LaShante' A. James
Pre-reading
Pre-Assessment
Students often believe that they know enough about the Jim Crow Era. The truth is that there is much that they don't know. Therefore, a pre-assessment would help demonstrate to students that they still have a lot of room for learning in terms of the Jim Crow Era. Also, teachers can determine what aspects of historical context should be covered.
During Reading
Journaling
Reading about the experience of African Americans during the Jim Crow Era can be an emotionally charged experience. Journaling will allow students to record their thoughts and feelings in the form of reactions following readings and discussions. In addition, this is also a form of assessment for the teacher to determine whether students are accomplishing the objectives laid out for them.
Discussion
This unit focuses on forming text to text connections. I would like students to feel comfortable discussing sensitive topics such as race relations, while minimizing conflict.
One form of discussion utilized in the past; which would be appropriate in this unit is the Socratic Seminar. The structure allows for students to focus solely on the text once the ground rules are established. The discussion is structured around a series of text related questions, so students take the "self" out of it. Longer readings will be assigned ahead of time to allow time for discussion.
After Reading
Final Project
As part of the Common Core, students are required to compose an argumentative essay. Therefore, the final project will have two parts:
Part I: Students will debate the events of the Groveland Four case. After organizing the facts of the case through a timeline, teams of students will review the details of the case and determine whether the conviction of the defendants was accurate.
Part II: After the team verdict has been established, students will formulate their findings into an argumentative essay, including a claim, reasoning and evidence.
