Starr’s Journey Teacher’s Notes B1 B1+ This B1/B1+ level article can be used to trigger class discussion and debates around two major themes: a cultural one pertaining to racial violence and racial status today in the U.S.A and a literary one about book adaptations into movies. Vocabulary: at the cinema. Or perhaps have they done n teenage life the opposite, where a movie was so good it n shootings, racial violence, opposite worlds got them to read the book. Ask them why, if n adaptations that is the case for some students? Or why n used to some of them prefer just watching a movie/ n adverbs that qualify adjectives reading a book and not experiencing the other version? Grammar: n Step 3: Have the students watch Part 2 of Angie Thomas’s interview, and react to n expressions of obligation her opinion on the movie adaptation. To n past/present of narration enhance their vocabulary, they could watch n present perfect it again taking notes with the objective of highlighting the words pertaining to Cultural element “adaptation”: fraternal twins, not the same, n police brutality in the U.S.A and protests it share similarities, heart of (the book) brought about remained in (the movie), as true to (the book/the source material) as possible, spot Warming Up — Interaction and on. Listening We have deliberately avoided suggesting n Step 1: We suggest first video-projecting showing the movie trailer until after the the cover of the book and have the students final task is over, in order to avoid tainting brainstorm ideas and words around what the students’ perception with artistic trailer it could be about. The vocabulary of choices. hypothesis and making assumptions can be revised (hints on the board if necessary: Reading I believe it is about… I think… In my n Step 4: We suggest reviewing methods opinion, … My feeling is… My guess is… of understanding a text or an article. One Maybe…. Perhaps…) of these methods is using a mind map n Step 2: Both the cover of the book and the around a recurring theme/character/person movie poster are video-projected side by mentioned in the text. We’ve provided side and the students can comment on the a mind map for Starr’s character in the links between the two. The use of modals worksheet. Activity A. expressing possibility can be reviewed. It Students can work in groups of four to read may be the movie adaptation of the book. the article and brainstorm on their group You could then ask the students if they have mind map before a class pooling. Then the ever read a book and then gone to see it class reads the article again and speculates B1 B1+ Starr’s Journey Teacher’s Notes |1| on the themes of the book and the movie. Creative writing Depending on the level and dynamics of the n Step 8: Pupils are now asked to give life class, numerous themes can be suggested to the characters based on what they have from which they would choose and explain learned. Have them choose between Starr’s their choice. father and Starr’s mother. Have them write a short monologue of the character they chose based on the sentence that characterizes ● ● love passion drugs them in the article. ● ● low class/poor/rich/upper class Some students can read their monologue ● ● how to survive black/white out loud. Then they watch Part 5 of the ● ● ● gun violence bullying freedom video interview to compare the monologues ● ● police violence being star-crossed written by the students with the character ● ● courage/bravery communities fame as described by Angie Thomas. ● friendship ● family values ● having a voice ● war/peace ● trust ● school ● anger management weak/strong ● Final task n Before giving the assignment, we suggest hope● gangs ● loyalty ● hate/hatred students watch again Part 1 of the interview with Angie Thomas who gives details Afterwards, they can confront their choice(s) about the origins of her book. Have the to parts 3 and 7 of Thomas’s interview and students rephrase her explanation in their eventually rectify their initial choice(s). own words. Angie Thomas went to a school similar to Starr Carter’s in Mississippi. At n Step 5: Students can check their that time, she was very touched by the story understanding of the article with Activity B of a young man Oscar Grant lost his life in (multiple choice). California, shot by a police officer. It led to many conversations in her school and Listening in her neighborhood. There were different n Step 6: Have pupils listen to Parts 1, 3, points of view from “he is one of us” (in her 4 and 6 of the video interview of Angie neighborhood) to “maybe he deserved it” (at Thomas, and complete Activity C, finding her school). She got angry and frustrated, so similarities between her life and Starr’s. she decided to write a story about a journey in dealing with this type of situation. Grammar n Step 7: The two Watch Your Language To prepare for the final task, some research activities review when to use the present is recommended. This part could be done perfect or the simple past. in the computer lab, the library or as If you wanted to go further with this activity, homework. Groups of students are assigned you could ask pupils to rewrite a passage looking up a specific element like: from the text which is in the narrative present, putting it into the past tense. B1 B1+ Starr’s Journey Teacher’s Notes |2| ● Black Lives Matter part of a quote from late American rapper ● Trayvon Martin Tupac Shakur. You’ll need to judge if you ● Michael Brown (in the town of want to deal with it in class or not, as the Ferguson) quote is “The Hate U Give Little Infants ● Eric Garner (in New York City) F***s Everybody (THUG LIFE)”, though they ● Oscar Grant (in Oakland) bleep the F-word. Otherwise, it could be an ● Blue Lives Matter opportunity to get into a discussion about ● Police use of deadly force what it means and how Tupac Shakur has ● Gun violence in the U.S.A. often been demonized. The groups can present their findings in the Tupac Shakur (1971-1996) is defined on his format of a PowerPoint while others take own posthumous website as: “Rapper. Actor. notes. The class can discuss the findings and Activist. Thug. Poet. Rebel. Visionary.” He is get a feel of the situation. a controversial figure, whose work was often inspiring, but who got into trouble with the The backdrop being planted, the students police. He was killed in a drive-by shooting can then be asked to write a monologue or at just 25. His mother was a leading light of a letter from Starr’s father to his children the Black Panthers movement, which is also giving them “The Talk”. What explanation influential on Maverick in the novel. He has could her father give that leads to him his children learn and recite the Panther’s saying, “You do whatever they tell you to 10-Point Program. https://www.pbs.org/ do. Keep your hands visible. Don’t make any hueypnewton/actions/actions_platform.html sudden moves. Only speak when they speak to you”? What choice of words could he use Transcripts to explain the situation? It might be useful to (Characters: Maverick is Starr’s father, Lisa her get a little more insight on what “The Talk” mother. Carlos is Lisa’s brother, and a police is by having them watch Parts 4 and 5 of the officer. King is the local gang leader. April interview again. Their text must be of 200 Ofrah is a local civil-rights activist. Seven words or more. is Starr’s older half-brother, who lives with them. Sekani is her little brother.) Going Further Watching the trailer after the final task is strongly suggested, as it might even make Angie Thomas Interview students want to read the book and/or Part 1 watch the movie. We’ve provided the file to On the Origin of the Story download. I attended a mostly white, upper-class private school in Jackson, Mississippi, and There is also an extended story video with I was a lot like Starr. I was the only black clips and comments from the cast and crew. girl in most of my classes, and I lived in the ‘hood, so I had to often be two different Language warning: The first part of the people in two different worlds. And it was extended story mentions the origin of while I was in school that a young man the title of the book and film, which is named Oscar Grant lost his life in Oakland, B1 B1+ Starr’s Journey Teacher’s Notes |3| California. And although that was hundreds private school that she attends. And the of miles away, it led to conversations at my struggle of being two different people in school and in my neighborhood. And in my two different worlds becomes even harder neighborhood, Oscar was one of us, but at when she witnesses her childhood best my school, well, maybe he deserved it. He friend Khalil killed by a cop. Khalil was was an ex-con, why are people so upset? unarmed and what Starr does or does not And I was angry and I was frustrated, and in say could not only change her community my anger and frustration I decided to write but it could end her life.