Fallen Angels Multiple Text Assignment
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Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers follows 17-year-old Richie Perry, who joins the military out of despair for his future in Harlem and is sent to Vietnam despite being injured. The novel explores the horrifying realities of war and the coming-of-age journey of Richie as he faces tragedies while maintaining his humanity. With themes of war, friendship, and the impact of combat, the text is powerful yet may be unsuitable for all readers, prompting discussions about its appropriateness in educational settings.
Fallen Angels Multiple Text Assignment
- 1. Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers MICHELLE COLQUITT MULTIPLE TEXT ASSIGNMENT JULY 8, 2015
- 2. Richie Perry is a 17 year old High School graduate from Harlem, New York. Richie did not believe he had much of a future in Harlem, so he decided to join the military. Richie, an excellent basketball player, becomes injured early in his military career, but is still sent to Vietnam regardless of having a medical profile that should eliminate him from combat. Richie enters combat in Vietnam in the latter part of 1967. Richie, and the rest of the Army, believes that combat will over by the end of 1967. This was not the case. Fallen Angels outlines the intense horrors and atrocities of the Viet Nam War. Richie is a very relatable character who ultimately overcomes multiple tragedies without losing his humanity. Fallen Angels has a remarkable cast of supporting characters. The reader is genuinely rooting for the success of Richie and his comrades by the end of this book. Myers related the atrocities of war in a very truthful light, therefore, this book might not be appropriate for all readers. The Teacher, Media Specialist, and parents should work in concert to determine if the student in question should read this text. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall en_Angels_(Myers_novel)
- 3. Fallen Angels Themes, Facts, and Awards Themes • Coming of Age • Ambiguity of War and Life • The Atrocities of War • LOVE and friendship Facts Fallen Angels has consistently been challenged since its publication in 1988. In recent data from the American Library Association (ALA), Fallen Angels was either banned or challenged as recently as 2004 (when it was the second most challenged/banned book) for offensive language, racism, and violence (http://www.ala.org/bbooks/freque ntlychallengedbooks/top10#topte nlists). Awards Fallen Angels won the Coretta Scott King Award in 1988. The Coretta Scott King Awards are issued “for outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values” (ALA, 1996). http://www.ala.org/emiert/cskbookawar ds
- 4. Fallen Angels Pre-Read Activity As a pre-read activity, our class will view the documentary Vietnam: a Brief History on YouTube. The classroom teacher will facilitate a discussion about the history, causes, and aftermath of the Vietnam War.
- 5. Pre-Read Activity ELA Standards The pre-read activity provides students with a foundational knowledge of events of the Vietnam War. Students would view this documentary prior to beginning Fallen Angels. The pre-read activity will address the following Georgia Common Core Standards: ELACC11-12SL1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions(one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. b. Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed. c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives. d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task
- 6. Pre-Read Activity ELA Standards Contd. ELACC11-12SL2: Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data. ELACC11-12SL3: Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used Support of Text: Viewing the Vietnam documentary will provide students who might not know anything about the Vietnam War with a foundation of knowledge about the facts of the War and what to expect when reading Fallen Angels.
- 7. Fallen Angels Activity Two—Wartime Art Believe it or not, art and artists played a very important role in the Vietnam War. In fact, there was a division of artists who were embedded and fighting in the war. These artists collectively worked as the Vietnam Combat Artists Program. Students, based on what you have read so far, please create a piece of artwork (using any medium you would like) to represent Fallen Angels. Students, you will not be judged based on your artistic abilities, but on your creativeness and how closely this piece of artwork relates to Fallen Angels. Support of Text: This resource supports the text in that it allows the student to have a visual representation of Vietnam. Art can lead to fruitful discussions of culture and can allow students who might be visual learners the opportunity to create a visual representation of wartime and Vietnamese culture.
- 8. PERIMETER OF ARTY PASS AT BEAR CAT by Robert T. Myers, CAT III, 1967 https://goo.gl/xRVCFU
- 9. Activity Two—Wartime Art ELA Standards ELACC11-12RI7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented indifferent media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem. PLUS, Art is pretty amazing to study!!—Mrs. Colquitt’s opinion.
- 10. Fallen Angels Activity Three—Wartime Poetry Poetry is an important medium in which feelings can be expressed. Emotions and feelings that might be difficult to process can be released by therapeutic poetry. For this assignment, students will read Vietnam War Poetry by Curt Bennett. Specifically the poem Profanity, and at least 3 other poems of their choosing. Students will be required to create a poem consisting of at least 5 Facts about the Vietnam War. They will need to write this as if a character from Fallen Angels was writing the poem. Support of Text: The use of poetry in concert with Fallen Angels can provide students who might have difficulties in processing the atrocities of war with an outlet to release some of their feelings and emotions upon reading Fallen Angels.
- 11. Profanity Poem by: Curt Bennett PROFANITY When hungry bullets Chew into soft airplane bodies Sending dials and gauges Spinning in whirling circles… When the little red warning lights Scream in alarm, "blink-red", "blink-red", "blink-red"! It is then you discover The beauty of profanity! And the need to know all the words! But in no particular order. Curt Bennett Copyright Curt Bennett © 2003
- 12. Fallen Angels Activity Three—Wartime Poetry ELA Standards ELACC11-12W4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. ELACC11-12W7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation
- 13. Fallen Angels Activity Four—Vietnam War in Popular Music Popular music of the 1960s and 1970s frequently included references to the Vietnam War. Please find one piece of music from the era and relate it back to Fallen Angels, writing at least a one page summary of how Fallen Angels relates to the music. Questions to consider are: What happens to Richie Perry and other characters when the go back to the WORLD? How deeply have Richie and his comrades changed? Is it for the better? For the worse? Is it ambiguous? If you are unable to find a piece of music you feel relates to Fallen Angels, please feel free to write your own song about Fallen Angels. Our class will listen to and discuss “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival. The discussion will start with the probe “Do you think that Richie Perry was a fortunate son?” Support of Text: Music is a great medium of expression. Sometimes music is the only way an individual can express their feelings. Richie Perry is extremely fortunate in that he made it out of Vietnam alive when so many of his comrades perished. Richie Perry is extremely unfortunate in that he even had to go to Vietnam in the first place.
- 14. Fallen Angels Activity Four—Vietnam War in Popular Music Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival
- 15. Fallen Angels Activity Four—Vietnam War in Popular Music ELA Standards ELACC11-12RL2: Determine two or more themes or central ideas of text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text. ELACC11-12RL5: Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
- 16. Reflection Summary Fallen Angels, despite its age, is a wonderful text that a wide variety of readers can relate with. Further, Fallen Angels generates many genuine and unique reading experiences. The shared experiences of learning about the Vietnam War, art, poetry, and music within the Vietnam War will generate the ability to relate deeply with the text. Therefore, meaningful learning will occur. Fallen Angels is a timeless text that can be easily taught and related to current events (i.e. the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan). This might provide students who are contemplating military life with a straight-forward, no frills attached, view of life in military service.
- 17. References 11th -12th Grade English Language Arts Common Core Georgia Performance Standards (ELA CCGPS). (2012, July 15). Retrieved July 9, 2015, from https://www.georgiastandards.org/GeorgiaStandards/Frameworks/CCGPS_ELA_11- 12_Standards(AmerLit).pdf Bennett, C. (2003). Poetry of the Vietnam War. Retrieved July 9, 2015, from http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/vietnam.htm#VIETNAMESE MORNING Creedence Clearwater Revival: Fortunate Son. (2007, October 26). Retrieved July 9, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec0XKhAHR5I Fallen Angels (Myers novel). (2015, May 16). Retrieved July 9, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallen_Angels_(Myers_novel)
- 18. References Continued Frequently challenged books of the 21st century. (1996). Retrieved July 9, 2015, from http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10#toptenlists Myers, W. (2008). Fallen angels (Special anniversary ed.). New York: Scholastic. The Coretta Scott King Book Awards. (1996). Retrieved July 9, 2015, from http://www.ala.org/emiert/cskbookawards Vietnam Combat Artists Program. (2014, February 15). Retrieved July 9, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_Combat_Artists_Program Vietnam: A brief history. (2008, April 29). Retrieved July 9, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgW0o-Ui94k