Lesson+Plans+for+Buried+Onions

**Lesson Plan #1** For Grades 10-12, Ages 15-18 In an informal paper of 500 words, choose ONE topic to discuss using MLA format. __Materials Needed: __ print outs and willing students

**a.** Choose one character you relate to or the one character that reminds you of someone you know. Compose a 500 word page essay over your/their similarities and differences. You don’t have to include in any names.

**b.** Is Eddie a victim of his environment? If he wants better for himself, why doesn’t he just leave? If you were in this situation, as Eddie what would you do? Write a 500 word essay on what you would change and how you would go about changing certain things in your life if you were Eddie. Be sure to include other characters because they are a part of Eddie’s life too.

**c.** Think back, when Eddie starts working for Mr. Stiles and everything is going well, then, he gets the truck stolen because he diverted from the straight path, Mr. Stiles house, to made a pit stop at his house or when he decided to go fight Angel at his house, do you think that these were good ideas? Would you have chosen to just “keep straight forward” or change direction and go down an easier route? Explain to me in 500 words what you would have done in these 2 situations and what would be the outcome.

For Grades 10-12, Ages 15-18 __Materials Needed__: No special resources required besides name tags.
 * Lesson Plan #2 **

Choose one student to have witnessed Jesus’s murder. Choose a judge, a jury, an Angel, an Eddie, a Norma, the dude in yellow shoes, 2 lawyers and a couple of other characters. Have the students act out the whole scene in a courthouse just like the characters in the book would. This calls for the whole class participation. Using Spanish phrases gives you extra points on the next test.Le The story: The stranger in yellow shoes is finally caught and is now on trial. A couple of people say that Angel did it. Angel is taken under custody as well. There is only one real witness that says the yellow shoed man did it. Norma, Eddie, Coach and Jesus’s aunt must come in to testify but they really don’t have anything to say and no one in Fresno likes to snitch. Yellow shoed man and Angel must prove their innocence or be sentenced to detention.

Have the **witness** come up with his own story line and mix it in with yours. **Norma** must say what’s she has heard and who she has heard it from but she is withholding evidence. **Eddie** is trying to keep from jumping on both of the convicted felons and pummeling them to death. **Angel**, no matter what, swears he didn’t ice his “carnal”. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">**Yellow shoe dude** is very convincing in all of his arguments but the witnesses are not amused by his charm. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">**The lawyers** are court appointed so they’re not very commendable. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">**The jury** can come up with the final decision together. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">**The judge** is there to see if the jury is not bias and if each convict and witness is treated fairly.

__<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Lesson Plan #3- Jasmine Edwards __
<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Grades 8-12

**__Materials__:** composition notebook and powerpoint and rubric for final assignment.
Lesson will take 1 week to complete after the book has been read.

=

 * __Day 1:__** The teacher will start a class discussion over the novel asking the students what they think about the novel. Make sure that as the teacher, you ask the students what the author's intent was. The class should be able to talk about all of the themes found in the book and their feelings about it. After the discussion the students should pull out their composition book and write about the discussion. Make sure they are answering 4 basic questions: 1. Do you sympathize with Eddie? 2. Do you think Eddie is "good"? 3. Do you think Eddie did the right thing by leaving? 4. What do you think is the best way Eddie could rise above his situation? Journals should be taken up at the end of the class period and left in the classroom. Check for completion of assignment by stamping the journal.=====

=

 * __Day 2:__** The teacher will lecture about life as a Mexican American in Fresno, California. Be sure to point out the gang activity and it's effect on the community especially kids. During the lecture be sure to encourage class dicussion by asking them what they think about the information you are showing them. At the completion of the lecture have the students break off into groups and talk about their reactions regarding the information (this should take no more than 8 mins.) Have the students return to their seats and in their composition notebooks write about what they learned and compare it to the book. Make sure they are answering three basic questions in their journals: 1.After learning more about the Mexican- Americans and gang life in California do you sympathize with Eddie more? 2. What do you think is the best way for Eddie to rise above his situation? 3 Do you think Eddie did the right thing by leaving? Check for completion of assignment by stamping the journal.=====

__**Day 3:**__ The teacher will start the class off with a discussion about the military by asking the students how they view it. Does joining the military seem like a good idea for some and not for others? After getting the students' ideas and opinions show them the following passage: //When mandatory military service ended in 1973, the volunteer military was born. By the early 1980s, the term "poverty draft" had gained currency to connote the belief that the enlisted ranks of the military were made up of young people with limited economic opportunities.// //Today, military recruiters react angrily to the term "poverty draft." They parse terms in order to argue that "the poor" are not good recruiting material because they lack the necessary education. Any inference that those currently serving do so because they have few other options is met with a sharp rebuke, as Sen. John Kerry learned last November when he seemed to tell a group of college students they could either work hard in school or "get stuck in Iraq." (//Mariscal) After the students read the passage have the students stand up and come to the front of the room without talking. Then have the students who agree with the statement made by Sen. Kerry to go to the right side of the room and those who agree go to the left side of the room. Ask the students what they think about this passage. How do they feel about the term "poverty draft"? Now have students from both sides of the room state why they agree or disagree with the statement. After the discussion have the students write in their composition books answering 3 basic questions: 1. Why do you think Eddie chose to join the military? 2. Do you agree with Eddie's decision? 3. What would you have done in Eddie's situation and why? Check for completion of assignment by stamping the journal.

__**Day 4:**__ The teacher will start the students off with a recap of what has been covered the last few days Eddie's character, Mexican-Americans, gang life, and the military as a means of escape from impoverished communities. Have the students choose one of the topics covered and prepare a two-page paper addressing what they've learned. The paper should show the differences in journal entries over the course of the week. Do they see any differences in their thoughts about Eddie after learning more about the military as a means of escape, gang life, and Mexican- Americans? They will have the entire class period to work on this paper and will present tomorrow. Students should have the choice of either preparing a Powerpoint presentation covering one topic or writing the two-page paper. Notify the students that they will present these presentations tomorrow in class at the beginning of class. Hand out a rubric so that the students know what you are looking for. Advise them to hand the rubric to you tomorrow with a copy of their paper or powerpoint presentation (hand out form) when they present tomorrow in class. No rubric with paper attached= no grade.

=

 * __Day 5:__** The students will present today handing the teacher the rubric along with their paper or hand out stapled to it so the teacher can grade as they present. Keep grade book near by so as you grade their assignment you can record grade and hand back graded assignment the same day (That way you avoid having extra papers on your desk). If you noticed students weren't completing journals everyday you can award extra points for the presentation for those who did complete their journals.=====


 * __Lesson Plan #4__**

[] This lesson plan that involves a small group activity where students work together to find meaning of the passage provided. This lesson plan also involves writing in a journal so that the teacher will see their individual responses as well. This lesson plan is geared towards grades 9-12 although could be altered slightly to work for middle school grades as well.

[] - This lesson plan consists of over 55 pages of information related to the novel //Buried Onions//. While this lesson plan costs money it also provides in depth discussions of the novel with helpful material that teachers can utilize for customizing their own lesson plans. This site also provides essay topics that teachers might find useful. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Here's a link to some more fun and exciting lessons plans <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">[|Buried Onions Lesson Plan] //<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">*some links will open up in a new window so allow pop-ups //
 * __Lesson Plan# 5__**