English Language Arts A30
Module 1
Lesson 2
I am your relative. My father is sun, the source of life;
my mother is earth, who provides life with nourishment;
my grandmother is moon, who provides light when there is
darkness; and my grandfather is morning star,
providing the guidance to a new day.
Anonymous
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
Objectives
As a student of language arts and communication processes, in
Lesson Two of the English Language Arts A30 course, you will
have the opportunity to:

reflect on the practices of an effective reader.

determine purpose for reading.

recognize nonfiction prose.

choose a nonfiction book.

record responses in a response journal.

practice the behaviours of an effective reader.

read a variety of literary selections.

plan, write and revise a explanatory paragraph.

determine a purpose for listening and speaking.

practice the behaviours of effective listeners and speakers.

speak to inform.

prepare and present an oral reading of a poem.

build vocabulary.
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
Resources
Poetry
“Not Just A Platform For My Dance” by Marilyn Dumont
http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/resources/elaA30-SKED/module1/lesson2c.html
“Moon Songs” by Randy Lundy (Sundog Highway)
“Heat” by Archibald Lampman
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/heat-2/
Articles
“Time to rediscover our place in nature” by David Suzuki
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/about_us/Dr_David_Suzuki/Article_Archives/weekly042
50301.asp
Nonfiction Books
(choose one)
The Concubines Children by Denise Chong
Deemed Unsuitable by R. Bruce Shepard
Gully Farm by Mary Hiemstra
Half-breed by Maria Campbell
The Secret Live of Sgt. John Wilson by Lois Simmie
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
Lesson Two: Canada: Diverse Landscapes and People
Introduction
The impulse to create, in one form or another, and to respond to the creative works
of others are important human attributes. While few of us are creative geniuses, we
are all enriched by the creative output of those individuals who are. However, even
as respondents to the works of other people, we play an important role in the
creative process. As readers we bring our own attitudes, values and experiences to
what we read. In this way, we shape meaning for ourselves.
In Lesson Two you will choose a Canadian nonfiction book to read, and examine the
reading process. In this lesson you will also read selections which focus on our vast
and varied land, how we take care of it and how nature and how the seasons affect
our lives.
When one thinks of the influence of a place on one’s writing, two
aspects come to mind. First, the physical presence of the place itself—
its geography, its appearance. Second, the people.
Margaret Laurence
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
The Reading Process
If we can read, we can live . . . as many kinds of lives as we wish.
S.I. Hayakawa
Reading is a transaction between a piece of writing and, you, the reader. As you
read, you search for and construct meaning based on what you bring to the literary
selection and what the piece of writing brings to you.
Reflection
Now that you have an idea about your learning style, it is also a good idea to reflect
upon your attitudes toward communication processes and English Language Arts.


Do you see yourself as an effective reader?
Do you enjoy reading?
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
Self-assessment can often tell a person about her interests, confidence levels, and
learning needs. Below is a survey that reflects the traits of effective readers. This
survey is for your own knowledge. It is not to be sent in with your assignment.
Traits of Effective Readers
This checklist enables you to see some of the characteristics of effective readers. On a scale of
1-5, indicate the characteristics you feel you have as a reader.
Scale:
1 = not at all, never
2 = a little
3 = sometimes, to some extent
4 = often, quite well
5 = always
As a reader, I
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____
____




know my purpose for reading
choose reading over something else when I have spare time
respond sensitively to literature
recognize literature as a source of ideas, opinions, and information
use literature as a stimulus for personal reflection
appreciate the importance of style in literature
get ideas from books
predict the outcome before I get to the end
write a different story ending that makes sense
see and appreciate the effect of figurative language
recognize connections among ideas, images, and themes
make generalizations from what is read
make inferences from what is read
conclude the messages and morals of a text
analyze texts for literary devices
relate what I read to my own experience
consult a book when I need information
begin by checking the Index and perusing the Table of Contents when I
consult a book for information
Did you learn anything new about your attitude to reading?
Did the survey confirm what you already knew about your reading ability?
Are there some reading skills you know you need to improve?
Do you know what to do to develop more confidence in reading?
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
Setting a Purpose
Just as writing has a purpose, so too does reading. Your purpose may be to
entertain yourself, to gain knowledge, to understand others and to be enlightened.
In today’s world people who do not possess good reading skills are at a great
disadvantage. Setting a purpose for reading may help you build confidence in your
reading process.
In Lesson One you were given a formula to help you find a purpose for writing. You
can adapt this formula to determine a purpose for reading.
My purpose for reading this _______________is to ________________so
that __________________.
In the next few pages you are invited to read about five nonfiction books suggested
for this course. Reading about these books will help you to choose the nonfiction
book that you will respond to in a detailed fashion in Lesson Seven of this course.
Your purpose statement before reading about these books might look something
like:
My purpose for reading is to gain some knowledge and
understanding about the stories so that I can make a choice about
which book I want to read.
You may wish to review ‘Strategies for Reading Nonfiction’ in the
“Communication Strategies” section of your English Language Arts Ready
Reference.
What is Nonfiction Prose?
Nonfiction prose is writing about lives, people’s perceptions, and
actual times. Included in this category of prose are forms, such as
essays, articles, editorials, letters, journals, biographies,
autobiographies, speeches, and full-length books.
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
Should you need help with the terms nonfiction and fiction, see the “Glossary”
section of your English Language Arts Ready Reference.
Throughout the course you will have the opportunity to read and respond to various
types of nonfiction prose. In this lesson, the focus is a nonfiction full-length book.
Because nonfiction prose is vivid and personal in nature, reading nonfiction can be
as exciting as reading fiction. In fact, much contemporary nonfiction uses the
traditional elements of fiction writing. Terms such as new journalism, creative
nonfiction, and literary nonfiction have been used to describe nonfiction prose.
Contemporary nonfiction can be read for the same pleasure that people experience
when reading novels.
Selecting a Nonfiction Book
How does one choose a book to read?
A friend or family member might recommend a book to you.
You might be told by a teacher that a particular book is required reading.
You might look at a best sellers list or read a book review in a newspaper or
magazine.
You might belong to a book club where members choose a certain book to
read and to discuss.
You might be a fan of a particular author and cannot wait until her next book
is published.
Looking at the title of a book might interest you to read the book.
You might read a few pages of a book and find yourself invited into the story.
You might read a summary of a book and want to read the whole book.
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
Titles
You will choose one nonfiction book to read and study in English Language Arts
A30. Following is a list of the five titles of the books from which you are to choose
one to read. Should you have the time and inclination, you may want to read all of
them. You will, however, only be working intensively with the one you choose.
Titles of books provide a hint to the reader and pique the reader’s curiosity. Review
the list of intriguing titles below. What do you think each book may be about,
based on the title? On your response journal page located on the last pages
of this lesson, write three possible ideas for each title presented.
The Concubine’s Children by Denise Chong
Deemed Unsuitable by R. Bruce Shepard
Gully Farm: A Story of Homesteading on the Canadian Prairies by Mary Hiemstra
Halfbreed by Maria Campbell
The Secret Lives of Sgt. John Wilson by Lois Simmie
Imagine you are in a library or a bookstore and are wondering which book you
might like to read. One way to decide is to read a few pages of several books.
This can give you some idea of the topic of a book, the characters, the setting, and
the author’s style. Another way of deciding what book you would like to choose is
to read a summary or a review of the book. Following are some suggested links to
summaries or reviews of the five nonfiction books referred to above. Peruse these
sites and then determine which book you would like to read. Alternatively, you
could visit a library and read excerpts from the books to help you make your choice.
The Concubine’s Children by Denise Chong
http://www.epinions.com/review/The_Concubine_s_Children_by_Denise_Chong/content_36
6049922692
Deemed Unsuitable by R. Bruce Shepard
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb039/is_2_32/ai_n28816200/pg_1
Gully Farm: A Story of Homesteading on the Canadian Prairies by Mary Hiemstra
http://www.heritagehouse.ca/fifthhouse/gullyfarm.htm
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
Halfbreed by Maria Campbell
http://www.amazon.ca/Half-Breed-Maria-Campbell/dp/0887801161
The Secret Lives of Sgt. John Wilson by Lois Simmie
http://www.epinions.com/review/The_Secret_Lives_of_Sgt_John_Wilson_A_True_St
ory_of_Love_and_Murder_by_Lois_Simmie/content_124774878852
Summaries of the Nonfiction Books
Following are summaries of the five nonfiction books.
The Concubine’s Children by Denise Chong
In this portrait of her grandparents, the author describes early Chinese-Canadian
society and its deeply rooted concept of family. The book traces her grandfather’s
arrival in Canada, her grandmother’s life as a concubine in Canada, the separation
from children and husband, and the effects of war and communism on the family.
This family history provides one example of the history of Chinese immigration to
Canada and the difficult adjustment of Chinese Canadians to separation from their
homeland. The book includes a 16-page insert of family photographs.
Deemed Unsuitable by R. Bruce Shepard
This book provides an interesting overview of the history of racist attitudes to Black
Canadians on the prairies in the late 1890s and early 1900s. Through a discussion
of the experiences of African American immigrants to Saskatchewan in the early
1900s, the book provides a context for understanding the social and financial
barriers faced by the Black community in those times. The book includes
photographic inserts as well as a bibliography for those who wish to do further
reading on this topic.
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
Gully Farm: A Story of Homesteading on the Canadian Prairies by Mary
Hiemstra
In 1903, six-year old Mary Pinder and her family left England to join the Barr
Colonists as settlers in Saskatchewan. Through Mary’s eyes, the book describes the
family’s reasons for leaving their home, their voyage by sea and land to a new
home, and the daily struggle to survive the loneliness and physical hardships of the
family’s first year on a homestead.
Halfbreed by Maria Campbell
In this forthright account of her life as a Métis woman, Campbell describes her
childhood in Northern Saskatchewan, a disastrous marriage to a non-Aboriginal
man, and her struggle to escape the downward spiral associated with drug
addiction in the slums of Vancouver. Through her narrative, the author provides
intimate understanding of the roles alcohol and racism have played in the lives of
the Métis people and the need for self-confidence and human dignity. This
groundbreaking autobiography is a graphic portrait of survival, presenting realistic
images of the author and her people’s culture. Readers are advised that this book
contains some coarse language.
The Secret Lives of Sgt. John Wilson: A True Story of Love & Murder by
Lois Simmie
Based on court records, reports, letters, and eyewitness accounts, this book
recounts the events leading up to and following a gruesome murder. In 1912, John
Wilson left a wife and family in Scotland to become a Royal Canadian Mounted
Police officer in Saskatchewan. When Sergeant Wilson became ill and fell in love
with his nurse, he was determined to marry her. The unexpected arrival of his wife
led Wilson to deception and murder. Included in the book are 12 pages of
photographs to provide a visual context for the book’s narrative of the 1919
influenza outbreak, Saskatchewan life in the early 1920s, and law enforcement
during this era. Readers are advised that the book provides a graphic description of
the murder.
For those of you who may want to know more about the city of Lloydminster check
out the following web site http://www.lloydminsterinfo.com/
For those of you who may want to know more about the Métis people of
Saskatchewan the following web site may be of interest
http://www.metisresourcecentre.mb.ca/
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
For those of you wanting to know more about Chinese immigration during the era of
Chan Sam and May-Ying the following web site may prove interesting
http://www.asian.ca/law/cia1885.htm
After reading about the five books, write a first response entry in your response
journal to express your first thoughts and/or feelings. Here are some possible ways
to start your first response entries:
 Reading this summary reminded me of a time when I….
 I wonder why….
 I think I would enjoy/not enjoy reading this nonfiction book because….
 I like/dislike this type of book because….
Write quickly and freely to record your thoughts and/or feelings in writing. These
first response entries will not be marked for punctuation, grammar, and spelling
Which book interests you the most? Why? Perhaps you were drawn into all the
excerpts. Knowing more about each book may help you to choose one over the
others.
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
Choosing and Beginning to Read
Besides using these three methods to choose the book you will read, you may wish
to use other methods. Speak to your family and friends about the choices.
Someone may have read one or all of the above mentioned books and can offer
valuable insights. As well, you may want to call or e-mail your teacher to discuss
the book choices. You may purchase your book or borrow it from your local school
or library.
Do obtain the book you have chosen and start reading it as soon as possible.
A Vast and Varied Land
Let us probe the silent places
let us seek what luck betide us;
Let us journey to a lonely land I know
There’s a whisper in the night-wind
there’s a star agleam to guide us
And the Wild is calling, calling . . . let us go.
Robert W. Service
The Canadian wilderness has a recognized place in our literature as demonstrated
in the above quotation from one of Canada’s best-loved poets. This wilderness
presence is especially prominent in Canadian writers of the past. European settlers,
when they first came to Canada, were sometimes daunted by the vastness and the
wildness of the country. Susanna Moodie, an English settler in Upper Canada in the
mid-nineteenth century wrote of her experiences in a chronicle entitled Roughing It
in the Bush.
In your response journal tell what the title of Moodie’s book suggests to you.
Now that the population of Canada has become more urbanized this wilderness
theme is not so conspicuous. Elspeth Cameron, editor of Canadian Culture: An
Introductory Reader explains why.
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
The surest way to the hearts of a Canadian audience is to inform
them that their souls are to be identified with rock, rapids,
wilderness and virgin (but exploitable) forest.
This critical statement no longer explains Canada’s largely
urban culture. Multiculturalism, feminism, postmodernism and
regionalism – these and other vital movements jostle for
expression in today’s Canada. Wherever a new voice catches
the country’s ear, another appears to challenge it. However
styles form, new ways of expression keep shaping themselves.
Nation without a narrative? Yes. But in the music, literature,
painting, history and popular culture of this country, you can
always find a soul.
In your response journal describe an aspect of the Canadian landscape, such as
wilderness, prairies, or urban streets with which you identify. Give one reason for
your choice.
The Canadian wilderness has had, and perhaps, continues to have a prominent
presence in our literature and in our souls. However, to First Nations’ peoples, the
wilderness is neither wild nor lonely, but a homeland that is alive and giving. Read
the poem “Not Just A Platform For My Dance” by Marilyn Dumont.
http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/resources/elaA30-SKED/module1/lesson2c.html
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
About the author
Marilyn Dumont, a descendant of Gabriel Dumont, is a writer from northeastern Alberta.
Following a career in film and video production, she is working as a First Nations educator and
completing an MFA at the University of British Columbia. Her poems are anthologized in The
Road Home, Writing the Circle, The Colour of Resistance, Locating Identity, and Looking at the
Words of Our People. Beth Cuthand calls her “a Metis poet with attitude.”
In your response journal give two pieces of evidence from this poem that show the
respect that First Nations’ peoples have for nature and the land.
Today it is becoming very evident that we all must respect the land. More and more
experts are warning us of the consequences of disrespecting the land.
Read the following article by David T. Suzuki who many call Canada’s environmental
advocate. The article can be found at the website given below.
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/about_us/Dr_David_Suzuki/Article_Archives/weekly042
50301.asp
About the author
As an award-winning scientist and broadcaster, David Suzuki has become a living symbol to
Canadians of concern for the environment. Based in Vancouver, he has for almost thirty years
explained life on earth as host of such programs as the long-running CBC-TV series The Nature
of Things. He is the author of several books.
For those of you who may wish to know more about David Suzuki the following
website may be of interest to you. http://www.davidsuzuki.org
You can learn more about the 3 Rs, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle at
www.saskwastereduction.ca/info.html
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
Using Transitional Devises to Cue the Reader
David Suzuki’s article is a plea for all of us to focus on real values. To make his
writing coherent, Suzuki has used transitional words and phrases to connect the
ideas in his articles. Transitions are signposts, signals or cues inserted along the
way which enable readers to follow the writer’s train of thought. Effective writers
use transitional devices to indicate a shift in content, as well as to add coherence by
showing the logical connections between sentences, paragraphs, or longer sections
of a piece of writing. A transitional device may be a word, a phrase, a sentence, or
one or more paragraphs. Transitional devices are essential components of
clear writing. Readers are lost without them.
The lists which follow contain only a representative sampling of transitional words
and phrases.
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
Nature and the Seasons
The seasons are very much a part of Canadian Literature.
Mon pays ce n'est pas un pays. C’est l’hiver.
Gilles Vigneault
What role do nature and the seasons play in your life? Do you feel lucky to live in a
country that has four distinct seasons?
Reading Poetry
Poetry is life distilled.
Gwendolyn Brooks
What is Poetry?
Poetry is a body of writing which includes observation and opinion on a
single subject or related group of subjects, meant to arouse emotion or
sensation. It may have rhyme and meter and is heavily dependent on the
other literary devices such as metaphor or simile.
Poets use various literary techniques to convey their ideas, opinions, observations,
and feelings. These techniques or devices include:
1. choice of speaker – this can be the poet or a character or thing created by the
poet which acts as the voice of the poem.
2. form or structure – a poem can have any number of forms or structures, e.g.
sonnet, free verse, uniform stanzas, limerick, haiku, and so on.
3. imagery – although images can appeal to any of the five senses, the majority of
images in poetry are visual, stimulating pictures in the reader’s mind.
4. sound – rhythm, rhyme, onomatopoeia, alliteration, consonance, assonance.
5. figurative language – metaphor, simile, personification, and so on.
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
Sensory details appeal to the five senses. Name the five senses in your response
journal.
Review ‘Strategies for Reading Poetry’ in the “Communication Strategies”
section of your English Language Arts Ready Reference. Use this information to
answer the following questions.
Comprehension Check
Circle the best answer.
1. By reading the poem aloud a reader can (not enjoy/enjoy) the sounds
and rhythms of the words.
2. A reader should (not imagine/imagine) the speaker in the poem.
3. Words are (very important/not important) in a poem.
4. To find meaning in a poem a reader should (paragraph/paraphrase) a
poem.
5. (Using/not using) your memory is important when reading a poem.
6. As you read a poem you should anticipate
(in one way/in two ways).
Now, exercise your poetry reading skills by reading “Heat” by Archibald Lampman
found at http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/heat-2/ and “Moon-Songs” by Randy
Lundy found in the anthology, Sundog Highway.
After reading each of the poems record your first response to each of them in your
response journal.
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
About the authors
Archibald Lampman was a teacher, but was not happy in this profession and became a civil
servant in Ottawa. He was not altogether satisfied with his work but it gave him leisure to write
and an opportunity to know and love the Ottawa Valley which provided much of the inspiration
for his poetry. Although he died before he was forty, he left a small body of landscape poems
that are almost perfect samples of their kind. Lampman was writing in the last part of the
nineteenth century and was no doubt influenced not only by the beautiful Canadian landscape
but also by the impressionistic movement that was occurring in painting in that time period.
Lampman’s descriptive method is impressionistic, reflecting sensations rather than ideas. For
this reason, he has been called the painter’s poet.
Randy Lundy is a young contemporary poet who is presently teaching English at the
Saskatchewan Indian Federated College in Saskatoon. In 1999 Lundy published his first
anthology of poetry called Under the Night Sun. Lundy was born in Thompson, Manitoba and
spent his early years in Quesnel, B.C. but spent his high school years in Hudson Bay,
Saskatchewan. In an interview with The Leader Post, a Regina newspaper, at the time of his
book launch, Lundy tells his interviewer that it was in Hudson Bay that he discovered his little
corner of the world “and it’s amazing how you develop an attachment to place.” Specifically it
was a regional park on the south side of town where he would often go “to escape, to find
spiritual ease, peace of mind” by simply listening to sounds of water flowing over rocks and birds
singing. “I want to capture that feeling,” he says, “to re-create it, to share it with other people.
Nature is pervasive. And we’re lucky out here. We are very close to the land. We can’t forget
that. We forget it at our own peril.”
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
Spelling Rules
Spelling words correctly is crucial. Poor spelling can quickly ruin the best writing by
giving an overall poor impression to your reader.
Some of the most common spelling errors center around three areas: contractions,
words that show possession, and words that sound alike but are spelled differently.
1.
Contractions are abbreviations of two words. They always have an
apostrophe to show where a letter is missing.
Examples: Who’s coming to dinner? [Who is]
It’s raining cats and dogs. [It is]
2.
Some words that show possession sound like they use a contraction, but
actually they are spelled differently. Pronouns that show possession are
his
hers
its
whose
our
theirs
Examples: Whose tools are these on the workbench?
The group did its work inside because of the rain.
Note: When its is used as a pronoun to show possession, the spelling is
exactly like the contraction except for the apostrophe.
3.
Words that sound alike but are spelled differently and have different
meanings are called homonyms. The examples below include a contraction
(they’re), and two pronouns that show possession (their and our). They also
include homonyms (they’re and their; our, are and hour).
Examples:
They’re looking for their coats.
Our students are going home in an hour.
For those of you who have difficulty with homonyms – spelling and meaning – see
the “Commonly Confused Words” section of your English Language Arts Ready
Reference.
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
Spell Checkers
For those of you who have a word processor or have access to one, we encourage
you to use it when writing for any assignment in English Language Arts A30. Make
sure to use all of the features, such as spelling and grammar check or blocking and
moving a section of text. Do, however, keep in mind that the word processor
cannot think for you. An example of what can happen if you rely only on the
machine is as follows:
I have a spelling checker,
It came with my PC;
It plainly marks four my revue
Mistakes I cannot sea.
I’ve run this poem threw it,
I’m sure your please too no,
Its letter perfect in it’s weigh
My checker tolled me sew.
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
Response Journal
Titles: What do you think each book may be about, based on the title?
The Concubine’s Children
1.
2.
3.
Deemed Unsuitable
1.
2.
3.
Gully Farm
1.
2.
3.
Halfbreed
1.
2.
3.
The Secret Lives of Sgt. John Wilson
1.
2.
3.
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
First Response: What are your thoughts and reactions to each excerpt?
The Concubine’s Children
Deemed Unsuitable
Gully Farm
Halfbreed
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
The Secret Lives of Sgt. John Wilson
To me, Susanna Moodie’s title Roughing it in the Bush suggests
In the Canadian landscape I identify mostly with _____________________________
because
Provide two pieces of evidence from the poem “Not Just a Platform for My Dance”
that illustrate the respect of First Nations’ peoples for nature and the land.
and
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2
The five senses possessed by humans are:
First Responses
"Heat"
"Moon-Songs"
Note: You will be asked to submit your response journal pages with
Assignment Four.
English Language Arts A30
Lesson 2