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MAKING CONNECTIONS
Learner’s Module for English 9
Quarter 2 ● Module 3

Developer: SHARON R. CONTAOI

Redeveloped for DepEd LMS by: SHARON R. CONTAOI
Name: _________________________________
Grade & Section: _________________________________

ENGLISH 9 Second Quarter Lesson 3 S.Y. 2021-2022

MELC Q2: Make connections between texts and to particular social issues, concerns, or
dispositions in real life

Objectives: N9LT-II-0-14.2: Explain how the elements specific to a selection build

its theme.

Introduction
This module is made up of self-managed and interactive lessons that you can
accomplish at your own pace. The scope of this module permits it to be used in many
different learning situations. So we hope this material will be of great help to you as you
engage in the different activities! It helps you better understand how to connect text to
your own experiences and to what is happening in our society nowadays.

Lesson Proper
Making connections is a critical reading comprehension strategy that helps us
make meaning of what we are reading. When we make connections to the texts that we
are reading, it helps us to make sense of what we read, retain the information better, and
engage more with the text itself.

We can make connections between:

TEXT-TO-SELF CONNECTIONS:
These are connections where we connect what we are reading to personal
experiences or knowledge. With a wide range of experiences, we will often be able to make
more insightful and complex connections. However, with more limited experiences, we
may struggle to make connections or create vague, general connections.

Example of Text to Self: “This story reminds me of a vacation that I took to the
ocean, just like the main character.”

TEXT-TO-TEXT CONNECTIONS
These connections are made when we can connect what we are reading to other
books that we have read or listened to before. We may make connections that show how
the stories or books share the same author, have similar characters, events, or settings,
are the same genre, or are on the same topic. A solid text to text connection occurs when
we are able to apply what we’ve read from one text to another text.

Example of Text to Text: “I read another book about spiders that explained that
spiders have venom and in this book, I am learning about the top 10 dangerous spiders
of the world.”

TEXT-TO-WORLD CONNECTIONS
These are connections where we connect what we are reading to real events (past
of present), social issues, other people, and happenings going on in the world. We learn
about the world from what we hear on TV, movies, magazines, and newspapers. Effective
text to world connections happen when we can use what we have learned through these
mediums to enhance the understanding of the text that we are reading.
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 Example of Text to World: “I saw on the news about how water pollution was
affecting marine animals, and in this book I am learning about why pollution can make a
marine animal sick”.

Formative Activity
Directions: Read the story below and think about connections you could
make to the text.

THE GIFT OF THE MAGI

By: O. Henry

One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it in the smallest
pieces of money - pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by negotiating with the
men at the market who sold vegetables and meat. Negotiating until one's face burned with
the silent knowledge of being poor. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty-
seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.

There was clearly nothing to do but sit down and cry. So Della cried. Which led to the
thought that life is made up of little cries and smiles, with more little cries than smiles.

Della finished her crying and dried her face. She stood by the window and looked out
unhappily at a gray cat walking along a gray fence in a gray back yard. Tomorrow would
be Christmas Day, and she had only one dollar and eighty-seven cents to buy her husband
Jim a gift. She had been saving every penny she could for months, with this result.

Jim earned twenty dollars a week, which does not go far. Expenses had been greater
than she had expected. They always are. Many a happy hour she had spent planning to
buy something nice for him. Something fine and rare -- something close to being worthy
of the honor of belonging to Jim.
There was a tall glass mirror between the windows of the room. Suddenly Della turned
from the window and stood before the glass mirror and looked at herself. Her eyes were
shining, but her face had lost its color within twenty seconds. Quickly she pulled down
her hair and let it fall to its full length.

Now, Mr. and Mrs. James Dillingham Young had two possessions which they valued.
One was Jim's gold time piece, the watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's.
The other was Della's hair.

Had the Queen of Sheba lived in their building, Della would have let her hair hang out
the window to dry just to reduce the value of the queen's jewels.

So now Della's beautiful hair fell about her, shining like a brown waterfall. It reached
below her knees and made itself almost like a covering for her. And then quickly she put
it up again. She stood still while a few tears fell on the floor.

She put on her coat and her old brown hat. With a quick motion and brightness still
in her eyes, she danced out the door and down the street.

Where she stopped the sign read: "Madame Sofronie. Hair Goods of All Kinds." Della
ran up the steps to the shop, out of breath.

"Will you buy my hair?" asked Della.

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 "I buy hair," said Madame. "Take your hat off and let us have a look at it."
Down came the beautiful brown waterfall of hair.
"Twenty dollars," said Madame, lifting the hair with an experienced hand.
"Give it to me quick," said Della.

The next two hours went by as if they had wings. Della looked in all the stores to choose
a gift for Jim.

She found it at last. It surely had been made for Jim and no one else. It was a chain -
- simple round rings of silver. It was perfect for Jim's gold watch. As soon as she saw it
she knew that it must be for him. It was like him. Quiet and with great value. She gave
the shopkeeper twenty-one dollars and she hurried home with the eighty-seven cents that
was left.

When Della arrived home she began to repair what was left of her hair. The hair had
been ruined by her love and her desire to give a special gift. Repairing the damage was a
very big job.
Within forty minutes her head was covered with tiny round curls of hair that made her
look wonderfully like a schoolboy. She looked at herself in the glass mirror long and
carefully.

"If Jim does not kill me before he takes a second look at me," she said to herself, "he'll
say I look like a song girl. But what could I do--oh! what could I do with a dollar and
eighty-seven cents?"

At seven o'clock that night the coffee was made and the pan on the back of the stove
was hot and ready to cook the meat.

Jim was never late coming home from work. Della held the silver chain in her hand
and sat near the door. Then she heard his step and she turned white for just a minute.
She had a way of saying a little silent prayer about the simplest everyday things, and now
she whispered: "Please God, make him think I am still pretty."

The door opened and Jim stepped in. He looked thin and very serious. Poor man, he
was only twenty-two and he had to care for a wife. He needed a new coat and gloves to
keep his hands warm.

Jim stopped inside the door, as immovable as a dog smelling a bird. His eyes were fixed
upon Della. There was an expression in them that she could not read, and it frightened
her. It was not anger, nor surprise, nor fear, nor any of the feelings that she had been
prepared for. He simply looked at her with a strange expression on his face. Della went to
him.

"Jim, my love," she cried, "do not look at me that way. I had my hair cut and sold
because I could not have lived through Christmas without giving you a gift. My hair will
grow out again. I just had to do it. My hair grows very fast. Say 'Merry Christmas!' Jim,
and let us be happy. You do not know what a nice-- what a beautiful, nice gift I have for
you."

"You have cut off your hair?" asked Jim, slowly, as if he had not accepted the
information even after his mind worked very hard.

"Cut it off and sold it," said Della. "Do you not like me just as well? I am the same person
without my hair, right?

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 Jim looked about the room as if he were looking for something.

"You say your hair is gone?" he asked.

"You need not look for it," said Della. "It is sold, I tell you--sold and gone, too. It is
Christmas Eve, boy. Be good to me, for it was cut for you. Maybe the hairs of my head
were numbered," she went on with sudden serious sweetness, "but nobody could ever
count my love for you. Shall I put the meat on, Jim?"

Jim seemed to awaken quickly and put his arms around Della. Then he took a package
from his coat and threw it on the table.

"Do not make any mistake about me, Dell," he said. "I do not think there is any haircut
that could make me like my girl any less. But if you will open that package you may see
why you had me frightened at first."

White fingers quickly tore at the string and paper. There was a scream of joy; and then,
alas! a change to tears and cries, requiring the man of the house to use all his skill to calm
his wife.

For there were the combs -- the special set of objects to hold her hair that Della had
wanted ever since she saw them in a shop window. Beautiful combs, made of shells, with
jewels at the edge --just the color to wear in the beautiful hair that was no longer hers.
They cost a lot of money, she knew, and her heart had wanted them without ever hoping
to have them. And now, the beautiful combs were hers, but the hair that should have
touched them was gone.

But she held the combs to herself, and soon she was able to look up with a smile and
say, "My hair grows so fast, Jim!"

Then Della jumped up like a little burned cat and cried, "Oh, oh!"

Jim had not yet seen his beautiful gift. She happily held it out to him in her open
hands. The silver chain seemed so bright.

"Isn't it wonderful, Jim? I looked all over town to find it. You will have to look at the
time a hundred times a day now. Give me your watch. I want to see how it looks on it."

Instead of obeying, Jim fell on the couch and put his hands under the back of his head
and smiled.

"Dell," said he, "let us put our Christmas gifts away and keep them a while. They are
too nice to use just right now. I sold my gold watch to get the money to buy the set of
combs for your hair. And now, why not put the meat on."

The magi were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Baby Jesus.
They invented the art of giving Christmas gifts. Being wise, their gifts were wise ones. And
here I have told you the story of two young people who most unwisely gave for each other
the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days, let it be
said that of all who give gifts, these two were the wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They
are the magi.

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Activity: Based on the story you read, identify if the connections made. Write TS if
the connection is between Text to Self, TT if the connections is between Two Texts, then
TW if the connection is between Text to World.

_____ 1. I am still studying and I don't have any source of income now but like Dell and
Jim, I want to give special gifts to my family.

_____ 2. The story of Dell and Jim were similar to the story of Abraham who was willing
to sacrifice his son just to please God. The story is found in Genesis chapter 22.

_____ 3. Today, front liners like doctors, nurses, police men, and other concerned citizens
have sacrificed their time and energy just to control the spread of the virus and minimize
the threat of the pandemic.

_____ 4. Della is like my mother who behave impulsively, sacrificing valuable things
without thinking about the consequences which make her actions not practical.

_____ 5. Gift-giving during Christmas is a part of the Philippine culture. Its the time
where Filipinos buy the best gifts they can give to their loved ones.

Generalization

Directions: When we make connections to the texts that we are reading, it helps us to
make sense of what we read, retain the information better, and engage more with the text
itself. In your own words, explain the following kinds of connections we can make to a
story or to a text.

1. TEXT TO SELF CONNECTIONS

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2. TEXT TO TEXT CONNECTIONS

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3. TEXT TO WORLD CONNECTIONS

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Post Assessment:
DIRECTIONS: Read the following situations and identify what connections were made.
Identify if the connection is between Text to Self, Text to Text, or Text to World.

1. I read a chapter book about a girl who worked in a factory in Manila. It reminded
me of an article that I read in school about child labor laws.
A. Text to Self
B. Text to Text
C. Text to World
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 2. I read an article about how to cook chicken adobo. It reminded me of the time I
cooked adobo when my relatives visited our home.
A. Text to Self
B. Text to Text
C. Text to World
3. I read a story about a boy who visited magical land with witches and wizards. It
reminded me of the book Harry Potter.
A. Text to Self
B. Text to Text
C. Text to World
4. I read an article about a woman who opened a boat rental business at a lake. It
reminded me of riding a boat at Burnham Lake and the boat we rented to explore
the lake.
A. Text to Self
B. Text to Text
C. Text to World
5. I read an article about how bananas are gown in the tropics. It reminded me of
how oranges are usually grown in Northern Luzon.
A. Text to Self
B. Text to Text
C. Text to World.

For numbers 6- 10, this will check your understanding of the short story, "The Gift of
the Magi" by O Henry.

6. Why is Della upset at the beginning of the story?

A. She lost her job shoveling in front of the stores on her block.
B. She has been fighting with Jim.
C. She does not have enough money to buy a nice present for Jim.
D. She was recently arrested by the mendicancy squad.
7. Which best explains why Jim is so stunned when he first saw Della?
A. He doesn't like how his wife looks with short hair.
B. He is shocked that she bought him such a nice gift.
C. He doesn't recognize his wife.
D. He bought her a gift that she can't use.
8. What does Jim mean when he said, “I may be poor, Della, but I’m the luckiest
man in New York?
A. He knows Della is going to buy him a beautiful watch chain for Christmas.
B. He thinks he is about to get a promotion at work.
C. He loves window-shopping.
D. He has a wonderful wife, and they love each other.
9. Which statement best expresses the theme of this story?
A. Make sure that you give people gifts that they can actually use.
B. Spending time with the people you love is more important than getting
them gifts.
C. The best gifts involve sacrifice.
D. Don't waste your money on expensive gifts.
10. Why do you think the story compares Jim and Della to the Magi?
A. The Magi gave their most valuable possessions to Jesus.
B. Both the characters in this story act like the Magi.
C. Both characters gave expensive gifts.
D. The Magi did not care of their appearances and wealth.

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Performance Task
We have learned from the story The Gift of the Magi that sacrifice means a gesture
of giving up something that you love and possess for the sake of others’ happiness. Some
people are always ready to do whatever it will take to see others prosper in their lives.
Some are also willing to sacrifice their lives for others because of the affection and love
they have for one another and humanity. Making sacrifice is not that easy as many people
presume it to be.

Read below the feature news article taken from the Philippine Star. After reading,
write a short paragraph on how do you respond to the sacrifices given by our frontliners
during the COVID 19 pandemic? What SACRIFICES can you also do to protect your family
and community from the virus? Write your answer in a paragraph form with 5 to 6
sentences only.

Frontliners emulating Jose Rizal’s self-sacrifice

Christina Mendez (The Philippine Star)June 20, 2020 - 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang officials compared thousands of Filipino health workers

and other frontline workers engaged in addressing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
here and abroad to the heroism of Dr. Jose Rizal, whose 159th birth anniversary was marked
yesterday.

Presidential Communications Operations Office chief Secretary Martin Andanar and presidential
spokesman Harry Roque Jr. talked about how Rizal’s patriotism and self-sacrifice are reflected
in the sacrifices of Filipino health workers, medical doctors and other frontliners in the fight
against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Andanar noted how Rizal strongly displayed nationalism and patriotism throughout his life, which
“greatly contributed to our forefathers’ pursuit of justice, freedom and independence against our
colonizers.”

“Today, as we face the threat of an unseen enemy in this pandemic… like Dr. Jose Rizal, may
we utilize our intelligence in our fight against COVID-19 and may we find the strength of heart
to continue on our path to recovery,” Andanar said. He urged the Filipino people to continue to
be inspired by the legacy left by the country’s national hero, citing his brilliance, compassion,
bravery, peaceful resistance and selfless and wholehearted service to the country.

For Roque, Rizal’s life is “a testament of how a single person’s deep love for his country could
spark the reawakening of our forefathers’ desire for freedom and change.”

The occasion reminds the nation of Rizal’s young life, dedicated to service, which rings a bell in
these challenging times. “We are proud to see today modern-day heroes – our courageous
frontliners – who rise up to the challenge and serve as beacons of hope to a people weary and
fearful of the present global health scare,” Roque said. Roque rallied the youth to be inspired by
Rizal’s way of life to help steer the country to greater heights.

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ANSWER KEY
FORMATIVE ACTIVITY
1. TS
2. TT
3. TW
4. TS
5. TW
POST ASSESMENT
1.TT 6. C
2.TS 7. D
3.TT 8. D
4.TS 9. C
5. TW 10. A