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Course: World History Project - Origins to the Present > Unit 5

Lesson 6: New Economic Systems | 5.5
Arts and humanities
World History Project - Origins to the Present
Era 5—The First Global Age (1200 to 1750 CE)
New Economic Systems | 5.5
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READ: Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (Graphic Biography)

Google Classroom
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz was a woman that went on to become a prolific writer, despite the disadvantages that came along with being a woman in colonial New Spain (Mexico).
The Graphic Biography below uses “Three Close Reads”. If you want to learn more about this strategy, click here.

First read: skimming for gist

This will be your quickest read. It should help you get the general idea of what the graphic biography will be about. Pay attention to the title, headings, images, and layout. Ask yourself: what is this graphic biography going to be about?

Second read: understanding content

For this reading, you should be looking for unfamiliar vocabulary words, the major claim and key supporting details, and analysis and evidence. You should also spend some time looking at the images and the way in which the page is designed.
By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:
  1. When and where was Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz born?
  2. When Juana was a young girl, what did she first learn?
  3. Where was Juana working and living when she was seventeen years old? What controversial writing did she complete at this time?
  4. What decision did Juana make so that she could continue studying? How did this decision cause problems for her later?
  5. How does the artwork help us to understand the unique circumstances that shaped Juana’s unique life, particularly her dual heritage?

Third read: evaluating and corroborating

In this read, you should use the graphic biography as evidence to support, extend, or challenge claims made in the course.
At the end of the third read, you should be able to respond to these questions:
  1. What evidence does Sor Juana’s biography provide about people’s lived in the colonial Americas in this period?How does this evidence support, extend, or challenge what you have learned about the impact of the Columbian Exchange in this region?
  2. Compare and contrast Sor Juana’s biography with that of Domingos Álvares, also in the colonial Americas. In what ways were their lives similar? In what ways were they different?What accounts for those similarities and differences?
Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to read! Remember to return to these questions once you’ve finished reading .

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (Graphic Biography)

Writer: Lindsay Ehrisman
Artist: Helia Miller
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz was a woman that went on to become a prolific writer, despite the disadvantages that came along with being a woman in colonial New Spain (Mexico).
Download the Graphic Biography PDF here or click on the image above.

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