Lesson One - I'm Not My Brother, I'm Me

Introduction

Lesson One - "I'm Not My Brother, I'm Me"
Duration - 1 block (1 x 80 min + homework)

" . . . he wasted so much time proving who he wasn't, he never found out who he was." -  Mark, in "I'm Not My Brother, I'm Me"

Self-discovery involves the process by which individuals perceive the truth about themselves and their place in the world. In this unit, through the studying of various texts - short stories, poetry, non-fiction, advertisements, and a feature-length film, we are going to consider the question, "What idea does the author develop regarding self-discovery?"

In this lesson will have you read a monologue about a boy who is judged on the basis of his brothers' actions, as opposed to people looking at him for who HE really is. You will consider what it is that makes YOU different from everyone else.

Resources

Monologue
"I'm Not My Brother, I'm Me"

VIDEO

Lesson

Before you read: 

• consider situations in which you were judged: perhaps when trying out for a sports team, starting a new job, auditioning for a role, entering a new school, etc.
• have you ever been a victim of stereotyping?
• what might be the advantages and disadvantages of having older siblings?

Read the monologue, "I'm Not My Brother, I'm Me".

Obviously, Jonathan was treated unjustly on more than one occasion, largely because people expected him to act like his brothers, and not as his own person.

Assignment

(30 marks)

Open a new Word document. Label it E101U2L1surname 
In this document, complete the assignment outlined below. 
Submit this assignment using the Dropbox for U2L1 Brother paragraph.

• Consider the unit question, "What idea does the author develop regarding self-discovery?"
• Use either Jonathan OR Mark (not both!) to develop your response to this question.

Write a detailed paragraph, set up in the following manner: (NEXT)

• New idea - answer the question and provide a statement of theme (thesis) for the paragraph
• Evidence - provide evidence in the form of a strong quotation or paraphrase from the story to support your statement
• eXplanation - explain how the detail you have chosen proves your thesis to be true
• Evidence - provide evidence in the form of a strong quotation or paraphrase from the story to support your statement
• eXplanation - explain how the detail you have chosen proves your thesis to be true
• Evidence - provide evidence in the form of a strong quotation or paraphrase from the story to support your statement
• eXplanation - explain how the detail you have chosen proves your thesis to be true
• Transition - provide a transition from this paragraph to the next (For the purpose of U2L1, write a concluding sentence, instead of a transitional one.)

Your paragraph, then, will follow the "principle of thirds" - you create a statement, and then provide three pieces of evidence to support it, evidence for which you provide explanations.

Follow this method when you are writing the body paragraphs of a literary essay - at least three paragraphs each with a topic statement developing the thesis, followed by three sets of evidence and explanations, and concluding with a transition into the next body paragraph.

Conclusion

The monologue in this lesson explored how difficult it may be to create a strong self-image and assert one's own identity when encountering prejudice and stereotyping in relation to one's siblings.