Main Body
The Story of Joy Kogawa
Learning Goals
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Understand and use new vocabulary words
- Know what an antonym is
- Read words beginning with im- and in-
- Think about how some characters in a story might learn and grow
- Spell the plural form of many words
- Write a descriptive paragraph
Get Ready to Read
- Have you or someone you loved lived through a war? Did they survive? How did they get by?
Vocabulary
Figure out what the bold word means by looking at how it is used in the sentence. Match it to the best meaning.
| 1. Joy Kogawa remembers her childhood home fondly. | a. The army, navy and air force |
| 2. The RCMP said the decision to put all Japanese people in work camps did not make sense. | b. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, also known as Mounties |
| 3. The military said the decision to put all Japanese people in work camps did not make sense. | c. In a loving way |
| 4. Joy Kogawa’s house stands as a reminder of the injustice of racism and war. | d. Unfair treatment |
Write an answer for each question using the word in bold. Write complete sentences.
- Do you have an old friend you think of fondly? Who is she or he?
- If you were going to be in the military, would you rather be a soldier, sailor, or pilot?
- Have you seen any injustices in the news lately?
Word Attack Strategy
Word Patterns
The prefixes in– and im– mean not.
For example, incomplete means not complete.
Complete and incomplete are antonyms, or opposites. Match the word to its antonym.
| Word | Antonym |
| 1. patient | incorrect |
| 2. moral | impolite |
| 3. possible | impossible |
| 4. correct | imperfect |
| 5. perfect | impatient |
| 6. polite | immoral |
Fill in the blanks with an im- or in- word from above.
7. Only two of my answers on the test were ________________.
8. It is __________________________ not to say thank you.
9. Some people find beauty in things that are __________________________. These things are more interesting.
10. Nelson Mandela said, “It always seems __________________________ until it is done.”
11. I sat in the waiting room of the doctor’s office, feeling ________________.
12. Ernest Hemingway said, “I know only that what is moral is what you feel good after and what is __________________________ is what you feel bad after.”
Use Your Reading Skills
Read The Story of Joy Kogawa in your reader. Return to this page when you are done.
Check Your Understanding
Find the Topic and Main Idea
1. What is the topic of this text?
a. Japanese Canadians
b. Joy Kogawa
c. A book called Obasan
2. What is the main idea of this text?
a. This text tells the story of how Joy Kogawa worked for justice for Japanese Canadians who were forced to live in camps during World War II.
b. This text is about the advantages of Joy Kogawa’s house.
c. This text is about why Obasan is a great book.
3. Open and print a Sum It Up sheet. Use the sheet to plan a summary of this text. In the details boxes, list two things that Joy d