Day 1 & 2

I: objectives:
a. Name the person/s in the pictures
b. Give information of these people’s contributions
c. Identify the personality traits found in the article read.
I: Activity: GUESS WHO?/SNAPSHOTS

Questions:
1. Do you know any of the people in the pictures? Give the names of those whom you recognize.
2. What did they contribute in their countries? Provide examples.
3. Specifically, why are they considered as heroes or icons?
Activity: CSI (CHARACTER STUDY OF AN INDIVIDUAL)
Fill out the CSI form based on her background information.

Actions which Support

Name of Character Personality Traits
Traits
1. __________________ 1. __________________
2. __________________ 2. __________________
3. __________________ 3. __________________
4. __________________ 4. __________________
5. __________________ 5. __________________
Illustration by: Amarjeet Malik

Day 3 & 4

I: objectives:
a. Unlock difficult words
b. Answer the questions correctly
c. Identify the main idea in the article read
Frequency Word List

a. extant specimen (a)

b. dedicatory inscriptions (C)
c. eloquent poems (D)
d. Buddhist piety (B)
e. educated courtiers (a)
f. panegyric odes (b)
g. letter of an abbot (C)
h. foreign literature was transplanted (a)
 Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi was born in Rangoon (now named Yangon). Her father, Aung San, founded the
modern Burmese army and negotiated Burma's independence from the British Empire in 1947; he was
assassinated by his rivals in the same year. She grew up with her mother, Khin Kyi , and two brothers,
Aung San Lin and Aung San Oo , in Rangoon. Aung San Lin died at age eight, when he drowned in an
ornamental lake on the grounds of the house. Her elder brother emigrated to San Diego, California,
becoming a United States citizen. After Aung San Lin's death, the family moved to a house by Inya Lake
where Suu Kyi met people of very different backgrounds, political views and religions. She was educated
in Methodist English High School (now Basic Education High School No. 1 Dagon) for much of her childhood
in Burma, where she was noted as having a talent for learning languages. She is a Theravada Buddhist.
Suu Kyi's mother, Khin Kyi, gained prominence as a political figure in the newly formed Burmese
government. She was appointed Burmese ambassador to India and Nepal in 1960, and Aung San Suu Kyi
followed her there, she studied in the Convent of Jesus and Mary School, New Delhi and graduated from
Lady Shri Ram College in New Delhi with a degree in politics in 1964. Suu Kyi continued her education at
St Hugh's College, Oxford, obtaining a B.A. degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics in 1969. After
graduating, she lived in New York City with a family friend and worked at the UN for three years, primarily
on budget matters, writing daily to her future husband, Dr. Michael Aris. In 1972, Aung San Suu Kyi married
Aris, a scholar of Tibetan culture, living abroad in Bhutan. The following year she gave birth to their first
son, Alexander Aris, in London; their second son, Kim, was born in 1977. Subsequently, she earned a PhD
at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London in 1985. She was elected as an Honorary
Fellow in 1990. [26] For two years she was a Fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS) in
Shimla, India. She also worked for the government of the Union of Burma.
In 1988 Suu Kyi returned to Burma, at first to tend for her ailing mother but later to lead the pro-
democracy movement. Aris' visit in Christmas 1995 turned out to be the last time that he and Suu Kyi met,
as Suu Kyi remained in Burma and the Burmese dictatorship denied him any further entry visas. Aris was
diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1997 which was later found to be terminal. Despite appeals from
prominent figures and organizations, including the United States, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and
Pope John Paul II , the Burmese government would not grant Aris a visa , saying that they did not have the
facilities to care for him, and instead urged Aung San Suu Kyi to leave the country to visit him. She was at
that time temporarily free from house arrest but was unwilling to depart, fearing that she would be refused
re-entry if she left, as she did not trust the military junta 's assurance that she could return.
Aris died on his 53rd birthday on 27 March 1999. Since 1989, when his wife was first placed under
house arrest, he had seen her only five times, the last of which was for Christmas in 1995. She was also
separated from her children, who live in the United Kingdom, but starting in 2011, they have visited her in
Burma.
On 2 May 2008, after Cyclone Nargis hit Burma, Suu Kyi lost the roof of her house and lived in virtual
darkness after losing electricity in her dilapidated lakeside residence. She used candles at night as she was
not provided any generator set. Plans to renovate and repair the house were announced in August 2009.
Suu Kyi was released from house arrest on 13 November 2010.

Activity: CSI (CHARACTER STUDY OF AN INDIVIDUAL)

Fill out the CSI form based on her background information.

Name of Character Personality Traits Actions which Support Traits

1. __________________
2. __________________
3. __________________
4. __________________
5. __________________
Illustration by: Amarjeet Malik
1. __________________
2. __________________
3. __________________
4. __________________
5. __________________
A: UNLOCKING OF DIFFICULT WORDS
Use context clues to unlock the meaning of the underlined words based on how it
was used in the sentence. Encircle the letter of your answers.
1. The Mayazedi inscription (A.D. 1113) is the earliest extant specimen of Burmese
literature.
a. still in existence b. not available c. destroyed d. ruined
2. Over a thousand such dedicatory inscriptions were set up in the next 700 years,
containing eloquent poems and prayers of poetic merit.
Inscription
a. Pictures painted on a wall c. words written or cut in a surface
b. Mosaic d. wood sculpture
Eloquent
a. Reveals history c. meme
b. Use of old languages d. Reveals feeling/emotion
3. Such works were filled with Buddhist piety and courtly refinement of language.
a. Commitment to something c. Dedication to superior
b. Devotion to a god d. service to country
4. The authors were monks, educated courtiers, and court poetesses.
a. Member of a royal court c. head of monasteryc
b. Servant of a royal family d. educated royal family
5. Poetry was varied, there were historical ballads, panegyric odes, etc.
a. Traditional dances for royalties c. cultural performances
b. Speech/writings praising someone d. Religious songs
6. Examples of this are the Yagan, a serio-comic epic, and the Myil-Ta-za, a letter of an
abbot to the king.
a. Member of a royal court c. head of a monastery
b. Servant of a royal family d. educated royal family
7. Foreign literature, especially English works, was transplanted.
a. Transferred c. Created
b. Replaced d. Planted

Read the text below about the literature of Myanmar and answer the activity that follows.

THE LITERATURE OF MYANMAR

The literature of Myanmar, formerly Burma, has a long history. The Mayazedi inscription (A.D.
1113) is the earliest extant specimen of Burmese literature. It narrates the dedication of the
Golden Buddha by a prince and the gift of slave-villages to the image, ending with a prayer for
the donor and his friends. Over a thousand such dedicatory inscriptions were set up in the next
700 years, containing eloquent poems and prayers of poetic merit.
In the fifteenth century up to the nineteenth century, palm-leaf (scratched with a stylus) and
folded-paper literature became common. Such works were filled with Buddhist piety and courtly
refinement of language. The authors were monks, educated courtiers, and court poetesses. Prose
works during this period were few, mostly Buddhist scriptures and chronicles of kings. Poetry was
varied: there were historical ballads, panegyric odes, the pyo (Buddhist story in verse), and the
ya-du (poems of love or nature). The writers also used the “mixed style” or prose and poetry
together. Examples of this are the Yagan, a serio-comic epic, and the Myil-Ta-za, a letter of an
abbot to the king.
Modern fiction began with the novel. An example is Tet-Pon-gyn, a classical novel.
With the founding of the University of Rangoon in 1920 came an increase in output of Burmese
literature. Foreign literature, especially English works, was transplanted. With independence in
1948, Burmese has gradually replaced English as the medium of instruction, and literature has
become nationalistic.

Activity: THINK AS A BUTTERFLY

THINK AS A BUTTERFLY and fill up the butterfly organizer on main idea with supporting details
based from the same text. Respond also to the enumerated questions and use this as a basis for
group dynamics.

1. What does prose usually contain? How about poetry?

_________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

2. What can you say about Burmese literature?

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3. What is considered as the first example of Burmese literature?

____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

4. Why is the founding of the University of Rangoon very significant in their literature?
____________________________________________________________________
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5. How does their literature reveal the character of the Burmese people?
_____________________________________________________________________________________

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