Picturing Critical Literacy: Unit Plan
Sophie Springer
Vanderbilt University
2
Table of Contents
Page Number
Title
3
Unit Overview
4
Unit Goals and Standards Addressed
6
Table: Anchor Texts Used
7
Table: Additional Texts Used
8
Table: Assessments
9
Table: Critical Literacy Dimensions Addressed
10
Part One Overview
11
Lesson One
16
Lesson Two
23
Lesson Three
28
Part Two Overview
30
Lesson Four
33
Lesson Five
38
Lesson Six
42
Lesson Seven
48
Part Three Overview
49
Lesson Eight
54
Lesson Nine
59
Lesson Ten
63
Lesson Eleven
69
Bibliography
3
Unit Overview
The unit that follows is designed for the seventh grade ELA classroom. As I do not have
a specific classroom in mind for this unit, I have tried to present a unit, which can be adapted to
meet the needs of many classroom environments. This unit does provide specific supports for
struggling readers, both in the selection of texts and in the work completed surrounding the texts.
In my proposal, I anticipated that each mini-unit would take two weeks of instructional
time. This remains true for the second and third unit, but the first unit can be completed in a
week if the teacher chooses to do so. The social action projects for both the second and third
mini-unit take several days of work each, but I have condensed those work days into one lesson
plan to allow the teacher freedom to decide how best to divide up the work time.
The lesson plans were designed with several assumptions in mind. First, I am writing
these lesson plans to be implemented in the middle of the year. The teacher has had ample time
to create a positive classroom community for the heavy discussion required of critical literacy
work. Also, the teacher has had time to adequately assess the reading levels and needs of his or
her students to best select the readings for them. This unit benefits from being in the middle of
the year, so students have time to apply critical literacy to other texts they read within the support
of their ELA classroom. This unit assumes that students are used to using journals in the ELA
class where they have space to write their answers to warm-up and reflection questions and store
important notes and handouts. As it the middle of the year, this unit also assumes that students
are familiar with literary terms such as plot, setting, theme, and central idea and that they have
had practice writing summaries and writing and performing reader’s theater. This is not to say
that this unit cannot be used in a classroom where these assumptions are incorrect. In that case,
teachers would need to allow time for appropriate scaffolding and instruction.
4
Unit Goals and Standards Addressed
Goals of this Unit:
As a result of completing this unit, students will be able to use critical literacy, in its four
dimensions, to obtain a deeper understanding of the texts they read. From these deeper
understandings, students will think beyond themselves and their own worlds and turn what they
have learned into social action. This critical thought will continue beyond the unit, as students
will have the skills they need to apply critical literacy to future texts that they encounter in and
outside of school.
Standards Addressed:
Reading: Literature
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well
as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the
text; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.6
Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or
narrators in a text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.9
Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical
account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter
history.
Reading: Informational Text
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well
as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.3
Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas
influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).
Writing
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1
Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
5
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.4
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.)
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and
research.
Speaking and Listening
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.2
Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g.,
visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under
study.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.4
Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with
pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate
volume, and clear pronunciation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.5
Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and
findings and emphasize salient points.
Language
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing
or speaking.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.3
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
6
Anchor Texts1
Title and Author
Lexile Measure2
Black and White by David Macaulay
610L
Voices in the Park by Anthony Browne
560L
Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
790L
Knock Knock: My Dad’s Dream for Me by
Daniel Beaty
780L
The Composition by Antonio Skarmeta
430L
Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story by Ken
Mochizuki
670L
1
2
See bibliography for full citations
According to Lexile.com
7
Additional Texts Used3
Part Two: Urban Poverty
Title
Obama: Let's help young men
and boys of color do well in
school and at work
Rock Bottom for Decades But
Showing Signs of Life
YMCA Program Where Innercity Teens and Vets Help Each
Other
Do Police Use Deadly Force
Too Often?
Source
NewsELA
Lexile (if available)
1210L, 1080L, 970L, 720L
New York Times
N/A
NewsELA
1120L, 1020L, 810L, 660L
New York Times
N/A
Part Three: Oppressive Governments and the Role of the Individual
Title
Talking about a chocolate tub,
and escaping the Nazis in
World War II
Life is sweet: Baker, 90,
recalls how his strudel helped
him survive WWII
The Art of War: How one
German artist saved hundreds
during WWII
Latin Americans rally in
Florida to support Venezuelan
protests
3
Source
NewsELA
Lexile (if available)
1140L, 1000L, 820L, 650L
NewsELA
1100L, 970L 800L, 630L
NewsELA
1130L, 980L, 790L, 650L
NewsELA
1110L, 1020L, 780L, 670L
See bibliography for full citations
8
Assessments
Formative Assessments
Lesson Number
1
2
4
5
6
8
9
10
Name
Journal Prompt
Exit Ticket
Diary Rewrite
Image Analysis
Exit Ticket
Journal Prompt
Pro’s and Con’s chart
I used to think…Now I think… journal entries
Summative Assessments
Lesson Number
3
7
11
Name
Reader’s Theater: Voices in the Park
Story Quilt and Interview Project
Working with Refugees Research and Advocacy Project
9
Critical Literacy Dimensions Addressed
Disrupting the
Commonplace
Interrogating
Multiple Points
of View
Focusing on
Sociopolitical
Issues
Lesson 1
X
Lesson 2
X
X
X
X
Lesson 3
X
Lesson 4
Social Action
X
X
Lesson 5
X
Lesson 6
X
X
X
X
X
X
Lesson 8
X
X
Lesson 9
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Lesson 7
X
Lesson 10
Lesson 11
X
X
10
Part One: Introduction to Critical Literacy
Overview
This portion of the critical literacy unit serves as an introduction to critical literacy for the
seventh grade students. The students will be using two texts, Black and White (Macaulay, 1990)
and Voices in the Park (Browne, 1998) to examine multiple viewpoints, sociopolitical structures,
and new ways of viewing literature. Social action, while addressed, is less emphasized in this
part, as students are just beginning to explore critical literacy.
There are three lessons in this part of the unit. Each lesson is designed for 80 minutes of
instructional time. Teachers can divide each lesson into two days of instruction depending on the
timetable of their individual classes.
Rationale and Connections to Research
Several articles shaped the instructional choices in this part of the unit. Anstey (2002)
highlights the use of Black and White in an elementary classroom to promote critical literacy. I
adopted her suggestion of having students spend time thinking about the warning at the
beginning of the book and how it positioned them as readers. Even before explicitly teaching
critical literacy, this helps students think about how the author views the readers. The question
stems for thinking about sociopolitical power were influenced by Ciardiello (2004), who
encouraged teachers to first use examples from students’ lives to teach critical literacy concepts.
Ciardiello also uses a critical literacy graphic organizer with his students, though I created one
with a much different format and language. Finally, I followed the instructional advice Clarke
and Whitney (2009) and had students deconstruct the text using reader’s theater and graphic
organizers.
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Lesson 1: Black and White
Objectives:
- Students will be able to track the development of four different storylines in a text
- Students will be able to analyze how the different points of view come together to tell one
story
Materials Needed:
- At least 4 copies of Black and White by David Macaulay
- Journals for each student
- Chart paper
- Markers
- Black and White worksheets for each student
- Projector and screen
Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.6
Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or
narrators in a text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the
text; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.2
Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g.,
visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under
study.
Components of Critical Literacy Addressed:
- Disrupting the commonplace (indirectly)
- Interrogating multiple viewpoints (directly)
Instructional Sequence:
Activity
Type of
Instruction
Time
Description
Norm Setting
Whole Class
5 minutes
At the beginning of this lesson, teachers should set
the norms for the critical literacy unit with their
students. It might be helpful for teachers and
students to collectively make a set of rules or
guidelines for the discussions that they will be
having in this unit. Students will be discussing
heavy topics such as race and poverty over the
12
coming weeks, and so it is important to provide
boundaries for those discussions.
Journal Prompt
and Predictions
Individual,
Small Group
13
minutes
See-Think-Wonder:
- Using the title page of the book, have
students complete a See-Think-Wonder
activity in their journals. They should write
what they see, what they think it means, and
what they are still wondering.
Journal Prompt: (5 min):
- Read the warning on the title page.
- Who do you think wrote this warning?
- Why are they writing it?
- What do you think is coming in the book?
Sharing with shoulder partner (3 min)
Presentation of
the Book
Whole Class
5 minutes
Jigsaw: Part
One
Small Group
and Whole
Class
27
minutes
Jigsaw: Part
Two
Small Group
20
minutes
Unpacking the
Activity
Whole Class
5 minutes
Class predictions as to what they think the book
will be about (2 min)
- Show the front and back cover to students
and ask if the covers provide any more clues
as to what the book will be about
- Open to the first full page in the book,
showing the four quadrants of text. Ask
students how they might read the book.
- Divide students into groups and assign each
group one of the quadrants of text to read
and track
- Pass out the Black and White books and
worksheets. Each group will need at least
one copy of the book, and each student
should have his or her own worksheet
- In the jigsaw groups, students read and fill
out the worksheet (15 min)
- Bring the class back together and ask
students to share what they think the book is
about (10 minutes)
- Put students into different groups with
members from each quadrant group
- Students will complete the second part of
the worksheet
- Students will share their summaries of the
entire book with the whole class
Bring the class back together for a brief discussion
on the text. Possible topics include:
- What is the role of the colors black and
13
Reflection
Individual
5 minutes
white? Why do you think the author chose
to focus on those colors?
- How did your understanding of the book
change when you read the other quadrants
of the text?
- What does this book tell us about multiple
viewpoints?
Serves as the assessment. Reflection questions to
answer student journals:
- What was it like trying to create the
“whole” story?
- How did your understanding of the story
change over the course of the lesson?
Assessment:
Teachers will use the journal reflections as the formative assessment for the day to track student
thinking about multiple viewpoints. Teachers should record where students are and what might
need to be emphasized for the next lesson in the reflection box below.
Extension Activity:
1. As individuals, small groups, or whole class: what questions about the text have we yet to
answer? What are some possible answers to those questions?
2. The last page in the book has no text. Write a possible conclusion for the book.
Reflection:
What worked well?
What
skills/concepts need
additional
reinforcement?
What is your
comfort level with
the critical inquiry
in the class?
14
Name:
Date:
Black and White: Tracking Multiple Points of View
Part One: Tracking One Storyline
Complete these questions with your group after reading through your quadrant of
the text once. You will want to go back through the text as you answer the
questions
1. Who are the main characters in your storyline?
2. What is the setting of your story?
3. What problem(s) do your characters face?
4. What is the outcome of your storyline? What happens at the end?
5. What role do the colors black and white play in your storyline?
6. Summarize your storyline in two sentences
15
Part Two: Putting It Together
Complete these questions with your new group after reading using the answers
from your Part One and your group members’ Part One answers. You may want to
return to the text to help you put all of the storylines together
1. Who are the main characters in the book?
2. What is the setting of the book? Are all of the storylines a part of one setting or
are there multiple settings?
3. How are the problems of all of the characters connected
4. What is the outcome of you’re the book?
5. What role do the colors black and white play in the entire book?
6. Summarize the entire book in four sentences. Write your four sentences onto the
chart paper to share with the whole class.
16
Lesson 2: Voices in the Park
Objectives:
- Students will be able to contrast different points of view in one text
- Students will be able to identify the power structures of the characters in a text using
words and images
Materials Needed:
- Student journals
- At least 4 copies of Voices in the Park by Anthony Browne
- Copies of the Critical Literacy chart for each student
- Glue sticks – enough for students to share
- Voices in the Park graphic organizer
Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.6
Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or
narrators in a text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the
text; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.2
Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g.,
visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under
study.
Components of Critical Literacy Addressed:
- Disrupting the Commonplace (indirectly)
- Interrogating Multiple Points of View (directly)
- Focusing on Sociopolitical Issues (directly)
Instructional Sequence:
Activity
Type of
Instruction
Time
Description
Journal Prompt
Individual
5 min
In their journals, students will answer the questions:
- What does it mean to consider multiple
perspectives?
- What were the multiple perspectives in
Black and White?
- Pass out the critical literacy chart to students
and have them paste it in their journals
- Brainstorm possible definitions for critical
What is Critical Whole Class
Literacy?
and Small
Group
15 min
17
-
-
Voices in the
Park:
Introduction
Whole Class
10 Min
-
Voices in the
Park: Multiple
Perspectives
Small Group
and Whole
Class
20 Min
-
-
Voices in the
Park: Power
Whole Class
and Small
Group
25 Min
-
-
-
literacy based on their thoughts on the
meaning of the word critical and the work
from lesson one
Provide the class with a definition for critical
literacy. One student friendly definition of
critical literacy is “a way of thinking about
the deeper meaning in a text”. Explain that
there are four main dimensions of critical
literacy as represented in the chart
Students share their journal definitions of
multiple perspectives and come up with a
class definition to write into the chart
Read the first story from Voices in the Park
with students
Fill in first part of the Voices in the Park
graphic organizer with students
Emphasize the importance of considering
multiple perspectives
Divide students into three different groups
(or more if needed) to each read one of the
three remaining stories
Students will work with their groups to fill
out the second part of the graphic organizer
Bring the class back together to share the
results of the other three stories
Return to critical literacy chart to fill in the
questions to ask section for multiple
perspectives. Ask students what questions
would be helpful to ask when reading to
consider multiple perspectives
Ask students questions about the role of
power in their family. Possible questions
include: What power do you have in your
family? Who is the boss in your family? Do
you think children should be in charge of
their families?
As a class, brainstorm possible definitions
for investigating power structures.
Back in their groups, have students fill out
the final part of the Voices in the Park
worksheet, examining the power structures
in their portion of the text
Bring the class back together to fill out the
possible questions that readers can ask when
investigating power structures in a text.
18
Reflection and
Exit Ticket
Individual
5 min
Use as the assessment: How do you define
examining multiple perspectives? How do you
define investigating power structures? Why is it
important to do both of those things as you read?
Extension:
Write the backstory for one of the characters in Voices in the Park.
Reflection:
What worked well?
What
skills/concepts need
additional
reinforcement?
What is your
comfort level with
the critical inquiry
in the class?
19
Critical Literacy
Critical Literacy:
Examining Multiple Perspectives
Investigating Power Structures
Definition:
Definition:
Questions to ask when reading:
Questions to ask when reading:
Seeing the Everyday in New Ways
Social Action
Definition:
Definition:
Questions to ask when reading:
Questions to ask when reading:
20
Voices in the Park
Part One: Multiple Perspectives: The First Story
After reading aloud from the first story as a whole class, fill out this section of the worksheet.
1. Who are the characters in this story?
2. Which character is narrating the story?
3. Which characters’ voices are we not hearing from?
4. What do you think those characters might say or feel about the situation in the
story?
Part Two: Multiple Perspectives: The ___________ Story
Read your part of Voices in the Park with your group. After reading, work with your group to
answer the following questions.
1. Who are the characters in this story?
2. Which character is narrating the story?
3. Which characters’ voices are we not hearing from?
21
4. What do you think those characters might say or feel about the situation in the
story?
Part Three: Who has the Power?
Return to your part of the text with your group. Look through your story to figure out which
characters have power in your story and answer the following questions.
1. Which character has the most power in this story? Are they the narrator?
2. What words or phrases let you know who has power?
3. What images let you know who has power?
4. What characters have less power? How do you know?
22
Name:
Date:
Exit Ticket: Voices in the Park
1. How do you define examining multiple perspectives?
2. How do you define investigating power structures?
3. Why is it important to do both of those things as you read?
Name:
Date:
Exit Ticket: Voices in the Park
1. How do you define examining multiple perspectives?
2. How do you define investigating power structures?
3. Why is it important to do both of those things as you read?
23
Lesson 3: Reader’s Theater
Objectives:
-
Students will be able to rewrite a narrative using multiple points of view or analysis of
power dynamics
Materials Needed:
- Copies of Voices in the Park for students to share in groups of three
- Student journals
- Reader’s theater guidelines
- Student response sheets
Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.4
Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with
pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate
volume, and clear pronunciation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing
or speaking.
Components of Critical Literacy Addressed:
- Disrupting the Commonplace
- Interrogating Multiple Points of View
- Focusing on Sociopolitical Issues
- Social Action (Briefly)
Instructional Sequence:
Activity
Type of
Instruction
Time
Description
Disrupting the
Commonplace
Whole Class
5 min
Direct students to the critical literacy chart in their
notebook to fill in the box “Seeing the Every Day in
New Ways”
- Explain that every critical literacy practice
involves looking at the text in new ways
24
-
Introduction of
Reader’s
Theater
Whole Class
5 min
Reader’s
Theater Work
Time
Small Group
35 min
Come up with a class definition
Work on question/sentence stems including
questions like: How does this text change my
thinking?
- Pass out reader’s theater guidelines for
students
- Go over the parameters of the reader’s
theater by dividing students into groups and
assigning tasks
- Pass out copies of Voices in the Park
Students have 35 minutes to outline, script, and
rehearse their skits
Supervise student work, keeping students on task,
helping students brainstorm when they are stuck
Presentation of
Reader’s
Theater
Small
Group/Whole
Class
20 min
Return to
Disrupting the
Commonplace
Individual
5 min
The Role of
Social Action
Whole Class
10 min
Provide time reminders
Each of the four groups gets a total of five minutes
to perform. This five minutes includes time for the
group to perform, explain how they rewrote the
story, and receive peer feedback. The reader’s
theater also serves as a summative assessment.
Formative Assessments: In their journals, students
respond to the question: how did the reader’s theater
performances change your thinking about Voices in
the Park
Have students return to the critical literacy notes in
their journals
- Brainstorm what social action might mean
and its connection to critical literacy
- Tell students that they will be looking at
urban poverty through a critical literacy lens
next week
- Ask students what social action projects they
could envision for those topics
Extension: How could you use reader’s theater for Black and White? Would you have to follow
one storyline or could you do multiple? Write out a quick outline of what your reader’s theater
plot might be.
Reflection:
What worked well?
25
What
skills/concepts need
additional
reinforcement?
What is your
comfort level with
the critical inquiry
in the class?
26
Name:
Date:
Reader’s Theater: Voices in the Park
In groups of three students, you will be writing, directing, and acting out one of the stories from
Voices in the Park. You will be using what you know about critical literacy to rewrite the story
line from a different perspective or from a different power dynamic.
Guidelines:
1. Plan for your performance to take two minutes of class time
2. Everyone in your group must be involved in the writing of the script and the performing
of the script
3. You must turn in a written script of your performance after acting it out.
Helpful Hints:
- If you are writing from a different point of view, tell the same story through the eyes of
one of the other characters.
- If you are changing the power dynamics in the story, think about what would happen if
the children were in control.
- You may use your scripts in your performance.
Space to Plan:
27
Name:
Date:
Reader’s Theater: Voices in the Park
Audience Feedback
As you watch the performances, fill out the feedback form for each group. You will be turning
this in at the end of class.
Group Name:
Story Line:
How did the group present the story in a new way?
How did their performance change your understanding of the story?
Group Name:
Story Line:
How did the group present the story in a new way?
How did their performance change your understanding of the story?
Group Name:
Story Line:
How did the group present the story in a new way?
How did their performance change your understanding of the story?
28
Part Two: The Urban American Experience
Overview and Connection to Research
This part of the unit consists of four units, each timed for eighty minutes. The theme of
this unit is the urban American experience with particular focus on poverty in urban areas. The
anchor texts for the part are Knock Knock: My Dad’s Dream for Me (Beaty, 2013) and Tar
Beach (Ringold, 1991). Additional informational leveled texts for this mini-unit come from
NewsELA, which provided news articles that have been adapted to meet the needs to different
levels of readers. Further readings come from the New York Times, though those have not been
leveled in the same way. The NewsELA readings provide specific supports for struggling and
grade level readers, as each student has the ability to read a text on his or her level. Additional
supports for struggling readers include partner reading with stronger readers. When struggling
readers are asked to read more difficult sources from the New York Times, they will already
have the background knowledge from the leveled texts as suggested by Hibbing and RankinErickson (2003). Struggling readers receive additional support with the informational texts
through the use of graphic organizers.
Each lesson provides students with time to write independently whether it is to
reconstruct the text (Clarke & Whitney, 2009) or to reflect. This is so students have time to think
and unpack several of the difficult topics discussed in the lessons. As family structure is central
to both of the anchor texts, teachers should be sensitive to the situations of the specifics students
in their classes. The reflective writing could be an opportunity for those students whose
situations are similar to those in the stories and articles to express their feelings.
The illustration analysis activity was recommended by Labadie, Wetzel and Rogers
(2012) as an activity to use with younger students. I have adapted their questions to meet the
29
needs of the specific text and seventh grader learners. The illustrations provide crucial insight
into the narrative, and so they do need to be analyzed.
The primary way in which this min-unit differs from the first is in the design of the
suggested social action project. The proposed project is to have students interview members of a
retirement and/or nursing home in an urban area, selecting residents who grew up in an urban
area as well. Students will prepare interview questions to learn about the lives of their
interviewees and create a story quilt, electronically or by hand, in the style of Faith Ringgold’s
work in Tar Beach. The quilts can be shared and displayed both in the school and the retirement
home. Through the project, students will be analyzing different urban experiences and comparing
those of their interviewees to those in the texts read for class. Though the project is described
within one lesson, it is meant to be implemented over the course of at least week, depending on
the availability of the senior center and the students’ schedule. I chose not to write lessons for
work days, as teachers will spread them out to best fit the needs of the class. As a whole, this
portion of the entire critical literacy unit is designed to take two weeks.
30
Lesson 4: Tar Beach
Objectives:
- Students will be able to identify the power structures present in the book Tar Beach
- Students will reconstruct the text Tar Beach by writing diary entries from the
perspectives of different characters in the book
Materials Needed:
- Student Journals
- Copies of Tar Beach for partners to share
- Projector and screen
- Computer for showing Faith Ringgold Interview
Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well
as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.2
Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g.,
visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under
study.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.4
Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with
pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate
volume, and clear pronunciation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.4
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.)
Components of Critical Literacy Addressed:
- Interrogating Multiple Points of View
- Focusing on Sociopolitical Issues
Instructional Sequence:
Activity
Type of
Instruction
Time
Description
31
Journaling
Individual,
partner
10 min
Read Aloud:
Tar Beach
Whole class,
individual
10 min
Rereading Tar
Beach
Partner work
15 min
Discussion of
Power
Faith Ringgold
Interview
Whole Class
Whole Class
10 min
5 min
Journal Prompt: In the book we are about to read,
the narrator says, “Me, Cassie Louis Lightfoot, only
eight years old and in the third grade, and I can fly.
That means I am free to go wherever I want for the
rest of my life”. If you could fly, where would you
go and why?
Share with shoulder partners and then with class
- Introduce the text to the class
- Provide brief historical background: book is
set in 1939, family lives in NYC,
- Read book aloud once to class showing
pictures electronically if possible or have
multiple copies for students to see
In partners, students will reread Tar Beach looking
for words and images that provide clues to who has
the power in the story. Students can record their
findings in their journals
Note: due to the higher Lexile of this book, teachers
may want to pair their struggling readers with
stronger readers
Ask each partner group to share their findings. Keep
track of different words, phrases, and images with a
list on the board. To push student thinking, ask
student how they know something when they
provide an example.
Encourage students to think about why Cassie needs
to “fly”. What is she trying to escape or go see?
Why is Tar Beach the only beach she and her family
go to?
Students will watch the video of the interview with
Faith Ringgold. Ask students what new insights they
have about the text from hearing from the author
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=794M-mcOJY4
Diary Rewrite
Individual
30 min
Use as formative assessment: In their journals,
students will write a diary entry from the perspective
of either Cassie or her father. If students are looking
for a challenge, they can try writing from the
perspective of Cassie’s mother.
Prompt: Describe a week in your character’s life,
from the perspective of your character
32
Extension: Use the words that showed power in Tar Beach to create a wordle
Assessment: Diary rewrite, teacher observation of student work
Reflection:
What worked well?
What
skills/concepts need
additional
reinforcement?
What is your
comfort level with
the critical inquiry
in the class?
33
Lesson 5: Knock Knock
Objectives:
- Students will be able to compare and contrast the same story told in two different formats
- Students will be able to analyze illustrations from the text to determine whose viewpoint
is being expressed
Materials Needed:
- Copies of Knock Knock
- Projector and screen
- Computer for showing youtube videos
- Copies of Tar Beach if completing the extension activity
- Copies of the two worksheets for students
Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.6
Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or
narrators in a text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.2
Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g.,
visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under
study.
Components of Critical Literacy Addressed:
- Disrupting the Commonplace
- Focusing on Sociopolitical Issues
Instructional Sequence:
Activity
Type of
Instruction
Time
Description
Journal Prompt
Individual
5 min
Reading of
Knock Knock
Small Class,
Whole Class
15
minutes
Students will respond to the following prompt in
their journals: What do you depend on your parents
the most for? What would you do if they were not
there?
Introduce the book Knock Knock to the students.
Explain that it is also set in city, like Tar Beach,
34
though there is no specific time period or specific
city named.
In small groups, have students read the book aloud.
Encourage students to look back at their question
stems on their critical literacy worksheet to think
about who has the power in this story and whose
voices are being heard and ignored.
Circle around to each of the groups as they read.
Encourage students to talk about the illustrations as
they come upon them.
Listening to
Knock Knock
Comparison
and Contrast
Unpacking the
Message:
Illustration
Analysis
Whole Class
Partners
Whole Class
Partners,
whole class
10
minutes
10
minutes
10
minutes
20
minutes
Bring the class back together and ask two students
to provide a summary of the story. Ask students
what they think happened to the father. Also ask
students they think who wrote the letter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXQ2eRHklDc
Tell students that this story began as a poem, which
the author read aloud at a poetry event. Explain that
the author changed some of the details from the
poem. As they watch the video, they should be
thinking about what is different.
Prompt students to complete the attached Venn
diagram on the differences and similarities between
the spoken word and book version of Knock Knock
As the class comes back together, ask for volunteers
to share their answers.
Ask students why they think the author wrote the
poem and story. After receiving student thoughts,
read the authors note, which discusses the
experiences of urban youth and incarceration,
divorce and death.
Ask students: Focus on the line “knock knock down
the doors that I could not”. Knowing a little bit more
about the context, what do you think the doors or
obstacles are in this story? What are you still
wondering about the experience of this boy and his
father? Record the wonderings and revisit in lesson
6.
Use as formative assessment: Put students into
pairs and assign each pair a two-page spread from
the book. Inform students that they will be
35
examining multiple perspectives.
Have students share their analysis with the class,
projecting or holding up the illustrations as the
students share.
Reflective
Letter Writing
Individual
10
minutes
At the end of the sharing, read the students the
illustrators note from the end of the text, so they can
check their analysis
In their journal, students will respond to the
following prompt:
The letter the boy received is advice written from
the perspective of his father. From what we know
about the experience of the author and the
illustrations, it is safe to guess that the boy actually
wrote the letter himself as a way to cope with his
father’s absence. Write a letter containing advice on
how to grow up from the perspective of your
parents.
Extension: Compare and contrast the role of flying in Tar Beach and Knock Knock.
Assessment: Image analysis, teacher observation of student work
Reflection:
What worked well?
What
skills/concepts need
additional
reinforcement?
What is your
comfort level with
the critical inquiry
in the class?
36
Venn Diagram: Knock Knock: My Dad’s Dream for Me
With a partner, fill out the Venn diagram using the text from the book and what
you heard as you listened to the author read the poem version of the story. Mark
what is the same and what is different. Then answer the question on the bottom of
the page.
Book
Video
Questioning the Changes
The poem was written and performed before the book was written. Why do you think the author
made the changes he did when adapting the poem into a book format? _____________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Name:
Date:
37
Illustration Analysis: Multiple Perspectives
With questions 3-6 adapted from “Opening Spaces for Critical Literacy” (Labadie, Wetzel, &
Rogers, 2012, pg. 121)
Page Numbers:________
1. Copy the text that is on your pages:_______________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. In your words, describe what you see: _____________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Whose point of view does the illustration show? ____________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. Which characters are in the illustration? ___________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
5. How might the illustrator have depicted the text differently? ___________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
6. What seems to be the most important part of the illustration? How do you know? __________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
7. What does the illustration tell you about the story? ___________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
38
Lesson 6: Connections to Current Events
Objectives:
- Students will be able to compare and contrast the perspectives and experiences of those in
the fictional literature to those in the news articles
- Students will be able to determine the central idea and supporting details from each news
article
Materials Needed:
- Copies of each of the additional readings for students on each reading level
- Two copies of the central idea worksheet for each student
- Student journals
Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well
as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.3
Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas
influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).
Components of Critical Literacy Addressed:
-
Social Action
Interrogating Multiple Perspectives
Focusing on Sociopolitical Issues
Instructional Sequence:
Activity
Type of
Instruction
Time
Description
Revisit Lesson
5
Whole Class
5 min
Urban Youth in
the News:
Jigsaw Part
One
Small Group
25 min
Read students their list of wonderings about urban
poverty from lesson five. Depending on what their
remaining wonderings were, highlight which may be
addressed in today’s lesson. Solicit any further
wonderings
Divide students into groups based on reading ability.
At least two groups should read “Obama: Let’s Help
Young Men...” and two should read “YMCA
Program Where Inner-City Teens…” Each reading
has four options for Lexile levels, and teachers
should match the levels with the student groups
appropriately.
39
Urban Youth in
the News:
Jigsaw Part
Two
Small Group
10 min
Pass out the central idea worksheet and explain to
student that they will be reading these articles and
determining the central idea in their groups. When
they finish determining the central idea and details,
they can make connections to the two picture books.
Regroup the students so that they are working with
students who read the other article. Teachers may
chose to match the groups by reading ability or pair
a group of stronger readers with a group of
struggling readers depending on the needs of the
class.
Have the groups share the central idea, details, and
connections to texts with the other group
Urban Renewal
Partner
15 min
Pair students for partner reading for the New York
Times article “Rock Bottom for Decades”. As this is
a more difficult reading, it may make sense to pair
struggling readers with stronger readers. Have
students read and fill out the same central idea
worksheet from before.
Connections to
Text
Whole Class
10 min
Bring the whole class together to share
commonalities from the jigsaw and partner reading.
Record commonalities and connections to texts on
the board.
Journal Writing
Exit Ticket
Individual
Individual
10 min
5 min
Ask students: What additional background and/or
context do these articles give the two picture books
we read this week? What questions do these articles
leave you with?
Students will respond to the following prompt in
their journals.
Compare and contrast the problems that youth in the
articles we read face with the problems that you face
on daily basis. You may respond by using a Venn
diagram, T-Chart, or a paragraph.
On a piece of paper, have students respond to the
following question: What are possible social action
projects that our class could take on to better
understand and address urban poverty?
Assessment: Exit ticket, central idea worksheets, teacher observation of student work
40
Extension Activity: Read the New York Times online debate: Do Police Use Deadly Force Too
Often?
- What viewpoints are represented?
- Do any viewpoints address the any of the other reading you read for today? What about
Knock Knock?
- Do you think the debate has left out a viewpoint? If so, which one?
Reflection:
What worked well?
What
skills/concepts need
additional
reinforcement?
What is your
comfort level with
the critical inquiry
in the class?
41
Name:
Date:
Central Idea
Read the article and fill in the graphic organizer identifying the central idea in the article and
the supporting details. Be sure to cite evidence from the text.
Article Title: ________________________________________________
What is the central idea in the article?
Detail 1
Detail 2
Detail 3
Detail 4
How does this article connect to either Tar Beach or Knock Knock? _______________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
42
Lesson 7: The Urban American Experience and Social Action
Objectives:
- Students will design an interview project with a elderly member of an urban community
to better understand the experience of growing up and living in the urban America
- Students will create a story quilt of their interviewees experiences to share with the
school
Materials Needed:
- Social Action Project Descriptor
- Recording Devices: smartphones, computers, tape recorders etc.
- Chart paper
- Projector, screen, and computer for showing clips of interviews
- Copies of Interview Worksheet for each student
- Copies of Tar Beach
- Access to computers for storyline creation
- Student journals
Standards Addressed: Over the course of the social action project
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.4
Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with
pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate
volume, and clear pronunciation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.5
Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and
findings and emphasize salient points.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing
or speaking.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.3
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1
Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Components of Critical Literacy Addressed:
- Social Action
43
-
Interrogating Multiple Perspectives
Focusing on Sociopolitical Issues
Instructional Sequence:
- A note on the timetable: this lesson is intended to be the introduction of the social action
project and initial work time. The work on the project will expand well beyond the eighty
minutes allotted for this lesson. It is assumed that teachers will divide up the project work
time in their ELA classes to best meet the needs to their schedules. The project timeline
will also depend on the availability of a group of senior citizens and how the students
choose to present and display their projects
Activity
Type of
Time
Description
Instruction
Defining
Social Action
Whole Class
Introduction of Whole Class
the Social
Action Project
5 min
10 min
Have students return to the critical literacy chart in
their notebooks and read the definition of social action.
Ask students:
- Do you think you need to change or definition
of social action based on our critical literacy
work so far?
- What do you think social action looks like?
- Why is social action an important component
of critical literacy
Pass out project guidelines and go through the
expectations and timetable with students
This is also a time to share Faith Ringgold’s writing on
her artistic progress which is on the back cover of Tar
Beach
What do you
want to know?
Small Group
10 min
What makes a
good
interview?
Whole Class,
individual
20 min
Put students into small groups and have them
brainstorm lists of what types of information they
would like to know from the senior citizens whom they
will interview. They can record their thoughts on chart
paper
Watch several clips of tv interviews:
Suggested clips are one with a current politician, such
as
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMlLjFPCO4M
And a current entertainer, such as
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-TFhUq3otQ
Ask students what those interviewers do well, how
they get quality responses from their interviewees
Then watch Katie Couric’s suggestions on how to
conduct a good interview:
44
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eOynrI2eTM
Question
writing
workshop
Individual,
partner work
15 min
Practice
Interviews and
Feedback
Small Group
20 min
Follow-up question: What does Katie suggest that
surprises you?
Students may work independently or with partners to
create a list of questions based on their wonderings
from earlier in the lesson. Inform students that these
questions should be a guideline for the interview, but
they may want to ask additional questions as follow
ups when they actually meet with their interviewees.
They can record their questions on the interview
worksheet
Put students into groups of three to practice the
interview questions. One student will interview
another, and a third will watch and take notes on the
bottom of the interview worksheet. Tell students to
respond to the questions honestly, even if their answers
don’t necessarily align with the questioner’s goals. The
purpose of this activity is to practice answering
questions and follow up questions.
After each student has had a chance to practice and
receive feedback, they should revise their questions.
The next step in the process will be to complete the
interviews
Formative Assessment: Teacher observations and checking in on student work
Summative Assessment: Social Action Project
Reflection:
What worked well?
What
skills/concepts need
additional
reinforcement?
What is your
comfort level with
the critical inquiry
in the class?
45
Social Action Project: The Urban American Experience
Task: You will design an interview to conduct with a elderly member of an urban community to
better understand the experience of growing up and living in the urban America. You will then
will create a story quilt of their interviewees experiences to share with the school and the
community in which your interviewee lives.
Guidelines:
 Your story quilt must have at least ten panels or ten slides
 Your story quilt must be able to hang in public. If you are completing your story quilt
electronically, you must be able to print it out
 You must keep track of all of your interview recordings and story quilt materials.
Everything will be turned in at the end of the project
Project Steps:
 Write out, rehearse, and revise ten broad interview questions
 Meet with and interview your senior citizen on the class field trip day
 Transcribe your interview if recorded
 Create a story map or timeline of your interviewees life
 Decide how to represent their lives. Will you draw out your story quilt or create an online
story presentation.
 Create a draft of the text and images for your story quilt
 Conference with peers and your teacher on your story quilt
 Create the final draft of your quilt
 Present your quilt to the school and community members
 Reflect on your experience in a one-page piece of writing. Discuss your successes,
challenges, and tips for revising the project.
Extensions: If you wish to take on an extra challenge with this project, you may:
 Attach a timeline with specific dates to your story quilt
 Connect your interviewees experience to world events that were going on at the time
 Connect your interviewees experience to those of the characters in the books we read
Grading: This social action project will be assessed at each step and at the end with a fiveminute conference with your teacher. In this conference, you will share your reflection on the
process of interviewing.
46
Name:
Date:
Interview Worksheet
Part One: Writing Broad Questions
Using your wonderings from a class as a guide, write ten broad interview questions that you
could ask any senior citizen at the community center we are going to visit.
1.
2.
3.
4
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
47
Part Two: Practice and Revise
In a group of three, practice your interview questions. One person should serve as the
interviewer, another as an interviewee, and the final person as an observer. Everyone should
have each role once. Ask you ask your broad questions, think about how to ask follow up
questions. After practicing, reflect on the following:
1. What interview questions received the best responses? Why?
2. Which questions did your interviewee have a difficult time answering? Why do you think that
was?
3. Which questions would you change?
4. Were you able ask any follow up questions? Why or why not?
Using this reflection, return to and revise your list of questions.
48
Part Three: The Role of the Individual in Oppressive Regimes
Similar to part two, this mini-unit contains four lessons of eighty minutes in length.
The social action project, however, is designed to take significantly more time than the
eighty-minute introduction. It is estimated that this portion of the entire critical literacy
unit will take two weeks. The anchor texts for this portion are The Composition (Skarmeta,
2000) and Passage to Freedom (Mochizuki, 1997). Both of these texts address the role of
the individual in oppressive regimes. The characters in the story grapple with how to stand
up to dictators and support those who are being harmed. Additional sources come from
NewsELA, on specific text levels to meet the needs of all the learners. Supports for
struggling readers also come in the form of graphic organizers.
The mini-unit makes several assumptions about the learners. It assumes that the
students have some familiarity with different types of government structures, though the
unit provides explicit instruction on dictatorships. Students do need to have background
knowledge of American government to the extend that they know that American citizens
vote for who is in power and have the ability to challenge government authority without
fearing death. Finally the social project assumes that a local refugee community is available
to meet with the students. If this is not the case, the teacher can work with students to
propose an alternative social action project focusing on individual action and advocacy.
The questions asked in this mini-unit were influenced by McLaughlin and Devoogd
who prompted students to ask, “what action might you take on the basis of what you have
learned?” (Mclaughlin & Devoogd, 2004, pg. 53) after each critical reading of a text. While the
lesson plans do not as the students to do this for each reading, this question is the basis of the
culminating social action project.
49
Lesson 8: The Composition
Objectives:
- Students will be able to compare and contrast the role of power and oppression in The
Composition and a news article
- Student will be able to trace the role of power in The Composition, focusing on the power
of the individual
Materials Needed:
- Copies of The Composition for students to share
- Copies of The Composition graphic organizer for each student
- Chart paper
- Copies of Making Connections worksheet for each student
- Student journals
Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.9
Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical
account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter
history.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of
the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
Components of Critical Literacy Addressed:
- Interrogating Multiple Perspectives
- Focusing on Sociopolitical Issues
Instructional Sequence:
Activity
Type of
Instruction
Time
Description
Journal Write
Individual,
Partner
10 Min
Students will respond to the following prompt in
their journals:
- When is it okay to stand up to an authority
figure?
- Give an example of when you stood up to an
authority figure. Do you think you did the
right thing?
Introduction to
The
Whole Class
15 Min
Share with a partner after writing
- Introduce the whole class to the text, The
Composition
50
Composition
Reading The
Composition
Discussing The
Composition
Connections to
Today
Journal Write
-
Partner
Whole Class
Small Group
Individual
25 Min
10 Min
15 min
5 min
Explain that it is about a student in Latin
America – most likely Chile. Ask students
what they know or think they know about
Latin America.
- Ask students what happens if they disagree
with the government in the United States.
What about in other countries?
- After brainstorm, have students read the
dictatorship description in the back of The
Composition
- Record characteristics of dictatorships on
chart paper for the students to reference
Divide students into pairs and pass out copies of The
Composition worksheet
As students read in pairs, they will fill out the
graphic organizer.
Bring the class back together to discuss The
Composition
Go over the graphic organizer with students
emphasizing how each person functions within the
dictatorship
Pass out copies of the NewsELA article “Latin
American’s Rally in Florida” and corresponding
worksheet
In small groups, have students complete the
worksheet, comparing the article to The
Composition. Bring the class back together to see
what new insights the article gives on life in a
dictatorship
Use as formative assessment: Instruct students to
return their journal entry from the beginning of the
lesson. They will:
- Change or add details to your answer
- When should people not stand up to
authorities, even when they disagree with the
people in power?
- Use examples from the readings for today
Assessment: Journal writing, teacher observation of students.
Extension: Complete the writing assignment that Pedro has for school. What does your family
do at night? After writing, reflect on what this assignment told people about your family.
51
Reflection:
What worked well?
What
skills/concepts need
additional
reinforcement?
What is your
comfort level with
the critical inquiry
in the class?
52
Name:
Date:
Tracing Power in The Composition
As you read, trace the role of power in The Composition in the graphic organizer.
Pedro
Pedro’s Father
Don Daniel
The Captain
What power does he
have?
What power does he
have?
What power does he
have?
What power does he
have?
What power does he
lack?
What power does he
lack?
What power does he
lack?
What power does he
lack?
What is his main
problem?
What is his main
problem?
What is his main
problem?
What is his main
problem?
What does he want to
happen?
What does he want to
happen?
What does he want to
happen?
What does he want to
happen?
53
Name:
Date:
Compare And Contrast: The Experiences of Individuals in Venezuela and
Chile
The Composition
What are the
citizens’
complaints about
their government?
How are the citizens
denied access to
power?
What role does
censorship play?
What is the role of the
individual?
NewsELA Article
54
Lesson 9: Passage to Freedom
Objectives:
- Students will be able to identify how Sugihara used his understanding multiple
perspectives and power dynamics to act on behalf of others
- Students will present an argument as to whether or not Sugihara should have written the
visas for Jewish refugees
Materials Needed:
- Computer, projector, and screen
- Copies of The Passage to Freedom
- KWL charts for each student
- Copies of The Passage to Freedom Individual Choice worksheet
- Pros and Cons worksheet for each student
Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of
the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
Components of Critical Literacy Addressed:
- Social Action
- Focusing on Sociopolitical Issues
- Interrogating Multiple Perspectives
Instructional Sequence:
Activity
Type of
Instruction
Time
Description
KWL
Individual
10 min
Explain to students that they will be spending the
next two lessons learning about the role of
individuals during the Holocaust. Have them
complete the K and W of the KWL
Introduction of
Passage to
Freedom
Whole Class
10 min
Share out K’s and W’s with class
Present the book to students, explaining that it is a
biography. Go over definition of biography if
needed
Write the words “diplomat” and “visa” on the board.
55
Ask students if they are familiar with the terms.
Construct class definitions
Passage to
Freedom
The Solly
Ganor Story
Partner,
Whole Class
Whole Class
25 min
15 min
Decision
Making
Individual
15 min
Return to KWL
Partner
5 min
Students will read passage to freedom and work on
the accompanying worksheet. Push students to think
about how Sugihara considered multiple
perspectives and power dynamics when making his
decision.
Discuss the worksheet as a class
Watch the Solly Ganor interview clip from the PBS
documentary on Sugihara. As students watch, ask
students to pay attention to what Ganor’s
perspective on Sugihara is. How did the Jewish
refugees Sugihara helped see him?
After the video, ask students to also consider what
Sugihara’s family learned about the Jewish refugees
through visiting their homes and listening to their
experiences. How did these multiple perspectives
shape Sugihara’s decisions?
Pass out the pros and cons chart for students to
complete individually – partners may share texts
however. Push students to use specific examples
from the text and video when creating their charts
and paragraph
Students return to the KWL chart and fill in what
they learned about the Holocaust in the L column
Assessment: Pros and cons chart and paragraph, teacher observation of student work
Extension: Turn your paragraph from the pros and cons chart into a two-minute persuasive
speech to deliver to the class.
Reflection:
What worked well?
What
skills/concepts need
additional
reinforcement?
What is your
comfort level with
the critical inquiry
in the class?
56
Name:
Date:
K-W-L Chart: The Holocaust
Complete the K and W sections of this chart based on what you know and want to know about
the Holocaust
What I Know
What I Want to Know
What I have Learned
57
Name:
Date:
Individual Choices: Sugihara
1. Who was Sugihara? What country was he from? Where was he living in 1940?
2. What problem did Sugihara face? What did the locals want him to do?
3. How did Sugihara consider multiple perspectives? Who did he talk to about writing visas?
4. What power did Sugihara have? Who had power over Sugihara?
5. What were the consequences (both positive and negative) of Sugihara’s choices?
58
Name:
Date:
Should Sugihara Have Written the Visas?: Considering Pros and Cons
Fill out the pros and cons chart below using examples from the book (including the afterword)
and the video. Be sure to consider the consequences of Sugihara’s actions for himself and for his
family. After filling out the chart, make a decision as to what Sugihara should have done and
write your response in a paragraph below.
Pros: Yes, He Should Have Written the
Visas
What should Sugihara have done?
Cons: No, He Should Not Have Written the
Visas
59
Lesson 10: The Role of the Individual in the Holocaust
Objective:
- Students will be able to reflect on how their thinking on the role of the individual in the
Holocaust has changed by citing examples from informational texts
Materials Needed:
- Copies of each of the readings for students on their appropriate levels
- Student journals
- Chart paper
- Copies of three viewpoints sheets for each student
- Micro lab Discussion Protocol sheets for each student
Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.3
Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas
influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and
research.
Components of Critical Literacy Addressed:
- Social Action
- Focusing on Sociopolitical Issues
Instructional Sequence:
Activity
Type of
Instruction
Time
Description
Journal Warm
up
Individual and
Small group
10
minutes
Students will respond to the following prompt in
their journals: What roles to you think individuals
played in protecting themselves and others in the
Holocaust?
Reading the
Articles
Small group
and individual
30 min
After writing share in small group. Write down
predictions on chart paper
Pass out all three articles to students based on their
reading levels. Have them read text 1 (Talking about
a Chocolate Tub) in their leveled group and fill out
the chart for text one only.
60
Micro lab
Protocol
Small group
20 min
Journal
Writing: I used
to think, now I
think
Individual
10 min
Call to Social
Action
Partner
5 min
Return to KWL
Individual
5 Min
Then students will read text 2 (life is sweet) and text
3 (the art of war) independently and complete the
chart for those texts. Use this time to work with
students who are struggling on pulling out evidence
from informational texts.
Put students into heterogeneous groups of three to
discuss the texts using the micro lab protocol
(directions attached)
Use as assessment. In their journals, students will
respond to a “I used to think … now I think ….”
prompt about the role of individuals in the
Holocaust. They will need to provide examples from
the text in their responses.
This activity is adapted from Making Thinking
Visible (Ritchhart, Church, and Morrison, 2011)
With a partner brainstorm ideas for social action
based on the readings. Try to come up with 2-3
examples that you could realistically implement
Have students return to their KWL charts to fill in
what they learned about the Holocaust over the
course of the last two lessons
Assessment: I used to think…now I think… journal entries, teacher observations of student
work
Extension: Find a written or video recorded interview with a Holocaust survivor. Who helped
them survive?
Reflection:
What worked well?
What
skills/concepts need
additional
reinforcement?
What is your
comfort level with
the critical inquiry
in the class?
Name:
Date:
61
Three Viewpoints: The Role of the Individual in the Holocaust
Adapted from The Common Core Guidebook: Informational Text Lessons: 6-8 (Linder, 2013, pg. 170)
Topic/Question: What was the role of the individual during the Holocaust?
Event/Fact
Event/Fact
Event/Fact
Text 1:
Talking About a
Chocolate Tub and
Escaping Nazis in
World War II
Text 2:
Life is Sweet: Baker,
90, Recalls how his
Strudel Helped him
Survive WWII
Text 3:
The Art of War: How
One German Artist
Saved Hundreds
during WWII
Name:
Date:
62
Micro Lab Protocol: The Role of the Individual in the Holocaust
Adapted from Making Thinking Visible (Ritchhart, Church, and Morrison, 2011, pg. 147)
In your group of three, try to answer the following question using the micro lab protocol. Be sure
to cite evidence from the text as you are speaking.
Question: How did individuals make a difference in protecting people during the Holocaust?
Protocol
1. Share: The first person in the group shares their thoughts for two minutes (the teacher
will time)
2. Pause: Everyone is silent for 30 seconds (timed) to allow time to think about what the to
the first group member said
3. Repeat: The second and third person in the group each get two minutes to also answer the
question with a 30 second silent pause in between each speaker
4. Discuss: As a group, discuss the comments that were made and the connections between
them
5. Write: As a group, write a response to the question below.
What advice would you give to those protecting others during the Holocaust?
63
Lesson 11: Social Action and Advocacy
Objectives:
- Students will design and implement an advocacy project focused on serving the needs of
a local refugee community
- Students will create a multimedia presentation addressing the history and needs of the
refugee community to present to the other classes in the school
Materials Needed:
- Computers with presentation software for student use
- Social action project descriptor sheet for each student
- Copies of the Central Idea worksheet (adapted from lesson 6). Make sure to have enough
so students can have at least three copies
- Interview worksheet (adapted from lesson 7)
Standards Addressed: Over the course of the social action project
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.4
Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with
pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate
volume, and clear pronunciation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.5
Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and
findings and emphasize salient points.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing
or speaking.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.3
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.1
Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Components of Critical Literacy Addressed:
- Social Action
- Interrogating Multiple Perspectives
- Focusing on Sociopolitical Issues
64
Instructional Sequence:
- A note on the timetable: this lesson is intended to be the introduction of the social action
project and initial work time. The work on the project will expand well beyond the eighty
minutes allotted for this lesson. It is assumed that teachers will divide up the project work
time in their ELA classes to best meet the needs to their schedules. The project timeline
will also depend on the availability of local refugee groups. For the purposes of this
lesson plan, I have identified a community of Somali refugees to be the focus group, as I
am familiar with the community organizations.
Instructional Sequence:
Activity
Type of
Instruction
Time
Description
Introduction to
Social Action
Project
Whole Class
10 min
Go over the social action project descriptor with the
students
Introduction to
the local
refugee
community
Whole Class
Getting Started Individual
with Research
Thinking about Whole Class
the Interview
15 min
45 min
10 min
Show students a project example (the teacher may
create it herself)
- Locate Somalia on a map
- Ask students if they have ever heard of
Somalia before and record responses
- Provide brief history of war and conflict in
Somalia using clips from a video from a local
news station:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qlo200gH
kQ8
Help students connect to the NewsELA website to find
articles on the Somali refugee experience. For today,
just stick with NewsELA sources, though students can
branch out to other sources once they have read the
texts on their levels.
For each article, they should record their notes on their
central idea sheets
Have students reflect on their first social action project
in which they interviewed local senior citizens. Ask
about what went well and what could have gone
better.
This project also has an interview component. Use this
time for students to brainstorm potential questions to
ask local Somali refugees.
Assessment: Project presentation
65
Reflection:
What worked well?
What
skills/concepts need
additional
reinforcement?
What is your
comfort level with
the critical inquiry
in the class?
66
The Power of the Individual: Social Action and Advocacy for a Local Refugee Group
We have spent time over the past few lessons reading about how individuals have made a
difference in the lives of those living under oppressive governments. In the United States, there
are many refugees who have come from countries where there are wars, violence, and oppressive
governments. We will be working with a local Somali refugee community center to learn about
the experiences of refugees both in Somali and once they came to the United States.
Task: You will be completing a research project that will result in a PowerPoint presentation on
the experience of Somali refugees in the United States. You will deliver this presentation to
students from other classes in our school.
Presentation Components: Your presentation must include
- A map of Somalia
- A description of how the Somali refugees came to America
- An explanation for why the person you interviewed and others had to leave Somalia
- One personal story from the person you interviewed
- At least four steps that individuals living in America can take to help the transition for
refugees
- References to at least 3 sources in addition to the interview you will conduct
Steps:
1. Research:
- Read and take notes on at least three sources on Somali refugees using NewsELA as a
starting point. Use the central idea notes sheets to record your findings.
2. Interview:
- Using your research, write ten broad interview questions for our trip to the Somali
community center.
3. Outline:
- Write or type an outline of your presentation
4. Draft:
- Create a draft of your presentation using PowerPoint. Do not add transitions or
special effects at this time
5. Revise
- Work with a peer and your teacher to receive feedback on your presentation and make
the necessary changes
6. Present
- Deliver your presentation to one of the other classes in the school. Convince others to
advocate for the needs of the local Somali refugee community!
Extension: Create a handout or brochure for your audience to take home. Provide links or phone
numbers to community organizations.
67
Name:
Date:
Central Idea
Read the article and fill in the graphic organizer identifying the central idea in the article and
the supporting details. Be sure to cite evidence from the text.
Article Title: ________________________________________________
What is the central idea in the article?
Detail 1
Detail 2
Detail 3
Detail 4
Summary of Article:
68
Name:
Date:
Interview Worksheet
Part One: Writing Broad Questions
Using your wonderings from a class as a guide, write ten broad interview questions that you
could ask any Somali refugee at the community center we are going to visit.
1.
2.
3.
4
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
69
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