Presentation Rubric for Book Reviews

Part 1: Professional Reading Assignment

Select/read a book from the list in the syllabus or one of your choice (with approval of professor) that
meets the criteria of a professional level book related to teaching and learning.
One book can be selected for a small group to read or different books can be selected. The
responses will still be made by individual group members.
The key is to synthesize the information and provide compelling reasons for others to read the
book. Link the information to the course content in an appropriate manner.
Do not recreate or try to teach the entire book. Others can read the book if they are interested.
Your job is to synthesize the information and present it in a compelling and professional manner.

After reading the book do the following:

(No cursory responses Table expands to accommodate your thinking.)
LION
Previously Published as A Long Way Home: A Memoir
By: Saroo Brierley
2013

Saroo Brierley was born in 1981 he is an Indian born and raised in Australia. He is now an Australian
businessman who, at age 5, was separated from his biological mother. An Australian couple adopted him, and
25 years later reunited with his biological mother. His story generated significant international media
attention, especially in Australia and India.

Task Response
Select 2-3 key Point 1: Saroo being one of the youngest siblings from his family, he still had a younger little sister
areas or points that followed after him named Shekila. He always felt obligated to take care of her and keep her
made by the author safe and try to provide food for her. They were raised in a poor family their mother was never really
that add to your home because she would be working or she would be gone for a couple days. As for their older
professional learning

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and synthesize the siblings they would be out in the city trying to find for food or somewhere better to go, so they were
ideas by making always gone. Which left Saroo to care for her sister. This made him very responsible at a very
connections to other young age for someone smaller than him even though they were both children. He would make
relevant research sure that if they found clothes or food to first always give it to his little sister.
and current
information to
support the validity Point 2: Fear is something that Saroo faced in his life at a very young age. When he went out with
of the book content. his older sibling Guddu they were both going to go out to adventure out and find new possibilities.
As the day went on and it was getting dark Saroo was getting really tired but Guddu wanted to
keep on looking so he told his little brother to stay there in a bench and rest and sleep. But when
Saroo woke up he did not find his brother anymore, he was nowhere to be found. He was scared
for his life because he could not find his brother and he had no idea where he was or how to get
home. He then lived with a fear everyday because he did not know where he was or how to get
home or how to even ask for help in where to go.

Point 3: Another aspect that is presented in this book was TRUST. Trust is a very important key in
this book because Saroo had to be able to trust people in order for him to go somewhere. One of
the biggest instances that Saroo had to be able to trust someone was when he had the opportunity
to be adopted if he chose too. Trust was something very important in this book because it
demonstrates that you believe in someone and are willing to rely on them. In this case Saroo was
wiling to trust two adults from Australia that he had never met and does not have any similarities
with them but he was able to trust them in the fact that these individuals wanted to adopt Saroo
and take him home. He also had to trust the lady from the orphanage to pair him up with a good
loving family that will care for him.

Elaborate on these Idea 1: The idea of being responsible in the story can be applied to anything because you have to
key ideas (in be able to be responsible in many areas in order to be successful. Sometimes there are certain
previous task) by instances that make you a bit more responsible such as in the case like Saroo, he became more
evaluating the ideas responsible because he had someone to care for. Responsibility does not really relate to
and applying the
ideas to your
intercultural competence but it can because if you are responsible to do or to do something for
understanding of others such as if you are a teacher and you have students for different cultures in your classroom
intercultural as the teacher you are responsible for your students no matter what culture your students are
competence. from.

Idea 2: Fear is something that can be related to intercultural competence because many people
can relate to that. Students are fearful when they enter a new school because they do not know
how it will be like, especially for example like English Learners they do not speak the same
language so they do not know if they will be able to communicate with anyone or if anyone will be
able to understand them. That is one of the biggest fears English Learners face when going into a
new school in a new country because everything is new for them. Any individual can be fearful of
coming into a new culture because it is a new experience that they are not comfortable with and its
not an environment in which they are able to relate too. Of course when you dont know something
or arent comfortable or aware of something you have some fear of how things might turn out like
or what is going to happen, just like Saroo when he was lost he did not know what was going to
happen.

Idea 3: Trust is another key aspect that can be related to intercultural competence because
although being in a different culture that is not native to you is fearful as mentioned before you
have to be able to trust that there is going to be someone that is willing to help that you can trust
for that guidance. Even though at first if you are in another country that they speak a different
language than you do and they have different cultural norms than the ones you are used to, it is
okay you will learn and be able to apply to the ones of the culture that you are visiting as time goes
on and you meet people that will present to you the new culture to you in a nice and caring way
that you develop trust for and care for them as well.

Evaluate the content I believe that this book does discuss many important aspects of life that one goes through and or
in relationship to should be aware of. Although some of these key aspects of life that individuals should come
your belief
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system/worldview. across are important to learn in ones life but if we look back at it in the characters from the book
Describe and such as Saroo I do believe that he did come across some instances a bit to early in his life
explain areas of because although they are instances that you should come across but not at such a young age.
compatibility and For example, responsibility is a trait that everyone shall learn but at the age that Saroo had to be
areas of differences.
responsible for his younger sister and the things he had to be responsible for at that age are
unbelievable. They are things that a child should not have to worry about. Survival is another
important aspect to learn, although one should not have to live to learn how to survive in this world
but for this child in the story his life was a story of survival. He had to learn how to go out and not
die of hunger and search for food and clothing and simple aspects that we take for granted
because we have. But since this child did not have the simplest things in life for him it was a
matter of surviving and staying safe. Saroo also had to learn to trust people although there was no
one ever in his life that had wanted to help him so it was very different and shocking for him when
there was someone that wanted to help him such as the orphanage and or the parents from
Australia that ended up adopting him. Therefore, he had to learn how to accommodate to his new
life with his adopted parents that he found very different because it was, it was like nothing he had
ever seen at or felt like because there was someone that cared for him and loved him.
Link the book Lion, can be related to many ways to this class because this book discusses many aspects of
content to cultural differences, especially hardships. Saroo the main character of the book fases many
one/several of the hardships in his like that he has to deal with that can be related to culture. It can be related to
theories we are culture dfferences in the classroom or out in the community because they are things that they face.
studying in this
course. Provide a
The book supports development of intercultural competence because even though Saroo was
comprehensive born in a different culture than the one he was being raised in which he was adopted he was
overview of how the willing to learn the many differences they had. Even though since Saroo was so young and his
content of this book mother was always working there was not really anyone that would be raising him, he would be
supports the learning things on his own or from his older brothers or from the people in the street. But when he
development of was adopted he was super grateful because he new he was going to be able to have many more
intercultural possibilities that he has never been able to have. Saroo had a lot of learning to do, he did not
competence. know how to eat properly or just the fact that they used utensils to eat because he always had to
eat with his hands. Saroo learned many new things from the Australian culture and just from life in
general because he never had anyone guiding him, it was like if he was raising himself and at the
same time he had someone to take care of which was his little sister. For him being responsible of
someone younger than him, he was an amazing kid because he always tried to protect his sister
and feed her and clothe her before thinking of himself. As time went on he go the hang of life and
understood mostly everything in the home with his adopted parents so he was able to adjust fine
especially because he knew that the life his adopted parents were giving him was the best
decision and life that he could have ever gotten. He valued the norms, expectations, and the
relationship he had with his adopted parents.
How has this This reading has helped me understand the lives of different individuals you never know the
reading helped you hardships that an individual goes through, so I have learned to always be willing and help others
personally develop a and be nice to them and assist them. I am a paraprofessional educator in a middle school, so yes
deeper conceptual we often get students from different countries and I am nice to them and I intend to make them feel
knowledge for
understanding
comfortable with me and tell to ask whenever they have questions because I am willing to help.
yourself and others But after reading this book, although that I am always willing to help my English Learners or any
in a culturally other students with any necessities they may have after reading this book it has made me think of
competent manner? all my students, because everyone has hardships and although as adults we are able to face them
some how but I believe that children should not have to face such things like that so it breaks my
heart. Sometimes when a student needs help ask, after reading this book it has made me aware to
always ask my students how they are doing because you never know the hardships that go on at
home. Or sometimes we do not understand why a student is doing something in a certain manner
and it may be because that is the way they were taught how to do it in their country so rather than
shutting the student down and show them the way you know how to do something you should ask
the student if they can explain to you the way they solved the situation. Cultures are different but
this book has reminded me to be open minded for differences and to never shut down anyones
differences.
How has this study This book has helped me voice for my students because as I assist the English Language
helped move you Learners at my school through their classes it has reminded me that although cultures are different
from novice to the one always finds comfort in their native culture. Therefore, if you are able to relate any topic to the
expert /professional students culture it will hit home and the student may or more likely be more successful. Just like
level as a sojourner?
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 the way Saroos adopted parents always tried to relate his Indian culture in his life because they
knew that was what he was used to, rather than their Australian culture. Therefore, they intended
to make him feel comfortable at their house by including things from India for him. The same thing
goes on with students, if as a teacher you try to relate things to their own culture or things they are
more comfortable with they will feel more of a trust and connection. So I know that if I relate things
to my students that connect with them my students will develop comfort towards the classroom
and me. I have already seen that because even before reading the book I have intended to do that
and I do see that many students have developed a sense of comfort when they need assistance in
something they are willing to come up to me and ask me for my assistance. I am always willing to
help my students as best as I can even if sometimes I do not understand myself but we always
find a possibility even if sometimes we have to look back at notes or look things up online for
guidance. But I will never tell a student I do not know or I cannot help I at least always give them
hope by looking up something or trying to solve the situation.

Attach any additional https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RNI9o06vqo

pictures, video clips,
web links or http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1176&context=teachlearnfacpub
resources that you
found that would
support the content
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/11/good-teachers-embrace-their-students-
of this book. cultural-backgrounds/281337/

http://www.wou.edu/~kaguzman11/curi12002.pdf

https://www.ted.com/talks/mckenna_pope_want_to_be_an_activist_start_with_your_toys

http://hedgersabroad.com/2013/08/31/561/

https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/supporting-esl-students-mainstream-classroom/

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