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LESSON 5:

MATERIALS:

Picture
One or more copies of Sitti's Secrets by Naomi Shihab Nye (Aladdin, 1997)

Chart paper




DIRECTIONS:

Bring students together for a reflection session. Points for discussion include:
  • Contrast ideas that students may have had about either Arabs or people who live in Palestine with ideas they now have.
  • Review the lives led by Mona's extended family and their families.
  • Review social concerns about which students wrote, the reasons they felt concerned, and the reason they thought the person to whom they wrote was a good choice. Allow them to explain the outcome they hope their letter will influence.
  • Allow students to volunteer things they learned as a result of these sessions. Attempt to ascertain whether they view anything differently. Display their thoughts on the board or on chart paper that you leave up for several days.

FINAL STUDENT ASSESSMENT/REFLECTIONS:

  • Use the Observational Checklist to assess student participation and knowledge when discussing the story, talking about the Palestinian/Arabic culture, generating ideas for the Venn Diagram and letter, and evaluating cooperative learning.
  • Assess students’ letters using the Persuasive Letter Rubric .
  • Use the concluding session to help informally assess how well students have learned about the culture of Palestinian Arabs and how well they understood the purpose and method for writing a persuasive letter.