2015-2016 Curriculum Thematic Unit Grade: 11th Course:English III
Unit: America the Beautiful…Exploring the American Experience / Time:
20 days
Essential Questions:
What makes American literature “American”?
How does literature reflect or shape society?
Vocabulary:See Daily Calendar / Unit Overview: This unit will provide students with the opportunity to explore the “American Experience” through various lenses. Students will be exposed to a myriad of experiences in America through various forms of literature.
Skills: SWBAT read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 11-CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Standards:
Reading Literature
RL.11-12.1
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
RL.11-12.2
Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.
RL.11-12.3
Analyze the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
RL.11-12.9
Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics.
Writing Standards
W.11-12.1
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
W.11-12.2
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.11-12.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Speaking and Listening
SL.11-12.1
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
SL.11-12.4
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.
Language Standards
L.11-12.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. / Suggested Activities:
Day 1 :
Text: “Mother to Son” Langston Hughes
Vocabulary: Extended metaphor
(Big Question): Sometimes words have the power to help a person through hard times. What effect do you think the words of the mother in this poem have on her son? Would her words and warnings change if this poem were written this last year or this year?
(Journal Activity): If you were talking to a younger person about life and its struggles, what would you compare life to? Make a list of concrete “things” you might compare your life to.
(Questions):
What kinds of messages might a mother want to give her son?
Why does the poet have the mother use such casual speech?
How does the speaker extend the metaphor that compares life to a staircase in this poem?
What kinds of experiences do you think the mother is talking about in lines 3-7? What kinds of responses to these experiences is she describing in lines 8-13?
What do you think might have motivated this mother’s “speech” to her son? What events may have prompted her “speech”? What recent events in our country’s history would prompt a mother of color to speak to her son?
(Activity): Have students work in small groups to brainstorm a list of problems teenagers face. Then, have each group list reasons this poem could help teenagers who are having trouble.
Day 2:
Texts:
“The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes
“I, Too” by Langston Hughes
(Activating Prior Knowledge): Play for the class the famous jazz song “Take the ‘A’ Train” (composed by Billy Strayhorn and arranged by Duke Ellington). Explain that the ‘A’ train on the New York City subway goes to Harlem and that, during the 1920s, New York City’s Harlem was a thriving center for literature, music, and the arts, an era known as the Harlem Renaissance.
(Art Connection): Show students Into Bondage, by Harlem Renaissance painter Aaron Douglas. Ask students how Douglas’ painting relates to or is connected to Hughes’ poem? Then ask students the following questions:
Who are the people in the painting? Where are they going?
What do Hughes’ poem and Douglas’ painting reveal about each artist’s self-identity?
(Critical Reading Questions):
In “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” which four rivers does the speaker mention?
What does the age of these rivers imply about people of African ancestry?
Why does the speaker in “I, Too” have to eat in the kitchen when company comes?
What does eating in the kitchen represent?
What does the speaker mean when he says “I, Too, am America”?
Who do you think he refers so directly to Walt Whitman’s poem?
(Central Focus Question): Considering his ancestry and his travels, do you think that Hughes could ever be thought of as anything but an “American” writer?
Day 3:
Text: “I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman
Vocabulary: hatter, robust
(Activity): Have students select another location, such as their community, an athletic event, or another extra-curricular activity, and create an “I Hear ______Singing” poem.
(Activity): Have students complete an author study on Walt Whitman.
(Writing Activity): Walt Whitman mentions many different types of people who go about their day singing in “I Hear America Singing.” Although everyone sings alone throughout the day, they know they are part of the whole of America. Langston Hughes also mentions singing in his poem “I, Too.” The speaker of his poem has a different idea about belonging in America. Using information from both poems, what is the central theme? State the shared theme of the poems and give two examples from each poem to support your theme.
(Activity): After students have read “I Hear America Singing,” challenge them to list as many “singing” references in the poem as they can. Emphasize that Whitman referred to everyday people pursuing everyday activities. Remind students that according to Whitman, everyone has “strong melodious songs” that belong “to him or her and to none else.” Ask students to speculate what song the workers could be singing.
Day 4:
Texts:
“Refugee in America” by Langston Hughes
“We Wear the Mask” by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Opening Pair-Share Discussion: What does it mean to wear a “mask” (figuratively)? Discuss a situation in which you or someone you know wore a mask. Why did you/she or he wear the mask and what were you trying to cope with? How is wearing a mask an example of duality?
(Activity):Create a mask that shows the different “faces” you present to society.
On the outside of the mask, put the faces you show your friends, family, teachers, for example. You can show these behaviors any way you like—with pictures, poetry, colors, words/slogans/phrases, etc.
On the inside of the mask, show who you really are. On the outside of the mask you may have pieces of yourself, but you may also have misrepresentations. For example, you may behave in an outgoing manner at a party with your friends, but you may actually feel somewhat shy. You may be nice to others—sweet and innocent to your parents or grandparents, but swear when you are with your friends. On the inside of the mask, show your true self. Again, you may illustrate your true self any way you like—with pictures, poetry, colors, words/slogans/phrases, etc.
On the back of the mask, in a paragraph or more explain the significance of the images/words/phrases…you chose
(Critical Reading Questions):
In “Refugee in America,” what is the speaker’s reaction to words like freedom and liberty?
In what ways does the title of the poem connect these words to the poem itself?
What words of emotion does the speaker use in “Refugee in America”?
In what way do these emotions contribute to the mood conveyed by the poem?
In what ways do these poems capture some of the complexities of the African American experience?
(Test):
Who is the speaker in “The Negro Speaks of Rivers”? How does the title help you identify the speaker? Explain.
What can you infer about the identity and emotions of the speaker in “I, Too”?
Walt Whitman, the author of “I Hear America Singing,” was a great inspiration to Langston Hughes. How does this information about Hughes’ biography affect your understanding of the poem “I, Too”?
What differences do you find between the speaker in “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and the speaker in “Refugee in America”? To what do you attribute those differences?
In what ways are the themes of racial identity, pride, and perseverance interconnected?
When you read “Refugee in America” using a social or historical critical perspective, how do you understand the poem’s last two lines?
What different interpretation of the poem might a biographical perspective provide?
Day 5:
Text: “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
(Opening Activity):
Invite students to bring to class an object that pertains to some aspect of a cultural heritage. Let students display the object and describe for the class its use and significance. Students can give oral presentations or create an in class display.
(Text Dependent Questions):
What implied conflict exists between the two sisters?
Why do you think the speaker has this dream?
Why does Mrs. Johnson recall this information about Dee and Maggie?
Why does Mrs. Johnson use quotations marks around choose?
What does “scalding humor” mean? Why is this phrase significant?
What clues in the first sixteen paragraphs indicate there will be a conflict in this story?
Which name do you think better reflects Dee’s heritage?
What do you think they are communicating through eye signals?
(Activity): Let students work with a partner, role-playing the characters of Dee and Hakim-a-barber as they drive home. The dialogue that occurs should be in keeping with the personalities and attitudes of the two characters. After the partners have finished their dialogues, put them in groups of three or four to compare interpretations.
(Activity): Divide the class into several groups, and assign one of the four characters to each group. Allow the groups six or seven minutes to list as many adjectives as they can that describe the personality of their character. Students should review the story for quotations that support their choices. When time is up, let the groups that have the same character collaborate to produce a master list of adjectives for that character. After five minutes, ask one member of each group to report to the rest of the class.
Day 6:
Text: “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
Text Dependent Questions:
What conclusions can you draw about the beef-cattle people from Hakim-a-barber’s reply? How did you arrive at your conclusions?
What does the presence of milk in the churn signify?
Why does Maggie slam the door when she hears Dee ask for the quilts?
Why do you think some people, like Maggie, do not fight for what is rightfully theirs?
Based on this passage, what do you think the narrator wants to accomplish regarding Maggie?
What is ironic about Dee’s statement?
Do you think Dee’s day ended as peacefully and happily as Mrs. Johnson’s?
(History Connection): Have students research the origin of the Black Pride movement and how it functioned within the civil rights movement in the 1960s. Students may create visual displays or dramatic presentations on their findings.
(Art/Cultural Connection): Invite someone who is skilled in quilt making to class to explain how quilts are made. If possible, have two or three quilts on display during the presentation. Have the expert explain the significance of the pattern of each quilt. Then allow students to digitally create their own quilts online.
Day 7:
Text: “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
(Creative Writing): Students should be tasked with re-writing a portion of the story. Students could allow Maggie to narrate the climactic scene in her own voice. Or students could write a new ending to the text.
(Editorial Writing): Students will write an op-ed article about something important in his/her family heritage or his/her identity as an “American”. Students can write about American traditions, foods etc.
(Design a Quilt): Students will design a quilt that reflects an aspect or aspects of his/her cultural heritage. Students will then write a brief explanation of why he/she chose the various elements of his/her design and how each design reflects his/her cultural, ethnic, and/or national identity.
Day 8:
Text: “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
(Test): *Students should be urged to use textual evidence to support their claims.
Which character did you side with in the conflict over the quilts, and why?
What do you think is the source of the conflict in this story?
Dee is referred to as the child who has “made it.” What do you think that means, and what signs tell you that she has “made it”?
Near the end of the story, Dee accuses Mama of not understanding their African American heritage. Do you agree or disagree with Dee, and why?
Has any character changed by the end of the story? Go back to the text.
Why do you think Alice Walker dedicated her story “For Your Grandmama”?
If you were a friend of the family, what advice would you give each of the three Johnsons – Dee, Maggie, and Mama – about dealing with one another?
What do you think each of these three women will be doing in ten years after the story ends?
This story takes place in a very particular setting and a very particular culture. Talk about whether or not the problems faced by this family could be experienced by any family, anywhere. Or is this an American phenomenon?
(Essay): Do you think Alice Walker chose the right narrator for her story? How would the story differ if Dee or Maggie were telling it, instead of Mama? (What would we know that we don’t know now?)
End Activity): After students have finished reading the story, remind them of the everyday objects referred to in the story. Pair students, and assign each pair to interview one or more persons who lived during the 1930s or the 1940s. The questions should focus on objects once common in the home that are rarely seen or used today. Ask the pairs to present brief oral reports or to create visual displays from their findings.
Day 9:
Text:“What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” by Frederick Douglass
(Opening Questions):
What kind of text are we dealing with?
When was it written?
Who wrote it?
For what audience was it intended?
For what purpose was it written?
What are introductions supposed to do?
Students will read the following sections of the text:
Paragraphs 1–3: introduction (exordium)
Paragraphs 4–29: narrative or statement of fact (narratio)
(Close Reading Questions):
What does Douglass try to do in this introduction? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.
Why does he say that “apologies of this sort are generally considered flat and unmeaning”?
The word “flat” often means level or smooth. In this context how is Douglass defining the word “flat”?
Why would it be “out of the common way” for him to deliver a Fourth of July oration?
There are contradictions in Douglass’s self-presentation. What are they? Cite specific instances of them in the text. How can you account for them?
What expectations do you think a white audience would have for a black speaker in 1852? How does Douglass address these expectations in his introduction?
What is the effect of Douglass’s repetition of the words “your” and “you” in this paragraph and throughout the speech?
Why does Douglass feel hopeful about America’s future? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.
What is he suggesting in the “great streams” metaphor?
In the sentence “Were the nation older, the patriot’s heart might be sadder, and the reformer’s brow heavier,” why does Douglass equate the patriot and the reformer? Why would both groups be sadder if the nation were older?