Activity 5: Deconstruct the following excerpts/sentences to help students understand the text. You may choose to do this at separate times of the day, so as not to overwhelm students. Page 26 – excerpt Tell students that authors deliberately choose specific words to help relay a message or an idea. Write the sentences below on the board or on a chart and reread them with students. Tell students, “Let’s think about what the author is trying to say with these words.” Help students deconstruct the meaning of the text by analyzing the sentences. “Somewhere,” the conductor calls. It’s such a strange name. As if it thinks itself important. As if it’s a place surrounded by nowhere.” Define the word somewhere by telling students that somewhere is a word used when you want to talk a place without saying exactly where you mean. Why does the author say, “As if it thinks itself important”? It’s a play on words. If something is important, it should be named, but this town isn’t given a specific name, it is just named Somewhere. What does the author mean when she says, “As if it’s a place surrounded by nowhere”? If something is surrounded by nothing, it the something more important. So, by saying that Somewhere is a place surrounded by nowhere, it makes it more significant and important. So, is Somewhere an important place or an unimportant place? What is the author trying to tell us about Somewhere? Somewhere is an important place because it is the place where Marianne will finally feel accepted and find a new family and home. Point out to students that the author uses the contradiction of the terms somewhere and nowhere to build the importance of the town of Somewhere. Why did the author call this book Train to Somewhere? What is the significance of the author naming the town Somewhere? The author called this book Train to Somewhere because the final stop on the route was Somewhere, Iowa. Throughout the story Marianne felt unloved, unwanted, and insignificant (unimportant). By
These words merit less time and attention (They are concrete and easy to explain, or describe events/ processes/ideas/concepts/experiences that are familiar to your students ) These words merit more time and attention (They are abstract, have multiple meanings, and/or are a part of a large family of words with related meanings. These words are likely to describe events, ideas, processes or experiences that most of your student will be unfamiliar with) Page 4 larkspur – medicine made from the larkspur plant that was typically used to destroy lice and nits in the hair. stowaway – a person who hides in a vehicle to make a journey secretly or without paying peak year – a year when something was at its highest coach – a separate area of a train that carries passengers conductor – a person who travels on a train to help passengers and check tickets trunks – a strong box or case used to take things on a journey, like a suitcase Page 4 orphan – a whose parents are dead placing out – the process of putting children with families who would care for them adopt – taking a child into your home and legally making them your son or daughter – to prevent something from being successful split – to separate These words merit less time and attention (They are concrete and easy to explain, or describe events/ processes/ideas/concepts/experiences that are familiar to your students ) words merit more time and attention (They are abstract, have multiple meanings, and/or are a part