Before Reading
Preview Organization
Read about collage on page 578. Look at the visual collage on page 579 to help you get an idea of how pieces of different media can be put together. The selection you are about to read is similar in that it is pieced together from a variety of media. Scan the selection. You will see different kinds of type—all capitals or italics. The changing type will help you recognize when a different type of material is being introduced. For example, the italicized bits are parts of a song, while the capitalized bits are headlines. Other bits are mostly excerpts from newspaper articles. Keep this in mind as you read.
During Reading
Use Organizational Features as You Read
1. Read along while your teacher reads the first page of the selection. Identify what type of text you see on the page. Identify the meaning of each piece separately. Then try to find a relationship between connected items.
2. Continue reading on your own. Use differences in type to recognize separate pieces of the collage. For each piece, try to determine what the piece is saying on its own. Write the meaning down in your notebook. Read the next piece and write the meaning down. When you are done, go back and try to figure out the connections between pieces.
Fix-Up Idea: Use What You Know
Read all of the Prereading notes carefully. Talk to your classmates and teacher about the Great Depression. Think about the struggles people faced during this period. Keep this in mind as you read. Use the footnotes throughout the selection to help you understand other elements of historical detail related to specific bits in the collage.
After Reading
Summarize and Share
Share your notes with a few of your classmates. If you had trouble making connections between some elements of the collage, talk with your group about how to try to figure out the meaning of these sections. Use the Investigate, Inquire, and Imagine questions to help you focus on issues in the selection.