Text Satellite

     
http://prezi.com/j5zv_0hb647m/the-perks-of-being-a-wallflower/
    

                First of all, this text satellite was actually a lot of fun and exciting to create.  With that being said, it was still a lot of work (particularly because I do not play well with prezi).  I decided to go for something very modern and fresh for my primary text.  The Perks of Being a Wallflower jumped out at me instantaneously because that is a book that students are interested in and want to read.  Ironically, the movie was also just released which gives it that appeal to students.  Not only is this book genuinely a good read, it is also full of themes and lessons that some students go through in their own lives.  That huge connection between them and the story is what I felt would lure them in to the other traditional texts that I chose to go with it.  These other texts include The Lovely Bones, A Separate Peace, and The Catcher of the Rye.  These stories share most of the themes that envelope The Perks of Being a Wallflower and have main characters who are all adolescents.  Each of the texts is very unique; however, they are all very similar and relevant to the age group who is reading them.  For example, The Lovely Bones is very much about coping with change, changing of relationships, sexuality, and young love.  On the other hand, it is told as the main character is dead viewing her family and friends from heaven which is completely different from the other texts.   The Perks of Being a Wallflower also shares those themes listed above; yet, it also has the theme of teenage pressure implemented in it.  In a sense, all of those traditional texts overlap to an extent but still bring forth other themes and connections that are important to discuss.

      In addition, I added a tv show, movies, and a musical to the list of texts that are discussed within this unit.  Glee is a tv show that is very popular amongst teenagers and adults alike.  It deals with issues such as pressure, sexuality, building of relationships, and etc.  I felt like this was appropriate to implement because students are familiar with this and it is relevant to their lives and to the traditional texts.  Each character in the show is relatable and students can compare or contrast them to the characters in the traditional texts.  It is also a show that can lead to great discussions and be connector between the students and the traditional texts.  The movies, such as Grease, Mean Girls, and the Finding Nemo clip are also familiar and films that are popular in our culture today.  Each movie sets forth elements that are important and allow students to see the greater picture.  For example, in Grease, Sandy’s character makes a drastic change in appearance from start to finish.  She is pressured from her peers and her relationship changes with them as she dives deeper in to the in crowd.  In a sense, her and Charlie’s character from The Perks of Being a Wallflower could be compared and students could decide who makes a greater change and who does it for the better reason.  The musical is something I added because theater is something that I feel is important.  I do not think students appreciate it enough and feel as though it is too old-fashioned or too boring for them.  I used the musical Spring Awakening to prove otherwise and to show how closely it touches upon the themes for this unit.

                Other texts I implemented include a sonnet by William Shakespeare and quotes by Marilyn Monroe and Ron Taffel.  Although these texts are not very long they are still very powerful.  The quotes ultimately sum up each text and give the students something to reflect on and even journal about.  The sonnet is a text that I think challenges students by having them dissect it and make meaning based on the texts they previously read.  Personally, I do not care if they analyze the sonnet differently than me.  I want them to be able to make sense out of it on their own and build bridge between it and other texts. 

                The news article was something I decided to include to show real world application and relevance.  It is one that can lead a great discussion or debate which would be useful in a classroom setting.  Also, it breaks the silence and allows the students to talk and make meaningful conversations that might not come out in a traditional text.  It also mentions relationships with friends which is a theme within the unit.  The songs I chose were picked simply because they tie the themes together.  Ultimately, these themes work together to create the life of an adolescent.  The song “Send Me On My Way” by Rusted Root has moving lyrics about letting loose and moving on with your life.  I feel as though each student can relate to those lyrics and so can the characters in the stories they read.  It would be a great way for students to look at lyrics and apply them to different passages or to the ending of each novel they read.  Surprisingly, the artwork was my favorite thing to add to this unit.  Both pictures directly link to a specific theme within the unit.  It is up for the student to decide which one (without them knowing the title) and why they feel that it represents that theme.  I would like them to justify their answer and to be able to tell me how it makes them feel and why. 

     The graphic novel was added because it is a different kind of text and some of students will be interested in graphic novels or comic books.  It depicts the themes as well; however, it is delivered in a different manner.  It is important to expose students to different type of texts and show them that they are just as valuable as tv shows.  I also want to show them that they are also relevant.  Lastly, The Sims was included because it is simply about life.  Each sim has emotions and forms different types of relationships with different people.  I want my students to play this game so that they can make decisions and see what the consequences are.  Students would never take this risks in real life so it would be interesting to see what they would do if they know it did not cost them anything in their real life.  For example, what would happen if they wanted their sim to kiss another sim it barely knew?  What kind of relationship would they have?  It is a way for them to toy around with characters and sort of make their own story with their own characters.  Some of them may have happy endings while others might not get so lucky.

                Overall, I feel as though my texts work very well in sync with one another.  They are all very similar but the content is delivered very differently.  Each text brings forth something new with a connection to something in an older text.  I think my students would understand the themes a lot better and with much more enthusiasm if these texts were taught together.  I think this unit is relevant to them because of the messages and because most of the texts are familiar to them.