Lee  Puay  Joo,  Christine  QCE501  Assignment  2  TG08  -­‐  Mrs.  Selvi  Peters  

QCE  501  (Aug  2011  semester)  Assignment  2  

   

TEACHING  READING  AT  THE  UPPER  PRIMARY  LEVEL        1 The  text  

Born   in   1821,   Elizabeth   Blackwell,   was   the   third   daughter   of   the   Blackwell   household,   and   even   from  babyhood   she   had   had   the   reputation   for   being   stubborn   and   determined.   She   had   to   do   everything   for  herself  and  she  had  to  do  it  perfectly.  When  she  was  quite  small  she  wouldn’t   let  anyone  help  her  with  her  boot   laces   or   the   buttons   on   her   frocks.   And   in   the   schoolroom,   even   the   governess   would   get   tired   of  watching  her,  sometimes,  her  head  bent  over  the  slate,  her  lips  thrust  out,  her  forehead  all  screwed  up  with  the  effort  of  making  her  letters  exactly  like  those  in  the  copybook.  

Her  aunts  often  complained  to  Mr.  Blackwell,  that  Elizabeth  was  very  unfeminine,  showed  very  little  interest  in  sewing,  and  none  at  all  in  embroidery  and  knowing,  all  accomplishments  that  they  felt  every  lady  should  cultivate.  

 Mr.  Blackwell  was   inclined,  always,   to   take  Elizabeth’s   side.  “Let  her  grow  up   to  do  what   she  wants.  “I’m  certain,”  he  said,  “that  she’s  not  wasting  her  time.”  There  were  no  professions  open  to  women,  true  enough,  he  said,  then  it  was  all  the  more  reason  for  educating  his  daughters.  And  he  would  conclude,  “they  will  have  to  make  their  own  opportunities!”  

An   incident   occurred   during   the   summer,   which   was   upsetting   to   Elizabeth,   but   which   at   the   same   time  seemed  to  offer  a  huge  suggestion.  It  was  her  habit  to  visit  with  a  friend  of  her  mother’s,  who  was  sick  with  a  malignant  disease,  and  knew  she  was  dying.  

“I  have  often  wondered,”  said  the  sick  woman,  “why  women,  who  are  always  preoccupied  with  the  care  of  the  sick,  are  not  allowed  to  become  physicians?”  

The   next   time   Elizabeth   came,   the   sick   woman   again   spoke   about   this   same   subject.   “Why   don’t   you  undertake  the  study  of  medicine?”  she  said.    

Elizabeth,   who   was   surprised   at   this   odd   proposal,   replied   almost   indignantly   that   she   hated   everything  connected  with  the  body,  and  could  not  bear  the  sight  of  a  medical  book.    

The  suggestion  fascinated  Elizabeth,  even  though  it  also  repelled  her.  No  woman  had  ever  been  admitted  to  a  medical  school.   In  fact,  as  far  as  Elizabeth  knew,  no  woman  had  ever  made  the  attempt  to  gain  admittance.  She   could   not   seem   to   dismiss   from   her   mind   the   possibility   of   becoming   a   doctor.   The   very   difficulties  challenged  her.      

Where  to  go  and  how  to  get  there?  With  whom  to  begin  and  what  to  do  first?  She  had  no  money,  but  she  was  by   no  means   discouraged.   She   turned   again   to   teaching,   a  work   she   disliked,   but   if   she  was   to  make   the  money  for  her  education,   it  must  be  done  quickly.  But  the  routine  of  teaching  was  not  so  dull   for  Elizabeth  now,   because   as   soon   as   the   little   girls  were   gone   from   the   schoolroom,   she   shut   herself   up  with  medical  books   that   Reverend   Dickson   had   lent   her,   and   studied   so   hard   that   this   gentleman   was   amazed   at   her  progress.    

In  1847,  Elizabeth  sailed  from  Charleston  to  Philadelphia  where  she  would  meet  Dr.  Samuel  Jackson,  famous  chairman  of  the  Institutes  at  the  University,  and  one  of  the  oldest  professors  in  Philadelphia.    

“I  want  to  study  medicine,”  she  said.  “I  want  to  become  a  physician.”  

The  doctor  put  down  his  paper.  “There  has  never  been  a  woman  student  in  our  school,”  he  said,  “nor  at  any  other  institution  of  medical  instruction  in  the  States.    In  fact,”  he  went  on,  “I  know  of  no  country,  madam,  in  

Lee  Puay  Joo,  Christine  QCE501  Assignment  2  TG08  -­‐  Mrs.  Selvi  Peters  

which  such  a  request  was  made  or  granted.”  

At  this  Elizabeth  felt  forced  to  protest  and  affirmed,  “I  want  to  become  a  physician,  to  learn  the  ills  of  the  body  and  to  attend  to  women  who  need  me!”  

From  Harvard,   Bowdoin   and   Yale,   she   had   already   had   refusals.   From  several  of  the  smaller  schools  to  which  she  had  written  early  that  summer,  there  were  still  no  answers.  Only  one  school,  a  small  unimportant  school,  tucked  away  in  the  upper  reaches  of  New  York  State  was  left  to  be  heard  from.   On   the   twenty-­‐‑seventh   of   October   the   letter   came.   It   was   an  acceptance  letter  that  sent  Elizabeth  travelling  all  night,  from  Philadelphia  to  Geneva  Medical  College.  

At   5am   in   the  morning,   Elizabeth  would   be   awake,   copying   out   notes   and   studying   for   the  monthly   quiz.  More  than  two  hundred  bones  to  memorize,  four  hundred  muscles,  besides  nerves,  blood  vessels  and  glands.    How  could  she  memorize  it  all?  Walking  to  and  from  school  she  repeated  the  Latin  names,  and  hardly  noticed  that  passers-­‐‑by  no  longer  went  to  such  pains  to  avoid  her.    

Not  long  after,  Elizabeth  was  admitted  to  Blockley  Almshouse  as  a  resident,  where  her  period  of  service  as  a  physician  was  to  be  four  months.  Where  the  worst  criminals  were,  the  very  scum  of  the  earth,  Blockley  was  no  place   for  any  woman  well  brought  up  and  well   trained   to  be  exposed   to  such  an  atmosphere.  But  what  only  mattered  to  the  brave  Elizabeth  was  that  they  were  ill,  and  working  at  Blockley,  would  enable  her  to  gain  the  experience  to  help  them.    

Often  Elizabeth  had  the  impulse  to  get  up,  go  into  the  children’s  ward,  and  comfort  a  sick  child.  To  some  of  the  children  she  had  brought  sugarplums  and  cookies  that  her  mother  sent  her.  But  what  could  she  do  with  one  box  when  there  were  a  hundred  sick  semi-­‐‑starved  children  who  needed  caring  for!  

Indeed,   she   was   harnessed   from   night   until   morning,   dispensing   orders   incessantly,   giving   out   clothing,  calling  for  linens,  accounting  for  supplies,  ordering  unruly  paupers  to  the  bath…  

The   dreadful   summer   disease   which   every   year   ravaged   Philadelphia’s   poor,   and   which   was   brought   in  usually  by   the   immigrant   ships  coming   from  Ireland  had  come.  From  her  mother,  who  had  read  about   the  epidemic,  Elizabeth  got   an  anxious   letter,   inferring   she  would  be  happy   to  know   that  her  daughter  was   in  safer  surroundings.  

Selfless  as  she  was,  it  did  not  occur  to  Elizabeth  for  one  moment  that  she  could  be  taken  ill.  “I  haven’t  the  time  for  it,”  she  said  when  she  heard  that  one  of  the  younger  residents  had  taken  sick  and  was  dying.    

With   the   return   to   school   in   the   autumn,   all   were   eager   to   hear   about   the   typhus   epidemic   and   about  Elizabeth’s  experiences  at  Blockley.  And  for  the  first   time  in  the  history  of  medical  education  a  woman  had  been   allowed   to   study   at   a   medical   school.   But   could   Geneva   College   go   still   further?   Could   they   with  propriety  give  a  diploma  to  a  member  of  the  female  sex?  

These  were  no  longer  battling  questions.  Elizabeth  passed  every  course,  each  and  every  one  with  honors!  Miss  Blackwell  would  receive  her  diploma  with  all  the  other  members  of  the  graduating  class.  On  the  1849  roster  of  students  her  name  was  at   last  posted  as  a  graduate!  Despite   the  odds,  Elizabeth  Blackwell  became   the   first  woman  doctor,  and  by  pursuing  her  own  dream,  she  gave  other  women  the  chance  to  become  doctors.    

Adapted  from  The  First  Woman  Doctor    

By  Rachel  Baker  

Lee  Puay  Joo,  Christine  QCE501  Assignment  2  TG08  -­‐  Mrs.  Selvi  Peters  

Teacher  talk  to  illustrate  the  teaching  of  contextual  cue(s):    

Line  #:  7-­‐‑9  (Paragraph  2)  Teacher  talk:    Teacher  directs  pupils  to  look  at  the  word  “unfeminine”  in  Line  1,  Paragraph  2.    What  do  you  think  ‘unfeminine’  means?  Focus  on  Paragraph  2,  can  you  find  any  clues  in  this  paragraph  that  could  help  you  to  decipher  the  meaning  of  this  word?    Can  you  tell  me  what  the  speech  word  is?  (adjective)  What  is  the  root  word?  (feminine)  Hmm,  can  you  find  any  clues  in  the  Paragraph  that  explains  why  Elizabeth  Blackwell  was  not  very  feminine?    Were  there  things  that  ladies  of  her  time  would  typically  take  interest  in?  (sewing,  embroidery)  Was  Elizabeth  Blackwell  interested  in  doing  those  things  that  ladies  of  her  time  should  do?  If  Elizabeth  did  not  behave  like  the  other  ladies,  what  can  you  infer  about  the  meaning  of  the  word  ‘unfeminine’?