Wednesday, 8 December

Working with the substitute students finished reading Survivor Type. There are a series of writing prompts. After reading there were activities. But great news! Here are all of them!

1. Explain this to the students that interspersed with reading the story will be quickwrites. Explain to the class that they will have 5-6 minutes to write and that you will ask them to share after each focused writing time.

Pre-Reading Quick Write:

2. What is success? How is it measured? How will you know you are successful? How will others know?

3. On Page 407, have students note the epigram that opens the story. Point out that it is different than the rest of the text and that this is shown through its presentation in italics (the final sentence is in plain text so that it may stand in contrast to the rest of the italic passage). Ask students how the question, “How badly does the patient want to survive?” might relate to the story.

4. On page 410 after the paragraph about the $350,000 of heroin compose a Quick Write:

What is value? How do you know something is worth something? How important is money to you? What would you do for money?

5. On page 412 stop at “January 30” have the class brainstorm and compose a writing :

Ask the students to describe the protagonist, brainstorm a list of adjectives.

6. On page 415 have a brief Class Discussion:

“How much shock-trauma can the patient stand? … How badly does the patient want to survive?

Have the class discuss what they think these two questions mean to a surgeon. Prompt them to see how it applies to the protagonist.

7. At Page 418, either at the break here, or after reading the entire piece present students with the text of the Hippocratic Oath. Consider Richard Pine’s activities as he has described them so far and compare them to the oath he presumably took upon becoming a physician.

8. On page 419 Teaching Note:

It seems to be that the paragraph that begins “Wait. Haven’t I told you” is a hint that he has eaten his foot. We think it best to go a bit further and see if someone in the class has an “ah hah” then to go back and point out where the clues start to come in.

Later you can point out how his use of the heroin began a steady downfall that is perhaps more significant.

9. On page 420 at “February 8^th” have students compose a Quick Write:

What do you think will happen to Richard Pine?

If time permits share, but be sure to ask that no one share who has read ahead.

(Page 422 Teaching note: “drooling” during operation – hungering for his own flesh.)

End of Story Discussion:

10. Obviously there are multiple ways to end the class work on this story; one suggestion is:

Briefly discuss initial reactions to the story.

Then offer questions for a quick write:

What is failure? How does one know failure? Of their own? Of others?

Was the protagonist successful? As a Doctor? In getting out of poverty? In surviving for a time?

Discuss student responses.

11. Analyze Richard Pine according to the chart on “Traits of Resilient People.”

Or use those same questions in discussion format.

Closure:

To what extent is Richard Pine’s experience an allegory for modern man’s experiences in a capitalist society?

After all this you should make two entries in your "Essential Questions Journal".