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Section 1: Overview

Dictatorship

We will explore various materials in order to develop a stronger sense of what life was like for the Mirabal family in the 1950s Dominican Republic under the rule of the dictator Rafael Trujillo. We will examine the social and personal impacts of living in a totalitarian state and how factors such as gender, age, and socioeconomic class affect people living under a dictatorship.

  • Lesson 1:

    We will examine the unit’s Central Question, analyze the expectations of the Culminating Task, and conduct research on the key figures in the novel In the Time of the Butterflies.

  • Lesson 2:

    We will view and discuss an excerpt from a video to better understand life under Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic.

  • Lesson 3:

    We will continue to watch sections of the documentary, “‘El Jefe’ Portrait of a Dictator.”

  • Lesson 4:

    We will explore the life and work of Julia Alvarez, the author of In the Time of the Butterflies, to understand her experiences and how they have impacted her perspective as an author. We will begin reading Chapter 1, “Dedé, 1994 and Circa 1943,” and use its content as a basis for our discussion of historical fiction.

  • Lesson 5:

    We will complete Character Note-Taking Tools for Dedé and will read Chapter 2: “Minerva, 1938, 1941, 1944” and analyze how Minerva is introduced.

  • Lesson 6:

    We will use context to determine the meaning of unknown words from the novel. We will also read Chapter 3, “María Teresa, 1945 to 1946,” and complete two entries in our Character Note-Taking Tool for María Teresa.

  • Lesson 7:

    We will read Chapter 4: “Patria, 1946.” We will also complete two entries in our Character Note-Taking Tool for Patria and analyze how she is introduced in the novel.

  • Lesson 8:

    We will learn about the importance of paying attention to authors’ use of language and will begin compiling powerful and interesting sentences in our Mentor Sentence Journals.

  • Lesson 9:

    We will examine our copies of the Character Note-Taking Tool for all of the sisters. We will determine the meaning of words as they are used in the text.

  • Lesson 10:

    We will write responses to questions about how the first four chapters of In the Time of the Butterflies portrays life for people under the reign of Rafael Trujillo.

  • Lesson 11:

    We will review feedback on the Section Diagnostic. We will use the feedback to make revisions to our work.

  • Lesson 12:

    We will commence an Independent Reading Program in which we choose texts to read independently as we progress through the unit. We will learn how to choose texts, what activities we may complete, about the final task, and about any materials we will use as we read our independent reading texts. We will begin by reading our texts, using tools to help us take notes and analyze important textual elements.