62 pages • 2 hours read
Spare Parts
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2004
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Introduction
Teacher Introduction
Spare Parts
- Genre: Nonfiction/Autobiography
- Originally Published: 2004
- Reading Level/Interest: Adult/college
- Structure/Length: 10 chapters; approximately 313 pages
- Protagonist and Central Conflict: Following the death of his brother, Buzz Williams enlists to join the Marine Reserves. When he is unexpectedly deployed during Operation Desert Shield, he struggles to become more than a “spare part” as a Marine Reserve in active military duty.
- Potential Sensitivity Issues: Graphic depictions of war violence; racism; PTSD
Buzz Williams
- Bio: Marine Reserve combat veteran; former National Teacher of the Year; secondary school administrator with Harford County Public Schools in Maryland
CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:
- Education
- Seeking a Sense of Belonging
STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:
- Gain an understanding of the historical and social contexts surrounding the US Marines and the Gulf War, both of which shape Williams’s experiences.
- Study paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of Education and Seeking a Sense of Belonging.
- Review and partake in a physical challenge inspired by the US Marines’ own physical fitness requirements to develop a stronger understanding of Williams’s experiences.
- Examine and appraise the author’s purpose and techniques to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding how Williams’s Marine life co-exists (or clashes) alongside his civilian life, how Lenny’s legacy impacts Williams, and other topics.
