UNIT 1 READING DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION • Analyze integrated visuals with text Ask several students to explain how the painting supports the information in the text. Students may point out details such as the bomber jacket his father is wearing and the airplane in the sky. Point to the words written under the two men who are sitting. Ask: What information does Stephen give about these men? (These are names of other people in his family, similar to a family tree.) Ask: Were your predictions about the painting correct? • Probe and reflect on a reading Ask students to engage in conversation about what they have read. Ask questions to stimulate ideas, for example: What is the most remarkable information about Pharoah? About Jordan? About Cornelius? • Read and comprehend informational text Ask students to read the biography of Stephen Von Mason silently. Ask factual comprehension questions, such as Where was he born? (South Bend, Indiana) Where does he live now? (San Francisco, California) What is his profession? (painter, printmaker, and fine art framer) Is he famous? (Yes, his work is exhibited internationally.) E Check In • Analyze literature Read aloud the questions. Have pairs ask each other the questions and reread to find the answers. • Make inferences For question 2, make sure students understand that they will not find the answer directly in the text. They must think about what they have learned in the memoir and make a guess about the author’s feelings. • Identify text evidence Ask students to identify the parts of the text that help them infer the answer to question 2. For example, they might say that it is clear Stephen thinks that his ancestors are important and wants to remember them because he includes the quote from his aunt. ANSWERS 1. Pharoah was a pioneer because he was one of the first settlers of Knoxville, Tennessee. Jordan is a pioneer because he started Tennessee State’s music department. Cornelius is a pioneer because he was part of the first group of Black pilots in America. 2. Von Mason created this painting to honor his ancestors. Through this painting, he keeps their spirits alive and helps people to remember them. Display a growth mindset Arrange students in groups to discuss the following questions: Who will be pioneers in the future? What will they be the first to do? If students have trouble thinking of ideas, ask: Are there places on Earth that we can still explore? Are there other places we can explore? What developments in technology will we make in the future? What do we still have to learn? PRACTICE COMMUNICATE Scaffold After the first reading of the memoir, have students do a pair read, taking turns reading sentences aloud while the other follows along. Pair students with lower language development with students with higher language development so they can benefit from additional support with both comprehension and oral fluency. Monitor and provide feedback on pronunciation and intonation. Amplify Have students work in pairs to write three to five questions about additional information they would like to learn about Stephen’s ancestors. Write a model question on the board; for example: What was Pharoah’s job? Have pairs join another pair to ask their questions and make guesses about the answers. To our ancestors: May their spirits live forever. Let us always remember them by naming our children after them and researching our history, so that those who follow us may also know their heritage. —Katherine Mae Mason-Chavis (my aunt) This painting is for my ancestors. On the left is my great-great-great-grandfather, Pharoah Jackson Chesney. He was a pioneer— one of the first settlers of Knoxville, Tennessee. He lived to be 120 years old. On the right is my uncle, Jordan Douglass Chavis, Jr. He was a famous musician, the leader of a big band called “The Tennessee Collegians” from Tennessee State University. He was a musical pioneer. He started Tennessee State’s music department. In the center is my father, Cornelius Grant Mason, Jr., in the clothes he wore when he was a student pilot in the late 1940s. He, too, was a pioneer—part of the first group of Black pilots in America. 1 2 MY ANCESTORS written by Stephen Von Mason 3 1. Facts How was each of Stephen’s ancestors a pioneer? 2. Infer Why does the artist say the painting is for his ancestors? Check In heritage where a person comes from; what ancestors give you settlers people who come to a new place to live GLOSSARY Stephen Von Mason is a painter, printmaker, and fine art framer whose work is exhibited internationally. He was born in South Bend, Indiana, in 1954 and now lives in Oakland, California. 11 UNIT 1 Honoring Our Ancestors BLC23_SE_LB_U01_008-017_RD.indd 11 8/30/21 11:28 AM Teacher’s Edition • UNIT 1 | 11
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