James Baldwin Essays
2014 Unit Plan | IB English IV
We will read examples of several essays from Baldwin’s non-fiction output from 1955-1972, generating both appreciation
of his place in American literature and the American Civil Rights Movement, as well as an appreciation for the literary
techniques and craftsmanship with which he creates his essays. The assessments during the unit will do this, as well as
prepare you for the IB Literary Discussion that will be recorded alongside the individual oral commentary in January.
Major Assessments

1 Personal Essay Written in Style of Baldwin (200)

5 Short Reflective Essays about Baldwin’s texts @ 100 pts each (500)

5 Socratic Seminars @ 20 pts each (100)

1 Personal Vocabulary Builder (50)

2 Reading Check Quizzes @ 100 pts each (200)

Various activities, practices, small group discussions, worksheets (100 pts)

If you miss class, or part of a class for a college visit or other excused reason, you will have to make up the points

Extra Credit: Illustrate a quote or an image from Baldwin’s work. Include the words. (up to 50). Other
opportunities available as the unit progresses.
SEPTEMBER
Weekly focus
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
9
10
11
Week 1: Introduction to SEPTEMBER
Read “Autobiographical
Baldwin’s Style
Weekly reading: “Notes
Notes”; Discuss style
of a Native Son”
Week 2: Baldwin as
Examiner of American
Racism
Weekly reading: “Many
Thousands Gone” (for
Wed) & “Carmen Jones:
The Dark is Light
Enough” (for Thurs) &
“The Harlem Ghetto”
(for Friday) & “Nobody
Knows My Name: A
Letter From the South”
(for Friday)
Week 3: Baldwin as
Expatriate Writer
Weekly reading: “Equal
in Paris” (for Mon.),
“Stranger in the Village”
(for Tues.), and “The
Discovery of What It
Means To Be an
American” (for Wed.)
15
Socratic Seminar: “Notes
of a Native Son”.
Day 1
16
College Visitation Day
Due: Reflective Essay
#1 (on “NoaNS”) on
turnitin.com (11:59
p.m. deadline)
Friday
12
“Notes of a Native Son”
– introduction and
reading
17
18
19
Saturday/Sunday
13/14
Complete “NoaNS” |
Complete analysis
questions for discussion |
Read ahead to next
week’s essays | Begin
drafting Reflective Essay
#1
20/21
Small Group Discussion:
“Many Thousands Gone”
Watch: scenes from
Carmen Jones
Day 3
Day 4
Socratic Seminar: “The
Harlem Ghetto” and
“Nobody Knows My
Name”
Read ahead to next
week’s expatriate essays |
Begin drafting Reflective
Essay #2
Day 5
Day 2
22
“Equal in Paris”
activity/discussion
Due: Reflective Essay
#2 (Baldwin as
Examiner of American
Racism) on
turnitin.com (11:59
p.m. deadline)
Day 6
23
24
25
26
27/28
“EiP” / “Stranger in the
Village”
activity/discussion and
some Bessie Smith music
“SitV”
activity/discussion
Socratic Seminar: the
expatriate essays
PD Day: No School
Day 1
Day 2
Read “My Dungeon
Shook” and “Down at the
Cross” | Begin drafting
Reflective Essay #3
Day 7
OCTOBER
Weekly focus
Week 5: Baldwin in the
1970s and 1980s
Weekly reading: “Take
Me to the Water”,
“Freaks and the
American Ideal of
Manhood”, “If Black
English Isn’t a Language,
Then, Tell Me, What
Is?”, “Why I Stopped
Hating Shakespeare”
Week 6: Final
Assessments
 Baldwin Literary
Interview (recorded
with teacher)
 Baldwin Personal
Essay
 Baldwin Personal
Vocabulary
Monday
6
Reading Day: “Take Me
to the Water”… it’s long
too.
Due: Reflective Essay
#4 (Baldwin as Advisor
and Prophet) on
turnitin.com (11:59
p.m. deadline)
Day 1
13
Begin recordings with
teacher
work on vocabulary and
personal essay
Tuesday
7
Reading Check Quiz:
“Take Me to the Water”,
“Freaks”, “Black
English”
Day 6
Thursday
9
Literary Discussion
Practice
Friday
10
Literary Discussion
Practice
Day 5
Day 4
Day 2
Day 3
14
Recordings, work on
vocabulary and personal
essay
15
PSAT Day
16
Recordings, and personal
essay
Vocabulary Due
Day 7
Due: Reflective Essay
#5 (Baldwin in the
1970s and 1980s) on
turnitin.com (11:59
p.m. deadline)
Wednesday
8
Small Group Work:
“Water” et el.
Day 1
17
PD Day: No School
Due: Personal Essay in
Style of James Baldwin
w/ Statement of Intent
Day 2
Day 3
Saturday/Sunday
11/12
Begin drafting Reflective
Essay #5 | Cull
vocabulary for Personal
Vocabulary Practice |
Brainstorm topic for
personal essay in style of
Baldwin
18/19