Maya Angelou Lesson Plans
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Lesson Plan 1: Woman for the Ages
Lesson Plan 2: Experiential Imagery
Lesson Plan 3: Character Study of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Title: Lesson Plan 1: Woman for the Ages
Grade Level: 7-12
Subject/Content: ELA
Goals of Lesson: To expose students to American poetry of a significant African American
poet.
Objectives:
Students will:
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Sharpen their literary analysis skills through recognizing styalistic parallels between
rap music and poetry.
Deepen understanding of issues like racism, stereotyping, discrimination, and gender
bias.
Standards:
For 9th/10th grade:
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CCSS.ELA-Literacy: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used
in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of
specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other
texts.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used
in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of
history / social studies.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy: Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize key points or
advance an explanation or analysis.
Materials Needed:
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CD player or computer
Lyrics for selected songs
Copies of Still I Rise, Phenomenal Woman, and Ain't That Bad;
Copies of Angelou's essay They Came to Stay and Take Time Out
Optional: Lyrics to TLC Waterfall
Recordings referenced:
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Come Into My House," recorded by Queen Latifah ("All Hail the Queen" Tommy Boy
Music 1989
"The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill ("The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" Sony 1988
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"Waterfall" recorded by TLC (Crazy, Sexy, Cool" Leface 1994)
Activities:
1. Have students research backgrounds of Maya Angelou and Queen Latifah. Share out.
2. Discuss rap music and lyrics (set guidelines for what is acceptable to share out)
3. Distribute copies of Angelou's They Came to Stay
a. Read essay together and discuss images of black women presented
b. What negative images is she trying to counter?
c. From where do these negative stereotypes come?
4. Distribute copies of "Still I Rise" and ask students to read aloud
a. How does it relate to her essay?
b. What is the theme of the essay?
i. Answer: The strength of black women believing in themselves
c. Have students brainstorm a list of positive messages
d. What historical events do you think she is referencing?
e. What is the rhyming scheme? Have students stomp their feet and/or clap hands to
the rhythm
f. Listen to Maya Angelou read this aloud and determine if students interpretation
comes close to meeting the reality of her impact
5. Play Queen Latifah's "Come Into My House" 2 or 3 times and distribute lyrics
a. What image of black women does she portray?
b. Have students try to identify the similarity of themes between previous pieces from
Maya Angelou and Queen Latifah’s piece.
c. Have students find examples of sampling, call and response. Can rhythm be clapped?
6. OPTIONAL: Play The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and distribute the lyrics.
a. Have students discuss similarities of themes.
b. What is the narrator's tone (pride)?
c. Pair lyrics with "Phenomenal Women" (Angelou).
d. Break students into groups and discuss similarities of themes, narrative tone,
rhyme and rhythm as previously modeled.
7. Art Connection: Have students discuss hip hop culture as expressed in fashion and
graffiti. Students can create a mural that expresses positive themes discussed in lyrical
pieces and poetry.
8. Music/Dance Connection: Have someone demonstrate and teach some basic break
dance steps and/or street funk (i.e. Stomp) to fell the musical/movement similarities.
Assessment:
To assess students' understanding of rap, poetry, and music, distribute copies of Angelou's
poem Take Time Out and lyrics to TLC's Waterfall. Play the song. Form groups and have
students write response to these artistic works using questioning techniques demonstrated
noting themes, positive and negative images, rhyming schemes and rhythm.
2. Culminating Project:
Choose one of the following:
Bring appropriate rap songs that explore positive themes to share. Extra bonus given for
complementary poetic pieces that reflect chosen rap.
b. In groups-choreograph break dance or street funk style dance to Maya Angelou's Still
I Rise or another of her poems studied. Express connection between lyrics, music and
dance. Perform dance for class.
c. Read Angelou's poem Ain't That Bad and research 5 African Americans referenced and
why Maya choose to include them in her work./
d. Create a piece of graffiti art based on a poem or song of your choice and explain it to
the class.
3. Full Class Assessment: Write a poem about yourself and your ethnic identity. Perhaps
include some stereotypes often used to describe your ethnic group.
Resources: Click here to view resource links.
Maya Angelou
Title: Lesson Plan 2: Experimental Imagery in Maya Angelou’s Still I Rise
Grade Level: 7-12
Subject/Content: ELA
Goals: To show students that cultural experiences and background contribute to what they
overcome and eventually become.
Objectives: Help Students:
Find cultural relevance and text to self connections in Still I Rise.
Examine how imagery can be used to represent theme and periods of history.
Reflect on the resiliency in their own lives.
Determine the origin of their own voice and what they can use it for throughout their life
Standards:
For 8th - 10th grade:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a
text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word
choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a
text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history / social
studies.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy: Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize key points or advance
an explanation or analysis.
Activities:
1. Break into pairs and review definitions for the following elements of imagery then
share with the class:
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Personification
Metaphor
Simile
Onomatopoeia
Hyperbole
2. Discuss how imagery is used to create comparisons between literal and figurative
elements, add depth and understanding, as well as evoke more meaning for reader.
3. Divide into groups, distribute copies of Still I Rise in its entirety.
4. Have groups use highlighters to identify examples of imagery in the poem and select
one stanza to analyze. (Use imagery analysis sheet)
5. Each group will present their stanza with the class and class discussion will add to
each other's imagery.
Combine with another group and draw conclusions about how imagery contributed to the
overall message.
Cultural Identity and Interpretation
A person's cultural identity, experience and knowledge may affect how a work is
interpreted. To test this hypothesis have students:
1. Pair up with someone they don't know all that well. Take turns reading Still I Rise
aloud (partner uses active listening techniques). Listener notes what emotions they
heard in their partner's interpretation. Switch roles and then discuss the differences
between interpretative readings.
2. Annotate the poem using the following questions:
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Who is the narrator/speaker of the poem? Is it a person? A cultural group?
Identify words that led you to your conclusion.
How does the speaker/narrator feel about himself/herself/itself? Draw a face that
represents that emotion. Share with partner.
To whom is this poem directed? Highlight words and phrases that support your
answer. Share with partner.
What message is this poem trying to give?
What do you believe the poem's overall theme is? Write the theme at the top of
the poem and draw an arrow to a word/phrase from the poem that supports your
answer.
Explain to your partner what historical context (if any) that you hear in the poem.
Assessment:
Write a letter, poem, rap song, blog or journal entry that answers:
From where does your voice come...your family, your culture, your beliefs, your friends,
your experience?
For what would you like to use your voice now and in the future?
Resources: Click here to view resource links.
Maya Angelou
Title: Lesson Plan 3: Character Study of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Grade Level: 8-9
Subject/Content: ELA
Focus Question: Do circumstances throughout our lives make us or break us?.
Objectives:
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Students will understand that characters undergo transformation due to the events
in their lives.
Students will be able to identify character traits, motivations, conflict, and
relationships.
Standards: For 8th - 9th grade:
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CCSS.ELA-Literacy: Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and
interact over the course of a text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to
make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or
speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy: Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts
independently and proficiently.
(Note: Students were assigned to read chapter 2 prior to class)
Activities:
1. Prior Knowledge: Lead students in a discussion of a person and place in their lives
that they remember the most. Elicit comments on specifics of the person and a
description of the place. Write highlights on the board or butcher paper.
2. Elicit definitions/understanding of the following: disciplinarian, to thwart, whipping
boy.
3. Begin a discussion of the chapter by instructing students to summarize chapter 2 by
writing a one (1) sentence summary of each paragraph in their journal.
4. Teacher: Discuss how Maya Angelou develops the characters in her writing-which
ones to mention and which to provide more depth. Review characterization including
both physical and mental development of characters.
5. Divide students into groups of 3. Distribute task cards and butcher paper to each
group.
Task 1: Have one student in the group re-read the chapter aloud while the other
members pay attention to how Maya Angelou describes the physical aspects of Uncle
Willie. Write a 5 sentence describing Uncle Willie on the butcher paper. Then draw a
picture of how the group thinks Uncle Willie looks based on their understanding of
her description. Remind them to pay attention to the clothing of the time.
Task 2: Another student re-reads the chapter aloud while other members make note
of the emotion used to describe Uncle Willie. Remind students that emotions often
manifest themselves though action.
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How did Uncle Willie handle being handicapped? In groups discuss how each
one acts toward handicapped people/ Following that discussion instruct
students to discuss why they think Uncle Willie tried to act normal toward his
teachers. How they think teachers would react if they knew Uncle Willie was
"lame"?
Culminating activity: Write a scene where Uncle Willie does not hide his
handicap and how teachers would react to him.
Task 3: In the time period when Maya Angelou was growing up people with
handicaps were treated cruelly and very unfair. Go back through the chapter once
again and make a list of words used to describe Willie. In a column next to those
words use a word that might be used today to describe this attribute.
Culminating activity: Write a 5 sentence paragraph describing how Uncle Willie would
be treated today. What services would be available for him today? Draw a picture of
what Uncle Willie could look like today.
Evaluation/ Assessment
Each group presents their work to the class explaining how they drew their
conclusions.
Rubric:
4 = All work done neatly, information accurate, presentation is clear
3 = Nice work but lacking in one area
2 = Fair work, unclear information
1 = Poor work with little effort
Resources: Click here to view resource links.
Still I Rise - Imagery
Stanza # _______________
Word/Phrase from stanza
Type of Imagery
What does imagery
represent?
Resources:
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Eller, Edward E. "An overview of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." Literature
Resource Center. Detroit: Gale, 2014. Literature Resource Center.
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it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w
Eller, Edward E. "Critical Essay on 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings'." Nonfiction
Classics for Students: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Nonfiction
Works. Ed. David M. Galens, Jennifer Smith, and Elizabeth Thomason. Vol. 2.
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Kent, George E. "Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and Black
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Smith, Sidonie Ann. "The Song of a Caged Bird: Maya Angelou's Quest for SelfAcceptance." Southern Humanities Review 7.4 (Fall 1973): 365-375. Rpt.
in Children's Literature Review. Ed. Jelena Krstovic. Vol. 184. Detroit: Gale, 2013.
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Arensberg, Liliane K. "Death As Metaphor of Self in I Know Why the Caged Bird
Sings." CLA Journal 20.2 (Dec. 1976): 273-291. Rpt. in Nonfiction Classics for
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Moore, Opal. "Learning to Live: When the Bird Breaks from the Cage." Censored
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Wilmington, Michael. "King of the Hill: A Wonderful Film of Terrible Times." Los
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"The Many Voices Of Lauryn Hill." All Things Considered 28 June 2010. Literature
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Angelou, Maya, and Claudia Tate. "Conversations with Maya Angelou." Conversations
with Maya Angelou. Ed. Jeffrey M. Elliot. University Press of Mississippi, 1989. 146156. Rpt. in Poetry Criticism. Ed. Ellen McGeagh. Vol. 32. Detroit: Gale Group,
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Neubauer, Carol E. "Maya Angelou: Self and a Song of Freedom in the Southern
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Lupton, Mary Jane. "Singing the Black Mother: Maya Angelou and Autobiographical
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Neubauer, Carol E. "An interview with Maya Angelou." The Massachusetts
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Hagen, Lyman B. "Poetry: Something About Everything." Heart of a Woman, Mind of
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Eller, Edward E. "An overview of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." Literature
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"Overview: 'Woman Work'." Poetry for Students. Ed. Sara Constantakis. Vol. 33.
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"Overview: 'Still I Rise'." Poetry for Students. Ed. Sara Constantakis. Vol. 38.
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"Overview: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." Nonfiction Classics for
Students: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Nonfiction Works. Ed. David
M. Galens, Jennifer Smith, and Elizabeth Thomason. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2001.
Literature Resource Center.
Document URL
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CH1430005557&v=2.1&u=noch09645&
it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w
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"Maya Angelou." Literature Resource Center. Detroit: Gale, 2014. Literature
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