Opening Pages, Foreword, Preface and Introduction
Brain Vitamin, The Mind-Stimulator, Bahamian Grade 7 – 9 Students
Reading Comprehension Students’ Activity Workbook Vol. 2
by
Kevin E. Cartwright
Introduction:
This student activity workbook will provide you with the blueprint for learning the content presented in your reading comprehension text. It’s organization and structure are devised to maximize ease of use during your application of various concepts and strategies. Bahamian content depicting our life experiences, daily interactions with our people, enjoyment of our local pastimes, native cuisines, plants and animals, while promoting an appreciation for who, why and what makes us Bahamian remains the primary focus throughout the text. More importantly, this workbook has been arranged to facilitate your understanding of the material to help direct you along in your learning journey.
As you follow along, it is important that you do so sequentially so that you will attain maximum benefit from all of the strategies designed to enhance, expand, reshape and transform your mindset. That said, each section of this text will provide you with different strategies, readings, and tasks to serve as comprehension pillars to aid mental stimulation and clarity of thought. The activities in this workbook will help you to acquire and develop skills in the following areas: critical thinking, finding the main idea, using context clues, making inferences, writing summaries, solving problems, self-advocacy and awareness and using your imagination and creativity. Reinforcement of your learning will occur through application of skill-development strategies, age-appropriate questioning, mind-challenging tasks, and the use of vocabulary exercises at the end of the readings. Ultimately, my goal in creating the stories and related activities was to use contextually nourishing Bahamian text to help you develop your reading comprehension skills and deepen your appreciation of Bahamian culture.
Your Instructions for using this Activity Workbook:
The aim of this activity workbook is to ensure that you, the student, learn its content in the simplest way possible. Essentially, the activities in this workbook are designed to take you through the material so that the heartbeat of the Bahamian culture can be awakene in your lives to remain a powerful source or influence long after you complete its activities. Furthermore, to reinforce its message of Bahamian pride and appreciation of Bahamian culture, the reading task will provide you opportunities to engage in practical demonstrations to facilitate your comprehension of the chapter readings. In addition, you might find it beneficial to re-explore any of the content that you might find at first challenging or difficult to grasp. This practice is always useful, for it allows you to discover the effectiveness of the concepts and strategies for enhancing your reading comprehension skills. You can rest assured that the house of indigenous learning you are building on the grounds of your very own culture will stand firmly on a solid foundation underpinned by the unique cultural connections that make us all Bahamian through and through. And, because of these connections deeply rooted in the fabric of our Bahamian society, you can obtain the wisdom, knowledge and understanding gained from the genuine awareness of knowing that it is both a privilege and a benefit to carry with you a Bahamian passport wherever you are in the world.
Expectations for Learning:
At the end of this activity workbook, it is expected that Bahamian Grade 7 – 9 students will be able to demonstrate with confidence a thorough knowledge of the cultural content presented in all 10 chapters. Together with the strategies and reading tasks, students should be able to take the theoretical knowledge of the content and put it to practical use as they progress to more advanced reading comprehension levels. What’s more important, this activity workbook will in the minds of students the indispensable heritage of their own birthright and help them to appreciate the inextricable cultural linkages of their Bahamian identities to be preserved for future generations. Finally, this workbook will allow students to learn and discover their true value, merit and worth, while becoming authentic Bahamians at heart.
Table of Contents:
Part 1: Developing a Thinking Mindset
Critical Thinking (Brain Stimulants and Mental Push Ups)
Strategies for Developing Your Critical Thinking Skills
Chapter 1
B. Your Reading Tasks
The Race of a Lifetime
2. Five Fingers
3. The Bahamian Beggar
4. Spare Change
5. Footprints in the Snow
6. High school Dropouts
7. Burning Bridges
8. Uneaten Breakfast
9. Bruised and Battered
10. Missing Keys
11. Breaking the Rules
12. The Battle Ground
Part 2: Breaking Down and Explaining Text
II. Finding The Main Idea (Evidence, Tracks and Trails)
Strategies for Finding the Main Idea
Chapter 2
D. Your Reading Tasks
13. Bread Crumbs
14. The Dilly Fight
15. Jeff the Clever Chef
16. The Journey
17. Bowe the Bahamian Book Worm
18. Pulling Teeth
19. No! Not You This Time!
20. Jail Break
21. Disgruntled Danny
22. The Lazy School Teacher
. Bahamians Wear Your Seat Belts
24. Connected by Fate
25. Panhandling Pete
26. Softhearted Sue
III. Using Context Clues (Native Fruits, Plants and Animals)
E. Strategies for Using Context Clues
Chapter 3
F. Your Reading Tasks
27. Coconuts
28. The Guava Tree
29. Picking Plums
30. Bush Medicine
31. The Flamingo
32. The Blue Marlin
33. The Bahama Parrot
34. The Northern Bahamian Rock Iguana
35. Catching Crabs
36. Catching Fish
IV. Writing Summaries (Native Cultures and Local Pastimes)
G. Strategies for Writing Summaries
Chapter 4
H. Your Reading Tasks
37. Junkanoo
38. Bahamian Music
39. Fish Fry
40. Bamboo Shack
41. Divine Café
42. Potter’s Cay
43. The Straw Market
44. Island Luck
Part 3: Making Deeper Meaning
V. Making Inferences (Native Beverages and Cuisines)
I. Strategies for Making Inferences
Chapter 5
J. Your Reading Tasks
45. Kalik
46. Vita Malt
47. Tuna and Grits
48. Fire Engine
49. Crab and Dough
50. Boiled Fish
51. Stewed Fish
52. Cracked Conch
53. Conch Salad
54. Conch Fritters
55. Scorched Conch
56. Bahamian Seafood
57. Bahamian Macaroni and Cheese
58. Tasty Tarts
59. Cups and Baggies
60. Gully Wash
VI. Drawing Conclusions (Briefs and Shorts for Your Thoughts)
K. Strategies for Drawing Conclusions
Chapter 6
L. Your Reading Tasks
61. The Lemonade Stand
62. Bahamian Life
63. Liquid Sunshine
64. Hurricanes
65. Island Hopping
66. Mother’s Warning
67. The Intruder
68. The Robber
69. Island Ghosts
70. Bahamian People
71. Bey! Where You Come From?
72. Eating for Comfort
VII. Problem Solving (Utilities, Service Providers and World-Class Resorts)
M. Strategies for Developing Your Problem-Solving Skills
Chapter 7
N. Your Reading Tasks
73. Bahamas Power and Light BPL
74. Bahamas Telecommunication Company BTC
75. ALIV
76. Cable Bahamas
77. The Atlantis Resort
78. Cable Beach
79. Baha Mar
Part 4: Comprehension Skills for Transformation
VIII. Empowering Yourself with Knowledge (History and Politics)
O. Strategies to Empower Yourself
Chapter 8
P. Your Reading Tasks
80. 1973 Independence
81. Parliament Square
82. Civil Service
83. From College of The Bahamas COB to University of The Bahamas UB
84. Talk Show Fever
85. Value Added Tax VAT
86. The Political Triumvirate
87. National Insurance Board NIB
88. Super Value
IX. Preparing Yourself to Become an Advocate (Awareness and Advocacy)
Q. Strategies to Prepare for Advocacy
Chapter 9
R. Your Reading Tasks
89. The White Cane: A Mobility Device of Dignity
90. The Service Animal
91. The Repeat Offender
92. Inaccessible Transportation: Roadblocks to Functional Independence
93. Make Provisions to Preserve Your Vision
94. Equality and Equity: the Difference
95. Resilient: Anthem for Disability Rights
96. A Warrior’s Anthem: A Tribute to the Late William E. Lightbourne, B. E. M.
Part 5: Being You
X. Using Your Imagination (Laughter and Poetry)
S. Strategies for Using Your Imagination
Chapter 10
T. Your Reading Tasks
97. Silly Lily
98. Irie Nuts
99. Bahamian Jack
100. That’s It! I’m Tired!
101. Buddy the Bahamian
102. Farting Franny
103. Frank the Frog
104. Floppy! You’re so Sloppy!
105. Nosy Nancy
106. Autumn: Sometimes Naughty, Sometimes Nice
107. Right Church! Wrong Pew!
108. Catching Gap Seed
109. Making Sense out of Nonsense
110. Thank You Ma’am for the Pepper in My Jam
111. The Mouse in My Souse
112. Butting Heads with the Bully
113. No Food in My Cupboard
114. Principal Pancakes
115. Tongue Twisters for Madams and Misters
116. References
117. Concluding Remarks
118. About the Author
Part 1: Developing a Thinking Mindset
I. Critical Thinking (Brain Stimulants and Mental Push Ups)