Kristen J. Grandfield
The following lesson plans are designed to work in an 82 minute block. However, the teacher can add or subtract elements to suit his/her needs on any particular day.
Lesson One: What is voice?
Introduction to Lesson: Direct instruction – explain the literary definition of
voice
(It can be defined as the rhythm and sound of an author's words. This rhythm and sound comes from the word choice and fluency of those chosen words. Voice is essential in the tone and mood an author is looking to establish –
from Unit Introduction
).
Group Work:
Distribute the poem "In Praise of a Teacher" by Nikki Giovanni – students are to read the poem together. Groups will be given a reading guide that will ask them to choose three important words as well as deciding the author's mood and tone in the piece.
Whole Class Discussion:
As a class, we will discuss the groups' findings. This will allow students to look at the technical aspects of Giovanni's voice and apply the definition of voice previously discussed in class.
Lesson Two: What's in a Name?
Introduction to Lesson: Have students journal about their own name. What does it mean or why did their parents choose it? Students can also journal about how they feel about their name and if they would like to change it.
Reading
: Once students have done their journaling, distribute the chapter entitled "My Name" from
The House on Mango Street
by Sandra Cisneros and read aloud with the class.
Discussion of reading
: How does Esperanza feel about her name? What does she associate it with? Do her ethnicity and her location (NYC) play any part in how she feels about her name?
Writing Activity
: Students will write a piece (modeled after "My Name") about their own name – for homework, students are to ask parents/guardians about how they were named. Also, students can research the meaning of his/her name and include that in the piece.
Lesson Three: One Significant Day
Pre-Reading: Journal Prompt – Choose one important day in your life and write down five reasons that day was important and one thing that you learned on that day.
Pair Share
– Take one minute to tell a partner what the day was and why.
Read:
"Audition" by Julia Alvarez. Students will first read aloud each reading one line of the poem each. After that initial reading, students will write down their impressions and their understanding. Some students will share. We will read one more time following the rules of punctuation – hopefully making more meaning of the poem – students will journal once again
Class Discussion:
Discuss the literal meaning of the poem and then discuss technique while analyzing what the author is trying to tell us. How did this important day shape the narrators' identify?
Extension/Homework
: Students will write about their important day using Alvarez as a model with dialogue and reflection as opposed to just listing or telling. It is optional for students to write a poem or write a vignette
Lesson Four: "Ten Things I Learned…" (This can take two class periods)
Pre-Reading: In journal, list ten things you have learned this year…academic and non-academic.
Group Work:
Put students in small groups. Give each group markers and a piece of poster paper to create a list of "Twenty Things I've Learned during my Junior Year" – they can include pictures (drawn) and should be creative and colorful. When groups are done, they can share with class and teacher can hang them up.
Reading
: Read "One Holy Night" by Sandra Cisneros from
Women Hollering Creek
aloud as a class
Pair Discussion
– With that a partner, discussion questions about the reading – what happens on that day? What is a result of that occurrence? How does Cisneros express what is happening in figurative language as opposed to telling it outright? What does the narrator learn? What is she trying to tell the reader?
Group Discussion of Reading
– using the partners responses, discuss the literal meaning of the short passage and then discuss Cisneros' technique and her way of teaching a lesson.
Homework: Choose one lesson from your list of ten (or your groups) and write one page about how you learned that lesson.
Lesson Five: What Color Do You See? (This may take three or four class periods depending on how long it will take for students to read the choreopoem).
Part One: Before Reading the Poem
Journal:
If you had to choose a color to be identified with, what would it be and why?
Post-Journal:
Ask students for color(s) they identify with and words they associate with those colors (put responses on the board). When done, circle the seven colors from
For Colored Girls Who Have Thought of Suicide
. Note: In the poem, the women are titled "Women in Red, Women in Orange, etc." Assign students one of the seven colors (brown, yellow, purple, red, green, blue, orange) to trace and follow throughout the reading of the choreopoem.
Tracing a Color:
Explain that students will keep notes on what their character's story is throughout the reading of the poem. Notes should include what happens to her in her life, why that color would be associated with her and what she says to the other characters.
*The poem will probably be read over the course of two evenings – after reading the first ½ the class will discuss the events and the symbolism found in the poem – including but not limited to the colors.
Part Two:
After reading the entire poem, students will meet with the other students who were tracing the same woman throughout the poem. In groups, they will create a character sketch of that particular woman, paying close attention to what they feel the message was and how effectively they felt the author conveyed that message (see
Character Sketch
below). Also, students will write a piece in which they choose a color for themselves and write a one-page prose piece or poem (see
Color Me
below).
Character Sketch for
For Colored Girls Who Have Thought of Suicide…
Task: You and your group are going to create a character sketch based on your reading. The character sketch must contain the following elements:
1.
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Description of the Woman – Her color, her background, etc.
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2.
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Symbolism of the Color and how it relates to her story
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3.
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How does her story relate to that of the other women – Was hers easier to understand? Was hers easier to relate to?
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4.
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Create a collage or a visual for your character and what she has to say. You should not limit yourself to simply using the color she represents.
|
Materials: Chart Paper, markers, glue, magazines
Color Me Writing Assignment: Students are to write a one page piece of poetry or prose in which they select a color for themselves. They will title their piece
Man/Woman in ____________
(insert chosen color) and then write about why they chose that color. The writing can be free verse.
Lesson Six: Collage of Pictures from Poetry
Activity:
Students will be put into cooperative groups and given one poem by Nikki Giovanni. The groups will be given one of the following: "Balances", "Kidnap Poem", "Choices", "BLK History Month" or "The Girls in the Circle"
Group Work Activity:
In groups students will find the following in their poem:
5
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Summary (what is the poem literally saying)
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6
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Who is the speaker?
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7
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What is the author's purpose?
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8
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What literary devices does the author use to convey the tone and the voice in the poem?
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9
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Create a visual for the poem
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Students will use poster paper to create their visual and will present their findings to the class.
Lesson Seven: Corrido, Corrido
Journal:
Who do you consider a hero? Why?
Class Discussion:
As a class, we will discuss what constitutes a hero. I will list all the ideas on the board and ask students to have me circle the most important idea. We will discuss that often times a hero goes through a struggle or overcomes great obstacles.
Direct Instruction:
Explain what a corrido is. A corrido is a narrative song that chronicles the life of a hero who overcomes all odds and prevails.
Reading:
We will read a corrido aloud in class. While reading, students are to circle or underline elements of a hero that they see within the poem.
Writing Activity:
Either alone or in pairs, students will create their own corrido about a hero. We will emphasis word choice and tone.
Note: Teacher will have to locate an appropriate corrido and may have to find someone to translate as many resources are written in Spanish.
Optional/Alternate Lesson
:
Before the entire unit begins, there can be presentations on the different writers. Depending on the class dynamics, the presentations can be made by the teacher or by the students. PowerPoint or overheads can be made easily using the background information and accessing different information from the Internet. This will give students a sense of continuity throughout the unit.
Culminating Activity
– "Who I am Beyond What People See" Portfolio
Task
: Students are going to compile your reflections, journaling and writing based on the writing, reading and discussion we have done over the past few weeks. .Each piece we have read should be used as a basis and used as a model to help you write.
Requirements
: Each piece must be one typed page (double spaced – 12 point font); there must be a cover page that is creatively decorated as well as an "About the Author" page; pictures or graphics can be on your pages but should not take away from the one page length
Topics
(these are examples of potential topics students can write about based on the reading and writing – teacher should decide and list exactly what topics students should include): An important day, "My Name", who I am beyond what people see, an important lesson that I learned, the color the best represents me, etc.