NovelStudyB-Fly+Away+Home

**Brief Synopsis ** Andrew and his father are homeless and try to remain under shelter by roaming around the airport every day. Andrew, a young child, narrates the facts of his homeless existence and how his primary concern is not to get noticed. This is done by moving around from different areas in the airport. Andrew cannot wait to get out of the airport, and have an apartment to live in just like before his mom died. The short story runs through his emotions of longing that makes him angry at those who have homes. His eye catches a bird in the airport that makes it outside, which acts as metaphor for what Andrew desires to do one day.
 * Fly Away Home ** by Eve Bunting

**Consider your position, identity and professional abilities which may be a factor in teaching the text ** I think teaching this text is accessible for me because I took a course on the Short Story genre in my undergrad, as well as a Children’s Literature course. These courses have allowed me to see the value and depth in short stories despite their length restraints. I think I could be able to bring forth many of the skills I developed through these courses and use them in my teachings to allow students to see the value in short stories. Furthermore, I have much background on human rights and I could bring in a discussion on how it is a violation against one’s economic rights to be homeless. In terms of my identity, I would not be able to make a relation between the story and any personal experiences because I have always been fortunate enough to live in a home with my family. In this sense, I might find my socio-economic identity being a conflicting factor in teaching this text and some if its implications. However, living in Toronto I have been downtown many times and I have witnessed the problem of homelessness that hits home. I do think it is a large concern so I think that would come out through my teaching to stimulate discussion and demonstrate issues of homelessness that I have witnessed.  **What grade level/course would you teach this text? Are there other courses for which it might also be appropriate?** I would teach this text in a grade 7 or 8 Language Arts class, grade 9 academic and grade 10 applied. I chose these specific grades and level for various reasons: grades 7 and 8 because of the story’s reading level which would allow the students to find it reachable in content and implications. As for grade 9 and 10 applied, I think I could get the students to start analyzing the short story genre and why and how it is valuable. These grade levels in doing such an analysis I think would need something simple so hence why I think I would select such a story. Other courses that I think this text might also be appropriate include Civics or Law where the teacher could discuss human rights through a story, as well as social science courses that discuss the Individual and Society. I think bringing in short stories in these classes is a different approach to teaching in such courses, and effective for students. This is the value of books and the fact that they could be incorporated into teaching subject. In addition, using books as an instructional tool also gives room for improving literacy skills which students are lacking.

**What are the main ideas/ issues/ teaching points which you would emphasize when teaching the text? (Consider the knowledge possibilities: Social, topic, cultural, textual.) ** The main ideas/issues/teaching points that I would emphasize when teaching the text can be broken down into the following categories and points: **Textual knowledge: ** · Children’s short stories and the theme of Homelessness. This is not a common subject for any children's book. So, what is the purpose of having this theme? · Picture books as genre-  As with any picture book, it is needed to analyze the pictures. In many of the pictures there is the dejected father and/or son in the airport. Both appear clean, but they seem to always be detached and isolated in comparison to the others. Why? · <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">First Person narration- what is the purpose of this in this story? · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The parallel/symbolism between the sparrow and Andrew. The bird in the book symbolizes the little boy and getting free of the confines of the airport · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Theme of trying to find home/situating oneself · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Children as representatives of hope- what is the purpose of the story being told from the child’s perspective, rather than the father’s? · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The boy says "Not to be noticed is to look like nobody at all." What does this statement mean? · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Setting- Airport as place of chaos, what does this mean in relation to the life of father and son? · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The unnoticed character- what are the characteristics? · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Relationships-How do they feel towards others? · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Theme of hope and various example of  **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Cultural/Social Knowledge: ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Students will understand: · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Self-love and acceptance by learning to appreciate their lives and what they have · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Respect for others and issues of social justice: Students can learn to respect the lives of other people, be it different from their own. They will look past stereotypes of homeless people to understand that poverty is an ongoing, present issue · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Taking social action: Students will begin to raise awareness of homelessness and poverty · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">This book serves as a great start to a unit on community and homes. The boy and his father do not live in a house of their own, but they do have some place that they can think of as their home. Students could get an idea of what experiences the homeless face.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Topical knowledge: **

· <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">To read this book is to gain insight into a counterculture that many are not even aware exists. The narrative by the boy tells a story of coping with misfortune and homelessness. There is no preaching involved, and the author/narrator does not offer a solution. There is hope, however. The boy has watched a sparrow trapped inside the airport for days slip out of an open door at the right moment and ‘fly home." The reader and the boy hope he and his father get the chance to do the same   · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Throughout the book, the boy is very positive and keeps hope that he and his father will rise out of this period in their lives. What values come out of this? (school, working, staying clean, etc.)    · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Children could begin to understand what it is like to be without a home without assuming homeless people live in cardboard boxes.    · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Students should be left with not hopelessness, but about their ability to help.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">C) ****<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Issues/ challenges you might encounter in teaching the text: ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 6.75pt;">Issues/challenges I might encounter in teaching the text include:  · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Students may feel they are reading a ‘baby’ book. Therefore, it is vital that I find ways to engage the students so they see the value of this book and any short story.    · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">It may be difficult to engage students on the topic of homeless because many find homelessness funny (calling homeless people ‘hobos’) or unimportant. · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Students in applied level working classes do not have analytical skills-they will just read this for content · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">How do I get copies for a whole class?

**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">D) ****<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Describe one possible assignment / activity which you could use when teaching the text. How does it connect to the curriculum expectations of the course you are teaching? **

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Activity **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">: From there, students go on a trip to a shelter or a soup kitchen to see how one group of people live. Reflect on your experiences. **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Assignment ****<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">: ** **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Writing Assignment Choice ****<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">s: ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 10pt;">1. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Zero in on things you can do to bring attention to the homeless and to help. Write a letter to a newspaper, or to a government official. __Guiding Questions__: What is the concern? What could the government do? What is the government doing? Is it effective? How do you feel? What could communities do?
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tabstops: list .5in; tabstops: list .5in;">Andrew and his father are homeless but they are not valueless. Evidence in the text demonstrates they still have values. Rereading the book with an eye toward what the various people in the book value and your own values, write a comparison piece.