Janell+Baker

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Hello! I'm Janell Baker. I am majoring in Spanish and English for Secondary Education. I love languages, and I hope that I will someday have the chance to work as an English teacher at a school with a high population of native Spanish speakers. :-) I work at Hobby Lobby, and when I'm not working, I love going to art hops, spending time with my family/friends, reading, and travelling. The most interesting thing about me is that I lived in Mexico for a semester, but you already know that from our "3 truths and a lie" game. I also love teaching Sunday School to K-2nd graders at my church. I'm looking forward to my internship this fall at Otsego High School where I will be teaching American Lit and Spanish I!

Article on Providing Support for Hispanic ELLs:

// Overcoming Adversity: Esperanza Rising // By Pam Muñoz Ryan Unit Overview: This is a three-week unit targeted towards a sixth grade Language Arts class in Minneapolis, MN. Each class has approximately 30 students. The ratio of boys to girls is even. The students are predominately Latin American (about 70%). Of those students, 15% are designated as ELL students. The other 30% of the student population is composed white students (15%) and black students (15%). 80% of the students are eligible for free and reduced lunch. We have to read the book in class because the school does not have enough books to send them home with all of the students. I am using Andersen United Community School as my model. Andersen is a K-8 inner city school with a high population of ELL students. Students who have attended Andersen through elementary will have gone through Andersen's Native Language Literacy Program, which means they were taught to read in both English and in their native language. Since I hope to teach at a school with a high population of native Spanish-speakers, this unit assumes that the majority of students will at least be familiar with Mexican culture (the culture of the main character in //Esperanza Rising//). However, the book also deals with themes of poverty versus wealth, social class, and immigration. Because the book is set in 1930, the reading of the book will be prefaced by a brief introduction to/review of the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920). This book is a valuable tool for addressing poverty, social class, and immigration. It is unique in that it follows the story of a young woman (Esperanza) who has grown up in Mexico with a life of privilege but who loses all of her riches when her father is murdered by bandits. Esperanza and her mother are forced to flee to the United States to work in the fields for their living. Muñoz Ryan prefaces her story with a Mexican proverb: “The rich person is richer when he becomes poor than the poor person when he becomes rich.” Although I intend this unit to be used in a middle school with a high percentage of ELL students, such as the themes addressed and the accessibility of Muñoz Ryan’s writing style give the book universal appeal. View Esperanza's journey from Aguascalientes, Mexico to San Joaquin Valley, California: [|Esperanza's Journey from Aguascalientes, Mexico to San Joaquin Valley, California] Unit Calendar: Lesson Plans: Articles for Day 1:

Who's Who and What's What Handout for Day 1:

Mana Song Lyrics for Warm-Up on Day 5:

Reading Guide:

Postcard Assignment:

Final Portfolio Assessment:

Bibliography/List of Websites:

Grading Scale:

Daily Warm-ups/Attendance (10%) Reading Guides (25%) Reading (25%) Class Participation (Participating in class discussions) 10% Homework (5%) Portfolio (25%)