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Practice Texts That Build Understanding and Context
Copyright (c) 2023 Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Uncorrected proofs were used with this sample chapter.
Each of the collections begins with a foundational text from English literature,
followed by two additional texts that are thematically linked to the idea. The
following is an example from Unit 2, Thought and Feeling:
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• John Donne, A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning
• John Loomis, Deer Hit
• Nafissa Thompson-Spires, Fatima, the Biloquist: A Transformation Story

Questions Reinforce Skill Development
Organized by the Big Idea, a series of questions follows each text. They provide
an opportunity for students to apply what they have learned, connect ideas within
the collection, and arrive at their own interpretations. 165
Nafissa Thompson-Spires Fatima, the Biloquist: A Transformation Story

CHARACTER
1. Explain what the description of Fatima reveals about her values. IDEAS IN LITERATURE

2. When does Fatima’s perspective begin to change? Identify and explain an event
in the story that reveals this change.

3. What assumptions can we make about Fatima and Violet’s relationship?
4. As Fatima and Rolf begin their relationship, what motivates Fatima’s choices?

STRUCTURE

5. Think about what Fatima and Violet represent. How do they function as
contrasts in the story?
6. The story shifts to reveal tensions between the characters. Identify a tension
and explain how this tension contributes to a change in perspective for a
character.
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE: Word Choice, Imagery, and Symbols

7. How does the word choice at the beginning of the text reveal details about
Fatima?

8. How do the lists of slang words further develop the conflict in the story?
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE: Comparisons

9. The story both begins and ends with similes , but each evokes a different image
of Fatima. What are the similes? How does the contrast between them affect
your interpretation of the text?

10. What is being compared in the story? How does the comparison contribute to
your interpretation of the text?
IDEAS IN LITERATURE: Thought and Feeling
11. “Fatima, the Biloquist: A Transformation Story” reminds us of important cultural

values. How does this story compare the thoughts and feelings of the characters
in a way that sends a larger message? What is the larger message for all
communities?
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

12. The characters in the story are contrasted in many ways. Explain how the
multiple contrasts combine to create an extended comparison. How do the
contrasts contribute to the conflict of the story?

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