"Hairs" by Sandra Cisneros

"Hairs" by Sandra Cisneros

This passage is an excerpt from The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros.
We will use "Hairs" as a mentor text for this assignment.
 A mentor text is a published piece of writing a teacher uses during a writing to either a.) teach a writing skill or to b.) motivate the students to want to write something similar.
Essential Questions:How does a writer's style and craft contribute to the development of the theme?
How can your own real experiences help you to develop a narrative text?

"Hairs" by Sandra Cisneros

        Everybody in our family has different hair. My Papa's hair is like a broom, all up in the air. And me, my hair is lazy. It never obeys barrettes or bands. Carlos' hair is thick and straight. He doesn't need to comb it. Nenny's hair is slippery--slides out of your hand. And Kiki, who is the youngest, has hair like fur.
       But my mother's hair, my mother's hair, like little rosettes, like little candy circles all curly and pretty because she pinned it in pincurls all day, sweet to put your nose into when she is holding you, holding you and you feel safe, is the warm smell of bread before you bake it, is the smell when she makes room for you on her side of the bed still warm with her skin, and you sleep near her, the rain outside falling and Papa snoring. The snoring, the rain, and Mama's hair that smells like bread.



1st Reading- Teacher reads. Examine tone and purpose. How does the author feel about the hair of her family members? What evidence does the text give to support your claim about how the author feels?

2nd Reading-Partners read. Examine the author's craft. What kind of sentences? What kind of figurative language? How does the sentence structure and figurative language affect you as a reader? How might changing the sentence structure, wording, etc. make a difference in the way the passage is read?

3rd Reading- Individual reads. Using this passage as a mentor text, in your journal describe the hair of your family members. Focus on the hair of one family member in particular and highlight that family member in your second paragraph.

“Hairs” by Sandra Cisneros

Text Analysis Questions: Read to Write

Directions: Answer the text analysis questions on your copy of the mentor text.

• What type of figurative language does Cisneros use to explain her father's hair?
• What type of figurative language does she use to explain her hair in lines 3 and 4?
• Examine the parts of speech found in line five and line seven. What kinds of verbs does she use?
• Examine the text for descriptive words. How do those words affect the text?
• How does Cisneros's sentences differ from other sentences you may have seen in a textbook or in the novel you are currently reading?
• Pick a sentence from the text, one that you enjoyed reading—what did you like best about it?
• Take the sentence that you picked and take away everything that you enjoyed about it. Turn it into a factory sentence. Place the subject first, then the predicate—strip it of all of its goodness. Compare the stripped sentence to the original. Insert it back into the text. Does it make a difference to the meaning of the text? Positive or negative difference?
• How many sentences are in the second paragraph?
• How many words are in the first sentence?
• Who is the second paragraph about?
• Why do you think so much emphasis is placed on her mother in the second paragraph?
• Examine the words she using to describe her mother's hair. Thinking about your five senses, how many are stimulated in the second paragraph?
  
  

Highlighter code for text:

Similes=Pink

Metaphors=Green

Personification=Blue

Linking Verbs/Subject Complements=Yellow

Homework:

Re-read "Hair" by Sandra Cisneros. Think about the hair of your family members. How would you use figurative language to describe their hair? You may use photographs of family members that are far away. You may talk to them about what their hair looked like in their younger days before it was grey. Use at least four family members: grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters, parents, and step-parents--all are fine to use. Think of "Hair" as your mentor text, think about the way Sandra Cisneros makes every one's hair come to life in her text. You do not have to use your family's hair, if you are ready to take a risk and step out in your writing--then use a different family feature, like your family's feet, elbows, or eyes. It is your piece, you are just using "Hair" as a model or mentor text--use your imagination and be creative!   

1st Drafts: After writing your first draft, look closely at Sandra Cisneros's original text. Does your draft mirror her style and craft? Do you have two paragraphs? Did you make use of a similes, personification, and predicate adjectives? Does your second paragraph place emphasis on one particular family member? Read your piece aloud to a friend, make note of any questions your listener asked, was your piece clear and understandable? Make revisions based on the feedback you received and give yourself time to think about your writing and make changes toward writing your second draft.

    "Not-so Natural Hair" by Tracei Willis (First Draft)

    Not everyone in my family has natural hair. My mama's hair is auburn, not like the tiger, but like the box. (Clairol.) Meme's hair has OCD, it always seeks perfection in every way. My daddy's hair is like a fancy chef's accident...a massive spill of salt and pepper. My hair is short and curly and more like Daddy's year after year. And Alexys, who is the fanciest, has hair like a movie star. It's not exactly hers, but she paid for it.
     But Maya's hair, y'all, Maya's hair, like metal springs that go booiiinnng, booiinnng...like Tigger's tail, tight little twisted curly-q's, pointing in every directions, with splashes of acrylic paint from when she rubs her hand through her hair when she's painting, Maya's hair that is flattened on one side from watching a Glee marathon, Maya's hair with white floured hand prints from making pizza dough, Maya's hair that smells like sun, sweat, and grass from being out on the band field afterschool...My Maya's hair, all over and everywhere, will be all over and everywhere, except here when she goes off to college next year.

"Not-So Natural Hair" by Tracei Willis

      Not everyone in my family has natural hair. My Mama's hair is Auburn, not like UA, all orange and blue, more like Clairol, all flaming red, like a head of fire. Meme's hair has OCD, always seeking perfection, never a strand out of place. Alexys's hair is fancy like a movie star-- bought and paid for, blown out and sewn in.  Bob's hair is big and fluffy like a pillow pet, until it is braided into straight rows like the parallel lines in Walmart's parking lot. My Daddy's hair is like the salt and pepper shaker behind the counter at Subway, sprinkles of black and white and grey. My hair has been long and straight like Meme's, a flaming ball of fire like Mama's, big and fluffy like Bob's, dreaded like Mr. Marley's, but now it's just short, curly, black and grey, and mostly like Daddy's.

     But Maya's hair--y'all Maya's hair, is all over and everywhere, like metal springs coiled up and ready to pounce, hair that goes boiiinnng, boiinnng like Tigger's tail--tight, twisted curly-q's pointing in every conceivable direction, hair with splashes of acrylic paint when the canvas calls her name, hair with floured hand prints from rolling out dough,  hair flattened on one side from watching marathons of Doctor Who, SuperNatural and Glee, hair that smells like sun, sweat, and adrenaline throughout marching season. My Maya's hair--all over and everywhere, will be all over and everywhere, except here, when she goes off to college next year.

Exit Question:

What are the benefits of imitating the style and craft of accomplished writers?