Witnessing a Surprising Car Accident

1. •What if you witnessed a car accident today? •What would your reaction be? •How would your condition be different?

2. Schema Activation Questions Schema Activation Questions Think Before You Read Think Before You Read • Have you ever seen a car accident? Describe what happened to the cars, the drivers, and other passengers? If not, describe a car accident you saw in a film. • Have you ever seen a crime taking place? Did you go to court and describe what you saw? Describe what happened. If you have never been in a court, describe a case that you read about or saw in a film. • Did you sympathize with the person drives recklessly? Why or why not? • Did you sympathize with the person accused of the crime? Why or why not? • Would you like to be a lawyer? If so, would you like to prove whether a person is guilty or innocent?

4. Blue Eyes Far Away Blue Eyes Far Away Mackinlay Kantor (1904-1977)

5. Making Prediction Making Prediction • Look at the title of the story. What can the title tell us about the story? • With a partner, talk about the picture. What do you think is happening? • From the story preview on page 131, try to predict what will happen. In your journal, explain reason(s) for your prediction.

6. Comprehension Questions Comprehension Questions • What bad news do Esther Lee’s neighbors bring to her? How does she react? • Where does Esther Lee live? • How old is Esther Lee? • What is the name of Esther Lee’s husband? • What crime was Archie Stolt charged with? • What is Archie Stolt’s first reaction to the charge? • Why did Archie Stolt and the defense think that Esther Lee was not telling the truth about seeing the accident? • How could Esther Lee see the accident in which her husband met his death? • What is the surprise ending? • Where is the ending of the story set in?

7. Vocabularies Vocabularies Words Definition / Synonym Sentence recklessness Lack of regard for danger or consequences of one’s actions prosecutor a person who officially accuses someone of committing a crime by bringing a case against that person in a court of law. manslaughter the crime of killing a human being without malice aforethought Defense the case presented by or on behalf of the party accused of a crime. convict declare, find, pronounce guilt witnesses A person who sees an event, typically a crime or accident, take place. trail A formal meeting in law court, at which a judge and jury listen to evidence and decide whether a person is guilty of a crime.

8. Vocabularies Vocabularies Words Definition / Synonym Sentence steep verticle spectacles glasses gravely seriously, dangerously, critically shabby In poor condition through long or hard use or lack of care. stir A slight physical movement reputation Name: beliefs or opinions that are generally held about someone. fumbled Use the hands with care while doing something idly Nonchalantly, carelessly flimsy shaky offense crime afford Pay for expense cost, payment

9. Vocabularies Vocabularies Words Definition/ Synonym Sentence attorney Lawyer, barrister, counsel, or advocate notorious Infamous, well-known Call on Visit, go to see shrug To raise the shoulders to express uncertainty wring To get, gain, obtain lounging lie about, take it easy deceased late, departed duly properly irrelevant Not connected with rapped Struck scuffling Sound of their movement

10. Vocabularies Vocabularies Words Definition / Synonym Sentence haltingly Pausingly because of shedding tears contemptuous disrespectful perjury A lie told in court calloused Hard/tough-skinned Tremblingly Fearfully, hesitantly roadster An open-top automobile with two seats figured Participated, appeared, play part indictment Charge or accusation flagged Weakened, became less

11. Elements of the Short Story Elements of the Short Story 1- What happen first in the plot of the story? 2-Discuss the plot structure of the story. 2-Who is the protagonist in the story? 3- Who is the antagonist? 4-What conflict does the protagonist encounter? 5- Analyze the conflict in the story? How is resolved? 6- What other important characters are involved in the conflict? 7- What kind of person is the protagonist? 8- What evidence in the story leads you to this opinion of the protagonist? 9-Describe Esther Lee? What kind of person is she? 10- What idea do you form of Archie Stolt as a person?

12. 11- How is the setting of the story? How does the setting of the car accident and Mrs. Lee’s house affect the what will happen to Archie Stolt’s conviction? 12- How would you describe the mood? What are some examples of this mood in the story? 13- How does the story being told (narrated)? How that point of view impact the story? 15- What is the theme (or moral) of the story, and provide evidence (a quote, an action, etc., and the page number) to support that theme?

13. Critical Questioning Critical Questioning • Why did the neighbors think Mrs. Lee would be shocked when they told her the news about her husband’s car accident. • Why did Esther Lee’s neighbors find their task easier than they expected by the time when they went to bring her the news of her husband’s death? • How does the atmosphere in the courtroom change? Find sentences to support your answer from the middle and the end of the story. • Describe what you think the most exciting part of the story is, and say why. • What is the meaning of the title? How does this title explain the theme of the story? • What kind of man is Archie Stolt? Give an example of his behavior from the story that shows his character. • When Archie Stolt entered the courtroom, he did not appear worried, why? • How do you think Ester feels? Give reason for your answer by finding sentences in the text that describe her feelings. Do you feel sympathy for her? Why?

14. Making inferences Making inferences- - When we make inferences, we are making educated When we make inferences, we are making educated guesses. The guesses are not right or wrong as long as you have evidence guesses. The guesses are not right or wrong as long as you have evidence from the text to support your guess. from the text to support your guess. • What is one of the first indication that Esther Lee knew about the automobile accident before her neighbors told her? • Why did Esther Lee go to visit the prosecutor the night before the trail? • Why was the defense confident that Archie Stolt would not be convicted ? • Why, at first, it appeared that Archie Stolt would be found innocent? • Why did the court thinks Esther Lee is lying about seeing the crime?

15. Writing Assignment Writing Assignment 1. The judge warned Ester Lee about telling a lie in court. Why did it appear, at first, that Mrs. Lee was lying? What reason might she have had for telling a lie? 2. Mrs. Lee loved her husband very much. Find evidence from the story to support that statement. 3. What, do you think, will happen as a result of what Mrs. Lee told the jury? Give reasons for your answer. 4. The night before the trail began, Esther Lee went to see the prosecutor. Write the dialogue between Esther and the prosecutor. 5. When Esther Lee tells the judge what she saw through the telescope, the trial changes. Write the next part of the story and provide a continuation to the story. 6. Imagine you are a reporter assigned to write an article on the trail. Write an account of the case for your newspaper. 7. Write an entry in Esther Lee’s diary the day she received the bad news that Joseph had been in an accident.

16. 8. Write a letter to Archie Stolt. Tell him what you wish to tell him expressing your real feelings toward him. Would you like to advice that character, for example? How would the story be different if the character took the advice? 9. How would the story be different if Esther Lee was the narrator of the story? Re-write the story this time from Esther Lee’s point of view? 10. What is your opinion on each of the following characters in the story? What kind of person is that character? Give your personal evidence concerning your claims; what kind of feeling do you have toward that character? The characters are Esther Lee, Archie Stolt, The defence lawyer, and the prosecutor. 11. How would the story be different if (a) Mr. Lee did not die in that accident? (b)Character Archie Stolt was removed from the story? (C)The story was narrated from the Archie Stolts point of view? (D) Mrs. Lee could not witness the accident? Mr. Lee was wealthy and well-known person? Archie Stolt was a poor man?

17. Guided Questions for Journal Writing Guided Questions for Journal Writing • The questions below are meant as a guide in writing the response to the text that you have read. They have been divided into 4 sections. You are required to choose at least one question from each section when writing your journal. Please attempt all 4 sections. • Note there is no limit to the length of your journal. • You are free to express your views, ideas, thoughts, and feelings pertaining to your reading of the text. You are free to write about the things that the questions have not asked. • Note, this journal is to know how you feel about your reading, the story and your understanding of it.

18. What do you feel? What do you feel? • Is the story interesting? Why? • Does any part of this story make you feel scared, annoyed, sad, frustrated, happy, or horrified? Which part and why? • How do you feel toward certain characters? Who is your favourite character? Why?

19. What do you notice? What do you notice? • Do you notice the significance in the tittle of the story? • Why did the author begin or end the story this way? Give reasons. • Do you agree with how the writer sees the world ? In what ways?

20. What do you question? What do you question? • Do you find yourself saying “yes, I agree” or “ That’s unbelievable!”. Explain where and why. • Do you question any of the decisions that a character has made? • Do you wonder what a certain paragraph in text might mean?

21. What do you relate to? What do you relate to? • Is the message in the story relevant to you? Why do you say so? • Have you learnt anything important from this story? • Does anything in this story remind you of something from your own experience, or a movie, a TV programme, or another text that you have read? Talk about that.