Transcript Language, Gender and Culture

Language, Gender and Culture
Young “Prelude: The Barbershop”
Lorde “Transformation of Silence into Language & Action”
Discuss Conversation Observations
After turning in your homework,
please talk with your table group
about what you observed about
conversations. Be prepared to share
4 insightful comments with the class.
Activity 1: Vocabulary Chart
Using the vocabulary chart, review the list of key
vocabulary words for each author, checking off any
words and/or their synonyms you know (meaning you
would recognize and understand these words if you
saw them in another context). Then, working
individually or in pairs, brainstorm an additional fifteen
synonyms in the far right column. You can find
synonyms using a number of resources: ask a classmate,
use your cell phone to find definitions, or use electronic
or print dictionaries.
Reading Young for Understanding &
Annotating
Read and annotate: “Prelude: The
Barbershop” paying close attention to
different strategies the author is using to
indicate his opinion on communication
within different cultures. As you make your
four annotations per page, mark the areas
that are of interest to you, words that seem
to be important to his message, or any
formatting that is noticeable.
Activity 2: Close Reading Activity
We are going to do a close reading of a passage from Young’s prelude.
To do a close reading you select a passage and analyze it in fine detail.
You comment on points of style and reflect on the passage as a reader.
The more closely you can observe, the more original and exact your
ideas will be.
A prelude is an action, event or comment that comes before
something else. Although this is the prelude to a book, it sounds very
lyrical and almost like poetry. I will read this passage aloud to you so
you can hear the weight of his message and possibly how he meant
this to sound.
Activity 3: Spoken Word Activity
Now, taking the information from your close reading,
imitate Young’s style by writing a 5 sentence paragraph
in the spirit of his voice, maintaining his sentence length
and structure, but writing about yourself and your own
experiences with language, gender, culture, race,
masculinity, femininity, or identity.
Activity 3: Spoken Word Activity
continued
You will now get together with other people (groups of 2-4) who wrote
about a similar topic (ex: gender, race, silence, etc.). Together you will
craft a group writing (1-2 paragraphs) that addresses a specific aspect of
the area you wrote about. For example: If I wrote about being a woman,
my group would write a piece that is about stereotyping women in media
or women in sports. Your writing should emulate Young’s style again
maintaining his sentence length and structure.
In these groups you will perform this writing as a spoken word text for the
class next Monday/Tuesday. What is a spoken word performance you ask?
Watch the following examples to get an idea of what we’re asking you to
do. We know that these are professionals, but you will get the idea. You
must perform them. You will have some class time on Thursday/Friday to
practice. Your group writing is due today.
Due Now
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Activity 1: Vocabulary chart
Annotated Young prelude
Activity 2: Close reading activity
Activity 3: Spoken Word writing both individual and
group
Language, Gender and Culture
Young “Prelude: The Barbershop”
Lorde “Transformation of Silence into Language & Action”
Activity 1: Reading Lorde for
Understanding
Read Audrey Lorde’s speech, annotating any particular points of
interest or noting any places that need clarification; then answer
the following questions about it:
1.
2.
3.
Thinking back to the predictions you made in the Pre-Reading
Activities, which of your predictions turned out to be true? If
your prediction was inaccurate, what words or phrases in the
text misled you?
Write a single sentence in your own words that states Lorde’s
argument.
Write a 5 sentence response to her main argument. What do
you agree with, and what do you disagree with?
Activity 2: Rhetorical Précis
Compose a rhetorical précis that analyzes the content, purpose, and rhetorical
strategies of Lorde by following the 4-sentence pattern below:
 Sentence 1: The name of the author, the genre, and title of the work, and
the publication date in parentheses; a rhetorically accurate verb; and a
clause containing the major assertion or thesis statement in the work.
 Sentence 2: An explanation of how the author develops and supports the
thesis, usually in chronological order.
 Sentence 3: A statement of the author’s apparent purpose, followed by an
“in order to” phrase.
 Sentence 4: A description of the intended audience, the relationship the
author establishes with the audience, or both.
Due now
 Activity 1: Responses to Lorde
 Activity 2: Rhetorical précis
 Annotated Lorde speech