ML Centennial Resources
Ideas for Language Arts, Grades 5-12 Frank Sรกnchez & the ML100 Education Sub-committee ISSUE 2 Summer 2010
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Language Arts /Literature
Language Arts/Literature
The last issue of “ML Centennial Resources� focused on activities for the Fine & Practical Arts classes. The subject of this newsletter will highlight centennial topics & resources that can be used in the Language Arts classrooms. Some of the featured authors are directly connected to Mountain Lakes while other works are set elsewhere during the first two decades of the 20th century. I have also added a few NJASK-styled worksheets that can be used in 4-8th grades LA classes. In addition, the HSPA sample profiles youngsters who fought for student rights including MLHS graduate & Lake Drive alum Amy Rowley. Our ML100 education liaisons hope this newsletter can assist you in celebrating the Mountain Lakes Centennial with your students. Also, please share any of your ideas with colleagues and our committee so we can help too! http://ml100.org/
Language Arts /Literature
Arthur Stringer* Author, Poet & Laker Pioneer Arthur Stringer, 1874-1950, was a “popular writer of romance and adventure. He wrote a successful series of mystery and detective novels, starting with The Wire Tappers in 1906.” Five years later he moved to Mountain Lakes where “he wrote a series of adventure novels, based on his own experiences growing up in rural Canada. His trilogy about prairie life—-including the controversial The Prairie Wife (1915)—includes some of Stringer's most enduring writing, mostly because he avoided the romantic clichés and melodrama that characterized his other work.” (Because The Prairie Wife dealt with the thentaboo subject of divorce, it can be paired in class with Ibsen’s A Doll’s House.) Older Wildwood students and Briarcliff readers can contrast current fiction with Stringer’s YA books Lonely O’Malley: A Story of Boy Life (1905) and The Loom of Destiny (1899). Also, he “published more than ten volumes of poetry, and although Stringer was a successful novelist during his lifetime, posthumously he is better remembered for his poetry.” Please use the MLHS Media Center’s databases to access PDF copies of Stringer’s poetry including “Autumn Furrows” and “The Cruach Woman,” both which were published in The Saturday Evening Post. Stinger’s short stories and literary criticism can be found online as well. In fact, students can access his analysis of Rupert Brooke’s poem "1914: V. The Soldier" from our online database. His works on William Shakespeare, A Study in King Lear (1897), A Study of Iago, and Shakespeare the Agnostic, are not in the public domain (via a Google Books search), but may be found in our Mountain Lakes Historical Archives at the town’s library. I will be inquiring about that in September. *
The quoted text above was culled from the Stringer biography from our EBSCO Literary Reference Database
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Language Arts /Literature
More on Arthur Stringer Stage & Screen In addition to his fiction, Stringer wrote for the stage and screen. At a time when “Hollywood” was centered on the ridges of NJ’s Palisades and nestled in Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park, Stringer wrote scores of screenplays for silent films including The Perils of Pauline (1914) & Gloria Swanson’s Manhandled (1924). The NY Times even reported that Stringer “confessed” to colleagues from the Author’s League that --gasp!-- he moonlighted as a script doctor by punching up “ailing” screenplays and Broadway plays. Regarding the theater, Stringer’s first wife was NY stage actress Jobyna Howland (who was also the model for the iconic Gibson Girl). In 1928 Stringer and his Laker neighbors formed the Mountain Lakes Dramatic Guild, the precursor of the current Barn Theatre in Montville. According to the Barn’s website, the Guild was “dedicated to the idea that good amateur theatre holds an important place in the life of a community.” Look out for “Laker Voices,” the ML Centennial’s theatric production chronicling the town’s history scheduled for November 2011. Perhaps your students will be on stage fulfilling Stringer’s artistic vision for Mountain Lakes.
NY Times Articles My favorite Stringer story is not a piece of fiction, but rather a true story from 1924 that I found in the NY Times online archives. It turns out Helen Cole, a 20 year old sculptress and (clearly bored) heiress, bolted a ML dinner party to prove she, like the characters in Stringer’s novels, could survive in the harsh “wilderness” of rural NJ. The famed author joined his neighbors (and a few state troopers) for a couple days combing Mountain Lakes for Cole. The search for Cole was also joined by the local game warden, who was concerned she would be surviving on Morris County’s protected rabbit population. She was later found, but your students may be interested in debating whether this was an example of impulsive behavior or a brilliant publicity stunt for Stringer’s newest novel and film!
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Language Arts /Literature
Robert Leckie Leckie’s Story Robert Leckie moved into Mountain Lakes as already a successful journalist and author. Prior to being a Laker, he served in World War II, enlisting with the Marines the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. His first and bestselling book, Helmet for My Pillow, was one of the three memoirs that propelled Tom Hanks and Steven Speilberg’s recent HBO miniseries The Pacific. Leckie subsequently wrote nearly 50 nonfiction works, focusing mostly on military campaigns from the French & Indian War (in 1750s) to the first Persian Gulf War (1991).
Helmet For My Pillow According to Bruce C. McKenna, producer of The Pacific, Leckie’s memoir Helmet for My Pillow was used because it “is a great book … one of the first honest memoirs of the Second World War to ever be published. It's about [Leckie's] own struggles to keep his sanity during the war. But he was also extraordinarily intelligent, and a bit of a poet. … And so he gave us a great lens to focus on the Pacific." Excerpts from this memoir (or scenes from the miniseries) can be paired with possible readings including All Quiet on the Western Front, The Naked and the Dead, The Things They Carried, and Sebastian Junger’s War.
Oral History Opportunities Most importantly, Leckie’s writing can serve as a springboard for our students to create an oral history project. There are many Laker veterans who still live in the area. Already some students working with Mrs. Aldrich’s literary magazine have been interviewing them. Your students can continue the process and also interview the women who stayed at the home front. In fact, Robert Leckie’s widow Vera should be first in line.
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Language Arts /Literature
Great Historical Fiction (YA)
Hurwitz’s the Unsigned Valentine Ages 9-12
Peck’s Here lies the librarian ages 9-12
In 1911 Vermont, 15-year-old Emma confides in her diary her travails with parents & romance. “The realistic details of everyday life & social conventions reflect the period setting, while Emma's thoughts and emotions strike a sympathetic chord with today's readers.”
14-year-old Eleanor McGrath discovers new possibilities after the 1914 arrival in her small Indiana town of four young librarians. “Peck aptly conveys the nuances of rural life while weaving in early feminism, the history of the automobile, and the message to be oneself.”
American Dolls Collection Ages 7-10
Holm’s Penny From Heaven Ages 9-12
Both Welcome to Samantha's World and Changes for Rebecca take an in-depth look at early 20th-century USA, “discussing town life, social reform & new inventions.” For more on the Arts & Crafts Movement check out Greene & Greene For Kids here on GoogleBooks.
As she turns 12 during a NJ summer in 1953, Penny tries to balance life between “her dead father's large exuberant, Italian family & her mother's small, uptight, WASP one.” A great coming of age story sprinkled with historical issues such as polio & ethnic discrimination.
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Language Arts /Literature
Great Works Set circa 1911† The Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald Perhaps no other author captures 1911 and the Jazz Age better than Fitzgerald. Teachers may want to hold off assigning The Great Gatsby until the second semester when the Centennial celebration begins. Students may also enjoy the author’s collections of short stories. Our Media Center’s online databases are replete with ways to use Fitgerald’s works to explore early 20th-century views on business ethics, sports, NJ history, race, masculinity, materialism and class.
Booth Tarkington’s The Magnificent Ambersons (1919) The Pultizer Prize-winning The Magnificent Ambersons, is the second novel of Tarkington’s “Growth” trilogy. In this work, students will follow the declining fortunes of the aristocratic Ambersons who seem unprepared to deal with the “new” economy and rapid industrialization of 1918 America. A more current alternative is Glen David Gold’s Sunnyside, a 2009 novel about Charlie Chaplin & the rise of celebrity in the early 20th century.
Cheaper By the Dozen by Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Jr. Set in 1920s Montclair, this funny memoir follows the Gilbreth family of 12 kids, parented by efficiency experts Lillian and Frank Sr. Our students can use the Gilbreths as a window to life during the first two decades of Mountain Lakes history. According to one of the Amazon Book Reviews, “It's a comical read laced with some very necessary ideas of financial knowledge.” The book can be used in both middle school & high school classes.
1. Much thanks to ML100 Committee member Ruth Caccavale who has devoted countless hours
searching (and reading) books for us and who helped create this great list.
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Language Arts /Literature
Possible Curricular Connections (YA)
Avi’s thought-provoking Nothing but the Truth, tells the fictional story of Philip Malloy, an unmotivated freshman, who was disciplined for disrespecting the National Anthem in homeroom. Our Briarcliff 7th graders use Avi’s book to discus the meaning of "truth" and the values of free speech and patriotism. However, are students aware that a similar incident really occurred at Mountain Lakes High School? In fact, due to Laker student Debrorah Lipp’s lawsuit, the “state law requiring all public school students in New Jersey to at least stand at attention during the pledge of allegiance to the American flag was overturned as unconstitutional by Federal District Court.” To learn more about student expression rights, our pupils should research Lipp’s battle against MLHS principal Harry Morris and analyze the Lipp v. Morris (1978) decision.
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Language Arts /Literature
Possible MLHS & BC Curricular Connections Star Ledger Columnist Mark Di Ionno The current Laker resident & award-winning columnist is a friend of the district who is always visiting and making presentations at our schools. Mark’s “beat” is the people of New Jersey; his columns tell the stories of who we are and where we’ve been. Students from Wildwood to AP Language students can benefit from his columns on family and NJ history. Di Ionno has also written books on NJ’s scenic beauty, and I’ve asked him to visit my students to discuss NJ Revolutionary War history, a subject of another book. What a great resource for our students!
Peter Meinke, Poet Laureate In 2009 Peter Meinke, Laker graduate (1950) & later MLHS English teacher (’58-60), was named St. Petersburg’s first Poet Laureate. Since leaving Mt Lakes, this award-winning poet and fiction writer, has been teaching literature & creative writing at Eckerd College for nearly thirty years. It would be great to use some of his poems in our classes. Plus, Mr. Henry has also invited Meinke to return to teach a writing workshop to our current Laker students! http://ml100.org/
E. L. Doctorow’s Ragtime (1975) A historical fiction classic, Ragtime captures the lives of immigrants, the middle class & the wealthy from turn of the century NYC until the Great War in 1917. The novel has been recently adapted for the stage, and if the musical is touring nearby, our students should attend. Students in English classes can analyze the lyrics of songs, and perhaps members of the choral program can even perform some of the pieces throughout the year as well. Language Arts /Literature
History Connection All five titles in the Images and Iss ues of Women in the Twentieth Century series exa mine the portrayal of American women in popular culture. Photographs, quotations & snippets of social history highlight the images and issues that influenced women during the 20th century. These reference books from 21st-C entury Books, a division of Lerner Publishi ng Group, are geared for Briarcliff & MLHS students.
LAL/ Books from the series can be used in al Literature classes when reading fiction images works set in the 20th century. Also, the ources can be accompanied with ML100 res erested, from our town’s own archives. If int the ask Janice & Dennis if they can order books for your students.
Other books in th e series: Flappers & the New American Wom an: Perceptions of Women from 1918-1920s, Rosie & Mrs. America: Pe rceptions of Women in the 1930 s & 1940s, Gidge ts & Women Warriors: Perceptions of Women in the 1950 s & 1960s, and Ms. and the M aterial Girls: Perceptio ns of Women from the 19 70s-1990s. http://ml100.org/
Language Arts /Literature
NJ ASK 3 Writing Speculative Prompt (30 Minutes) In 1936, Mountain Lakes students were ruining their pants by sliding down the front stoop in the front entrance of the Lake Drive School. After receiving many complaints from the parents, the Board of Education considered several remedies to stop students from having fun on their homemade slide. After reading the news article, write a narrative story imagining the Board of Education members’ final decision after two of them tried out the slide themselves. Make sure you describe the students’ reactions as well.
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Language Arts /Literature
NJ ASK 4 Writing Speculative Prompt (30 Minutes) In 1937, a group of Briarcliff students put lipstick dots on their faces hoping to trick the school nurse and teachers into thinking there was a measles outbreak among the children. Unfortunately for them, the adults discovered their hoax, and the Mountain Lakes schools were not closed down for a week. After reading the news article, write a story that details how the students met and decided on their plan. Although we already know the ending, focus your narrative on what happened prior to the school nurse’s discovery of the lipstick hoax.
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Language Arts /Literature
NJ ASK 5 Writing Speculative Prompt (30 Minutes) In 1932, three Mountain Lakes children aged 10, 8 and 6 got lost in the swampy woods a few miles from their homes. They had decided to “go exploring,� but after getting lost at nightfall, they elected to camp out until dawn. After reading the news article, write a story about the adventure these children had before they were rescued by their parents.
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Language Arts /Literature
NJ ASK 6 Writing Persuasive Writing Prompt In 1925, a local law proposal sparked a great controversy here in Mountain Lakes. Read an excerpt from a NY Times article regarding this Prohibition-era ordinance.
Writing Task Write a letter to your mayor supporting your position whether the law should be passed or whether it should not. Use reasons, facts, examples and/or other evidence to support your position.
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Language Arts /Literature
NJ ASK 7 Reading Passage, Multiple-Choice Questions & Open-Ended Response (30 Min)
The NJ ASK 6-8 tests feature four reading passages per grade level including literature as well as informational or “everyday” reading selections. Each passage is followed by about 8-10 multiple-choice questions and 1 open-ended response. Questions are based on those skills that critical readers use to understand, analyze, and evaluate texts. Students are assessed on their ability to interpret and critique/analyze the content, meaning, and organization of texts. This text is taken from a 1978 New York Times news article focusing on
the Deborah Lipp flag salute lawsuit (again, which can be researched when students read Avi’s Nothing But the Truth). After reading the article, students should answer the multiple-choice questions first and then write a response to the following prompt. Open-Ended Response
Think about the reactions to Debroah Lipp’s successful lawsuit against Mountain Lakes High School and the state of New Jersey.
• Describe how some people reacted to her actions. Do you agree with those people? Explain. • This case was decided in August during the summer recess. Predict how Deborah will be treated by her Mountain Lakes classmates, teachers and administrators when she returns to school in September.
Use specific information from the story and any additional insight to support your response.
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Language Arts /Literature
1. Why did the Federal District Court judge overturn the NJ pledge of allegiance law?
4. Regarding the judge’s decision a. The MLHS administration was pleased b. Debroah Lipp condemned it because it did not go far enough c. The Veterans of Foreign Wars were probably upset d. It was final and no party could appeal it
a. Lipp’s testimony was so persuasive b. The law violated students’ free speech rights c. He was unpatriotic d. Mountain Lakes High School policy ignored the law too
5. The word “disenchanted” in Paragraph 7 means
2. According to Paragraph 5, the judge ruled that students who refuse to stand must
a. b. c. d.
a. still behave in their seats b. leave the room while their peers recite the pledge c. bring in a note from their parents informing the school why they will remain seated d. hum along during the National Anthem
6. As a reader, what overall understanding do you take from this article? a. The judge banned the recitation of the pledge entirely for all students b. Most students and adults did not have an opinion on this case one way or the other c. Students do not have rights in schools d. Students like Debroah Lipp can make an impact in their schools
3. The word “seclusion” in Paragraph 10 means a. b. c. d.
peaceful accessible public in hiding
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disillusioned embittered angered disgusted
Language Arts /Literature
NJ ASK 8 Writing‡ Explanatory Prompt (30 Min) You have been asked to consider how the following quotation is related to you. “Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared.” --Eddie Rickenbacker Write an essay explaining what this quotation means to you. Use details and examples in your essay.
‡
The theme of courage can be connected to pieces of the 8th grade curriculum. To incorporate the Centennial, students may be interested in this 1936 article about Briarcliff students who risked their lives while adult firefighters argued among themselves. Two of the four students would later sacrifice their lives during World War II. Their names are found on Memorial Rock across from Lake Drive School.
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Language Arts /Literature
HSPA Reading Passage, Multiple-Choice Questions & Open-Ended Response (45 Min) Like the NJ ASK exams, the HSPA also features reading passages including narrative pieces as well as persuasive texts. Each passage is followed with 10 multiple-choice questions and 2 open-ended responses. Questions are based on those skills that critical readers use to understand, analyze, and evaluate texts. Students are assessed on their ability to interpret and critique/analyze the content, meaning, and organization of texts. This text is taken from a 1985 New York Times news article that highlights the achievements of several high school students who fought for their rights and in the federal court system. One of the students is Amy Rowley whose desire to have a sign language interpreter led to a lawsuit that went all the way to the Supreme Court.§ After the court ruled against her, the Rowleys moved to Mountain Lakes to join the Lake Drive program.
Open-Ended Response This article focused on the lives of the students who sued their districts. Think about the legacy of the three students when answering these two questions. • Select one student and explain why it was worth it for him or her to fight for the former student’s rights against the school district. • Imagine your close friend was thinking of launching a lawsuit against your school district due to a policy s/he believed infringed upon students’ rights. Give two reasons why s/he should or should not go through with the lawsuit. Use specific information from the story and any additional insight to support your response.
§
Students can follow up with a more current article from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (where Romley is an associate professor of the ASL program) that examines the legacy of the Rowley case.
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Language Arts /Literature
1. Which of the following BEST expresses the article’s central idea?
4. Regarding the Amy Rowley case, her parents a. were concerned with congressional abuse of the legislative veto b. did not support Amy’s wishes c. sought equal education rights in funding for deaf & hard of hearing students d. were probably pleased with the case’s outcome
a. Students who sue their school districts often gain sustained fame & notoriety b. Students who have fought against their schools later regret their actions c. Too often Supreme Court landmark cases are remembered for their results & not on those who started the lawsuits d. Supreme Court justices focus on the students when they make decisions
5. The following statements are true about each of the former students EXCEPT a. They each believed censorship was worth fighting for b. There have been books or movie offers made about their lives c. Their privacy has been affected d. The cases are important turning points in their lives
2. Based on this article, these students a. had their lives change dramatically due to their lawsuits b. valued the status quo c. were later arrogant about their impact on student rights issues d. all won their cases in front of the Supreme Court
6. According to the author, a. these cases were often costly to the students who brought the issues up b. the issues are settled and therefore no longer affect the former students c. we should no longer remember these students because each of the cases happened decades ago d. students should not have the same rights as adults
3. In Paragraph 4, the word “litigants” refers to those who a. b. c. d.
are students decide legal issues are involved in legal proceedings are apathetic
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Language Arts /Literature