lesson 24 teacher’s guide voice of freedom · pdf filelesson 24 teacher’s guide...

Number of Words: 2,235

L E S S O N 2 4 T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E

Voice of Freedomby Joann Mulvaney Messier

Fountas-Pinnell Level XNarrative NonfictionSelection SummaryThe country of Burma, also known as Myanmar, is led by a strict military government. Inspired by her father, the founder of modern Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi uses peaceful means to promote political and social change. Her peaceful resistance led to house arrest. Still, Suu Kyi continues to symbolize hope to people around the world.

Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal copyright law. Permission is hereby granted to individual teachers using the corresponding (discipline) Leveled Readers to photocopy student worksheets from this publication in classroom quantities for instructional use and not for resale. Requests for information on other matters regarding duplication of this work should be addressed to Houghton Miffl in Harcourt Publishing Company, Attn: Contracts, Copyrights, and Licensing, 9400 SouthPark Center Loop, Orlando, Florida 32819. Printed in the U.S.A. 978-0-547-31089-3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0940 15 14 13 12 11 10 09

If you have received these materials as examination copies free of charge, Houghton Miffl in Harcourt Publishing Company retains title to the materials and they may not be resold. Resale of examination copies is strictly prohibited.

Possession of this publication in print format does not entitle users to convert this publication, or any portion of it, into electronic format.

Characteristics of the Text Genre • Narrative nonfi ction

Text Structure • Third-person narrative, organized into eight chapters • Structures such as cause/effect and problem/solution explain history of Burma• Text organization includes insets providing further information on topics

Content • Burma/Myanmar • Suu Kyi’s sacrifi ce and fi ght for democracy

Themes and Ideas • Promoting social and political change requires risk and sacrifi ce. • The work of great people can inspire and help others effect change in the world.

Language and Literary Features

• Setting in distant place and time very different from students’ experience • Extensive quotation from Suu Kyi’s book and Alexander’s speech • Inference required to understand why Suu Kyi acts as she does

Sentence Complexity • Some long sentences, but most written straightforward and concisely • Some dialogue used to convey Suu Kyi’s message• Use of compound and complex sentences

Vocabulary • Many terms related to political science, such as recognize, socialism, United NationsWords • Many multisyllable words of non-English origin

Illustrations • Graphics include maps and photographs to represent concepts such as democracy• Photographs from Burma show protest scenes, leaders, country fl ag

Book and Print Features • Eighteen pages of generously-spaced text, some spreads with little illustration © 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

6_310893_OL_LRTG_L24_VoiceOfFreedom.indd 1 11/5/09 3:35:35 PM

Target Vocabulary

agitation – a feeling of nervous excitement or emotional disturbance, p. 17

conceive – to form or develop an idea, p. 9

controversy – a public disagreement about an issue, p. 9

distinguished – highly respected and recognized for

achievements, p. 6ecstasy – extreme happiness,

p. 12inclined – to have a preference

for or tendency toward something, p. 10

prejudice – a judgment or opinion formed unfairly or without knowing all the facts, p. 13

regal – characteristic of or suitable for a king or a queen, p. 15

serene – calm and undisturbed, p. 12

signifi cance – meaning or importance, p. 9

Voice of Freedom by Joann Mulvaney Messier

Build BackgroundHelp students use their knowledge of government and protest to understand the selection. Build interest by asking a question such as the following: What have you learned previously about protesting against unfair governments? Read the title and author and talk about the cover photograph. Tell students that this selection is informational text, and ask them what kinds of features they can expect to fi nd.

Introduce the TextGuide students through the text, noting important ideas, and helping with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Here are some suggestions:

Page 3: Explain that Suu Kyi is working for freedom in her home country of Burma. Suggested language: In the quote on page 3, Suu Kyi compares fear with prison. Freedom can overcome fear. What is freedom?

Pages 4–6: Tell students that Burma became an independent country after hundreds of years. Then a strict government took over in 1962. It even changed the location of the country’s capital. Independent is a synonym for freedom. Ask: Why would a strict government want to change the capital, or seat of government?

Pages 9–11: Make sure students understand the meaning of democracy. Point out the feature on democracy. Ask: Why do you think Suu Kyi’s work caused controversy as she tried to make Burma a democracy?

Page 13: Explain that Suu Kyi’s brave work created problems for the strict government. Ask: Why do you think someone would make sacrifi ces to challenge the way a government operated?

Now turn back to the beginning of the selection and read to learn how Suu Kyi became a prominent fi gure and a voice for peace and change in Burma.

2 Lesson 24: Voice of FreedomGrade 6© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

6_310893_OL_LRTG_L24_VoiceOfFreedom.indd 26_310893_OL_LRTG_L24_VoiceOfFreedom.indd 2 7/24/09 2:29:39 PM7/24/09 2:29:39 PM

ReadHave students read silently while you listen to individual students read aloud. Support their understanding of the text as needed.

Remind students to use the Question Strategy and to ask and answer questions about the text as they read.

Discuss and Revisit the TextPersonal ResponseInvite students to share their personal responses to the text. Suggested language: When did Suu Kyi think protest was justifi ed? Do you agree with her point of view? Why or why not?

Ways of ThinkingAs you discuss the text, help students understand these points:

Thinking Within the Text Thinking Beyond the Text Thinking About the Text

• Aung San Suu Kyi has promoted peace and change in Burma since 1988.

• In spite of her peaceful attempts to work with the government, Suu Kyi has been under house arrest various times in the last 20 years.

• Suu Kyi’s brave resistance has helped capture the world’s sympathy for her cause.

• The efforts that Suu Kyi has made to change Burma have affected her personal life and her freedom.

• In spite of living away from Burma for more than 25 years, Suu Kyi returned to continue her father’s sacrifi cial work for peace and justice in Burma.

• The text explains the history of Burma and why it is under oppressive leadership today.

• The author includes important quotations so readers can refl ect on Suu Kyi’s philosophies.

• The biographical inset about Aung San helps readers connect how her father shaped Suu Kyi’s work for promoting peace and change.

© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

Choices for Further Support• Fluency Invite students to work in partners and choose a passage from the text to

demonstrate phrased fl uent reading. Remind them to adjust intonation when reading quoted text, such as from Suu Kyi’s essay on page 9.

• Comprehension Based on your observations of the students’ reading and discussion, revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind students to go back to the text to support their ideas.

• Phonics/Word Work Provide practice as needed with words and word parts, using examples from the text. Remind students that some words are from Latin origin. For example, publisher is derived from the Latin word publicus, meaning “public.”



Writing about ReadingCritical ThinkingHave students complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 24.8.

RespondingHave students complete the activities at the back of the book, using their Reader’s Notebook. Use the instruction below as needed to reinforce or extend understanding of the comprehension skill.

Target Comprehension SkillAuthor’s Purpose

Target Comprehension Skill Remind students that they can identify an author’s

general purpose for having written the text as they read. Model how to add details to the Graphic Organizer, using a “Think Aloud” like the one below:

Think Aloud

What did the author tell you about Suu Kyi? What does it say about her purpose in writing this text? One part of the chart is fi lled in, telling that Burma has a strict military government. You might conclude that the author is persuading readers to conclude that Suu Kyi should be freed to promote peace in Burma. Write other details that support this conclusion.

Practice the SkillHave students share an example of another selection they have read in which the author’s purpose was to show a brave person who peacefully challenges oppressive government rule.

Writing Prompt: Thinking About the TextHave students write a response to the prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they think about the text, they refl ect back on the text. They should notice and evaluate language, genre, literary devices, and how the text is organized.

Assessment Prompts• How does the author organize information about Suu Kyi’s early life?

• Why does the author provide information about Gandhi on page 7?

• What are two facts in Chapter 1 that support the idea that Burma is under oppressive rule?



Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text How long had Suu Kyi been away from Burma

before returning?

2. Think within the text What did she learn from studying Gandhi

in India?

3. Think beyond the text Why do you think the author writes about

people like Suu Kyi and Gandhi? Why do you think she tells of their

personal sacrifi ces to improve things for others?

4. Think about the text According to the selection, the military is in

control in Burma. What do you predict will happen in the future?

Making Connections Suu Kyi has made many sacrifices for a cause she feels strongly about. What is one cause for which you would be willing to make sacrifices? Explain why you would be committed to that cause.

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

Name Date Lesson 24

B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 2 4 . 8

Voice of FreedomCritical Thinking

10Critical Thinking© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Grade 6, Unit 5: Taking Charge of Change

Suu Kyi has been away from Burma for 25 years before returning.

She learned that peaceful methods can bring about change.

She wants to show people how individuals can bring about

change. She wants to show how they put the betterment of their

country ahead of their own needs.

Possible responses shown.

If people like Suu Kyi continue to work for freedom, I predict that

Burma will eventually be free.

24.08_6_246260RNLEAN_Crtl Thk.in10 10 6/22/09 2:44:23 PM

English Language DevelopmentReading Support Pair advanced and intermediate readers to read the text softly, or have students listen to the audio or online recordings. Remind students that Suu Kyi fought for democracy in her country.

Idioms Explain to students that fell, as used on page 4, refers to the transfer of power between one ruling power and another ruling power.

Oral Language DevelopmentCheck student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’ English profi ciency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student.

Beginning/Early Intermediate Intermediate Early Advanced/ Advanced

Speaker 1: Who is this text about?

Speaker 2: Aung San Suu Kyi

Speaker 1: Where does Suu Kyi live?

Speaker 2: Burma

Speaker 1: What is another name for Burma?

Speaker 2: Myanmar

Speaker 1: What did Aung San do?

Speaker 2: He was the founder of modern Burma.

Speaker 1: Why did Suu Kyi return to Burma?

Speaker 2: She could not ignore Burma’s problems.

Speaker 1: Why is Suu Kyi currently under house arrest?

Speaker 2: When she and other members of the NLD were talking to crowds in 2003, a military group agitated the NLD members. Violence resulted and the NLD was closed. Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest.



Name Date

Voice of Freedom Thinking About the Text

Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in two or three paragraphs.

Remember that when you think about the text, you reflect back on the text. You notice and evaluate language, genre, literary devices, and how the text is organized.

On pages 17 and 18, the author explains that life in Burma today does not offer basic human rights, and the people do not have many freedoms. Which sentences or paragraphs from the text support the author’s conclusions? How does this information help you understand the author’s purpose?



Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text How long had Suu Kyi been away from Burma

before returning?

2. Think within the text What did she learn from studying Gandhi

in India?

3. Think beyond the text Why do you think the author writes about

people like Suu Kyi and Gandhi? Why do you think she tells of their

personal sacrifi ces to improve things for others?

4. Think about the text According to the selection, the military is in

control in Burma. What do you predict will happen in the future?

Making Connections Suu Kyi has made many sacrifices for a cause she feels strongly about. What is one cause for which you would be willing to make sacrifices? Explain why you would be committed to that cause.

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

Name Date

Lesson 24B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 2 4 . 8

Voice of FreedomCritical Thinking



1414

522


Student Date Lesson 24

B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 2 4 . 1 2

Voice of FreedomRunning Record Form

Voice of Freedom • LEVEL X

Behavior Code Error

Read word correctly ✓cat 0

Repeated word, sentence, or phrase

®cat

0

Omission —cat 1

Behavior Code Error

Substitution cutcat 1

Self-corrects cut sccat 0

Insertion the

ˆcat 1

Word told Tcat 1

page Selection Text Errors Self-Corrections

12 The military followed Suu Kyi and her supporters wherever

they went. They even threatened people’s lives. On April 5,

1989, Suu Kyi was outside of Rangoon. She stood bravely

before six soldiers who had orders to kill her. Asking her

supporters to stand aside, Suu Kyi walked calmly toward the

soldiers. They aimed their rifles at her. At the last minute, the

order to shoot was taken back. Many were impressed by the

serene way Suu Kyi had reacted.

On July 20, 1989, Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest in

Rangoon.

Comments: Accuracy Rate (# words read

correctly/92 × 100)

%

Total Self- Corrections


lesson 24 teacher’s guide voice of freedom · pdf filelesson 24 teacher’s guide...

Documents