high school literary studies unit

A Raisin in the Sun

High School Unit Plan

Monique J. Gayles Secondary English & Psychology Teacher

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry Unit Rationale

Henry Ford Academy: School for Creative Studies

Guiding Questions: 1. How does the play A Raisin in the Sun mirror the social, educational, political,

and economical climate of the 1950’s? 2. How does the play illustrate the impact this climate had on African Americans'

quest for "The American Dream"? 3. In what ways are the struggles from the 1950’s reflected today?

Unit Goals: In this unit students will read A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. Through the play we will analyze the 1950’s time period of the Civil Rights Movement. During the introductory lessons for this unit students will be introduced to the 1950’s by exploring the general events, creations, and cost of living, before focusing specifically on African American culture. After the initial introduction of the 1950’s the students will build on their prior knowledge of the CRM to focus their attention on segregation and integration laws and court cases namely, Cumming v. Richmond County Board of Education, Plessy v. Ferguson, and Brown v. Board. Through this unit students will be able to: identify the racial injustices from the 1950’s-1960’s, evaluate the strategies that were used in the CRM to fight injustices, explain and conceptualize how racial injustice prevented people of color from accomplishing goals, as well as learn of writers and other people who were able to use art and creative expression as an escape during the black struggle. The ARITS unit will also help us to evaluate the drama genre of literature. As an essential part of this unit students will complete an assessment that will allow them to show their knowledge from the unit in the form of a news broadcast. Students will also be assessed in an traditional final exam that will test their vocabulary knowledge, and comprehension skills. Essential Questions: The guiding questions for this unit will include the students’ discovery and reflection of others’ experiences as well as their personal experiences. In the unit we will address the main theme of dreams deferred and accomplished along with the other listed questions.

• How are relationships formed between people in different context? • What is justice/injustice? • How is justice served? • How are dreams created? • How are dreams actualized? What is ingenuity? • What are the characteristics of a true hero? • How have American heroes (fictional and real) overcome various challenges

through ingenuity?

• What is the heroic cycle in literature and how can it be applied to everyday life?

School Context: This unit is designed for students in Grade 10 at Henry Ford Academy: School for Creative Studies. Since the school has a focus on creative studies the unit will be presented in a series of interactive activities that will highlight and request the students’ creative selves to shine. This unit will also help to further explain to the students their unique opportunity of being educated in a school that focuses on creative studies, and other opportunities that they will partake in as adults, such as voting and attending college. The unit will begin on February 12, 2011, so it will also be used as an accessory in exploring black history month. Once students have participated in activities that will allow them to visualize and deeply understand the time and context of the story we will begin reading ARTIS. After students have completed the reading of the play the students will view the movie of the text during class. During the viewing of the movie we will evaluate the similarities and differences in the storyline, so that students can how different forms of media have different approaches and goals through their work. Rational for A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry: The play A Raisin in the Sun was selected because of its importance in the African American community, as well as its importance in the Cannon of African American literature. The play tells the story of a black family that is relocating to a white neighborhood during the time that racial tension was extremely high. The text highlights how simple dreams of African Americans were distorted from racial injustices. It also shows how relationships affect people in different context, as well in the importance of family dynamics and how they can change given a context. This play will also spark self-reflection in the students so that can think closely about their goals and the paths that will help them achieve those goals and possible setbacks that they may face given the current political environment and social struggles in America. The play will allow students to explore the drama genre as well as compare drama writing to the theater. In the unit we will watch the movie that was produced from the play after we have read the play. This will allow us to look closely at the similarities and differences between the written and performed versions of the play, so that we can decide distinguishing elements unique to both. Common Core Standards: The common core standards come from The Common Core Standards State Initiative. The creators of the standards are pushing states around the United States to adopt them over their current state standards, so that all students are working on the same grade level goals across states. The state of Michigan has agreed to adopt the common core standards in the coming years. The common core standards and more information on them can be viewed at the following web address: http://www.corestandards.org/

This unit will address a plethora of the common core standards for grade 9-10 in reading as well as writing. The standards that are being addressed as well as the activities that meet them are as followed:

Reading: Literature Key Ideas & Details

• Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

o Argumentative Essay, class discussions • Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its

development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

o Metaphors, “A Dream Deferred”, Dream personal narrative/reflection, class discussions

• Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

o Character profile, class discussions

Craft and Structure

• Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).

• Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.

o Play vs. Movie lesson,

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

• Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by Shakespeare).

o “A Dream Deferred”/ Metaphor lesson

Writing Grade 9-10

Text Types and Purposes

• Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

o Argumentative Essay • Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex

ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

o A Raisin in the Sun Times Newspaper Project • Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events

using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

o A Raisin in the Sun Times Newspaper Project, Dream narrative/reflection

Production and Distribution of Writing

• Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)

• Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.

o Workshop & Writing Conferences • Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update

individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.

o HFASCS ARITS 10th grade unit Website

Overview: Students will read the poem A Dream Deferred and learn about metaphors. They will also be able to create and critique metaphors.

Instructional Goal(s) Students’ understand that connection between the poem ADD and the ARITS play.

Common Core Standards Met: Resources L. 9-10.5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings

White Board Composition Books (students) A Dream Deferred Sensory Device Worksheet

Learning Objectives: Students will be able to create and critique metaphors. Assessment: Assessments today will be both formative and summative. Students will participate in a summative group work assessment in which they will be assigned a line from the poem that they are to assess with the group members. As a formative assessment students will participate in a class discussion in which we will discuss the possible implications of the poem and the metaphors that it employ. Lesson Vocabulary: Metaphor- figurative language (implicit comparison) Simile- figurative language drawing comparisons. Instructional Sequence: When students enter the classroom tell them that there is a sentence on the board that they will be asked to complete. Inform the students that everyone must share, so they should make sure they have something recorded. Do Now Assignment:

“This morning I feel _________________________________________.” After students have completed the sentence they will be asked to share their completed sentence out loud with the class. (5 minutes) After every one including the teacher has shared their completed sentence. The teacher will explain the wonder of literary/writing devices that allow writing to be colorful, specifically simile and metaphors. (7 minutes) After students have learned about the literary devices ask them to rewrite their sentences, to share with the class again. (5 minutes)

A Raisin in the Sun Unit Plan Project Day 1

Now the instructor will explain that we will be studying with the poem A Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes. After Briefly giving some background on Langston Hughes the instructor should pass out copies of the poem or ask students to copy it from the board. (5 minutes)

o Langston Hughes: novelist, playwright, and short story writer. He was born 1902 and he died in 1967. Harlem Renaissance his work mimicked the time period of the Jim Crow era.

o A Dream Deferred Teachers will read the words of the poem with students out loud. (2 minutes) Students will be asked to read the words of the poem silently and record their thoughts in the margins. (10 minutes) Students will then listen to a recording of the poem. During this time students will be directed to elaborate on the comments that they made in the margins previously. (10 minutes) With the teacher the students will be asked to identify the metaphors in the poem. (5 minutes) Using one of the metaphor lines in the poem the teacher will discuss the possible meanings. (5 minutes) After going over the metaphor and the possible means for it. The teacher will assign the students to groups where students will be assigned one metaphor that they have to examine. (20 minutes)

Directions: In your groups discuss the possible meanings for your metaphor. After students have created a possible meaning for the metaphor the group must then complete the sensory and imagery chart. (See following worksheet)

After students have completed their assignments have them to report out to the rest of the class on their metaphor. (7 minutes) Once all students have shared with the class we will piece the metaphors back together and create a story that we think Hughes was possibly examine in his poem. (7 minutes) The teacher will then wrap up discussion by telling students to create a metaphor about a dream that they have had in the past, or currently have. Students should be reminded that their homework will be graded and is required for the work the following day. Homework: In your composition book, create a metaphor about a dream (goal) that you had or currently have. Write a few sentences to explain your dream and what inspired it.

Lesson Reflections: The Do Now assignment for this lesson required that students translate their emotions into one word; in many cases students reported out metaphors the first time around. Although the students use of metaphors the first time around was not anticipated it helped me to transition into the creation of metaphors ever easily. During this lesson students were very knowledgeable about Langston Hughes, but not very knowledgeable about Lorraine Hansberry. In the lesson for the next day, the students will need to be orientated to Lorraine Hansberry. **Remind students that when we talk about dreams we are talking about goals/aspirations.

Overview: This lesson will be the first lesson since the return from break. Before hand the students will have discussed the poem A Dream deferred by Langston Hughes, in whole group and small group settings. Students will review the poem and review the social climate of the 1950’s before going into the actual reading of the play.

Instructional Goal(s) Students’ understanding of the social struggle of blacks in the 1950’s and will begin to learn the methods of reader’s theatre.

Common Core Standards Met: Resources RL.9-10.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. SL.9-10: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. SL.9-10.4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.

Overhead Projector/ PowerPoint Presentation Composition Books (students) IEPC Worksheet

Learning Objectives: Students will be able to discuss the social climate of the 1950’s compared to today. Students will also learn about the author of ARITS, Lorraine Hansberry. Assessment: Assessments today will formative and based on class notes, discussion, a group activity, and IEPC Chart. During this lesson students will take notes in their composition books that will be later collected and credit will be given. These notes should also students to engage in the class discussion in order to reflect thoughtfully about the topics at hand. Students will be assigned a role in the Brown v. Board group activity where they will be evaluated based on their participation to the group’s success. Lastly, the IEPC chart will allow students to make predictions about the Younger family based on the social climate of the 1950’s, and the author’s background. Lesson Vocabulary: Oppression- prolonged cruel or unjust treatment Discrimination-unjust treatment based on differences


Segregation-the act of separating or setting apart Liberation- being free from a situation that limits freedom Integration-the act of combing/mixing Instructional Sequence: The teacher should greet the students and allow students to share Hi/Lows from their break. Once students have shared the teacher will introduce the “Do Now Assignment” (5 minutes) Do Now Assignment: What happens to a dream deferred? -Create a response based on your own feelings. (Do NOT quote the poem). How are your ideas alike or unlike the ideas in Langston Hughes’ poem? Students will be given ten minutes of silent writing to complete their Do Now Assignments in their composition books. (10 minutes) After the ten minutes have passed the teacher will start off a discussion by cold calling on students to participate, and taking volunteers. During the discussion of the students’ answers it is important that the teacher have the students to relate their ideas back to the poem to consider similarities and differences. During this discussion a review of the poem A Dream Deferred should also be included. (10 minutes) Explain to students that today we will explore some facts about the author as well as facts on the social climate of the 1950’s in a PowerPoint presentation. The teacher will lead the class through the PowerPoint presentation while the students should take notes on the presentation in their composition books. On slide 6 of the PowerPoint Presentation the teacher will introduce the Brown v. Board group activity. (15 minutes) Directions:

o Divide students up into race groups at random (black/white) o If you were assigned to be a “white” student today you should create at

least 3 claims stating why the schools should remain segregated. o If you were assigned to be a “black” student today you should create at

least 3 claims stating why the schools should be integrated. o Once each said has deliberated on possible claims that they will make they

will present the claims as if they were apart of the trial.

Once students have presented their claims the teacher will explain the outcome of the case and show a YouTube clip about the Brown v. Board trial that is located in PowerPoint Presentation. (6 minutes)

After the clip has ended the teacher will continue on with the PowerPoint Presentation by telling students that we will look at the government, family structures and cost of living in the 1950’s. (15 minutes) At the end of the PowerPoint Presentation the students will be introduced to a prediction assignment. Students will complete an Imagine-Elaborate-Predict-Confirm, IEPC chart. Directions:

The teacher will name the members of the Younger Family, and then direct students to take 3 minutes to imagine what they will be like, considering the social climate that they live in. (3 minutes) The Teacher will have students to participate in a Think-Pair-Share, to explain to another student nearby about how they imagine the Younger Family. (3 minutes) After students have participated in the Think-Pair-Share, the teacher will direct students to elaborate on the ideas from their I column based on the ideas that their partner shared. (The teacher should model an example of this.) (5 minutes) Once all students have filled out their elaboration column the teacher should ask students to share their initial responses, and their elaborated response. (7 minutes) Finally the teacher will prompt the students to make predictions about the Younger family that they will adjust or confirm later. If time permits the students will also report out on their predictions (10 minutes)

Homework: Complete your predictions on the Younger family. Come to class prepared to share your predictions. Lesson Reflections: This lesson was a bit difficult to get through because it was a lecture style lesson. I used a PowerPoint to introduce the students to the author of the play and to provide some general information on the 1950’s. It was hard to keep students engaged and cooperative, because of the little interaction during the PowerPoint. Once students were invited to participate in a group activity they were more cooperative, and things began to run more smoothly. The next time this lesson is taught I think I will use an grab bag technique to introduce the students to the author. In a large paper bag I will gather things that are symbolic to Lorraine Hansberry and her legacy; this way students are more engaged and interactive when learning about her.

Overview: This lesson will introduce the students to expand on their predictions about the Younger family. It will also teach students how to make confirmations of their predictions using textual evidence.

Instructional Goal(s) Students’ will expand on their predictions about the Younger family as well as confirm those predictions.

Common Core Standards Met: Resources RL. 9-10.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. SL. 9-10.1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. RL. 9-10.3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme

White Board PowerPoint Presentation Composition Books (students) IEPC Worksheet Making Inferences Worksheet

Learning Objectives: Students will be able to make predictions about the Younger family using information about the social climate of the 1950’s. Students will also make confirmations on their predictions as they begin to read the text. Assessment: Assessments today will formative based on the Do Now assignment and the class discussion. In the beginning of class students will complete the Do Now assignment that will ask them to expand on their predictions of the Younger family. We will use their explanations to start off our discussion. As a final assessment piece, in this lesson, students must write in their composition books any confirmations that the text has given them on their predictions. Lesson Vocabulary: Predictions- a thing predicted/ forecast Confirmations- the act of establishing correctness Inferences- a conclusion reached based on evidence and reasoning


Instructional Sequence: The teacher should greet the students and allow students to share Hi/Lows from day/night before. Once students have shared the teacher will introduce the “Do Now Assignment” (5 minutes) Do Now Assignment: Expand on your predictions about the Younger family in your composition book. Use the notes that we took in class to support the claims that you make. Be prepared to share your answer with a partner. Students will be given ten minutes of silent writing to complete their Do Now Assignments in their composition books. (10 minutes) After the ten minutes have passed the teacher will start off a discussion by cold calling on students to participate, and taking volunteers. During the discussion of the students’ answers it is important that the teacher have the students to support their answers using factual information that they have learned about the living conditions of African Americans in the 1950’s. (10 minutes) Explain to students that today we will explore start to read the play, and that during reading we will have to make some inferences to find out all the information that we need to know about the characters, their personalities, and how they interact with other characters. The teacher will take volunteers to explain inferences and what they are. After we have created a solid definition for interferences and what they are, the teacher will briefly complete a mini lesson on inferences with the class. (5 minutes) After the mini-lesson the students would be invited to independent practice working with a partner to complete a worksheet on inferences. (15 minutes) Once all students have completed the worksheet. The teacher will assign roles for reading and go over reading participation points. (2 minutes)

Reading Participation Points: Everyone starts out with 5 points, and it is your job to maintain those points by being an active contributor to our conversation and the reading environment.

The class will begin reading from Act I Scene I. (33 minutes) Discussion Questions:

o What is the economic position of the Youngers? o Why does so many people live in one apartment?/ Why do they have to share a

bathroom? o Why does Ruth tell Travis he can’t have the 50 cents? o Why does Walter give Travis the 50 cents? –What does this represent? o How do Walter and Beneatha differ in their opinions about how Mama should

spend her money?

o How is Mama’s plant symbolic to the Younger family? o Do you think that Ruth should be more supportive of her husband?

o What are the roles in a family? What role do you play? What are the character’s

roles in the Younger family? (This should be discussed as well as drawn in a family tree.)

The goal will be to read up to at least page 38. After the class have met that goal or time no longer permits the teacher will stop reading and start a wrap-up discussion. From the discussion the teacher should prompt students to talk about their predictions and whether or not they were able to confirm them based on what we have read in the play so far. The students should write their confirmations in their composition books. (10 minutes) The Teacher should also announce the composition book check! A Day= Tuesday, March 8, 2011 B Day= Monday, March 7, 2011

o Do Now: What happened to a Dream Deferred? o Younger Family Predictions o Younger Family Confirmations o Younger Family Tree o Notes on PowerPoint Presentation

o Lorraine Hansberry o Explorations of the play o Legal Battles (all 3)

Homework: In your composition book, complete your Younger family confirmations. Is the Younger family living up to the predictions that you made about them? Why or why not? Prepare for your composition book check. Lesson Reflection: This lesson went really well! Students were extremely excited to volunteer for roles in Act I Scene I. In the first hour of this lesson I had student readers to sit in the middle of the classroom; this was troublesome because of the limited space. In the second hour I allowed students to sit in their current seats, but I selected students on all ends of the classroom. The position of the student readers complimented the reading of the play and helped students to understand the dialogue between the characters.

Overview: Students will learn the definition of classism and participate in a series of activities that will explore classism through hands-on activities and reflective writing.

Instructional Goal(s) Students’ will understand the meaning of classism and explore their experiences with class discrimination and privilege.

Common Core Standards Met: Resources RL.9-10.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. RL. 9-10.1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussion (one-to-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, text, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

White Board Composition Books (students) Privilege Walk Questions News Report Exit Slip

Learning Objectives: Students will be able to define class and classism and detail how it affects/ helps them in society. Assessment: Assessments today will be formative and used to help the students engage each other in discussion that allow them to actively think about their privilege or disadvantage in society. There will also be an exit slip designed so that students can reflectively think about the activities and discussion from today’s class. Lesson Vocabulary: Class- the dividing of people based on one’s worth, who one knows, and what one knows. Classism- a prejudice against or in favor of someone belonging to a particular class. Usually based upon three factors; i.e., economic capital (one’s financial worth), social capital (who one knows), and cultural capital (what one knows). Prejudice- a perceived opinion that is NOT based on experience. Instructional Sequence: The teacher should greet the students and allow students to share Hi/Lows from day/night before. Once students have shared the teacher will introduce the “Do Now Assignment” (5 minutes) Do Now Assignment: What makes a student/ person popular? Can you be a self-claimed popular person?


Students will be given ten minutes of silent writing to complete their Do Now Assignments in their composition books. (5 minutes) After the five minutes have passed the teacher will start off a discussion by cold calling on students to participate, and taking volunteers. (10 minutes) The teacher will direct students in a privilege walk activity. Students should be directed that they should be no talking during the activity and they should observe their peers positions in the activity. The teacher should also announce that this activity is a very serious one and it deals with sensitive issues so people should be respectful of others feelings. If at any time I feel that students are not being respectful we will stop this activity. (10 minutes) After the privilege walk students should be prompted to free write any feelings that they have from the activity. They should reflect on any surprises, expectations, or eye opening moments during the activity. They should also be asked why they think we completed this activity. (10 minutes) Follow-up questions for discussion:

• How did this exercise make you feel? • Which statements stood out for you the most? • What have you learned from this experience? • What can you do with this information in the future? • What is your “gut reaction” to where you find yourself at the end of this list of

privileges? • Are you surprised at where you are? • How does it feel to be in front? In the middle? In back? • Did you come to any new realizations? If so, which one had the most impact?

The teacher will lead a discussion that will prompt the discussion of class and classism. In this discussion students should share their free write responses or any feelings that this activity evoke. (20 minutes) The teacher will transition the discussion into a current classism issue using a newspaper article. Students will read the article and as a class we will discuss the elements of the story that show examples of class issues that we talked about earlier as well as the issues that the Younger Family are experiencing. (20 minutes) In the last ten minutes of class students will complete an exit slip that ask them to define class in their own words and give a situation that showcases a difference in classes. (10 minutes) Homework: Complete your vocabulary run down activity on index cards, using the assigned 20 vocabulary words.

Lesson Reflection: The privilege walk activity involved some sensitive topics, and all students were not open to participating in the activity where they actually had to move forward and backward. Therefore, I changed the activity to a paper based activity where students could conceptualize their privilege on their own, without the watchful eye of their peers. Even though turning the activity into a paper-based activity ensure privacy it lacked the empathy that this lesson needed. This lesson should come later in the unit once students are comfortable with the teacher and themselves.

Overview: Students will participate in a vocabulary activity where they will provide everyday examples of their vocabulary words.

Instructional Goal(s) Students’ will be able to use the vocabulary in the correct context, as well as relate them to their everyday lives. Students will also fill out their Dream Essay Outline.

Common Core Standards Met: Resources W. 9-10.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. SL. 9-10.1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussion (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

White Board Composition Books (students) Vocabulary Index cards Dictionaries Dream Essay handout

Learning Objectives: Students will be able to define the vocabulary words and use them in the right context. Students will also be able to transform their aspiration free write activity into a solid outline for their dream essay. Assessment: Assessments today will formative and used to help students begin to understand the vocabulary words. Students will also start the formalization process into their personal reflection narrative of their final assessment. Students will be assessed using their completing of their vocabulary run down cards, and their completed dream essay outline. Lesson Vocabulary: Unit vocabulary Instructional Sequence: The teacher should greet the students and allow students to share Hi/Lows from day/night before. Once students have shared the teacher will introduce the “Do Now Assignment” (5 minutes) Do Now Assignment: Which one of the vocabulary words that you feel that you know very well? How did you learn the word? Provide a definition and example of the word. Students will be given ten minutes of silent writing to complete their Do Now Assignments in their composition books. (10 minutes) After the ten minutes have passed the teacher will break the students up into six groups and assign to words based on the “color” words. (15 minutes)


Green Words Purple Words Pink Words Segregation Metaphor Dialogue Integration Symbolism Monologue Stereotype Paradox Soliloquy Discrimination Irony Allusion Prejudice Protagonist Oppression Antagonist Inequity Liberations Classism Class While the students are in their groups they need to: Decide why the words that they are assigned are in the same color group What do the words have in common? They must also provide at least 1 example of the words from any social context. They must be prepared to share their words and examples to the class. After the students have used their time to discuss the vocabulary words that they were assigned they will present out to the rest of the class on their words and examples. Students who were not a part of the group that is reporting out should record their examples on their proper index cards. ( 15 minutes) Students will be instructed to put away their index cards (They need to keep up with them since we will use them while we are reading the play) As another activity the teacher will introduce the personal reflection piece/ dream essay. Homework: Complete your dream essay outline. Transfer your outline using complete sentences to create your essay rough draft. Lesson Reflections: This vocabulary group portion of this lesson never happened because students failed to complete their index card homework assignment. Instead of using the index cards to complete the above activity, we spent class time completing the index cards. I think that the vocabulary activity would have been very beneficial for students, so that they gain a context for the words, but unfortunately we were unable to complete the activity because of time constraints. The outline used to help students start their dream essays was a very good tool, that broke down the essay writing into manageable parts.

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

Unit Plan Project Dream Essay

Students will write a 5-paragraph essay in which they discuss an dream or aspirations that they have. The essay can talk about their plan to accomplish dreams, or dreams that they have accomplished. Students must use the Dream essay outline, to outline and construct their dream essay. The essay should follow the 5-paragraph essay format in which, the introduction paragraph should be the building block of the entire essay. For example, the supporting detail 1 should introduce the reader to the topic of the supporting paragraph 1, and so on. The essay should be double-spaced typed in 12 pt. Times New Roman font. If you need additional help completing the outline or essay be sure to come to tutoring hours Wednesday or Thursday from 4-4:30pm. The rough draft of this assignment is worth 50 points and due Wednesday, March 16, 2011. The final draft of this assignment is worth 100 points and is due Monday, March 21, 2011.

Overview: Students will continue reading the text (Act 1 Scene 2), and start the peer editing process to complete the first assignment of their final assessment.

Instructional Goal(s) Students’ will complete the peer editing process of their final assessment personal reflection narrative.

Common Core Standards Met: Resources W. 9-10.5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. L. 9-10.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking L. 9-10.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

White Board Composition Books (students) Peer Editing Handout Dream Essay Rubric Highlighters

Learning Objectives: Students will be able to edit each other’s papers to make sure that their writing partner’s paper has the proper format for an essay. Assessment: Assessments today will formative based on the Do Now assignment and class discussion. In the beginning of class students will complete the Do Now assignment that will ask them to think about Beneatha’s role in the Younger family. We will use their explanations to start off our discussion to introduce the students to Act 1 Scene 2. As a final assessment piece in this lesson the students will participate in a peer editing session where they will edit each other’s dream essay from a previous lesson. Lesson Vocabulary: N/A Instructional Sequence: The teacher should greet the students and allow students to share Hi/Lows from day/night before. Once students have shared the teacher will introduce the “Do Now Assignment” (5 minutes) Do Now Assignment: What is Beneatha’s role in the Younger family? In what ways does she meet/fail to meet the stereotype of black women in the 1950’s? If Walter and Beneatha lived in 2011 how might their relationship be different? Students will be given ten minutes of silent writing to complete their Do Now Assignments in their composition books. (10 minutes) After the ten minutes have passed the teacher will start off a discussion by cold calling on students to participate, and taking volunteers. During the discussion of the students’


answers it is important that the teacher have the students relate their experience with Beneatha’s experience so that they can begin to conceptualize how she could possibly feel. (10 minutes) The teacher will assign roles for reading and go over reading participation points.

Reading Participation Points: Everyone starts out with 5 points, and it is your job to maintain those points by being an active contributor to our conversation and the reading environment.

The class will read to the end of Act 1 Scene 2. (40 minutes) Discussion Questions:

• What has happened/happening to Walter and Ruth’s relationship? • What role does Asagai play in the story? What does he represent? • What is the relationship between Beneatha and Asagai like? How do they meet

the gender roles of a man/woman relationship? • What type of man was the father? How can we infer this information? • How does Walter fail to fill his father’s shoes? • What are Beneatha’s feelings on religion? How do they contradict Mama’s and

the way she was raised? • What’s the matter with Ruth? • In what ways is hair related to identity? How has this relationship been shaped?

The goal will be to read up to at least page 75. After the class have met that goal or time no longer permits the teacher will stop reading, start to work on a free write where they will tell the story of their dream. The students will take part in a peer editing session on their dream essays written in the free write exercise. The students will be broken up into groups of four and each student will edit the paper based on their role in the group. (25 minutes) Homework: Make corrections to your Dream essay rough draft. Be sure to take into consideration the comments that your peers made on your essay. You must also complete a self-edit checklist on your paper, before turning it in. Lesson Reflections: In the peer editing process of this lesson students were to circulate around the room to the different stations when they were directed to do so. Although the changing of tables kept the students alert, it often interrupted working time. After changing tables it took students a while to settle back down. The next time that I teach this lesson I will allow students to stay at one table; this way there is lesson commotion in the classroom. Instead of making it mandatory for students to switch stations I will recommend switching times, but allow students to decided how long they need to spend at a particular station.

Peer Editing Workshop Rationale In the Peer Editing Workshops students will be assigned a writing partner that will remain the same through the end of the unit. The Peer Editing Workshop will allow students to familiarize themselves with the basic format of an essay. The PEW will also help students to meet the following Common Core Standard:

• W.9-10.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

• W.9-10.5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience sequences.

• W.9-10.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences

During PEW the classroom will be set up in stations. At each station students will focus on one component of the essay at a time. At the stations students will sit with their writing partner and at least one other pair. While at the stations the students should swap papers with their partners and follow the directions that are posted at each statement. Once students have finished editing their partner’s essay, the students should discuss any comments that they have about their partner’s essay. At the end of the PEW students will return the essays to their owner. All students will be required to produce a second draft of the essay using the comments and suggestions from their partner.


Peer Editing Workshop Station 1

Station 1: Students at this station will compare their partner’s introduction and conclusion paragraphs. The introduction paragraph should introduce the reader to the topic of the essay. Introduction Checklist

o The first sentence of the paragraph is a general statement on the topic of the paper. Highlight this sentence using the color green.

o There are 3 supporting detail sentences that relate to the topic. o Highlight the first supporting detail sentence in blue. o Highlight the second supporting detail sentence in red. o Highlight the third supporting detail sentence in yellow.

o The last sentence is the thesis statement of the paper. (It provides information on the overarching theme/topic of the paper.) Highlight this in purple.

The conclusion paragraph should restate the main ideas of your introduction paragraph using different words. The conclusion paragraph should NOT have the same exact wording as the introduction paragraph, but it should present the same ideas. Conclusion Checklist

o The sentences in the conclusion paragraph mirrors the sentences in the introduction, but do NOT use the same wording.

o The ending is satisfying to the reader (Does the conclusion complete the essay by wrapping up the main ideas of the essay?)

**Once you have completed the checklist, discuss your comments with your partner about his/her essay.

Peer Editing Workshop

Station 2

Station 2: Students at this station will compare their partner’s first supporting detail with their first body paragraph. The first supporting detail of the introduction paragraph should introduce the reader to the main idea in the first body paragraph. Procedure: Highlight the first supporting detail in blue. Using the same blue marker star the first body paragraph. Read the first body paragraph completely. After you have read the first body paragraph use a pencil to write the main idea of this paragraph in the margins of the essay. Then refer back to the introduction to find the first supporting detail and refer to the following checklist. First supporting detail sentence & First body paragraph Checklist

o The idea of the first supporting detail sentence is used to write the first body paragraph. (Is the first body paragraph an elaboration of the first supporting detail?)

o The first body paragraph is at least five complete sentences long. o Square the beginning of incomplete sentences.



Station 3

Station 3: Students at this station will compare their partner’s second supporting detail with their second body paragraph. The second supporting detail of the introduction paragraph should introduce the reader to the main idea in the second body paragraph. Procedure: Highlight the second supporting detail in red. Using the same red marker star the second body paragraph. Read the second body paragraph completely. After you have read the second body paragraph use a pencil to write the main idea of this paragraph in the margins of the essay. Then refer back to the introduction to find the second supporting detail and refer to the following checklist. Second supporting detail sentence & Second body paragraph Checklist

o The idea of the second supporting detail sentence is used to write the second body paragraph. (Is the second body paragraph an elaboration of the second supporting detail?)

o The second body paragraph is at least five complete sentences long. o Square the beginning of incomplete sentences.



Station 4

Station 4: Students at this station will compare their partner’s third supporting detail with their third body paragraph. The third supporting detail of the introduction paragraph should introduce the reader to the main idea in the third body paragraph. Procedure: Highlight the third supporting detail in yellow. Using the same yellow marker star the third body paragraph. Read the third body paragraph completely. After you have read the third body paragraph use a pencil to write the main idea of this paragraph in the margins of the essay. Then refer back to the introduction to find the third supporting detail and refer to the following checklist. Third supporting detail sentence & Third body paragraph Checklist

o The idea of the third supporting detail sentence is used to write the third body paragraph. (Is the third body paragraph an elaboration of the third supporting detail?)

o The third body paragraph is at least five complete sentences long. o Square the beginning of incomplete sentences.


Overview: Students will be taught how to pick reliable resources to begin research for the second assignment in their final assessment.

Instructional Goal(s) Students’ will complete the peer editing process of their final assessment personal reflection narrative.

Common Core Standards Met: Resources SL. 9-10. 1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

White Board Composition Books (students) Goin’ to Chicago Documentary Goin’ to Chicago Documentary Tracking Sheet Credible Resource Info. Sheet Projector

Learning Objectives: Students will be able to identify credible resources to use in their “In the News” Project. Assessment: Assessments today will formative based on the Do Now assignment and class discussion. In the beginning of class students will complete the Do Now assignment that will ask them to think about research resources and how they pick them. I will use students’ answers to begin a mini lecture on credible resources. The final assessment in this lesson is an exit slip that will ask a general question about the documentary. The purpose of this assessment is to see what the students took away from the documentary. Lesson Vocabulary: N/A Instructional Sequence: The teacher should greet the students and allow students to share Hi/Lows from day/night before. Once students have shared the teacher will introduce the “Do Now Assignment” (5 minutes) Do Now Assignment: How do you conduct research? What are some resources you use to conduct research? How do you know if the sources you use have reliable information? Students will be given ten minutes of silent writing to complete their Do Now Assignments in their composition books. (5 minutes) After the five minutes have passed the teacher will start off a discussion by cold calling on students to participate, and taking volunteers. (5 minutes)


The teacher will go over a mini-lecture on resources and their credibility. This should be done using the credible source handout, and class exercise where students will visit a website and we will decide as a class if the website is credible. (25 minutes) We will view the Goin’ to Chicago Documentary. While students are watching the documentary they should record notes in their GTC tracking sheet. (35 minutes) The students will complete an exit slip.

Exit Slip: Why did African Americans move to Chicago/the North? How did the move impact their lives? (10 minutes)

Homework: Students will research an event from the 1950-60’s, or the Civil Rights Movement, using the credible resource handout. Lesson Reflection: During the viewing of the movie students were really engaged, because they knew that they would be responsible for completing a worksheet. Before the viewing of the documentary I went over the worksheet with students so that they were primed on the material that they should be listening closely for. I believe that contributed to the cooperation and engagement during the documentary. The next time I teach this lesson I would like to create smoother transitions into discussion from the information provided in the documentary.

The CARS Checklist for Information Quality Credibility Because people have always made important decisions based on information, evidence of authenticity and reliability--or credibility, believability--has always been important. If you read an article saying that the area where you live will experience a major earthquake in the next six months, it is important that you should know whether or not to believe the information. Some questions you might ask would include:

• What about this source makes it believable (or not)? • How does this source know this information? • Why should I believe this source over another?

Author's Credentials

o The author or source of the information should show some evidence of being knowledgeable, reliable, and truthful. Here are some clues:

o Author's education, training, and/or experience in a field relevant to the information. Look for biographical information, the author's title or position of employment

o Author provides contact information (email or snail mail address, phone number) o Organizational authorship from a known and respected organization (corporate,

governmental, or non-profit) o Author's reputation or standing among peers. o Author's position (job function, title)

Indicators of Lack of Credibility

o You can sometimes tell by the tone, style, or competence of the writing whether or not the information is suspect. Here are a few clues:

o Unnamed Work o Lack of Quality Control o If all the reviews are critical, be careful. o Bad grammar or misspelled words. Most educated people use grammar fairly well

and check their work for spelling errors. An occasional split infinitive or comma in the wrong place is not unusual, but more than two or three spelling or grammar errors is cause for caution, at least. Whether the errors come from carelessness or ignorance, neither puts the information or the writer in a favorable light.

Safety Sites

o .edu o ,gov o .org o On-line journals o Google scholar

Activity Look at the following websites and decide if they could be authoritative sources, possibly


reliable sources needing verification, or questionable sources: www.ala.org www.nationalenquirer.com www.ncsu.edu www.answersingenesis.org www.atheists.org www.aclu.org www.noaa.gov Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/375424_lesson-plans-for-teaching-internet-search-skills-to-high-school-students#ixzz1DTBhMMQU

Overview: Students will work in small groups to outline and understand the components of a newspaper article.

Instructional Goal(s) Students’ will be able to write a mini-research project using an article format.

Common Core Standards Met: Resources W. 9-10.1: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content W. 9-10.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically. SL. 9-10.1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

White Board Composition Books (students) News Papers Magazines Elmo

Learning Objectives: Students will be able to outline the components of a newspaper article so that they can produce their own article for the final assessment project. Assessment: Assessments today will be formative and used to help the students engage each other in discussion that allow them to actively think about the construction of a news paper article, so that they can create their own article on an event from the Civil Rights Movement. Lesson Vocabulary: Headline- title of the article, usually in large text Byline- line that gives credit to the author of the writing Lead- summarizes the main idea of the article Hook- something that grabs the reader’s attention Picture- illustration or photograph of the event Caption- explanation of the picture


Instructional Sequence: The teacher should greet the students and allow students to share Hi/Lows from day/night before. Once students have shared the teacher will introduce the “Do Now Assignment” (5 minutes) Do Now Assignment: What are the components of an article? What about articles get you interested and wanting to read articles? (Sample articles are on each table) Students will be given ten minutes of silent writing to complete their Do Now Assignments in their composition books. (5 minutes) After the five minutes have passed the teacher will start off a discussion by cold calling on students to participate, and taking volunteers. (10 minutes) The teacher will direct students in a whole class activity where we examine the components of a newspaper article and answer the Do Now assignment as a class. During this process the teacher should also have a student who is recording notes on the board for the class. (10 minutes) After the whole group discussion students will be divided up into groups so that can examine another article to discuss the components to share with the class as a whole. (15 minutes)

Directions: In small groups students should look at the components of the article and the different features (font, size, captions, etc.) of the article to tell how they contribute to the reader’s experience.

Once all the groups have presented their outline to the class, we will create a general outline that all the students will be required to follow for their article. The teacher should copy this format on the board and the students should copy it into their composition notebooks. (20 minutes)

The teacher will transition in the reading and discussion of the text. Students will begin to read Act 2 Scene 1. (30 minutes) Homework: Make-up any reading that you have missed from Act 1 Scene 1 to Act 2 Scene 1. Lesson Reflections: During the small group activity at the end of this lesson students should look at one article per group, instead of their own article. This promotes more group unity and forces students to work together and share ideas on the components of the paper. The introductory section on article terms was extremely useful throughout the rest of the unit.

Be sure to relate the terms to the components of an essay, so that students can place them in a familiar context.

Overview: Students will examine the theme of African American beauty and identity and theme through the reading of the text.

Instructional Goal(s) Students’ will address past and current issues surrounding African American beauty and identity.

Common Core Standards Met: Resources RL. 9-10.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. RL. 9-10.3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

White Board Composition Books (students) Construction Paper Magazines Markers

Learning Objectives: Students will be able to address how the author conveys messages about African American beauty and identity through the text. Assessment: Assessments today will be formative and take the form of class discussion. Students will also work in small groups to define today’s perception of African American beauty and identity. Lesson Vocabulary: N/A Instructional Sequence: The teacher should greet the students and allow students to share Hi/Lows from day/night before. Once students have shared the teacher will introduce the “Do Now Assignment” (5 minutes) Do Now Assignment: How is beauty assessed in the African American community? Where do our ideas about beauty and self-identity come from? Define what is beautiful to you. How do you identify yourself? Students will be given ten minutes of silent writing to complete their Do Now Assignments in their composition books. (5 minutes)


The teacher should transition the class discussion into the review of the text. This will refresh the scene and action that we have read so far. Once the students are up to speed on the previous reading we will read the text. Read Act 2 Scene 1. (40 minutes) After reading and class discussion the students will work in small groups to define African American beauty. The students should use popular culture idols, magazines and other sources of media to give a face to their perception of African American beauty. (10 minutes) The students will present their definitions and post them in the classroom. (5 minutes) Students will be given 30 minutes of class time to get in their mini-research groups to gather research on their CRM event article. Homework: Continue research on your CRM event. Read through the information that you have to gain knowledge on the event and its impact on the community. Lesson Reflections: Students were very willing to share during this do now assignment; they had some very interesting ideas about beauty and how it is determined. Students were not afraid to disagree with an idea that another student had, but they did so in a polite way. The discussion from this lesson was very productive. The next time this lesson is taught I would like to incorporate other culture’s perceptions of beauty into the discussion; this way students will begin to broaden their views on beauty.

Overview: Students will work in small groups to study characterization and how it impacts the reading experience.

Instructional Goal(s) Students’ will create body outlines for each of the main characters using the components of characterization.

Common Core Standards Met: Resources RL. 9-10. 3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

White Board Composition Books (students) Construction Paper Construction Paper (assorted colors)

Learning Objectives: Students will be able to use the elements of characterization to describe a character from the novel. Assessment: Assessments today will be formative and used to help the students understand the elements characterization and how it helps develop the characters of text and the reader’s experience with the text. The concepts discussed in this lesson will be used to help students complete a summative assessment in the form of a character profile. Lesson Vocabulary: Characterization- portrayal of fictional characters Instructional Sequence: The teacher should greet the students and allow students to share Hi/Lows from day/night before. Once students have shared the teacher will introduce the “Do Now Assignment” (5 minutes) Do Now Assignment: How does Lorraine Hansberry make the characters of her play come to life? What are some elements that she gives the characters to make them seem real? How does this help you to understand the character and their purpose in the text? Students will be given ten minutes of silent writing to complete their Do Now Assignments in their composition books. (5 minutes) After the five minutes have passed the teacher will start off a discussion by cold calling on students to participate, and taking volunteers. (10 minutes) The teacher will direct students in a whole class activity where we examine the components of characterization. The teacher will lead this discussion by allowing


students to discuss a famous character from popular culture and describe them by answering the following questions:

• How does the character look? • What stuff will the character say? • What are some habits of the character? • How/What will the character think? • How/ What will the character feel? • How do the character interact with other characters? • What will the other characters say about them?

(5 minutes) After we have gone over the main ideas of characterization the teacher will introduce the characterization group activity.

Directions: Choose groups of four students to work together. Then number the group members from 1-4. Depending on their number they will be assigned a task to help complete the characterization model on construction paper. (See following sheet) (20 minutes) Students will be directed to create a character profile, using the character profile rubric. *The teacher will introduce this activity by showing a model of a character profile. (35 minutes)

Students will present their character model to the class. (15 minutes)

Homework: N/A Lesson Reflections: Students were very engaged in the character profile activity. This activity should definitely be incorporated into other unit plans, if applicable.

A Raisin in the Sun Unit Plan Project

Characterization Group Activity Find the number that corresponds with the number you are in the group. Your role in the group will be determined by the number you were assigned.

1. Character's Voice: Look for examples of the character's speech that reveal important information about him or her. Record at least two direct quotes. Beneath each quote, record what you think the character's words say about him or her. 2. Character's Deeds: Search for passages that show something the character does. Write at least two examples of the character's actions. Use direct quotes, or state what the character does in your own words. Beneath each statement, record what you think the character's reactions reveal about him or her. 3. Character's Looks: Find passages that describe the character's appearance. If you cannot find a direct quote, write what you think the character looks like and why you picture the character this way. Include information about the character's hair color, eye color, age, height, and distinguishing features. Draw a sketch of your character. 4. Character's Thoughts and Feelings: Find descriptions of the character's thoughts and feelings. Record at least two passages that show what's inside the character's mind and heart. Beneath each quote, record what you learn about the character by examining his or her thoughts or feelings.

Using construction paper students should complete the requirements for their role. After all students have completed their role have a volunteer from your group lie down to serve as your character’s outline. Working cooperatively students should add clothes, facial features, and items that represent the character to the body to portray the character. Be prepared to present your character and your role assignment with the rest of the class.

A Raisin in the Sun Unit Plan Project Character Profile

Students will create a profile modeled after facebook profiles for a character in the novel. The profile should be similar to a facebook profile with the information that it includes but it should NOT be created on the facebook website. You may type up the profile or create it on a half sheet of poster board. You will be graded using the following rubric. The profile should include the following elements: Requirement Points

Earned Points

Possible Photograph -can be a drawing, or an picture of how you perceive the person

5

Location – where is your character from? Where are they currently?

5

News Feed- what has your character been up to? 5 Status- what is your character feeling? 5 Friends- who does your character get along with? 5 Groups- what groups would your character belong to? 5 Occupation/Activities- what does your character do? 5 Favorite Quotes- what is an important quote that your character has said?

5

About Me- what would your character want people to know about them?

5

Future Plans/ Dreams- what is your character’s dream? 5 Characterization Group Activity Mini-posters 50 Total 100

Overview: Students will finish reading the text and have a concluding discussion that examines the themes that we have covered through the text.

Instructional Goal(s) Students’ will finish reading the text and understand how all of the themes tie into the text.

Common Core Standards Met: Resources RL. 9-10. 1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text RL. 9-10.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. RL. 9-10.3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme. RL. 9-10.5: Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise

White Board Composition Books (students)

Learning Objectives: Students will be able to state how all of the themes of the text tie into the text and how they are perceived today. Assessment: Assessments today will be formative and take the form of class discussion. In the class discussion students will participate in an oral recapping of the text and the themes that we examined. Lesson Vocabulary: N/A Instructional Sequence: The teacher should greet the students and allow students to share HI/Lows from the day/night before. Once students have shared the teacher will introduce the Do Now Assignment. (5 minutes) Do Now Assignment: Create a Younger family tree in your composition book? How did the characters evolve in the play?


Students will be given ten minutes of silent writing to complete their Do Now Assignments in their composition books. (10 minutes) After the ten minutes have passed the teacher will start off a discussion by cold calling on students to participate, and taking volunteers. (10 minutes) The teacher should transition the class discussion into the review of the text. This will refresh the scene and action that we have read so far. Once the students are up to speed on the previous reading we will read the text. Read Act 2 Scene 3 (pg 123) & Act 3 Scene 1. The reading should be broken up into 15-minute increments, separated by discussion questions. The teacher will lead the students into a wrap up discussion that will ask students their thoughts on the novel and its relevance to the African American community today. Homework: Make-up any reading that you missed for the play and create a Younger family tree. Lesson Reflections: Using the Younger family tree allowed students to visualize the connections in the Younger family and helped them to solidify information from the text. The family tree should be used and updated from the beginning of the text through the end.

Overview: Students will work in their mini-research groups to understand the construction of an article. They will also begin to outline their group articles.

Instructional Goal(s) Students’ will analyze how the structure of an article appeals to readers.

Common Core Standards Met: Resources W.9-10.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience W.9-10.5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.

White Board Composition Books (students) The Detroit News Article Article outline sheet

Learning Objectives: Students will be able to structure an article using an outline that will appeal to readers by using the 5 W’s & H. Assessment: Assessments today will be formative and summative. The formative assessments will take the form of class discussion. The summative assessments will manifest itself through the groups completed article outline. Lesson Vocabulary: See article vocabulary from Day 8 Instructional Sequence: The teacher should greet the students and allow students to share Hi/Lows from day/night before. Once students have shared the teacher will introduce the “Do Now Assignment” (5 minutes) Do Now Assignment: When you are listening to, or reading news reports what type of information do you except to hear? What important is important to know? What information is least important? Use an example news story to respond. Students will be given ten minutes of silent writing to complete their Do Now Assignments in their composition books. (5 minutes) After the five minutes have passed the teacher will start off a discussion by cold calling on students to participate, and taking volunteers. (10 minutes) The teacher should transition the class discussion into a group activity where students will work in their mini-research groups to complete an article puzzle. Students must determine the order of the article together in their group, then determine how the article answers the 5 W’s & H questions. (10 minutes)


Once students have completed their article puzzle the teacher will ask students to share the order in which their group determined the 5W’s & H questions were answered. The students’ responses will be recorded on the board. The teacher will pass out the article in its correct arrangement, and call on a student to read to her cue; stopping when she says so. This will allow the students and teachers to check the students’ responses. (5 minutes) The teacher will then introduce the students to the article outline that they must follow when writing their article. (5 minutes) Student will read through the research that they collected and highlight important information that they wish to include in their articles (20 minutes) Students will use the information from their research to complete the outline of their article. (30 minutes) Homework: Students will complete their article outline. Lesson Reflections: This lesson used a great scaffolding activity that allowed the learning to be student centered. It was great to see students teaching themselves in such a low-pressure environment. Students were excited to share and prove that their question sequence was the right one for the example article that we used.

Overview: Students will work in their mini-research groups to create a rough draft of their news article

Instructional Goal(s) Students’ will analyze how the structure of an article appeals to readers.

Common Core Standards Met: Resources W.9-10.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content W.9-10.5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.

White Board Composition Books (students) Article outline sheet Article rough draft sheet

Learning Objectives: Students will be able to construct an article using an outline that will appeal to readers by using the 5 W’s & H. Assessment: Assessments today will be formative and summative. The formative assessments will take the form of class discussion. The summative assessments will manifest itself through the groups completed article outline and rough draft. Lesson Vocabulary: See article vocabulary from Day 8 Instructional Sequence: The teacher should greet the students and allow students to share Hi/Lows from day/night before. Once students have shared the teacher will introduce the “Do Now Assignment” (5 minutes) Do Now Assignment: Sit with your mini-research groups and review your article outline. Make sure everyone agrees on the arrangement of the article. Students will be given ten minutes of silent writing to complete their Do Now Assignments in their composition books. (5 minutes) After the five minutes have passed the teacher will start off a discussion by cold calling on students to participate, and taking volunteers. (10 minutes) The teacher should transition the class discussion into a group activity where students will work in their mini-research groups to complete their rough draft of their articles using the outline that they created in class the day before. The writing time will be broken


down into sections where students are given 20 minutes to write the paragraph and edit it with their group members. (60 minutes) Review the presentation expectations with students and assign homework. Make sure that all students are clear on the broadcast presentation. (10 minutes) Homework: Students should split up the following work in their mini-research groups:

• Proofread and type up your article • Gather pictures and create captions for your article • Create a script and props for the broadcast presentation

Lesson Reflections: This lesson used a great scaffolding activity that allowed the learning to be student centered. It was great to see students teaching themselves in such a low-pressure environment. Students were excited to share and prove that their question sequence was the right one for the example article that we used.

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

Unit Plan Project Final Assessment Information Sheet

Part I: As an final assessment for A Raisin in the Sun students will be required to create article on an event from the Civil Rights Movement and news broadcast for the event. For this project students will be members in 3 person groups. Each member of the group will be responsible for a different component of the assignment. The article must be at least 3 paragraphs long and follow the article format that we discussed in class (lead, supporting, concluding). The article should also include at least 4 vocabulary words from the unit, and an imaginary account from a character of the play in the supporting paragraph of the article. The article must be typed, double-spaced and in Times New Roman font. The news broadcast should include the information that is mentioned in your article. Students should create a script and have props for this portion of the assignment. Students should be as creative as they wish with the broadcast. Groups may choose to pre-record their broadcast or they may act out their broadcast during their presentation time. The article and broadcast presentations will be due April 5, 2011 & April 6, 2011. Part II: Will be an exam that students will take on April 7, 2011 & April 8, 2011 (exam days). The exam will consist of 3 parts. The first part is vocabulary matching, the second part is multiple-choice questions and the third part requires students to identity of the speakers of important quotes form the play. *Study Guides will be available the week of March 28, 2011. There will be a final exam review session held on Wednesday, April 6, 2011 from 4-4:30pm.

Overview: Students will work in their mini-research groups to present their news article and broadcast.

Instructional Goal(s) Students’ will analyze how the structure of an article appeals to readers and be able to create an news broadcast that will use the information from their article.

Common Core Standards Met: Resources SL.9-10.4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.

SL.9-10.5 Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

White Board Composition Books (students) Presentation Rubric sheet

Learning Objectives: Students will be able to structure an article using an outline that will appeal to readers by using the 5 W’s & H, as well as create a news broadcast on their article. Assessment: Assessments today will be summative; the summative assessments will manifest itself through the groups completed article and broadcast presentation. Lesson Vocabulary: See article vocabulary from Day 8 (article terminology) Instructional Sequence: The teacher should greet the students and allow students to share Hi/Lows from day/night before. Once students have shared the teacher will introduce the “Do Now Assignment” (5 minutes)

Do Now Assignment: Prepare for your mini-research article group broadcast presentations! We will begin in 10 minutes.

Students will be given ten minutes to complete the Do Now Assignment. (10 minutes) After the time has passed the teacher will begin to call on groups to present their articles. Each group will present their broadcast while the teacher and one other group are grading them. (3-5 minutes)


Once presentations are completed the teacher will engage students in a conversation to review study guide and any questions students have about the final. The teacher should also announce that there will be a review session on Wednesday, April 6, 2011from 4-4:30pm. Homework: Complete the study guide. Bring any questions you have to the review session! Lesson Reflections: Students came to class unprepared for their group presentation, so I allotted them an extra 15 minutes of class time to work on their presentations. Students did not communicate well with each other and their group presentations suffered as a result.

In the News Article & Broadcast Rubric

Content Points

Earned Points Possible

Lead Paragraph • Includes 5 W • At least 5 sentences • Has a hook

15

Supporting Details • Provides an elaboration of details • Includes character quotes • Includes vocabulary • Answers the How question

15

Conclusion • Includes summary of event • Describes impact on the community.

15

Organization Points

Earned Points Possible

Banner 5 Headline 5 Byline 5 Date 5 Picture & Caption 5 Hook 5 Presentations Points Earned Points

Possible Script

• Presents information from article in a news broadcast fashion

15

Props • Appropriate for school & the context of the

article • Gives the audience a deeper understanding and

visual of the event

10

Total Points Earned: /100

high school literary studies unit

Documents