Power of Literacy Unit Project - Periods 1 & 6

Unit Project: The Power of Literacy

Essential Question: How does literacy and education relate to power?

Project Assignment:
You must write a 1 1/2 - 2 page descriptive essay where you explore these issues of literacy, education, and power in your own life and in The Pearl.  

• You must use at least one quote from The Pearl to support the ideas in your essay
• You must use at least 2 quotes from your own writing (homework, portfolio entries, and do-nows) to support the ideas in your essay.

Part 1:
From this unit, how do you define or explain literacy? And, how does this this understanding of literacy relate events and characters in the The Pearl?
(1-2 paragraphs)
Ideas to think about:

• Reading the Word and the World
• Moment of Poor Communication (Portfolio Entry)
• Music and Culture
• Communicating with family and friends vs. communicating with strangers and people you dislike

Part 2:
From this definition of literacy, describe how you use literacy to make you powerful.
(1-2 paragraphs)
Ideas to think about:

• Where do you feel comfortable communicating?
• Where does it feel like your voice is heard and validated?
• How do you express yourself the best?
• Where do you communicate and express yourself often? (School, out on weekends, on the phone, dance, singing, Facebook)

Part 3:
From the same definition of literacy, describe how Kino’s literacy abilities make him powerful or weak during one of the following critical situations in the book.
(1-2 paragraphs)
Critical Situations that you could use:

• Kino’s visit to the doctor’s house when the servant refuses to speak the native language.
• When the doctor visits Kino’s hut to service Coyotito (after he heard about them finding the pearl).
• When Kino attempts to sell the pearl to the traders.
• Kino’s expedition to the capitol city where he is followed by trackers who want to steal the pearl from him.

Part 4:
Compare your literacy with Kino’s literacy.  In what ways is your literacy different?  In what ways are they the same?
(1-2 paragraphs)
Ideas to think about:

• How do you read the word and the world?
• How does Kino read the word and the world?
• How would it be possible for you and Kino to communicate?