Watts, 1992
Summary: When May dies, her husband Ob and Summer, her "daughter" for the last six years, must cope with her death. Cletus Underwood, Summer's seventh-grade friend, plays a role in their healing.
Level: RL: 7 - 9; IL: 7 - adult
Themes:
- Death and dying
The grieving process
Conventional and unconventional families
Activities:
1. According to Patricia Anderson (see Resources), the grieving process consists of four stages:
- Initial Shock
- Searching
- Despair
- Acceptance
a. Research the stages of grief. Focus on the following research question: What are the characteristics of each stage?
b. Then apply the process to Ob and Summer. Does their grieving process follow the process? Justify your answers by citing passages from the book. Give page numbers.
c. Interview friends who have experienced the death of a friend, a close relative or a pet. (Some possible questions are suggested in the critical thinking activity "Coping with Grief" in the Death and Dying: Opposing Viewpoints on page 174.) Compare and contrast your friends' responses with those described in the essays in the Death and Dying: Opposing Viewpoints section titled "How Should One Cope with Grief?" Analyze how Ob and Summer and how your friends coped with grief.
d. Based on what you have learned from the above activities, brainstorm ways of helping friends cope with grief. When appropriate use these strategies to help a friend.
e. Many school districts have "crisis teams" that help students, faculty and staff when tragedy occurs. This year crisis teams at Maine schools helped students cope with such tragedies as the sudden death of students in a car accident and the death of a teacher who had cancer. Survey guidance counselors and/or principals in neighboring districts to see if their schools have crisis teams. Questions you might ask include: Who are the members of the crisis team? What problems do they handle? What procedures do they follow? Interview your guidance counselor or principal to see if your school district has such a team. If it does, find out how you can help the team during a crisis. If not, determine what can be done to organize a team.
2. Cynthia Rylant describes her writing process in the interview titled "Rylant on Writing: A Talk with 1993 Newbery Medialist Cynthia Rylant" (School Library Journal, May 1993, pages 26 -29).
a. Think about how you write by completing Activity 1A from The Moon and I (A Maine Sampler of Information Skills Activities Volume III, page 42). Compare and contrast your process with the processes described by Betsy Byars in The Moon and I and Cynthia Rylant in her interview. Select a technique or strategy used by either Byars or Rylant and apply it to your writing. Evaluate the technique's effectiveness. In other words, why does it work/not work for you? Share your reaction by conferencing with your teacher, librarian or peer writing group
b. Cynthia Rylant discusses how she researched her World War II novel I Have Seen Castles in her interview. Compare and contrast her research process with the process used by Karen Hesse in writing Letters from Rifka. (See Hesse's letter and author questionnaire in A Maine Sampler of Information Skills Activities Volume III, pages 36 - 38.) How did research effect the authors' approaches to characterization and the structure of their novels? Summarize your findings in your reading journal or use a double-entry draft to analyze these writers' ideas. Note: For an explanation of double-entry drafts see Activity 1 from A Twilight Struggle in A Maine Sampler of Information Skills Volume III, page 30.
c. Rylant has strong opinions about the relationship between the story and illustrations in picture books. Before reading Rylant's views, have your librarian or teacher help you select 5 different picture books. Working with a group of 3 or 4 classmates, create a list of what you liked or disliked about the illustrations in each book. Be sure to explain how the illustrations contributed or failed to contribute to the story. Then create a criteria for judging a story and its illustrations. Compare and contrast your opinions with Rylant's views in her interview. Consult a children's literature textbook (see Resources) to see what other experts have to say on the subject. If necessary, revise your criteria. Have your group share its observations and criteria with other members of your class.
3. Rylant uses symbols. Use a dictionary of literary terms to find a definition of this term.
Symbols have both a literal/concrete meaning and a symbolic/ underlying meaning. On a literal level, a wedding ring might be a plain, gold band. On a symbolic level, the ring might represent a continuous circle consisting of two lives united as one. On a literal level, the flag of the United States consists of a piece of fabric with white and red stripes and a patch of blue with fifty white stars. On a symbolic level, it might represent freedom, patriotism, and pride for U.S. citizens
Some symbols in Missing May include Ob's whirligigs, the names of Ob's cars, and May's garden. Analyze these symbols by following the process below. Record your responses in your reading journal.
a. Literal Level:
- Locate the passages in the novel that refer to the objects noted above. Be sure to give page numbers. List the details used to describe each item.
- How do the characters feel about the item? You might want to quote some of their words. Again, make sure to include page numbers.
- Do the items contribute to the development of the plot? If yes, explain.
b. Symbolic Level: What do you think is the underlying meaning of these items? What abstract ideas or concepts do they represent? Be prepared to justify your answers.
After completing the process for determining the meaning of a symbol, conference with your teacher or librarian. If necessary, revise your ideas based on your conversation.
Find other examples of symbols in the book. Complete an analysis of each by applying the procedure above.
4. Some terms used to describe families include the following adjectives: traditional, unconventional, and dysfunctional. First define these terms. Classify the families in Missing May. Include the families Summer lived with before May and Ob and Cletus' family. Justify your choice by giving examples from the story.
Work with a partner to brainstorm a list of qualities associated with a family. In other words, what are the characteristics of a good family? For further applications of this activity, see Activity 1 for Chris Crutcher's Athletic Shorts in A Maine Sampler of Information Skills Activities Volume II.
Resources:
Death and Dying
Bender, David L. and Leone, Bruno (ed.). Death and Dying: Opposing Viewpoints. Greenhaven Press, 1992. [This book contains Patricia Anderson's essay "Grief Follows a Predictable Pattern," an explanation of the grieving process. It also addresses a number of controversial issues related to death and dying. Recommended for high school students.]
Knox, Jean. Death and Dying. Chelsea House, 1989. [A volume in the Encyclopedia of Health series, this book is appropriate for students in grades 7 - 10. ]
Krementz, Jill. How It Feels When a Parent Dies. Knopf, 1981. [Consists of personal interviews with young people.]
Kubler-Ross, Elisabeth. To Live Until We Say Good-Bye. Macmillan, 1979. [Deals with the dying process. For older readers.]
Richter, Elizabeth. Losing Someone You Love: When a Brother or Sister Dies. G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1986. [This nonfiction book contains interviews with teenagers dealing with the death of a brother or sister.]
Recommended by the Stearns High School Guidance Department
For Adults
Donnelly, N.H. I Never Know What to Say: How to Help Your Family and Friends Cope with Tragedy. NY: Ballantine, 1987.
Kushner, H.S. When Bad Things Happen to Good People. NY: Shocken, 1981.
Wolfelt, A. Helping Children Cope with Death. Muncie, IN: Accelerated Development, 1983.
For Children and Families
Clardy, A.F. Dusty Was My Friend. NY: Human Sciences, 1984. Ages 5-12.
Cohen, J. I Had a Friend Named Peter. NY: Morrow, 1987.
Ages 6-12.
Rufes, E. Kid's Book About Death and Dying. Boston: Little, Brown, 1985.
Children and Young Adult Literature Texts
Donelson, Kenneth L. and Alleen Pace Nilsen. Literature for Today's Young Adults. Scott, Foresman and Company, 1989.
England, Claire and Adele M. Fasick. ChildView: Evaluating and Reviewing Materials for Children. Libraries Unlimited, 1987.
Norton, Donna. Through the Eyes of a Child. Macmillan, 1991.
Prepared by Marilyn Joyce, Stearns High School, Millinocket
