HONORS
How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents Agenda Chart – STUDENT’S COPY
Note: Sometimes, your discussion board post will be in the warm up. Do it before you read. Others times it will be in the
Discussion Board Prompt column to do after you read.
Warm up / Task Do
Day 1 –
Objective: Students will understand the social and historical background for the novel
1. Watch Julia Alvarez bio video 1. Complete video questions and submit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwdGRx9
- 2. Do What Makes You Who You Are?
Qgw&list=PLe4FZqE5cUNPoH_uRA_VmsNxeEr Survey
PA13_0&index=5
3. Then do General Reflections post
and
4. Then Find an object that reflects your
Rafael Trujillo video identity; take a picture and post it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXlcRg5F along with a completed identity/object
BCo&list=PLe4FZqE5cUNPoH_uRA_VmsNxeErP reflection form
A13_0&index=4&t=0s
-Step #1: Describe the object
-Step #2: Describe its significance: Ask yourself, what
2. Review Julie Alvarez and How the Garcia Girls
does it reveal about you?
Lost Their Accents” PPT -Step #3: Offer a personal story about the object:
Answer, what connects you to the object
-Step #4: Craft a one sentence descriptor that relates
the object to your identity
DISCUSSION BOARD POST #1: POST
COMPLETED IDENTITY OBJECT
REFLECTION FORM
Respond to at least 1 of your
classmates’ posts
Discussion Board Prompt Due
Date
DISCUSSION BOARD POST #2: Read the select passage from Video
How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents that connects into questions
what we’ll be investigating today. due
4/14
The following is taken from pg. 215 of the novel, and
describes actions that the four sisters are forced to take
upon leaving their homeland of the Dominican Republic.
How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents excerpt –pg. 215
Sandi followed her sisters into their side-by-side bedrooms. They What
stood in a scared little huddle, feeling strangely careful with each Makes You
other. Yoyo turned to her. “What are you taking?” Fifi had already Who You
decided on her baby doll and Carla was going through her private box Are?
of jewelry and mementos. Yoyo fondled her revolver. &
Identity/
Object
It was strange how when held up to the absolute phrase – the one
Reflection
toy I really want – nothing quite filled the hole that was opening wide
and
inside Sandi. Not the doll whose long hair you could roll and comb
Discussion
into hairdos, not the loom for making pot holders that Mami was so posts due
thankful for, not the glass dome that you turned over and pretty 4/15
flakes fell on a little red house in the woods. Nothing would quite fill
that need, even years after…
Now, we know nothing about these four girls at this point,
but I want you to use only their names and the object they
selected and make an inference about each girl’s identity.
Name of the girl / Object selected / Identity inference: What does their object
suggest about them?
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Warm up / Task Do Discussion Board Prompt Due
Date
Day 2 – 3
Objective:
 Students will understand how literary devices are used to advance the message in the text
 Students will be able to characterize the traits of the main characters and discuss how those traits contribute to the conflict in the narrative
Essential Question:
 What impact does one’s religion, culture, age or gender have on identity?
1. Read chapter 1 DISCUSSION BOARD POST #3: 4/17
lit terms: hyperbole, metaphor 2. Complete questions
TBA

Day 4-5
Objective:
 Students will be able to characterize the traits of the main characters and discuss how those traits contribute to the conflict in the narrative
Essential Question:
 What impact does one’s religion, culture, age or gender have on identity?
 How are names an embodiment of identity?

Warm up: Think of a time when you were so hurt 1. Read chapter 2 DISCUSSION POST #4: 4/21
by someone that you intentionally did something 2. Complete questions
to them that you knew would upset them? What TBA
was the outcome?

KEEP THIS IN MIND AS YOU READ CHAPTER 2

Warm up / Task Do Discussion Board Prompt Due

Date
Day 6-7 –
Objective:
 Students will understand the characters’ struggle to establish a separate identity from one another
 Students will be able to characterize the traits of the main characters and discuss how those traits contribute to the conflict in the narrative
Essential Question:
 What impact does one’s religion, culture, age or gender have on identity?
 How are names an embodiment of identity?

WARM UP 1. Read chapter 3 4/23

Review color symbolism chart 2. Complete questions
DISCUSSION POST #5:
 TBA
lit. terms: cliché
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Warm up / Task Do Discussion Board Prompt Due
Date
Day 8-9 –
Objective: Students will identify symbols and explain how they reflect identity issues
Essential Question: How do the symbols used by Alvarez help to further the themes in relation to identity?
Lit Term: Symbolism - A symbol is literary device
that contains several layers of meaning, often
concealed at first sight, and is representative of
several other aspects, concepts or traits than those
that are visible in the literal translation alone.
Symbol is using an object or action that means
something more than its literal meaning.
DISCUSSION POST #6: 4/27
 TBA
DISCUSSION POST #7: 1. Open Symbol SAY MEAN MATTER chart 4/29
• TBA 2. Read chapter 4 and track symbols
3. Complete questions
4. Add to symbols chart
Day 10-11
Objective: Students will understand the impact of language and word choice in relation to communication and conflict in the text
Essential Question:
 What impact does one’s religion, culture, age or gender have on identity?
 How do the differences in culture impact language and (mis)communication?
DISCUSSION POST #8: 1. Continue working on symbols chart – 5/1
 TBA Guavas and Black Bird should be
completed / discuss significance
2. Read chapter 5
3. Complete questions
Day 12-13
Objective: Students will trace the development of each character’s conflict and struggle with identity.
Essential Question: What impact does one’s religion, culture, age or gender have on identity?

DISCUSSION POST #9: 1. Look up definition for Revolution (think DISCUSSION POST #10: 5/5
 TBA politics, not rotation): What is a
revolution? What must happen in order  TBA
for a revolution to occur?
2. keep in mind as you read chapter 6
3. Read chapter 6
4. Do Chapter questions
5. Add to Symbols chart if able
Lit Term: Allusion
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Think of a time when you got in trouble (when
someone told on you or you just got caught) and 
you thought it was the end of the world, but later
realized it was probably for the best. What did you
get in trouble for, what did it reveal about your
character (be honest) and what did you learn in the
end?
KEEP THAT IN MIND AS YOU READ

Warm up / Task Do Discussion Board Prompt Due

Date
Day 14-15
Objective:
 Students will understand the difficulties felt by those from other countries when trying to balance their identities between native and new American cultures as they relate
to language, assimilation, sexuality, etc…
Essential Question: What impact does one’s religion, culture, age or gender have on identity?
How can setting cause conflicts of identity?
1. Read BOOK II Chapter 2 (chap 7) 1. What happens when a person has to learn to live in a new setting? 5/8
Daughter of Invention (give charts to 2. How does dominant culture affect identity?
complete) Respond in no less than 50 words
2. Complete Conflict chart
3. Complete questions Also respond to at least 2 of your classmates’ posts in no less than 50
4. Add to symbols words

Day 16
Objective:
 Students will understand the difficulties felt by those from other countries when trying to balance their identities between native and new American cultures as they relate
to racism, language, assimilation, sexuality, etc…
Essential Question: What impact does abuse (in various forms) have on one’s developing identity?

Read the following article: 1. Read “Trespass” BOOK II Chapter 3 5/13

“Childhood Psychological Abuse as Harmful as (chap 8)
Sexual or Physical Abuse” found at 2. complete questions
https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/20 3. Add to symbols chart if possible
14/10/psychological-abuse

DISCUSSION BOARD POST #11:

 TBA
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Warm up / Task Do Discussion Board Prompt Due
Date
Day 17
Objective: Students will trace the development of each character’s conflict and struggle with identity.
Essential Question: What impact does one’s religion, culture, age or gender have on identity?

1. Read BOOK II Chapter 4 (9)– “Snow” 5/15

2. complete questions
3. Add to symbols chart if possible
Day 18
Objective: Students will trace the development of each character’s conflict and struggle with identity.
Essential Question: What impact does one’s religion, culture, age or gender have on identity?

1. Read BOOK II Chapter 5 (10) “Floor DISCUSSION BOARD POST #12: 5/19
Show”  TBA
2. complete questions
3. Add to symbols chart if possible
Day 19-20
Objective:
 Students will trace the development of each character’s conflict and struggle with identity.
 Students will recognize and understand the significance of shifting points of view
Essential Question: What impact does one’s religion, culture, age or gender have on identity?
How can an in-depth understanding of our past, inform our future?

Lit Term: Point-of-view 1. Read BOOK III Chapter 1 (11)"The 5/22

Blood of the Conquistadores I"
Look at POV and why it’s important (how the tale is 2. Read "The Blood of the
colored / what and how info is presented) Conquistadores II"
3. complete questions for both
4. Add to symbols chart if possible
Day 21-22
Objective:
 Students will trace the development of each character’s conflict and struggle with identity.
 Students will understand the double standard as it relates to the sexuality of men and women and its impact on identity
Essential Question:
 What impact does one’s religion, culture, age or gender have on identity?
 How do social expectations of sexuality impact development of sexual identity? / How can social convention test one's sense of individualism?
1. Read “The Human Body” DISCUSSION BOARD POST #13 for “The Human Body”: 5/26
2. complete questions  TBA
3. Add to symbols chart if possible
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Warm up / Task Do Discussion Board Prompt Due
Date
Day 23-25
Objective:
 Students will trace the development of each character’s conflict and struggle with identity.
 Students will understand the lasting psychological impact of removing young people from their mothers (biological & motherland) too soon & its impact on healthy
identity development
Essential Question:
 What impact does one’s religion, culture, age or gender have on identity?
 How can removing individuals from their cultural heritage impact their identity?
1. Read “Still Lives” , DISCUSSION BOARD POST #14 for “The Drum”: 5/29
2. Read “An American Surprise”  TBA
3. Read “The Drum”
4. complete questions
5. Add to symbols chart if possible

Day 26-27
Objective: Students will trace the development of each character’s conflict and struggle with identity.
Essential Question: What impact does one’s religion, culture, age or gender have on identity?

Complete Overall Questions Final DISCUSSION BOARD POST #15: 6/2

 TBA

FINAL ASSESSMENT TO BE ANNOUNCED