Sandra Street by Michael Anthony
Summery:
Its essentially about how a teacher, Mr. Blades, has students write about the street they go to school on, Sandra Street. The few boys that live there write a nice compelling argument to why it is a good place to be. The other students write mean and terrible things about Sandra Street. When the students turn in their writing Mr. Blades seem to think the boys from the other side of town are funny and reads some out to the class. There was a fight after that class where the boys from Sandra Street fought the ones from the other side of town. No one spoke of it however, and the bruises were small enough to make it not noticeable. There is a confrontation between the storyteller Steve and Mr. blades at the window where Steve is saved by the bell. It becomes many weeks before they talk again at the window. When they talk again it is a better conversation and they venture out to the hills and Steve offers Mr. blades the bananas that he has hid which the professor cries "To think that you instead of Kenneth should belong to Sandra Street". Why I loved this Story:
I loved that this story focuses on two different aspects. 1, that the boys come from different parts and how living in different parts of the town can create a bias. I want to use this story so that I can show students that people are mean to people that are not like them or that come from a different place then them. I also wanted to show that a different culture doesn't mean that they have to be far away. A different culture can happen just a few blocks away. I though that this showed wonderfully in this short story. |
My Objectives:
I want to show students that although we always think of culture as something you can only have from a different country that we forget to look in our own backyards. My students should be able to tell me through a group discussion the different cultures that they have right there in their community. Lesson plan ideas:
For this lesson I would like to ask students what a culture is and who makes up that culture. After that I would like to read this short story. After the story is over I would have students in a group or perhaps small groups and prompt them to ask these questions: Study Questions : 1. List all the things we learn about Steve. In what ways does he change as the story develops? How old is he at the time of the episode? is he the same age when he tells the story? what indications are there in the story for your answer? 2. What functions does Mr. Blades perform for Steve? for the story? in what ways do his attitudes affect your evaluation of what is attractive about Sandra Street? 3. According to Kenneth, what are the virtues of his own "Home sweet home"? what features of Steve's home, in Sandra street, are implied in the opening three paragraphs of the story? 4. How does the fight after school relate to Steve's feelings about Sandra street? to the main themes of the story? 5. How do the differences in peoples habits--conversations, street customs, the ways their houses are built and their lawns are kept--express the values of the tow different cultures in the town? 6. What skills of observation does Steve learn by writing about his street? What does he fail to notice until the end? what does his preoccupation with bananas in the final scene reveal about his limits as an observer? Another lesson plan that would be educational is http://kawika7sje.weebly.com/sandra-street.html this lesson also provides a lot of question prompts that could either be talked out as a group or written out on paper. Online short story for free! http://www.unz.org/Pub/Encounter-1960may-00044 |
About the Author: Michael was born in Trinidad in 1932 and one of the best known caribbean authors and except 4 years in England and two years in Brazil he has continued to live there.
![Picture](/uploads/9/4/2/8/94284409/clothing-drive.jpg?443)
Reaching out:
Something that I would have my students do following the book, would be to have a clothing drive to help those that are not in their culture just as the students that lived on sandra street were different then those that lived in town. This way that instead of talking and fighting with one another about whos culture is better we can instead help one another and accept everyone for who they are. The clothing drive would be for the whole community, and held in the school itself. Students, parents and people in the community would donate clothes but would also donate time to organize the clothing. Then, students, parents and others in the community could come and "shop" for free for stuff they wouldnt normally be able to afford. This would allow the students to collaborate and set up the evet themselves, making all students a part of it, so if some students couldnt donate clothing they could donate time. I think that this would be wonderful following the lesson of Sandra Street.
Something that I would have my students do following the book, would be to have a clothing drive to help those that are not in their culture just as the students that lived on sandra street were different then those that lived in town. This way that instead of talking and fighting with one another about whos culture is better we can instead help one another and accept everyone for who they are. The clothing drive would be for the whole community, and held in the school itself. Students, parents and people in the community would donate clothes but would also donate time to organize the clothing. Then, students, parents and others in the community could come and "shop" for free for stuff they wouldnt normally be able to afford. This would allow the students to collaborate and set up the evet themselves, making all students a part of it, so if some students couldnt donate clothing they could donate time. I think that this would be wonderful following the lesson of Sandra Street.