This activity will
be used to help students make connections between family and an individual’s ideas about their
faith, values, and future.
In chapter veintidos of Bless Me, Ultima, a significant exchange takes place between Antonio
and Gabriel (p. 246-249). The class will divide into groups of 2 or 3, taking turns reading the
section aloud. In this activity, interruptions of the reading are encouraged. Students will be asked
to jump in while their classmate is reading to “say something” about the text (e.g., prediction,
observation, connection). Students will be encouraged to view the passage in relation to the
unit’s guiding question, “how do the families of adolescents impact their identity development?”
At every interruption, the groups will discuss the point being made by their classmate, offering
their own insights, opinions, or connections (15 minutes).
The class will then come back together to briefly share any highlights from their Say Something
experience. (3 minutes)
On an exit ticket, students will identify and explain one point of discussion from their group that
helped them understand the text or the essential question better. (3 minutes).
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Activity 5: Memory Gallery

Bless Me, Ultima is written from the perspective of future Antonio who is recollecting the events
of his past. This activity will invite students to tell and read a stories from their pasts to ground
them in some conscious understanding of how family influences their identity development.
First, the teacher will invite students to read several stories from the Humans of New York
website. These are brief, candid glimpses into the lives of everyday people. Reading them should
give students some ideas about things they would share, if they were given the opportunity. After
reading these, students will consider some stories from their own childhood. “Take some time to
recall some childhood memories involving your family. Try to think of stories that are
representative of who your family is – their characteristics, personalities, values, etc. These could
be good memories or bad memories” (the teacher will provide a brief example to help get the
idea across). Teacher will clarify that family can mean anyone a student considers family –
parents, siblings, extended family, etc. For students who do not have family to remember, they
can recall stories of guardians or other individuals who have surrounded them in childhood. (5
minutes).
After brainstorming time is up, the teacher will ask students will choose one of the memories
they came up with and “write it down in the form of a very short story, one you can finish in
about 15 minutes. Tell us the setting, what happened, who was involved, what was said, and
anything else important. Keep in mind that what you write will be read by your classmates”. This
is a low-stakes assignment. They need not be concerned with grammar or conventions, only with
accuracy, detail, and completion of the story. Students will be given 15 minutes to write a story
from their memory (the stories will be typed). After this, the teacher will direct the students to
highlight the portion of their text which they feel is most representative of their family: a
snapshot within their story that explains who their family is.
Then, students will post their stories on the walls around the room. This will form a gallery of
stories. The teacher will ask students to “read through as many of the highlighted portions of
your classmates’ stories as you can. As you do, consider the family being described. What are
they like? What are their characteristics, their personalities?” Students will read at least one
posted story, reading others if they have enough time (5-7 minutes).
Finally, students will return to their desks to share with their classmates what they found. Each
student will answer the questions, “what are some overlapping themes about family across all the
excerpts you read? In what ways are this class’s families similar and different? How do you
think the families of adolescents influence their identity development? Be truthful, but do
not be disrespectful or inconsiderate in the way you speak of another’s family.” Students will
discuss in groups for about 10 minutes and complete an exit ticket summarizing their discussion.