1. Have your Portfolio Assignment #1 & reading packet out on your desk – (I am not collecting the portfolio assignment, but I would like to see your progress on it) Prepare to write…(paper, pen/pencil) Advice from last year’s Juniors: “SLEEP, ORGANIZATION, and WRITING are important!”

2. Freewrite (Record your thoughts with a free flow of your pen. Please DO NOT simply “answer” each question.) DO USE EXAMPLES from your LIFE EXPERIENCES. Guiding ideas/questions: How are we, as individuals, shaped by our family/ethnic/social backgrounds? How can we draw on these backgrounds to strengthen and inspire our individual voices? To what extent do we want to break free of those backgrounds as we develop and express our identities as individuals?

3. Freewrite Re-read what you wrote. Underline a sentence, passage, or phrase that feels particularly true or well-said. Invitation to share from either your freewrite or your portfolio assignment.

4. Perspective: Who Tells the Story You & your classmates Rodriguez (Mexican-American) Rivera (Cuban-American) Neruda (Chilean)

5. Rodriguez “Mexico’s Children” Place/home Confluence of earth (geography), confluence of history Abstraction of American dream “In order to show you America I would have to take you out….If I were to show you Mexico, I would take you home.”

6. Quotes: Stand Up, Hand Up, Pair Up New Partner each time Discuss the significance of the quote in the essay – Include Rodriquez’s perspective AND then YOUR perspective of the meaning (Text to Self connection). Use your essay as guidance

7. Rivero “North from the River, South Inside.” Form/style Progression of time throughout poem Duality, doubles, more than…

8. Neruda “North American Friend” “Outsider’s” perspective “Americans” Positivity, celebration, promises, requests Citizens of the earth: let’s share it!

9. How do our backgrounds affect or shape our voices as writers, as artists, as students, as people?

10. Portfolio Assignment #2

11. Homework Read “Growing up Asian in America” (pg 17- 21) Begin Portfolio Assignment #2