So
many teenagers are afraid of sharing what they are feeling with another person.
For some it steams from a fear of rejection and the fear of exposing their
inner thoughts and feelings. The purpose of this unit is to allow students to
accept that they are going to be going through tough times but that they do not
have to suffer alone. There are ways to express yourself, and bottling up
emotions is not a healthy way of living. Many people are given a lot to work
with and some people can't handle it alone. As well as teenagers have the sense
that what they are going through is a unique and solo event. That only they as
a teen have experienced these emotions at this time, because of this reason. In
a reality that they are not willing to accept until they are older, but
everyone will go through similar, but not the same, event or crisis.
Teenagers
are also under the impression that what they do is what other teens will focus
in on instead of coping with their own issues. For instance everyone loves to
gossip and when you hear gossip it is never something positive about someone.
The gossip can be a hurtful and powerful enemy. Because of this teens often
feel that they have to suffer the slings and arrows of others. They never
realize that other people have feelings and that those feelings can be hurt by
their actions. For some because of what they hear and see another person do,
with out them actually knowing what that person is going through, they will
start to prejudge about that person and believe what they want to believe. They
often have trouble remembering other people's feelings as well as their own
feelings. In this unit the novel chosen by James Howe, The Watcher, and the
activities created the students will understand the full affect of their
emotions on themselves and others.
Howe's
"The Watcher" is about a young girl named Margaret who watches the summer
visitors of Fire Island. She never speaks a word to anyone, yet spends all her
time watching and writing in her journal. Behind closed doors Margaret is facing
family struggles and torment. No one on the outside has any idea what issues
and dilemmas this young girl is dealing with. Just as no one knows about her,
she has little Idea about the perfect people that she sees everyday. For one
young man is facing the demons of a absent father, and the other young man is
facing the passivity of his parents getting a divorce.
"The
Watcher" is written in a style format that I believe is very helpful to the
young adult readers. Margaret writes in her journal and that is how the
chapters start off. A glimpse into her thoughts and feelings as she creates
modified stories to explain what happens to her in her life. The format is a
personal touch that allows the reader to find a connection to the character.
Reading the novel as if they were reading a journal is better way to draw in
the readers attention. The language that Howe uses in his text is a beautiful
and imaginative way to express thoughts and feelings. Turning it into a journal
makes the story more realistic. In the journal entries the young girl expresses
many things that when turned with creative language help her avoid her fear and
frustration.
How
could the girl have known there was an angel?
She
had always been a prisoner. She had seen nothing of the island but what the
beast had allowed her to see. Then one day while the enchanted doll sang her
sad song a key fell from her pocket. The girl quickly grabbed it up before the
doll could notice.
For
when the doll was under the spell of the music she saw and heard nothing. And
so the girl was able to unlock the door and slip away. . . .
Her
heart was happy and sad at the same time. Happy because the ocean went on
forever and promised freedom. Sad because the ocean surrounded her little
island and meant prison. The girl began to cry. Then she heard fluttering of
wings. And there, There standing atop a wooden tower at the ocean's edge, she
beheld an angel folding his cloud white wings close against his body. He was
gazing out at the ocean, his head held high and proud. He did not see the girl.
Where
had he come from? What was he there? Perhaps the girl had prayed without
knowing and the angel was the answer to her prayers.
Students
and young adults should not fear their emotions and should definitely not hold
them insides. The damage that one can do by ignoring their thoughts and
feelings has often ended out in negative behavior. This book and unit plan
offers them insight to other books and outlets for their problems.
LAUNCHING
THE UNIT
Prior
to reading the novel introduce the children to the lyrics that the author has
added to the book in order to create a mood. The lyrics in the front of the
book are by The Rolling Stones. The lyrics are from the song, "You Cant Always
Get What You Want" written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The lyrics in the front of the book
are: You can't always get what you want/ But if you try sometimes, /You just
might find/ You get what you need.
1.
Things to think about prior to the novel in a class discussion. What do you
believe in the saying, "You can't judge a book by its cover?" What does it mean
and how does it make you feel? Why do you agree or disagree with this famous
quote.
a. Do you ever feel different from
everyone else? Is the media, your parents, your friends placing a hold on you
to be someone you are not? With one of our rights in this country as the
Freedom of Expression, why do you think most people choose not to use this
right?
b.
How do you express yourself? What are different types of outlets that one can
express themselves?
c.
Why are people afraid of expressing how they feel? If everyone is given
emotions why is it okay for some to show them and others not? What are the
stereotypes of emotions? Do you agree with the stereotypes or do you feel that
in recent times they are no longer present.
2.
Present the students with a brand new journal. Tell them that they have a
responsibility to write in the journal when ever they feel the need to. They
are not going to be sharing them with anyone unless they want to. The point of
this exercise is that they have a way to write what they are thinking. Tell the
students that in the journals it is not limited to only words, drawings,
scribbles, poems, lyrics, and anything they want may be added so that they can
fully understand and use this outlet.
a.
To give them all an entry in their journals present them with the hand out on
the "I am" poems. This exercise will show them that there is no wrong or right
answer in their feelings. (Courtesy of www.canteach.ca)
Method
: I AM
I am
(two special characteristics)
I
wonder ( something you are actually curious about)
I
hear ( an imaginary sound)
I
see ( an imaginary sight)
I
want ( an actual desire)
I am
( the first line of the poem again)
I
pretend (something you actually pretend to do)
I
feel ( a feeling about something imaginary)
I
touch ( an imaginary touch)
I
worry (something that really bothers you)
I
cry ( something that makes you very sad)
I am
( the first line of the poem restated)
I
understand ( something you know is true)
I
say ( something you believe in)
I
dream (something you actually dream about)
I
try ( something you really make an effort about)
I
hope ( something you actually hope for)
I am
( the first line of the poem again)
During
the reading of the book "The Watcher" ask the students to become the character
for a day. Have the students take their journals and head to a public place.
While they are there have them people watch. Observe the people that surround
them, and make up a story about them. Create with your mind what you think that
person is like. Who are they? What
is their name? What is their life story? What would I have in common with them?
What brought them to this place today?
Once
they do this exercise they will start to understand that the character in the
story could be anyone. Every one has their own personal story. Some of the
events that take place in their lives, could possibly taken place in our lives.
Since we are not aware of that, we should not jump to conclusions. Take the
time to get to know someone before creating a story of your own. Because even
though you think you know, you really have no idea.
Questions
about the book that they should be able to answer through out the book would
be, Which character did you relate to the most? Why did you feel a connection
to that character? If you didn't feel a connection, why not? How did you feel
about the way that Margaret kept to herself? Do you understand her fear? How
did you react at the end of novel? Where you surprised? Did you find the clues
in her journal entries about how her home life was? If the book continued on
for one more journal entry of Margaret, with the ending in your mind what do
you think the journal entry would say? Create the last journal entry as if you
were Margaret. How would the other characters in the play have written the
final chapter in journal style?
EXTENDING
THE UNIT
As
the students have spent the time reading this novel and creating their journal
entries as the students of other creative outlets. Since writing is only one
way of creating and expressing yourself how could one find a broader area.
1.
Acting: Finding a theatre group in the area that allows students to play a role
and express emotions that otherwise they'd be embarrassed to show as their own.
This is a helpful and motivating way to get students active.
2.
Musical Instrument: Music is one of the most creative ways to express yourself.
To create is to bring to life something unique and special. By giving this
power to a student is a wonderful way of allowing them to find an outlet.
3.
Art: Painting, drawing, sculpting any of these are great ways to have the
students use non verbal activities and still draw attention to what they are
feeling. The more they express themselves and allow it to flourish the better
the student will feel.
YOUNG
ADULT LITERATURE SELECTIONS
Go
Ask Alice by Anonymous was written
over twenty years ago as a diary form. This novel is the story of a teenage
girl and the extreme problems she faces. From an incident of taking drugs
without her knowledge to the hard ships she faces with her family and her
everyday life. This book is a bit more mature then some of the books listed
below but as being popular after twenty years and still connecting with teens it
is a good book to have to show one side of a teens life.
Teen
Angst: A celebration of REALLY BAD poetry by Sara Bynoe is a wonderful collection of poems created many years ago
by teens. These teens are now adults, but have given the author these poems to show
teens that no matter how hard life gets what you are going through you will get
through. At the start of each poem the author, now an adult, expresses the
reason they felt this way when they wrote it. As well as how they are feeling
now. The poems are little glimpses of what that person went through and the
explanation shows that they have overcome those problems.
The
Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is written in letter
forms. It is not made known who Charlie is writing letters to, but the letters
are how his story is told. Charlie writes these letters and in them talks about
how his everyday life is complicated and often feels like a waste. His friends,
family, love life, and school all create problems for him. In the letters he is
allowed to deal with the problems that he is having.
Truth
or Diary by Catherine Clark is
another diary form book. Courtney Von Dragen Smith is the main character.
Through this diary she expresses how her break up with her boyfriend is
affecting her. As well as the troubles at her job and the craziness that
follows her in high school. She speaks of how things always seem to be at its
worse when something even stranger happens to her.
Alice,
I Think by Susan Juby is a novel that is written in diary form. Alice
has given herself six goals and wants her best to follow them. Trying to better
herself she spends her time trying to accomplish this goals. This novel is a
humorous look at a teenager and the ever changing goals one creates to try and
fit in. Alice continues to learn about herself and find the real reasons why
she wants to change who she is.
California
Diaries: Series by Ann M. Martin is a
series of books written by a group of friends in school learning about the ways
of being a teenager. These books are written through each of the characters
eyes, and each book has a different font, style and approach to each story. The
character Dawn is a spin off from the popular series Babysitter's Club also by this author. However, in compassion to the
other series this series is more realistic with the language and the problems
that a teenager goes through. The storylines are a lot more complex then before
including, a mother suffering from an illness, eating disorder, love and
friendship, divorce, Step parents, and racism. This is a great series because
the characters are really given a personality in each diary. In some books the
character creates cartoons to express her daily problems. Each book is filled
with realistic touches.
Angus,
Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging by
Louise Rennison is a British novel written in diary form. This novel is more
tricky for some students because of the British slang used in the novel.
However, in the back of the book is a glossary of the British slang and the
meanings of them. This book is a fun and witty novel that shows that as a
British teen she is facing the same problems that American teens go through.
Trying to show a universal theme of teens all go through the same issues.
CONCLUDING
ACTIVITY
Once
the students have spent time with their journals and have read "The Watcher" they have a better understanding of the problems
teenagers go through. They also learn that no one really has to suffer in
silence. there are ways of expressing one's self. Through art, language, and
drama are all ways that this can be accomplished. Ask the students to go
through their journals and find a poem or entry that they wrote towards the
beginning of the unit. Hopefully at least a month or so has passed and they
have worked through the issues of that time. Ask them to take one of their
poems and reread it, this time once they finished reading their own work ask
them to write a small essay on how they feel now that that moment is over. For
some they still may be working with those issues, if that is the case re
reading the poem or entry can show them something they didn't see before. Since
some might be worried about showing their work the essay about how they feel
now would be something that could be collected and shared.
Works
Cited
Anonymous. Go Ask Alice. New York, NY: Simon Pulse, 1998
Bynoe, Sara. Teen Angst: A
celebration of REALLY BAD Poetry. New
York, NY: St. Martin's Griffin, 2005.
Chbosky, Stephen. The
Perks of Being a Wallflower. New
York, NY: Simon & Schuster
Inc., 1999.
Clark, Catherine. Truth or
Diary. New York, NY: Harper Tempest,
2000.
Howe, James. The Watcher. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1997.
Juby, Susan. Alice, I
Think. New York, NY: Harper Tempest,
2003.
Martin, Ann M. California
Diaries: The Series. New York, NY: Scholastic
Inc., 1997.
Rennison,
Louise. Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging. New York, NY: Harper Tempest, 2001.