Worksheet 4
- Read the extracts from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Think about the following questions:
What sort of problems does Christopher seem to have? What are the symptoms?
How does Christopher feel in the world and how does he cope with it?
How might people around Christopher feel?
What would it be like to have Christopher in your class?
NOTES
Christopher is probably a boy with Asperger syndrome. He has problem with recognition of facial expression. He is intelligent (capital cities and countries). He doesn’t like hugging. He needs to know time – his watch. He doesn’t understand metaphors. He has a friend who helps him. His father loves him and he has his communication system with his son. People sometimes feel it is funny or weird because they do not understand it. People might also feel desperate and confused. Christopher would probably have an assistant and it would be difficult for him to fit in.
- I saw a performance Podivný případ se psem in Městské divadlo Brno. It was fabulous, Vojtěch Blahuta was excellent and convincing.
- Read the extract from Refugee Boy. Here is a brief summary of the whole novel:
|
Refugee Boy is about a boy whose parents are from Ethiopia and Eritrea. It’s set at a time of civil war between the two countries; his mum is from Eritrea and his dad is from Ethiopia. The story is really about their son Alem. He went from living with the two people he loved most in Africa to being all alone in the world in the UK. His father brought him to England to get him away from the war, to safety, and after three days he left him and returned to Africa. Alem was left in a care home and it was an awful experience. He got bullied, he was an outsider. It’s about a family who were connected becoming disconnected. |
Think about the following questions:
How important do you think is Alem’s entry into the school? What might his expectations be?
What is the school like?
How fast do you think he will adapt?
Will he be happy there?
NOTES
At that time, it was almost the most important thing for him. Everything is new for him and he wants to fit in. he probably hopes that everything will go smoothly and learn soon enough how the school works. He might expect that the won’t be the center of attention and somebody will explain him what to do. The school assembly shows him school values. There are rules that are required. I think he will adapt soon because it seems that the found a mate who will help him and will be his friend and could make him happy. Even though he will never forget his past and family.
- Complete the following section. Imagine you are the teacher in the class and are writing down your reflections.
|
A teacher’s journal The new boy is called Christopher and he is … (describe what he is like). A quiet boy, intelligent but the doesn’t want to talk much. He wants to sit on his own in the desk. He loves geography.
My research on his condition:
What I need to address is … (describe the challenges you as a teacher might have).
I would work on relationships in the class. Classmates should respect Christopher and understand that he reacts differently, and that interaction is not easy for him. I would like Christopher to understand that he can come to me with anything and ask about anything. He needs to feel success!
I am trying to … (describe your plan to solve the situation).
Explain other how Christopher is feeling and how difficult it is for him. I could try some activities to show the others how it is to be in Cristopher’s shoes.
|
|
A teacher’s journal
Today a new boy came to our class whose name is Alem. He comes from Africa because … (describe Alem’s history).
In his country there is a war. Ethiopia and Eritrea wage war against each other. His father brought him here to live in safety. However, father left him and returned to Africa.
My research on his background (culture, religion, food, customs. Languages):
Ethiopia has several local calendars. Different time. Food: wat – various types of thick meat stews, vegetable side dishes served atop injera, a large sourdough flatbread made of teff flour, commonly they eat from the same dish in the center of the table with a group of people; no pork or shellfish – they are forbidden in Christian, Islamic and Jewish faiths. Religion: Ethiopian Orthodox (43%), Islam (33%), Protestantism (18%). Languages: there are 90individual languages, most people speak Afroasiatic languages of the Cushitic or Semitic branches. 2015 – literacy rate is 49,1%.
I hope the class will be forthcoming and not … (indicate any obstacles that may arise in the class).
Hostile to a new boy. I hope that there won’t be any problems with colour of the skin, language barriers, customs misunderstandings, religion.
I also hope he will soon settle in and … (explain what problems Alem might have in the proces of integrating into the school).
Feel as a part of the class. He could have attended a different type of school or no school at all. He is used to different friends and teaching style. Maybe he did not have textbooks or any other school equipment. He might not know PC.
|