Literature Connections

This week I have been aligning the inquiry project with exploring reading strategies.  My EAL students have been looking at making connections to text.  We are following the lesson sequences by the fabulous Adrienne Gear.

After modelling what making connections looks like, I read my students a story by Yanksook Choi called The Name Jar.  This book tells the story of a little girl named Unhei who moves to America from Korea.  She is teased because her Korean name sounds different so she decides to choose an American name. 

My students were able to make many personal connections to this story.  Many of them had stories to share about feeling different, outcasted and scared.  They began to share stories of arriving in Canada and not knowing English and the subsequent alienation that they felt.  Then they shared stories of experiences that made them feel welcome.  Every student had a story to tell.  Next week I will be recording their stories using the IPad.  My hope is to create a montage of their personal immigration experiences by the end of our inquiry. 

Storybooks are a wonderful way to breach these sensitive topics.  I have a basket of books in my classroom I am excited to try.  More posts on those books soon...