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Web Quest Lesson Plan

Introduction

Students have explored the topic of why we share our stories. In this lesson, they will listen to a story told by a former teenage gang member. Students will then write a response about how they were affected by the story.

Lesson Description

Students will listen to a passage from the radio show This American Life
<http://www.kcrw.com/cgi-bin/db/kcrw.pl?show_code=ta&air_date=12/31/05&tmplt_type=Show> and then write an essay about what they've heard.

Instructional Objectives

  1. Students will use the Internet as a tool to listen to audio files.
  2. Students will listen to a woman's story and how her life changed by sharing her story.
  3. Students will write a response to this story.

Student Web Activity Sample Response

After listening to Lucia Lopez's story, I think her telling about it affected her in several ways. First of all, I think that by telling her story, Lucia was able to more easily put the events of her past behind her. Instead of having to live with the pain of her life every day, she was able to see it for what it was: something in her past. By writing the story down and sharing it with audiences, she was able to let go of what had happened to her and move forward.

Second, I think performing her story for an audience had a huge effect on Lucia's self-esteem. Before sharing her story, Lucia was very defensive and angry. Whenever anyone looked at her, she wanted to attack them. On stage Lucia discovers that being looked at isn't so bad. Performing her story helps Lucia realize her talents and accomplishments. Lucia writes, performs, and interacts with her audience. She probably didn't know she had these talents when she was in the gang.

Finally, telling her story introduced Lucia to people who had positive influences on her. For the first time in her life, people told Lucia that she could succeed without the help of a gang. While listening to Lucia's story, I thought about how joining a gang can change people's personality. I also decided that the next time I face a struggle, maybe I should write it down.

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