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From ESL to Author Senior Presentation - Teacher Guide

 

 

About Rukhsana Khan

 

Rukhsana has been writing for over fifteen years with seven books published, several of which have been nominated and/or won various awards.  Along the way she also became a storyteller and has performed at numerous festivals. For more information please see her website:  www.rukhsanakhan.com

Rukhsana was born in Lahore, Pakistan and immigrated to Canada, with her family, at the age of three.  She began by writing for community magazines and went on to write songs and stories for the Adam's World children's videos.  She currently has seven books published and others under contract.  Rukhsana is a member of SCBWI, The Writers Union of Canada, CANSCAIP, and the Storytelling School of Toronto.   She lives in Toronto with her husband and family.  Rukhsana has four children, three girls and a boy.

 

From ESL to Author

 

This presentation touches on issues of racism, bullying and suicide that occur in middle and high schools.  Focusing on coping mechanisms, Rukhsana relates how she got through her difficult teen years, emerging with a better sense of who she is and what she stands for.

 

Themes in the Performance 

 

  • Wanting to fit in

  • Peer pressure

  • Being bullied means feeling isolated in your misery

  • There can be others in the classroom who are just as bullied

  • Trying to please others

  • The attempted suicide of a classmate and the callous behaviour of the bullies towards it

  • Wanting to stand up to the bullies but not having the courage

  • Learning that not speaking out against such injustices affects you deeply

  • Writing the novel Dahling if You Luv Me Would You Please Please Smile in order to address past wrongs by giving the main character the courage to stand up to the bullies in the exact same circumstance

  • The importance of finding ways to cope with feelings of loneliness and isolation

  • Coping mechanisms for such harassment can include reading books

  • The need to remember that even if you’re unpopular and picked on during these difficult years, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will always be that way.

  • The middle school and high school years are only a small part of one’s life. 

  • The importance of standing up to bullying even when it’s being done to others

 

Pre-Performance Discussion Topics and Activities

 

As a class, read the novel Dahling if You Luv Me Would You Please Please Smile.  It should be available through interlibrary loan.

 

Discussion Topics:

  1. Explain why Zainab wants Lucky brand jeans.  Do you think that even if she owned them things would be different for her at school?

  2. Examine the themes of manipulation and seeking approval in the novel. 

  3. What are the three forms of manipulation in the book?  Answer: a) fashion--wearing what’s popular b) religious--between Layla and Zainab c) sexual between Kevin and Jenny.

  4. How does Zainab’s desire for Lucky jeans fit into these themes?

  5. What job does Zainab's teacher, Mr. Weiss, offer her to get to know her classmates better?  Would you take that job?  Why or why not.

  6. Explain why Zainab doesn't really like Premini.  Are her feelings justified?

  7. How could someone learn from Jenny's mistakes?

  8. Retell the story between Kevin and Jenny in your own words.

  9. Zainab is hesitant to tell a story from her own culture.  What stories could you tell from yours?  Would you want to?

  10. How would you handle Layla if she were your sister?

  11. How would you feel if you were in Zainab's situation at school?  Would you remain friends with Jenny or not?

  12. Compare Zainab and Layla.  What qualities do they have in common, what is different?

  13. Investigate Zainab's religion in further detail.  Are there any similarities with that of your own?

  14. What was your favourite scene in the book?  Why?

  15. Predict what these characters will be like after the book ends:  Zainab, Jenny, Kevin, Premini, and Layla.

  16. Define the following terms in your own words: Zuhr, Quran, hadith, Paki, Islam, Allah, Muslim, Hindu

 

Activities:

 

  1. Read the folktale The Emperor’s New Clothes.

  2. In groups of four to five, act out the story.

  3. Discuss various fashion trends within the students’ lifetimes.  ie. Pokemon cards, Nike running shoes.  Discuss how fashion trends have changed, even within their lifetime.   Discuss how certain items or styles become necessary in order to be accepted by the group. 

  4. Show fashion trends from long ago bringing the students to the concept of ‘group think’, where acceptance from the group means adhering to their dress code and show how such fashions were often detrimental to the health of the people conforming to them. (ie. mice and spiders making nests in the huge powdered wigs women used to wear; how high heeled shoes change the shape of women’s feet and hurt their backs)

  5. The Ontario Science Centre has an excellent exhibit entitled “Harmful Fashions” which shows some of the physical problems that people have encountered through the ages in order to conform to what is considered fashionable.  Plan a trip to visit this exhibit.

  6. Have the students design their own ‘harmful fashion’ and make a poster that would try to convince people to buy their garment. Act out a commercial for your product.

  7. While reading Dahling, graph the number of pages you read during each of at least five sessions on five different days. Take notes, under the graph (can be a pie, bar, or line graph) as to why you think you got the results you did. Consider these elements: distractions, difficulty of text, hunger or other physical distractions, and tiredness.

 

Post Performance Discussion Topics and Activities

 

Discussion Topics: 

  1. As a class, discuss incidents in your past that you would like to have handled differently.

  2. Through discussion and brainstorming, generate ideas for writing a personal story about an aspect of your cultural background:  practices, religion, food, music, etc.

  3. Discuss what alternatives Jenny had besides trying to commit suicide.

  4. Brainstorm coping techniques for dealing with bullying, injustice, depression and embarrassment and other negative emotions.

 

Activities: 

  1. Using the ideas generated from the Discussion topic 1. to write a story where the protagonist takes the action that should have been taken.

  2. Draw up a writing plan (ie. outline, diagram, story map)

  3. Write an initial draft

  4. Discuss and revise the initial draft in order to clarify ideas and improve organization

  5. Edit initial draft to improve writing style and correct errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation

 

Drama and Music:  

  1. In groups of four to six, have the students dramatize a scene where they could neutralize a bullying situation.  Remind the groups that the idea of the exercise is not to humiliate the ‘bully’ but rather to promote an inclusive environment.

  2. Read Shylock’s speech from William Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice , Act III Scene I. (see Appendix 1) 

  3. Discuss why this was a good selection for Premini to recite.  (Zainab harbours feelings of racism towards Premini.  Shylock’s speech refers to the humanity of Jews and further applies to the humanity of all people.) 

  4. Memorize it and ‘audition’ with it.

  5. In pairs, practice the dramatic exercise “Darling if you love me would you please please smile” as outlined in the audition scene. 

  6. Discuss why this is a good title for the book.  (The exercise involves seeking approval from the person you’re trying to make smile and the whole novel is about seeking approval ie Jenny seeks Kevin’s approval/love, Zainab seeks Layla’s approval, Zainab seeks approval from Kevin’s gang etc.)

  7. Act out a scene from the play of Jehangir as it is outlined in Chapter 21:

    1. Find music that would accompany the play, and use it is as background set up for your scene.

    2. On a large poster size paper, design one set for a scene of the Jehangir play. Be sure to use color to represent the tone of the scene.

    3. In a group of no more than five, decide what jobs need to be accomplished to make the play come to life.

    4. Be sure the work is divided equally, and make a contract as to who will do what. Turn it, signed by the members, into your teacher.

    5. After the play is complete, write a journal discussing what you learned through the process of putting on this play.

    6. Compare your experience with that of Zainab’s. Be sure to discuss whether you would like to pursue more opportunities in drama (or not) and why.

    7. Explain how you could have done better, and what parts actually were easier than you thought.

 

Curriculum Connections: (grade 7 - 10)

 

Teachers please note: These curriculum connections were taken from the Ontario guidelines.  Curriculum requirements vary from board to board but many of these connections may be applicable to your classroom.

Intermediate: Language Arts

Listening and Speaking

  • demonstrate an understanding of the information and ideas in a variety of oral texts by summarizing important ideas and citing important details

  • extend understanding of oral texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights

  • identify the presentation strategies used in oral texts and analyse their effect on the audience

  • identify some non-verbal cues, including facial expression, gestures, and eye contact, and use them in oral communications, appropriately and with sensitivity towards cultural differences, to help convey their meaning 

 
 
Reading and Writing
 
  • read a wide variety of texts from diverse cultures, including literary texts
  • develop interpretations about texts using stated and implied ideas to support their interpretations
  • extend understanding of texts by connecting, comparing, and contrasting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights,
  • identify the topic, purpose, and audience for a variety of writing forms
  • gather information to support ideas for writing
  • establish a distinctive voice in their writing appropriate to the subject and audience
  • identify their point of view and other possible points of view 


 

Intermediate:  Character Education

  • explore bullying, discrimination, and racism in adolescent settings

  • demonstrate an empathy for peers

  • demonstrate an awareness of the cause and effects of inclusion and exclusion and social isolation the lives of adolescents

  • analysis the role of self-esteem and self-confidence in adolescent success