Mrs. Pressley's Honors English
November 13, 2015
Author Visit November 20th!
On Friday, November 20th students will have the distinct pleasure of meeting with Mr. Alam, an accomplished author!
A Boy, His Bibi and a Bari
by S. R. Alam
It was December 1979 and my dad was sending me ‘home’, to become more cultured in the ways of Bangladeshi life. To me home was England... Being the eldest son, I had to grow up and needed this indoctrination in the ways of Bengali life and culture before I became too ‘westernised.’
A Boy, His Bibi and a Bari is the story of a 10 year old boy, sent by his parents from the UK to Bangladesh to live with his grandmother. While there he was to become cultured in Bengali life, language and living to avoid become over-westernised.
The visit lasted for one year and was a rite of passage. S.R Alam experienced life without rules or parental control. He dropped out of school, became a barefoot adventurer, traded in the bazaars, fished in the monsoon floodwaters, witnessed a bull fight and ran wild with the monkeys.
A Boy, His Bibi and a Bari is a story about the clash of cultures faced by immigrants. S.R Alam’s memoir conveys the struggle to ensure a young boy does not lose his roots and identity.
What we have been studying...
Monologue presentations were fantastic! Many students assumed the roles of their character with great pizzazz and convincing mood, tone, and enthusiasm.
Students spent the latter part of the week translating A Christmas Carol prose to drama. This allowed them to practice stage directions, visual and sound techniques, tone, and mood. Some students may need to finish this assignment over the weekend if they were not able to finish it in class.
Enduring Understandings
Drama is intended to be performed.
Characterization is developed in drama through character speech and actions.
Stage directions are clues to understanding the meaning of the play and the playwright’s purpose.
Essential Questions
What are the differences between prose and drama?
How do movement and staging create meaning?
How do playwrights communicate their ideas?
What creates a character shift, and how does the audience recognize it?
Looking Ahead
Monday through Wednesday, students will be reading A Christmas Carol in drama form. We'll look at symbolism, theme, and how drama, prose, and film are similar and different. Thursday they'll be taking A Christmas Carol Assessment on the play.
Keep Reading: Students should be reading two hours a week; one in school and one at home. Journals don't have to come home daily, but I encourage you to look through your child's journal at least once a week to see how they are doing.
Google Classroom
About Me
Email: hannah.pressley@pisd.edu
Website: classroom.google.com
Location: Schimelpfenig Middle School, Maumelle Drive, Plano, TX, United States
Phone: 469-752-6400