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Lesson 2

We will read about the Dominican Republic during the Trujillo regime and think about how the actual events connect to the novel.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I recognize and interpret language and sentence structures to deepen my understanding of texts?

  • Can I recognize and interpret important relationships among key details and ideas (characters, setting, tone, point of view, structure, development, etc.) within texts?

  • Can I integrate information from multiple sources about the Trujillo regime?

Texts

Core

  • Digital Access
    • “‘El Jefe’ Portrait of a Dictator,” Bill Leonard, CBS News, 1961
  • Unit Reader
    • “Dominican Republic (Document 305) U.S. Relations with the Dominican Republic,” Office of the Historian, Foreign Service Institute, Public Domain, N DAT
  • Tradebook
    • In the Time of the Butterflies, Julia Alvarez, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2010

Materials

Tools

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read – Discuss

We will review what we know about the historical literary criticism lens.

With a partner, review your Historical Lens Note-Taking Tool and discuss your notes on the historical lens.

Brainstorm what you know about the Trujillo regime from watching “‘El Jefe’ Portrait of a Dictator.”

Activity 2: Read – Write – Discuss

We will read a state department document about the trujillo regime.

Step 1

Read and annotate “Dominican Republic (Document 305) U.S. Relations with the Dominican Republic.”

Step 2

Respond to the following questions from the Section 4 Question Set in your Learning Log:

  1. What additional details about the 14th of June Movement can you garner from the state department’s editorial notes? How does this document improve or alter your understanding?

  2. How does Rafael Trujillo’s description match the novel’s? Cite evidence from both texts to support your answer.

  3. Which events do you also recognize from the novel?

  4. How does the state department document promote or contradict the impressions of Yanquis as they have been portrayed in the novel? Cite evidence from both texts to support your answer.

Step 3

Discuss the following questions as a class:

  1. What have you read about in In the Time of the Butterflies that connects to the history of the Dominican Republic during the Trujillo regime?

  2. What new questions do you have after reading the state department notes?

Activity 3: Read – Write – Discuss

We will research the June 14th movement.

Using a computer or tablet, search online for the June 14th Movement.

Find two credible websites or news articles about the June 14th Movement. Gather information and discuss the following questions as a class:

  1. What was the June 14th Movement?

  2. How does learning about the June 14th Movement help you understand In the Time of the Butterflies?

Activity 4: Read – Write

For homework, we will revisit Chapter 9.

For homework, revisit Chapter 9. Respond to the following questions from the Section 4 Question Set:

  1. How does Dedé handle the internal and external conflict she is facing?

  2. Why does Dedé finally decide to join her sisters? Do you think she makes the right choice?

Write new or interesting words you encounter in your Vocabulary Journal.