Sarah Joseph
‘Hagar: A story of a Woman and Water’ an extract taken from Sarah Joseph’s novel Gift in Green is a lesson for the students of degree classes prescribed by Mahatma Gandhi University for detailed study.
Here is a plan for the teaching of the lesson face-to-face for three hours in three days in a week. Another two hours is needed to complete the homework related to the lesson.
The plan aims the cognitive paradigm, in which the classroom interactions and tasks address the possible thoughts at every point of the face-to-face instruction.
1. Objectives:
a) The students read and comprehend the events of the story.
b) They analyze the features of the story in terms of conflict, the point of view etc.
c) They critically evaluate the water issues reflected in the story.
d) They identify Hagar as a powerful woman empowered by the determination and sensibility to the power and beauty of nature.
2. Materials required:
Computer, LCD projector, a picture of Hagar
Day 1 (one hour)
Shall I tell you a Bible story?
This is as told as on a site.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagar)
Teacher presents Hagar’s story by expanding the following events.
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· Hagar was the Egyptian slave of Sarah, Abraham's wife.
· Abraham's wife Sarah had been barren for a long time.
· So she offered Hagar to Abraham as a second wife.
· Hagar became pregnant, and tension arose between the two women.
· Sarah complained to Abraham and treated Hagar harshly, and Hagar ran away.
· After some days the pregnant Hagar came back and gave birth to a child – Ishmael.
· Later Sarah becomes pregnant and gives birth to a child – Isaac.
· The tension between the women returned.
· Sarah found the teenage Ishmael mocking her son.
· The next morning, Abraham brought Hagar and Ishmael out together.
· Hagar and her son wandered aimlessly until their water was completely consumed.
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The life in the wilderness became a challenge for Hagar and the child.
They are wandering for water. (10 mts)
Can you guess the remaining part of the story?
Those who know the Bible story already may describe the next events and the end of the story.
Those who don’t know the story imagine and describe the next possible events.
They write the story.
After a reasonable time two or three present the story in the whole class.
They exchange and read the story. (30 mts)
This is what you guess or what you have heard.
Shall we read the story as described by the present story writer?
Turn to page 127 of your textbook to read the story.
This story in the textbook is written by Sarah Joseph.
Read it now.
They make an attempt to read the story.
If there are barriers of new words, they overcome them with the help of the glossary in the textbook or any online dictionary.
(If the reading of the story requires more time, they may read it as a homework)
Now write all the events of the story in a sequence.
Look at the following format.
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· Abraham rejects Hagar and Ishmael in the wilderness
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· Ishmael is about to die of starvation
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· Water covenant with the tribes
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· A new civilization emerges on the bank of the lake
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Read the story carefully and complete events.
Do it as a homework. (20 mts)
Day 2 (one hour)
Yesterday I asked you to read the story in the textbook, didn’t I?
So you have completed the reading of the story.
Take out the homework you have done.
Two or three present the sequence of events.
While they present, teacher fills in the gaps, if there is any need.
Now shall we do one thing?
We are drawing a mind-map.
Mind-map, what is that?
When you complete reading of the story, your mind has lots of reactions, thoughts, emotions, and feelings towards the characters and the events.
Now you are drawing that picture of your mind on a sheet of paper.
You are not writing complete sentences.
You are just scribbling certain words or phrases representing your reactions and thoughts on a map.
Look at a model of mind-map.
Teacher shows the mind-map on the screen. (15 mts)
Image credit to:
(If it is their maiden attempt at drawing a mind map, the teacher may give the following guidelines also)
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· Start in the centre with an image of the topic, using at least 3 colours.
· Use images, symbols, codes, and dimensions throughout your mind map.
· Select key words and print using upper or lower case letters.
· Each word/image is best alone and sitting on its own line.
· The lines should be connected, starting from the central image. The lines become thinner as they radiate out from the centre.
· Make the lines the same length as the word/image they support.
· Use multiple colours throughout the mind map, for visual stimulation and also for encoding or grouping.
· Develop your own personal style of mind mapping.
· Use emphasis and show associations in your mind map.
· Keep the mind map clear by using radial hierarchy or outlines to embrace your branches.
Guidelines credit to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_map
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All the students draw the mind-map. (10 mts)
While they begin drawing, the teacher takes her own drawing pad and says;
Look, I am also drawing a mind-map of mine.
Teacher draws her own mind-map along with the students. (10 mts)
When they complete drawing, they show the mind-maps one-another.
Those who get the mind-map of the co-learners, they have to read and interpret the mind-map they get.
They have to write the interpretation on the mind-map of the friend.
They write a paragraph on what they think about the reactions and thoughts of the person who draws the mind-map.
Two or three present the interpretations. (10 mts)
Showing own mind-map teacher asks the whole class;
This is my mind-map.
Who can interpret my mind-map?
I write as follows on my mind-map.
· Is Abraham right or wrong?
· Hagar, a woman of endurance
· At last kindness is always with the poor and needy
· All future battles will be on the issue of water
· Water brings in life and prosperity
Anyone makes an attempt to interpret teacher’s mind map.
Teacher congratulates her and precedes.
Yesterday when I completed my reading of the poem my thoughts were as follows;
· As the forefather is Abraham right or wrong? Why does he reject Hagar?
· Hagar is a woman of rejection and endurance.
· She faces the challenge with a strong will.
· She is an ‘iron lady’.
· Kindness is bestowed from God to the poor and needy.
· All future battles will be on the issue of water, the water source is an issue of dispute between persons, between countries.
· Water brings in life and prosperity and rivers are the life-lines.
(10 mts)
Day 3 (one hour)
The story poses certain environmental as well as social issues.
Certain water-related messages/morals are silent in the story.
Actually, that is what Sarah Joseph, the writer likes to share with the readers of the story.
From the beginning to the end of the story, water is the central issue.
What are the water-lessons silent in the story?
Means, what are the water-related messages?
They make an attempt to say some water-related messages.
Shall I give you certain messages I get from the story?
· Hagar takes a can full of water for her and her child’s life in the wilderness.
· Hagar prays for water only because water was everything to sustain life.
· Hagar involves in water covenant because water is to be used with proper protocol in that society.
· Water is the natural resource of a society/nation/world.
· Dispute on dividing the water resources are to be solved on humanitarian understanding.
· It is water that unites Hagar and the tribes in the desert.
Water is a unifying force.
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Teacher shows the above list on the screen. (10 mts)
Can you find out any other water-related message from the story?
Teacher writes the title of the story on the Board;
Hagar, the story of a woman and water
Examine the title closely.
How does it become the story of a woman?
Who is that woman?
How does she become a heroine?
Shall we write an essay on the character of Hagar?
We are writing six or seven paragraphs.
How can we write the essay with seven paragraphs?
If one paragraph has one central idea each, we want seven central ideas?
What are they?
They make an individual attempt to find ideas for seven paragraphs.
One or two share the ideas they have in their mind about the essay.
After their presentation, if the class requires another set of ideas for the essay, the teacher gives the following cues. (10 mts)
Image credit to:
https://www.google.co.in/search?tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=-MOmWsqSMIHy0ATWoJmQBg&q=image+of+Hagar+and+Ishmael&oq=image+of+Hagar+and+Ishmael&gs_l=psy-
· Introduction; title, author, entire characters in the story.
· Summary of the story.
· The most important quality of Hagar (endurance), show an example for endurance.
· Another quality of Hagar (a strong will to face challenges), show an example for her strong willpower.
· Another quality of Hagar (gracefulness, agility), show an example of her timely action.
· Yet another quality (leadership she takes), show an example of the leadership she takes.
· Conclusion with a comparison with any other characters in the same story or in any other story.
Begin the essay describing Hagar’s character sketch.
Let them write first two paragraphs. (30 mts)
They complete the essay as a homework.
When water is threatened, all living things are threatened:
Says the Indigenous Declaration of Water.
Credit to; https://upliftconnect.com/hopi-message-about-water/
Is there any threat to water in your locality?
The teacher dictates following questions to test their reading comprehension;
How did Hagar identify the spurt of the spring somewhere in the wilderness?
How does the writer describe the spring and flow of water in the story?
What was the contract made between the tribes and Hagar on the use of water?
What Wilma Bailey, in an article entitled "Hagar: A Model for an Anabaptist Feminist", refers to her as a "maidservant" and "slave". She sees Hagar as a model of "power, skills, strength, and drives". What did Hagar say the tribes to convince the value of water?
(Credit to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagar)
(10 mts)
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