Going for the Look
Reading selection for this module: Greenhouse, Steven. “Going for the Look, but Risking Discrimination.” New York Times. 13 July 2003.
Reading Rhetorically
Prereading
Introducing Key Concepts
English–Language Arts (ELA) Content Standard: Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary Development 1.3 Discern the meaning of analogies encountered, analyzing specific comparisons as well as relationships and inferences.
For Activity 1, bring a selection of ads for clothing stores (e.g., the Gap, Lands End, and Benetton) that feature models who reflect “the look” the company wants to project. Ask your students to work in groups or pairs to discuss “the look” they think the company wants to project. Then have the students narrow their lists down to three words. Ask the groups or pairs to share the words they have identified to describe “the look.” Write the words on the board or on an overhead projector. Then ask your students to categorize the words or choose a clothing store where a person having “the look” they have described might work. Categories would include physical appearance, dress, and attitude or personality.
Activity : Introducing Key Concepts Your teacher will give you several magazine ads for clothing stores. Working with your group, list as many words as you can that describe “the look” of the model or models in each ad.
Writing Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics) 2.3 Write reflective compositions: a. Explore the significance of personal experiences, events, conditions, or concerns by using rhetorical strategies (e.g., narration, description, exposition, persuasion).
Getting Ready to Read
Now ask your students to work on Activity 2, a quickwrite, for five or 10 minutes.
Activity 2: Getting Ready to Read Quickwrite: Should companies be able to hire only people who project the company image?
Note: The activities for students provided in the Student Version for this module are copied