American
Culture:
The minority shaping of a Country
American Literature and Composition: 11th Grade
By Rachel Beetschen
ENED 4414
Fall 2007
Rationale
Unit #1: Reconstruction, Regionalism & Realism
Weeks 1-6
Class Time: 55 minutes
This first unit of study will fall in the second semester of 11th grade American
Literature. The students will be studying American Literature within the context of
American History. Therefore, the content that I have designed would compliment a U.S.
History class. The focus of the entire semester is on “American Culture: The Minority
Shaping of a Country.” This country’s culture and policies were formed and shaped by
its’ rebels and its’ minorities. The first semester of study will focus on the shaping of this
country by its’ rebels. Although the class will include many works by minorities the
second half of the semester will be the primary focus of these works.
This first unit of study will also follow the American literary periods of
Reconstruction, Regionalism, and Realism. It is important for students to understand
literature not just in the context of history, but in the context of great literary movements
as well. The focus will be on these periods, however I plan to address these periods in
somewhat unorthodox but truly effective ways. The strategies that I have developed or
taken from my research are meant to fully assist in exploring this period as well as these
works of literature.
I plan to begin the semester with Reconstruction. This is appropriate as we will
have ended the previous semester with the Civil War. Taking a fresh step into history the
students will be reading short stories from the collection of short stories by Julius Lester,
This Strange New Feeling. This collection of short stories explores, through the use of
historical fiction, the personal lives of emancipated slaves and their new found freedom
and exploration of relationships. The students will be reading these short stories in class
as well as at home. The students will be grouped into small groups that are based on
reading proficiency levels. This assignment is based on the Tiered Assignments design
that I learned from Dr. Toni Streiker in EDRD 4410. The least proficient group will be
reading with me. This group will follow along as I complete a read aloud of that day’s
portion of the short story. All of the groups will have the option of reading aloud within
their groups. Next, these students will be responsible for completing questions or tasks
related to the readings and appropriate for the student level. As a wrap up for this activity
I plan to use Jim Burke’s literature circles found in Reading Reminders: Tools, Tips, and
Techniques. Burke states that using this method will enable students to learn, “the skills
they need to make sense of what they have read” (24).
The second week of the unit the students and I will embark upon a study of
Regionalism. The major work that we will be reading for this section of the unit will be
Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God. Although Hurston is typically
included in the Harlem Renaissance movement this particular novel lends itself well to a
study of Regionalism due to the use of dialect and local color. The students will explore
this novel in a number of ways.
One of the ways that the students will gain a deeper understanding of the novel is
through their interaction in Learning Groups. Learning Groups is actually a week of
stations that I have designed for furthering student understanding. This assignment
divides students into six groups of five. The smaller groups then spend one day at each of
the stations that I have designed for this assignment. These stations are:
 Computers: Students will engage in a Webquest exploring the Jim
Crowe Laws, the history of Eatonville, and the continuing struggle of
African Americans fight for freedom after the Civil War.
 Reading Station #1: Students will read several Slave Narratives and
respond on a handout provided at the station.
 Mapping: Students will chart and illustrate the course of Janie’s
journey in Their Eyes Were Watching God.
 Reading Station #2: Students will read and respond to several pieces of
folklore. Particularly folklore that would have informed Zora Neale
Hurston’s writing.
 Prose Quilt: Students will write and illustrate their own Slave
Narrative prose. These pieces will later be turned into a class “quilt” to
be hung during the Living History day.
 Reading Station #3: Students will read several legal and historical
documents pertaining to the Jim Crowe Laws and the founding of
Eatonville, and will respond on a handout provided at the station.
Following this week of stations the students will engage in a viewing of the film
The Color Purple based on the novel of the same name by Alice Walker. The integration
of film as text is a suggestion of Jim Burke’s from The English Teacher’s Companion.
Burke states that including film in one’s curriculum can assist, “complement the study of
some printed text” (324). The students will continue to read the novel at home while
watching this film. The pairing of these two pieces lends itself to activities of comparing
and contrasting. The final wrap up for this section of the unit will be a test.
The last two weeks of this unit of study will focus on Realism. I intend to do this
in two ways. The first of which is a week long study of Negro Spirituals, Gospel, and the
Blues. I intend to spend one day on each of these lyrical styles. The culmination of this
week of study will be an Academic Prompt as suggested by Wiggins and McTighe in
Understanding by Design. Wiggins and McTighe state that the Academic Prompt should,
“involve analysis, synthesis, or evaluation” (14). The students will write their own lyrics
based on one of the lyrical styles that we have studied. The final day of this week
students will engage in a performance project as suggested by Linda Rief in Seeking
Diversity. Designed to further and deepen student understanding of the African American
experience after the Civil War, Zora Neale Hurston’s personal background, and the
experience of the residents of the first African American incorporated town Eatonville.
Students will be required to research, study, and enact a specific role in the community.
This assignment allows parents, administrators, and other guests an opportunity to visit
the classroom. I have gone into further detail on this assignment in the “Assessments”
section.
Finally, the students will engage in a week long study of Suffragist literature. The
students will be reading excerpts form Jailed for Freedom by Doris Stevens. These
excerpts will be paired with the film Iron Jawed Angels, a story of the National Women’s
Party fight for the vote. Students will be introduced to feminist literary theory at this
time. I will be using several suggestions and activities outlined in Critical Encounters in
High School English by Deborah Appleman. During this week the students will also be
engaged in one of the many real world tasks that are included in my curriculum. This
particular task asks students to write a letter to a representative, encouraging their active
involvement as conscious citizens.
Unit #2: Modernism
Weeks 7-12
Class Time: 55 minutes
This second unit of study will fall in the second semester of 11th grade American
Literature after the student’s second Winter Break. The students will continue to study
American Literature within the context of American History. Therefore, the content that I
have designed would compliment a U.S. History class. The focus of the entire semester is
on “American Culture: The Minority Shaping of a Country.” This country’s culture and
policies were formed and shaped by its’ rebels and its’ minorities. The first semester of
study will focus on the shaping of this country by its’ rebels. Although the class will
include many works by minorities the second half of the semester will be the primary
focus of these works.
The second unit of this semester will also follow the American Literature
movement of Modernism. It is important for students to understand literature not just in
the context of history, but in the context of great literary movements as well. I plan to
teach this unit in the context of the struggles that America and its’ people faced prior to
the end of World War II. I plan to spend a few days each on WWI and the Great
Depression in the first week of this unit. The following week I will engage the students in
a week long study of the Harlem Renaissance. I plan to start the week with a K-W-L as
suggested by Kylene Beers in When Kids Can’t Read: What Teachers Can Do. Beers
states that this strategy “provides a framework that helps readers access their knowledge
about a topic before they read” (80). This front loading strategy assists students in
determining what they Know, what they Want to know, and what they have Learned as
we explore the major concerns, themes, and ideas of a period or a piece of literature. The
students will then spend a day each studying the political activism, poetry, and music that
was produced during the Harlem Renaissance. The students will engage in a writing
project suggested by Dr. Jennifer Dail called “Becoming the Poem.” Students will be
asked to bring a poem to class for this three step process. First, students are asked to read
and think about the poem. In this first step students cut out pictures or illustrate by hand a
three frame film strip. This becomes the film of the poem. Next, students are asked to
think about a character in the poem and draw a picture of this character. Finally, students
are asked to write a journal entry from the perspective of this character.
After the week long Harlem Renaissance unit of study the students will explore the
Holocaust and what it meant to be a teen in that time. The students will do this by reading
Night by Elie Weisel, watching the film Swing Kids, and participating in a group project
that I have designed by the same name. This project divides students into groups of four.
Each of the students in the group has a key role, research to complete, questions to
answer, and a finished product to produce for the group presentation. This particular
project focuses on the teen experience of WWII and each of the group roles reflects this.
The group roles are: home front historian, counselor, propagandist, and pop culture
historian. The students will also attend the Holocaust Museum at the KSU Center.
The following week students will spend a couple of days on WWII and the fall
out of this period as seen in the Beat Poet and Literature movement. The next week
students will explore the Civil Rights movement and a work of literature that makes
evident what lead up to this movement. This work of literature is the short story “Sonny’s
Blues” by James Baldwin. The students will finish this week of study with a focus on the
power of non-violent protest as exhibited by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Unit #3: Post-Modernism
Weeks 13-21
Class Time: 55 minutes
This third and final unit of study will fall in the second semester of 11th grade
American Literature after the student’s Spring Break. The students will continue to study
American Literature within the context of American History. Therefore, the content that I
have designed would compliment a U.S. History class. The focus of the entire semester is
on “American Culture: The Minority Shaping of a Country.” This country’s culture and
policies were formed and shaped by its’ rebels and its’ minorities. The first semester of
study will focus on the shaping of this country by its’ rebels. Although the class will
include many works by minorities the second half of the semester will be the primary
focus of these works.
The second unit of this semester will also follow the American Literature
movement of Post-Modernism. It is important for students to understand literature not
just in the context of history, but in the context of great literary movements as well. I plan
to teach this unit in the context of the “growing up” period that America and its’ people
faced during and after the Vietnam War. I plan to begin this by engaging the students in
reading, writing, and viewing a week long unit on Vietnam. The students will begin the
week with a Photo Story as suggested by Harry R. Noden’s book Image Grammar. This
assignment asks students to produce a written piece of image driven poetry in response to
individual pictures the students will receive. For this particular assignment each of the
students will receive a Vietnam era journalistic photograph from the war. Students will
also engage in a viewing of Oliver Stone’s film Platoon. Finally, students will be
responsible for completing journalistic readings from the period including Tim O’Brien’s
“In the Field” and Norman Mailer’s “The Armies of the Night.”
As a follow up to this week and to further student understanding of the period
following the Vietnam War, students will engage in a reading of Ken Kesey’s One Flew
over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Students will engage with this text in a number of ways. First, I
will be conducting guided readings as suggested by Jim Burke’s The English Teacher’s
Companion. I will begin with a guided reading of Tom Wolfe’s The Electric Kool Aid
Acid Test. The first chapter of this book will give students a greater understanding of Ken
Kesey and his cult-like following.
Next, I will conduct a guided reading of the first few pages of Kesey’s novel.
Students will be introduced at this time to Marxist literary theory as suggested by
Deborah Appleman in Critical Encounters in High School English. Students will begin
with a reading about the Marxist Lens. Students will then divide into small groups of 4-5.
Students will be asked to answer a few short questions about what they have read.
Students will then plot characters from the previous night’s reading on the Marxist
ladder. Next, students will chart the power struggles in the novel. Finally, students will
complete a worksheet independently for homework that asks about the Marxist Lens and
its influence on their interpretation of the reading.
Students will continue reading the novel and will begin watching the film
to further their understanding of some of the central characters. That same week students
will look at the novel through a feminist lens as suggested by Deborah Appleman. This
assignment requires a very close reading of the text and its’ characters. I will generate a
list of questions that ask students to look at Nurse Ratchet and Candy in One Flew over
the Cuckoo’s Nest. Students will examine the similarities and differences in these two
characters and what each character may be able to tell the reader about the deeper
meanings of the story or the writer’s perspective. Students will be allowed to work with a
partner for this assignment.
The final three weeks of this semester will include a reading of Sharon Draper’s Coretta
Scott King Awarded young adult novel Tears of a Tiger. Students will use this novel to
explore their world as well as the idea of multi genre fiction. Students will take part in a
group writing activity that I have created based upon an activity found in Baines et. al’s
Going Bohemian called “Teen Tragedy in the News.” The students will be divided into
groups of five. This activity asks that each group research a tragedy in the news that
affects teens. I will set up stations with appropriate news articles pertaining to this
subject. The stations are as follows:
 Station One: National web coverage of teen tragedy.
 Station Two: Local web coverage of teen tragedy.
 Station Three: National television newscast of teen tragedy.
 Station Four: Local television newscast of teen tragedy.
 Station Five: National print media coverage of teen tragedy.
 Station Six: Local print media coverage of teen tragedy.
The students will be divided into the following group roles: summarizer, gossip,
word detective, connector, and editor. Each of these students will have research required
of them as well as a final product. The group will then come together and write, telecast,
or web design (student choice) their own news of teen tragedy.
The following week students will explore the novel through a Marxist lens as
suggested by Deborah Appleman. This assignment requires a very close reading of the
text and its’ characters. Students will be asked to divide into small groups of 4-5.
Students will be asked to summarize the Marxist lens in 3-4 sentences. Students will then
select one character, one scene, and one passage that support the Marxist reading. Finally,
students will answer a few questions about how looking through the Marxist lens
supports the reading. Groups will then share their findings with the whole class.
The final project for the semester will also be worked on heavily in these last two
weeks. This semester long project is the Multi Genre Research Project, suggested by
Tom Romano in Writing with Passion. This assignment is a semester long research and
writing project. This project asks students to research the influence that minorities have
had on America. Students will be asked to create a thesis statement that answers this
broad and overarching question in a very specific manner. Students will be required to
write a 3-5 page research essay, as well as four various genre pieces (poetry, prose, news
article, dialogue, monologue, etc…) that focus on their thesis statement. Students will
also be asked to choose images and sound clips that compliment their theme. Students
will be able to choose how they want to answer this question, focus their research, and
what genres they write. Finally, students will pull the entire project together to create a
digital portfolio of their semester long work.
Standards
Unit #1: Reconstruction, Regionalism & Realism
Weeks 1-6:
Georgia Performance Standards:
ELAALRL1 The student demonstrates comprehension by identifying evidence (i.e.,
examples of diction, imagery, point of view, figurative language, symbolism, plot events
and main ideas) in a variety of texts representative of different genres (i.e., poetry, prose
[short story, novel, essay, editorial, biography], and drama) and using this evidence as the
basis for interpretation.
ELAALRL2 The student identifies, analyzes, and applies knowledge of theme in a work
of American literature and provides evidence from the work to support understanding.
ELAALRL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to
their contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time
periods.
ELAALRL4 The student employs a variety of writing genres to demonstrate a
comprehensive grasp of significant ideas in selected literary works.
ELAALRL5 The student understands and acquires new vocabulary and uses it correctly
in reading and writing.
ELA11LSV1 The student participates in student-to-teacher, student-to-student, and
group verbal interactions.
ELA11LSV2 The student formulates reasoned judgments about written and oral
communication in various media genres. The student delivers focused, coherent, and
polished presentations that convey a clear and distinct perspective, demonstrate solid
reasoning, and combine traditional rhetorical strategies of narration, exposition,
persuasion, and description.
ELA11C1 The student demonstrates understanding and control of the rules of the
English language, realizing that usage involves the appropriate application of conventions
and grammar in both written and spoken formats.
ELA11C2 The student demonstrates understanding of manuscript form, realizing that
different forms of writing require different formats.
ELA11W1 The student produces writing that establishes an appropriate organizational
structure, sets a context and engages the reader, maintains a coherent focus throughout,
and signals a satisfying closure.
ELA11W3 The student uses research and technology to support writing.
MLVI.P2 The students present student-created, as well as culturally authentic, stories,
poems, skits, and/or short plays in the target language.
NCTE/IRA Standards:
1. Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of
texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire
new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and
for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and
contemporary works.
2. Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an
understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human
experience.
4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions,
style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for
different purposes.
5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing
process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of
purposes.
6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling
and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique,
and discuss print and non-print texts.
9. Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language use,
patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions, and social roles.
EQ: How much do we control our destiny?
EQ: How did emancipation affect people’s lives/attitudes/behaviors?
EQ: What affect did early African American culture have on our culture today?
EQ: What affect did the vote have on women’s identity?
Unit #2: Modernism
Weeks 7-12:
Georgia Performance Standards:
ELAALRL1 The student demonstrates comprehension by identifying evidence (i.e.,
examples of diction, imagery, point of view, figurative language, symbolism, plot events
and main ideas) in a variety of texts representative of different genres (i.e., poetry, prose
[short story, novel, essay, editorial, biography], and drama) and using this evidence as the
basis for interpretation.
ELAALRL2 The student identifies, analyzes, and applies knowledge of theme in a work
of American literature and provides evidence from the work to support understanding.
ELAALRL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to
their contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time
periods.
ELAALRL4 The student employs a variety of writing genres to demonstrate a
comprehensive grasp of significant ideas in selected literary works.
ELAALRL5 The student understands and acquires new vocabulary and uses it correctly
in reading and writing.
ELA11LSV1 The student participates in student-to-teacher, student-to-student, and
group verbal interactions.
ELA11LSV2 The student formulates reasoned judgments about written and oral
communication in various media genres. The student delivers focused, coherent, and
polished presentations that convey a clear and distinct perspective, demonstrate solid
reasoning, and combine traditional rhetorical strategies of narration, exposition,
persuasion, and description.
ELA11C1 The student demonstrates understanding and control of the rules of the
English language, realizing that usage involves the appropriate application of conventions
and grammar in both written and spoken formats.
ELA11C2 The student demonstrates understanding of manuscript form, realizing that
different forms of writing require different formats.
ELA11W1 The student produces writing that establishes an appropriate organizational
structure, sets a context and engages the reader, maintains a coherent focus throughout,
and signals a satisfying closure.
ELA11W2 The student demonstrates competence in a variety of genres.
ELA11W3 The student uses research and technology to support writing.
NCTE/IRA Standards:
1. Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of
texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire
new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and
for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and
contemporary works.
2. Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an
understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human
experience.
3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and
appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers
and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification
strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence,
sentence structure, context, graphics).
4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions,
style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for
different purposes.
5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing
process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of
purposes.
6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling
and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique,
and discuss print and non-print texts.
7. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions,
and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of
sources (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries
in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries,
databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create
and communicate knowledge.
9. Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language use,
patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions, and social roles.
11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a
variety of literacy communities.
12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes
(e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
EQ: How did conflict shape our culture?
EQ: How did the Harlem Renaissance change our Nation’s understanding of art and
culture?
EQ: How did the advent of New Criticism change our ideas of literature and meaning?
EQ: How have minority populations shaped American culture?
Unit #3: Post-Modernism
Weeks 13-21:
Georgia Performance Standards:
ELAALRL1 The student demonstrates comprehension by identifying evidence (i.e.,
examples of diction, imagery, point of view, figurative language, symbolism, plot events
and main ideas) in a variety of texts representative of different genres (i.e., poetry, prose
[short story, novel, essay, editorial, biography], and drama) and using this evidence as the
basis for interpretation.
ELAALRL2 The student identifies, analyzes, and applies knowledge of theme in a work
of American literature and provides evidence from the work to support understanding.
ELAALRL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to
their contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time
periods.
ELAALRL4 The student employs a variety of writing genres to demonstrate a
comprehensive grasp of significant ideas in selected literary works.
ELAALRL5 The student understands and acquires new vocabulary and uses it correctly
in reading and writing.
ELA11LSV1 The student participates in student-to-teacher, student-to-student, and
group verbal interactions.
ELA11LSV2 The student formulates reasoned judgments about written and oral
communication in various media genres. The student delivers focused, coherent, and
polished presentations that convey a clear and distinct perspective, demonstrate solid
reasoning, and combine traditional rhetorical strategies of narration, exposition,
persuasion, and description.
ELA11C1 The student demonstrates understanding and control of the rules of the
English language, realizing that usage involves the appropriate application of conventions
and grammar in both written and spoken formats.
ELA11C2 The student demonstrates understanding of manuscript form, realizing that
different forms of writing require different formats.
ELA11W1 The student produces writing that establishes an appropriate organizational
structure, sets a context and engages the reader, maintains a coherent focus throughout,
and signals a satisfying closure.
ELA11W2 The student demonstrates competence in a variety of genres.
ELA11W3 The student uses research and technology to support writing.
NCTE/IRA Standards:
1. Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of
texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire
new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and
for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and
contemporary works.
2. Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an
understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human
experience.
3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and
appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers
and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification
strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence,
sentence structure, context, graphics).
4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions,
style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for
different purposes.
5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing
process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of
purposes.
6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling
and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique,
and discuss print and non-print texts.
7. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions,
and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of
sources (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries
in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries,
databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create
and communicate knowledge.
9. Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language use,
patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions, and social roles.
11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a
variety of literacy communities.
12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes
(e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
EQ: What contributed to Americans’ changing attitudes about America?
EQ: How have the collective minority voices affected the majority voice (especially as
related to literature)?
EQ: What defines American culture today?
11th Grade American Literature: 2nd Semester
Instructor: Mrs. Rachel Beetschen
Office Location: Room 227
Office Hours: 2:30-3:45 p.m. and by appt.
Office Phone: 770-227-1234
E-mail: rbeetschen@district.gov
Class Time: 9:15-10:05
Class Location: Room 227
Web Site:http://www.rbeetsch.com/amlit
Tardies
 Tardies are either excused or unexcused. An excused tardy requires a note from
an administrator, parent, or teacher.
 Tardies are a disruption to the learning process in my classroom. Therefore, every
third unexcused tardy results in one absence.
Absences



Please remember that school policy states you may only have a total of eight
absences. This includes excused and unexcused absences. Any more than eight
and you will automatically fail the course and be required to retake the class.
Excused absences and unexcused absences will reduce the total available
participation grade points. Regardless of the reason, if you are not in class I can
not give you participation points. However, if the absence is excused you will
have a chance to make up the day’s work.
Unexcused absences will result in a total loss of participation points for the day
as well as a missed opportunity to make up class work. You will still be
responsible for completing the day’s homework assignment.
Missed Work
 Missing a day of class means missing a day of important information and integral
learning. Please be sure to get a copy of the day’s notes from a classmate. I would
suggest acquiring two study buddies at the beginning of the year so you will not
miss out on class notes. It is not my responsibility to write these notes for you.
 You have as many days as you missed to complete missed work. In other words if
you missed three days, then you have three days to make up missed work from the
day of your return to my class.
 All copies of homework will be placed in the homework box. It is your
responsibility to pick up any missed homework before you leave class
immediately following any absence.
Late Work
 Sometimes we all get a little overwhelmed. If this is the case or you are having
trouble completing an assignment please see me immediately. I am happy to work
with any student who needs my assistance.




My policy is that if you know something is going to be late you must tell me as
soon as possible or 48 hours prior to the assignment deadline in order to have
your late work be “excused”.
Any student who does not meet this deadline will be considered to be late turning
in an assignment and therefore will have “unexcused” late work.
“Excused” late work will be accepted for a 5% grade reduction for every day that
it is late.
“Unexcused” late work will be accepted for a 10% grade reduction for every day
that it is late.
Revision
 I believe that writing is always a work in progress.
 Therefore, any student choosing to revise their work will have one week from the
time that I return the work to revise it.
 If you score a 50% the first time this is not a final grade!
 Once the work is revised I will take the revised grade as the final grade.
Therefore, if the first time you get a 50%, but the second time you get a 90%, then
your final score will be a 90%.
 Not all work is subject to revision! Work not subject to revision would include
group projects, and tests.
Rules
Students must come to class prepared.
This means students must bring all
necessary items to class. Students should
have books, writing utensils, binders,
journals, and homework.
Personal needs should be taken care of
before class. Please use the bathroom
before class.
Cell phones and electronic devices must
not be used in class.
Be respectful and courteous to peers and
teacher.
Honesty is expected at all times.
Consequences
2 points will be taken off of daily
participation grade for coming to class
unprepared.
Students will be permitted to use the
restroom only in emergency situations.
According to school policy.
Student will lose 5-10 daily participation
points for disrespectful behavior (teacher’s
discretion). Student will be referred to the
office for continued disrespect.
Students found cheating will receive a zero
for any work cheated on. In addition,
students will receive a call home for any
cheating incidences.
Beginning of Class Procedures


Upon entering class students should prepare for class by sharpening pencils,
throwing away trash, making sure they have all books and supplies.
Students should be sitting in assigned desk before the tardy bell rings.

Students will write in journals during the first ten minutes of class.
End of Class Procedures
 Students must write down the homework assignment in their agendas every day
before leaving class.
 Journals will be turned in at the end of class every Friday to the appropriate class
shelf.
 Please leave the room cleaner than you found it by looking around for any trash or
scrap before leaving your seat.
 Students must leave the room in a calm and orderly manner.
Required Materials
 Writing utensils: 2 No.2 pencils, 2 blue or black pens, 1 red pen, 1 highlighter
 3 ring binder, tabbed dividers, paper, and a school agenda notebook
 Course Packet: which will include all of our supplementary reading materials
 Novels which will be provided in class:
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Night by Elie Weisel
One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
Tears of a Tiger by Sharon M. Draper
 Highlighting tape
Assessment
Exams (4 exams): 40%
Final (MGRP): 20%
In-class work: 5%
Home Work: 5%
Writing: 10%
Group Projects: 20%
Extra Credit: 10%
Extra Credit will be granted on an as needed basis. If needed
you could earn 10% in extra credit points during the semester.
Extra credit will be given in the form of bonus writing
assignments for various school or PTA functions.
Dear Student,
Welcome back to school! You are receiving this letter due to the fact that you are a student in my
eleventh grade American Literature course. As we begin our second semester I would like to take a
moment to make you familiar with the works of literature that we will be exploring. Should you have
any questions at any time during the semester you can contact me via my office number or by email on
my website. Please sign and return the student agreement on the bottom of the last page of this letter.
Main Novels:
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Night by Elie Weisel
One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
Tears of a Tiger by Sharon M. Draper
Short Stories:
This Strange New Feeling (selections from) by Julius Lester
Jailed for Freedom (selection from) by Doris Stevens
The Making of Americans (selection from) by Gertrude Stein
No-No Boy (selection from) by John Okada
The Vanishing American Hobo (selection from) by Jack Kerouac
“Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin
In the Field (selection from) by Tim O’Brien
The Armies of the Night (selection from) by Norman Mailer
“A Tattoo on Her Heart” by Charles De Lint
Poems:
“Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen
“Merry Go Round” by Langston Hughes
“We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks
“Howl” by Allen Ginsberg
Essays/Speeches:
“The Souls of Black Folk” by W.E.B. Dubois
“I Have a Dream”, by Martin Luther King Jr.
Film:
The following films will be included as a compliment to the course and our reading. They will not take
the place of reading. These films are to be analyzed as alternate forms of literature. They have been
edited for content and for classroom appropriateness.
The Color Purple
Iron Jawed Angels
Swing Kids
Platoon
One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest
As part of an effort to integrate your home and school life we are asking your parent or guardian’s
participation in a volunteer program. You and your parent/guardian will be asked to read two novels
of your/their choosing outside of this class written by American authors. You will have to choose one
classic and one young adult novel from the school library, your own public library, or your local
bookstore (although it is not required that these books be purchased) that deal with this semester’s
theme. This theme is as follows: the minority influence and shaping of America and American Culture.
If you should have any problems locating titles please refer to my website where you will find a
recommended reading list of appropriate and engaging novels. I believe that our country was founded
and shaped by courageous individuals who risked much (often their own lives) for what they believed
was right. In so doing these individuals went against the authority and status quo of the time. Often
they lost their lives or the lives of those they loved. Besides reading the novels along with your
parent/guardian there will be assignments related to these readings that you will be responsible for.
Should your parent/guardian decline to volunteer there will be optional assignments for individual
reading.
I ________________________(please print your name here) agree to give my all
and do my very best during this semester. I understand that should I have any
trouble at any time completing the necessary assignments I will immediately
contact my teacher. I agree to follow the classroom rules and procedures. I
understand that at the teacher’s discretion my parent/guardian may be contacted.
Please sign and date below:
_________________________________ (signature) ________________ (date)
Dear Parents and Guardians,
You are receiving this letter due to the fact that your young adult is a student in my eleventh grade
American Literature course. I would like to take just a moment to make you familiar with what the
students will be reading in my class. Should you have any questions regarding the required reading for
this semester please feel free to contact me. You can contact me via my office numer or by email on my
website. I would like your approval before the students read these pieces as should there be any issues
together we can be proactive in addressing them before they happen and give the student(s) an optional
text. Please sign and return the parent consent document on the bottom of the last page of this letter.
Main Novels:
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Night by Elie Weisel
One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
Tears of a Tiger by Sharon M. Draper
Short Stories:
This Strange New Feeling (selections from) by Julius Lester
Jailed for Freedom (selection from) by Doris Stevens
The Making of Americans (selection from) by Gertrude Stein
No-No Boy (selection from) by John Okada
The Vanishing American Hobo (selection from) by Jack Kerouac
“Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin
In the Field (selection from) by Tim O’Brien
The Armies of the Night (selection from) by Norman Mailer
“A Tattoo on Her Heart” by Charles De Lint
Poems:
“Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen
“Merry Go Round” by Langston Hughes
“We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks
“Howl” by Allen Ginsberg
Essays/Speeches:
“The Souls of Black Folk” by W.E.B. Dubois
“I Have a Dream”, by Martin Luther King Jr.
Film:
The following films will be included as a compliment to the course and our reading. They will not take
the place of reading. These films are to be analyzed as alternate forms of literature. They have been
edited for content and for classroom appropriateness.
The Color Purple
Iron Jawed Angels
Swing Kids
Platoon
One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest
As part of an effort to integrate the student’s home and school life we are asking your participation in
a volunteer program. This volunteer program was designed for you to actively participate in your
student’s education regardless of any time restraints that typically make it hard for you to participate
during school hours. We are asking your participation in an outside reading program that is described
below. You and your student will be asked to read two novels of your/their choosing outside of this
class written by American authors. You will have to choose one classic and one young adult novel from
the school library, your own public library, or your local bookstore (although it is not required that
these books be purchased) that deal with this semester’s theme. This theme is as follows: the minority
influence and shaping of America and American Culture. I believe that our country was founded and
shaped by courageous individuals who risked much (often their own lives) for what they believed was
right. In so doing these individuals went against the authority and status quo of the time. Often they
lost their lives or the lives of those they loved. Besides reading the novels along with your student
there will be assignments related to these readings that the student will be responsible for. Your
participation in this program would be greatly appreciated.
I ________________________(please print your name here) give full consent for
my student ________________________________(please print student name) to
participate fully and read all of the listed materials for this class. By signing this I
have waived my right to object to any of these listed materials. If you do not choose
to sign at this time please list all comments immediately below and return to the
classroom teacher ASAP:
Please check one of the following:
I will be able to participate in the volunteer program __________
I will not be able to participate in the volunteer program ___________
If not please understand that your student will have alternative assignments for the
required reading.
Please sign and date below:
_________________________________ (signature) ________________ (date)
Reconstruction, Regionalism, and Realism: Test Assessment Narrative
Narrative for Their Eyes Were Watching God Test
As recommended by Wiggins and McTighe (pp. 14) and Burke (pp. 255-257), I
have incorporated the use of Backward Design in all of my assessments. The test for the
novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston incorporates a variety of
testing questions. I have divided the test into sections that follow the Backwards Design
idea of testing. In particular, I have followed the model that Wiggins and McTighe offer
for composing a test (pp.14). The first sections of the test assess for factual information.
The next two sections of the test assess for conceptual information. I have incorporated
both short answer response and selected response. The multiple choice and fill in the
blank sections of the test have clear answers that could not be confused as long as the
student read the novel.
The test is designed to assess the students on various levels. I have included
knowledge questions in all of the questions on the test. I have addressed comprehension
in both the short answer and essay portions of the test. The students are required to
analyze the text on the essay portion of the test. In the essay section of the test I have
included synthesis by asking the students to compare, contrast, and make connections.
Finally, I have incorporated evaluation in the essay portion of the test when asking them
to put themselves in the main character’s situation.
I have included an answer key that allows for easy scoring of the test. Although
the short answer and essay portions are a little more subjective I will remain open to
various student answers as long as they make sense and are well supported. I have also
included a rubric for the scoring of the essay portion of the test. I believe that the answer
key and rubric that I have created easily access scoring of this test.
Most importantly the test is as Wiggins and McTighe put it “secure” (pp.14). That
is that there is no way for the students to know ahead of time what I will be testing them
on. However, I do plan to incorporate each aspect that is being tested in class discussions,
homework, and finally the review. I do plan to review the day before the test by engaging
the students in an open ended discussion of the major characters, themes, and plot points
in the novel. I will not lead the discussion to center around exactly what I have created in
the test.
Students will have had to actually read all of the novel, participated in class
discussions, and completed the homework assignments to meet the goals of
understanding on this test. I do not ask for random information, but rather key
components of the larger issues, themes, and ideas. Students must show evidence of
understanding by applying easily remembered facts from the text to their short answer
and essay writing. This method of assessment is the best option for this point in the
semester, the novel, and to assess student understanding. Students will be asked to further
incorporate their understanding of the novel in the larger performance task of this unit.
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Name: _____________________ Date: _________________ Class: _______________
The following questions are worth 3 points each. Write the capital letter on the line.
______ 1. What did Janie think when she first saw herself in a photograph?
A. she realized she was not like the other children
B. she thought her dress looked poor and tattered
C. she didn’t recognize herself
D. a and c only
______ 2. Janie was raised by:
A. her father
B. her mother
C. her grandmother
D. her neighbor
______ 3. Janie’s marriage was:
A. a love match
B. due to her pregnancy
C. arranged by her Nanny
D. due to Janie’s greed
______ 4. Janie’s first marriage was lacking:
A. love
B. money
C. conversation
D. a and c only
______ 5. Janie’s Nanny said that the black woman was:
A. meant to be a princess
B. the most beautiful being in the world
C. a goddess
D. a mule
The following questions are worth 3 points each. Please fill in the blank by choosing
a word from the word bank below.
6. _________________ seduced Janie with conversation and companionship.
7. Eventually, Janie was treated like _____________________________ by Joe.
8. Joe Starks became ______________________ of Eatonville.
9. Joe Starks went to a ___________________________to treat his illness.
10. __________________ warned Janie about Tea Cake.
Joe Starks
root doctor
mayor
Hezekiah
property
The following questions are worth 5 points each. Please answer in two or three
sentences. Remember to use specific examples from our reading when you can.
11. Why did Janie leave Logan?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
12. How did Janie and Joe’s relationship change when they got to Eatonville?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
13. Describe Janie’s actions that Joe did not like.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
14. How did Janie’s relationship with Tea Cake differ from her relationship with Joe?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
15. How does Janie find out that Tea Cake is a good man?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
The following short essays are worth 15 points each. Please choose 3 of the questions
to answer and in only 4-6 sentences. Remember to use specific examples from our
reading when you can.
16. How does Zora Neale Hurston’s background in anthropology and folktales influence
this novel?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
17. Compare and contrast Janie and Celie from The Color Purple.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
18. What symbols or signs of the coming storm occur prior to the hurricane? Explain.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
19. Towards the end of Tea Cake’s life Janie makes some very tough decisions. In the
same circumstances could you have done what Janie did for Tea Cake? Why or why not?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
20. Does Janie finally have what she wants at the end of the novel? Why or why not?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Answer Key:
1. D
2. C
3. C
4. D
5. D
6. Joe Starks
7. property
8. mayor
9. root doctor
10. Hezekiah
11. Janie was didn’t love him, no connection, he treated like a
roommate, etc…
12. Joe stopped treating Janie like an equal, started treating her like
an object, conversations ended, etc…
13. Janie started to talk back, speak her mind in front of others,
etc…
14. Tea Cake and Janie really were equals, she had finally found
love and companionship, etc…
15. Tea Cake treats her like an equal, he takes care of her, he
teacher things, etc…
16. -20. These are short essays and will be graded on an individual
basis for content and some grammar as listed in the rubric.
Rubric for short essays:
Presentation/Organization
Grammar Use and
Mechanics
Writing Growth
Content
5-Great Job!
Well organized!
1-5 grammar errors.
3-Room to grow.
Somewhat organized.
5-10 grammar errors.
1-Needs work.
Very little organization.
No effort shown.
Exceeded expectations.
Some effort shown, but
didn’t meet all
expectations.
A few of the necessary
points were made.
Very little effort shown,
did not meet any
expectations.
None of the necessary
points were made.
Majority of the
necessary points were
made.
Reconstruction, Regionalism, and Realism: Academic Prompt Assessment Narrative
Narrative for Lyric Writing Prompt
As recommended by Burke (pp. 151) and Rief (pp. 164), I will incorporate a
creative, published writing assignment into this unit of study. The assignment asks
students to write a song based on lyrical styles that we will have studied during that
week. The project will incorporate their new found understanding of the rhythm, pattern,
form, and style of African American Spirituals, Gospel, or the Blues. This assignment
will also ask them to be thoughtful, honest, and write from the heart. They will be
documenting a personal experience in the form of one of these styles. Their final product
will be a creative expression of their song. This expression will either be in the form of a
fully illustrated poster board or a performance of the song.
Students will begin learning about these three highly influential and important
musical styles in the beginning of the week. I will spend the first day taking the students
to the computer lab to work on a Web Study that I have created about the source of these
three styles and its’ representation today as African American Spirituals. The students
will have required reading of three Spirituals and a worksheet that asks them to respond
to what they have read. The following day we will spend time looking at the history of
Gospel and its’ current manifestation by listening to a radio cast found at
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId= 4233793. We will also read the
accompanying article. As a follow up for this activity the students will be required to read
three Gospel songs and complete a worksheet that asks them to respond to what they
have read. Finally, on the last day we will listen to a podcast of the history of the blues
found at http://www.deltabluesmuseum.com/. We will also read a couple of the items
found on the sites educational page. The students will then be required to follow up the
day’s lesson by reading three Blues songs and responding to the reading on a worksheet I
provide.
The students will be given a handout that I have designed explaining the purpose,
goals, and expectations of this writing assessment. As recommended by Wiggins and
McTighe (pp.14), the Academic Prompt I provide will be open ended. The students will
be given choice as to what style they will write. After careful analysis of each of these
styles through the week the students should be familiar with the rhythm, pattern, form,
and style of these three lyrical mediums. As suggested by Wiggins and McTighe I will
also ask the students to write a one paragraph explanation of why they chose the
particular lyrical style and how their song represents this. The scoring guide that I have
created to accompany this assignment reflects the goals of the assignment as well as the
goals of the semester. The students will be familiar, given this is the second semester,
with the writing standards of the classroom.
Finally, the students will be given creative freedom to produce the final product in
one of two ways. The students must either perform or display their art. The final day of
the week that this assignment is due is also our class’ Performance Project day (which I
go into further on the assessment narrative for that project). On this particular day the
students will be enacting a Living History in my classroom. The walls will act as a
gallery for those students who chose to illustrate their lyrics on a poster board. The
students who choose to perform their songs will be given time in the classroom to do this.
The Land of Lyrics
Welcome to the Land of Lyrics! Where is this you ask? Well, right here in our classroom.
America’s music has been shaped, formed, and influenced in many ways by the
Spirituals, Gospel, and Blues that we have been studying this week. We have spent a day
engrossed in each of these three musical art forms and their origins. Now, it is time to put
to the test what you have learned!
How do we do that you ask? Well, you will be taking inspiration from one of these highly
influential musical art forms and writing your very own lyrics! Ack! How do we do that!?
Before you panic, slow down, and take a deep breath. Do I expect you to write a song
about some great biblical figure? Or how about how sad you’ve been since yo’ baby left
you by the roadside? No! I expect you to draw from your own life experience. The first
rule of writing? Write from the heart! That means write what you know. I do expect you
to follow the rhythm, pattern, and structure of one of these lyrical styles.
Your song must:
 Have 15-30 lines
 Follow the structure of your lyrical style choice (this includes number of stanzas,
repetition, etc…)
 Be one page typed with a one paragraph explanation of what lyrical style you chose
and how this style is represented in your lyrics
Your finished product must be:
 A piece that you are willing and ready to perform
 Or, typed or hand written on an illustrated poster board
20-25: Great Job!
Presentation/Organization Artfully crafted,
clearly put effort
into this
13-19: Room to
grow.
Pretty messy or
chaotic, rushed the
assignment.
0-12: Needs work.
Did not produce a
final product or
final product was
Lyrical Conventions
Paragraph of Explanation
Content
assignment.
Understood and
followed the
conventions.
Paragraph is
logical, shows
evidence of
knowledge, and
meets writing
standards.
Lyrics were
thoughtful, honest,
creative, and well
done.
not presentable.
Understood some
Showed little
of the conventions, evidence of
but may have
following any of
mixed one style
the conventions or
with another.
simply did your
own thing.
Paragraph is
Paragraph is
logical, shows
incomplete or was
little evidence of
not done at all.
knowledge or does
not meet writing
standards.
Lyrics were fairly Lyrics were
well done, but not plagiarized or
very thoughtful.
seriously
resembled a
published song.
Reconstruction, Regionalism, and Realism: Performance Project Assessment
Narrative
Narrative for Living History Performance Project
As recommended by Rief (pp. 149) and Wiggins and McTighe (pp. 14), I will
incorporate a performance project into this unit of study. The Living History
Performance Project asks students to research the Reconstruction, African American
culture after the Emancipation Proclamation, and the town of Eatonville. This project
will incorporate research on various cultural roles, manners, customs, dress, speech, and
artistic expressions (particularly musical).
Students will begin working on this assignment the first week of the semester.
Students will be asked to provide one resource either from the library or the World Wide
Web to be used in further research of this assignment. I will then compile the list and give
the compiled list to each student to aid in their research for this project. During the
second week of the unit students will choose roles and begin researching these roles. The
students will also be required to create and distribute three invitations to parents,
teachers, or administrators. In the third week students will be responsible for turning in a
research analysis and a MLA style works cited page of ten resources that they used.
Students will be asked to bring in old clothes, old material, and any extra brooms,
buckets, or other props that would assist in bringing their character or the town to life.
That same week the students will complete a week long lyrical study that will culminate
in their performing a song or decorating the walls or halls with their written and
illustrated lyrics. Finally, students will create the town of Eatonville in our classroom for
the visiting parents, teachers, and administrators.
Along with the research that the students will conduct, we will spend these first
five weeks exploring the ideas, concepts, and themes tied to this assignment. In the first
week I will begin the semester with a discussion of the Reconstruction period of
American history and literature. We will then, in small groups, read a series of short
stories dealing with the theme of African Americans struggle to create meaningful
relationships post-slavery. During the second, third, and fourth week of the semester we
will read Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God which deals with all of
the themes of the unit, particularly Eatonville. During the fifth week of the unit we will
embark on a musical journey of the rise of African American culture at the turn of the
20th century.
The completion of this project will be both qualitative and quantitative, as I
periodically check students’ progress throughout the unit using a benchmark process, and
performance the day of the Living History Performance Project. This assessment follows
Wiggins and McTighe’s (pp.14) suggestions for a Performance Project. The project
features a real setting where parents, teachers, and administrators are asked to join the
classroom for the day. The students will reenact the townspeople of Eatonville as the
visitors go around the classroom. The students will need to participate with the visitors in
character and able to answer questions posed to them. Finally, the students will ultimately
have a say in all of their choices for this assignment and will be responsible for
personalizing the task.
This particular Performance Project is the best method of assessment for this unit
of study as it immerses the students in the culture they have been studying. Since this is
project will bring to a close the entire unit, the lasting understandings that will be
assessed through this task are related to my essential questions for this unit:
EQ: How much do we control our destiny?
EQ: How did emancipation affect people’s lives/attitudes/behaviors?
EQ: What affect did early African American culture have on our American
culture today?
Bringing Eatonville Alive
This month we will be studying the Reconstruction of America and
American lives after the Civil War. In particular, we will focus on the lives
of African Americans after the Emancipation Proclamation. What changed?
What stayed the same? How did the culture of these citizens affect and
influence who we are today? We will be recreating the town of Eatonville,
the first African American incorporated town in the United States, and its’
residents.
Week One: Locate one resource in the library or on the World Wide Web that would
help in researching for this project. Try “googling”: Eatonville, Zora Neale Hurston, Jim
Crowe, Slave Narratives, Negro Spirituals, Blues, Gospel, Reconstruction, local color,
dialect, jargon, Regionalism, migrant workers, root doctor, etc…
Week Two: Create invitations for family, teachers, and administrators. Choose Living
History roles. Some of the roles that will need to fill in our “Little Eatonville”:
mayor/mayor’s wife, farmer/farmer’s wife, tailor/tailor’s wife, general goods store
owner/owner’s wife, root doctor/root doctor’s wife, migrant workers/migrant workers’
wives, musicians, general townspeople, children, etc…
Week 3: Research for role. Each role must do research on: history, dress, responsibilities,
speech, and anything else that will aid in your bringing your character respectfully and
authentically to life. You must turn in a research analysis and a MLA style works cited
page with 10 resources. Your research analysis must include 3 sentences of how you will
apply each resource.
Week 4: Costumes and sets! Working together we will creatively invent our costumes
from thrift store finds. Please bring in any props that would help bring your character to
life. Any extra props would be appreciated: brooms, buckets, old cloth sheets or material,
etc…
Week 5: Performance! We will bring together all of the final elements for the last day of
this week. On the last day we will open the classroom to our visiting guests for our “Little
Eatonville”.
Living History Performance Rubric
Traits
10
Authenticity
 I definitely stepped
into another’s shoes.
 I still acted like
myself a little.
 Maybe I should have
asked for help.
 I applied my
research to my
role.
 I was able to talk
intelligently and
informatively
from my
character’s
perspective.
 I really worked on
my costume.
 I somewhat applied
my research to my
role.
 I was able to talk a
little about my role.
 I did not apply my
research
 I did not complete
my research.
 I put my costume
together.
 What costume?
 I showed respect for
my role.
 I joked a little out of
character.
 I was disrespectful.
Ideas
 This is my
character’s world.
 My character’s world
is still growing.
 What character?
Responsibility
 I acted as part of a
team to put this
together.
 I could have helped
more.
 I didn’t help at all.
Research
Appearance
Respect
5
1
Benchmarks:
_____/10
_____/10
_____/10
_____/10
_____/60
Week 1: One resource from the library or the web.
Week 2: Created and handed out 3 invitations.
Week 3: Research analysis and 10 resources.
Week 4: Bring in any old clothes or set/prop pieces to be used OR lead a
team in designing the set or costumes.
Week 5: Performance rubric.
Name: Rachel Beetschen
School: Kennesaw State University
Lesson Title: Web Study
Annotation: Students will be taken to the computer lab for this assignment. Students will be
directed to http://ctl.du.edu/spirituals/History/ where they will study the origin of African
American music. This study is particularly about Negro Spirituals, but as this is the foundation
for much of African American and African American influenced music they will gain an
understanding of the influence and importance of this musical genre and the musical genres we
will study during a week long unit on Spirituals, Gospel, and the Blues.
Primary Learning Outcome:
EQ: How does our understanding of History shape our understanding of today?
EQ: How can technology assist us in furthering our understanding of the world?
Assessed GPS’s:
ELAALRL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to
their contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time
periods.
ELA11W3 The student uses research and technology to support writing.
National Standards:
 Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an
understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States
and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and
demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among
these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.

Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to
build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical,
aesthetic) of human experience
Materials:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Pen/Pencil
Web Study worksheet
Computer
Homework: 3 Spiritual song lyrics, 1 reader response worksheet
Total Duration: 30 minutes
Technology Connection:
Students will be taken to the school’s computer lab. Students will be directed to the following
website: http://ctl.du.edu/spirituals/History/. Students will be asked to search the website for
answers to the questions that I have posed in a Web Study worksheet. Students will also listen to
the various recordings found on the website.
Procedures:
1. The students will begin the day by journaling in their daily journals. (10 minutes)
2. The teacher will ask the students to line up, bring their belongings and proceed to the
computer lab. (5 minutes)
3. The students will each take a seat at a computer in the computer lab. (1 min)
4. The teacher will introduce the students to the day’s lesson, purpose, and hand out the
Web Study worksheet. (4 minutes)
5. The students will follow the direction on the worksheet, place headphones on at each
station, and proceed to fill out the worksheet. (30 minutes)
6. As students turn in their completed Web Study worksheet they will also pick up a
homework packet to be completed that night.
Assessment:
The lesson will be assessed based on two different assessments. The first assessment will be
based on the completion of the Web Study worksheet. The second assessment will be based on
the completion and content of the homework packet.
Extension:
Students who already have an understanding of this topic will have the opportunity to write their
own Spiritual in class that reflects the pattern, rhythm, form, and conventions of this lyrical style.
Remediation:
Students who may struggle with the pacing or the content of this piece will be provided with an
altered Cornell note style Web Study that will facilitate their finding the answers independently
while also keeping them on track and making the task manageable. My alteration of Cornell notes
asks students to fill in a few basic words while providing them with the rest of the sentence. This
alteration focuses student learning.
Works Cited and Consulted:
"Georgia Standards.Org." Georgia Department of Education. 2 Dec. 2007
<http://www.georgiastandards.org/english.aspx>.
Jones, Arthur C. "Sweet Chariot: the Story of the Spirituals." The Spirituals Project. 2004.
University of Denver. 2 Dec. 2007 <http://ctl.du.edu/spirituals/History/>.
"Standards for the English Language Arts." NCTE. 2 Dec. 2007
<http://www.ncte.org/about/over/standards/110846.htm>.
Name:_________________ Date:_____________ Period:_____
Spirituals: A Web Study
Directions: Log on to http://ctl.du.edu/spirituals/History/. Read through the
sections that I have highlighted below to find the answers. Answer the
questions below in 2-3 complete sentences.
Historical Overview
1. What are Spirituals?
2. Approximately, when did Spirituals originate?
3. What did early Spirituals become a signal for?
4. Why were white slave owners threatened by Spirituals?
5. What was the name of the first professional group of Spiritual singers? How did
they affect the growth and longevity of Spirituals?
6. When did concert performance of Spirituals reach its peak? Name two of these
popular singers.
7. What musical style took the place of Spirituals in the church?
8. What other art forms did Spirituals influence?
Survival and Resilience
9. What does the song, “No More Auction Block for Me”, pay tribute to?
10. How does the singer’s voice make you feel?
11. How are Spirituals paradoxical?
12. What does a “sorrow song” begin with and end with?
13. In the song “City Called Heaven” does the choir keep the same tone throughout
the piece? Why do you think this is?
14. What were “Heaven” and “Jordan” symbolic references for?
15. What does a “song of joy” minimize? What does it emphasize?
16. What are the two refrains (repeated lines) in the song “I ant to be Ready”?
Freedom and Equality
17. What were the four purposes of Spirituals in the fight for freedom?
18. What is a “ring shout”?
19. How does the choral group add to the rhythm in the song “Run, Mary, Run, You
Got a Right to the Tree of Life”?
20. What did Old Testament figures symbolize to the slaves?
21. What word does the sound clip for “Go Down, Moses” end with? What could we
compare this with?
22. What were two common types of coded Spirituals?
23. What did a “signal song” communicate?
24. What purpose did the song, “Follow the Drinking Gourd”, hold? What did the
“Drinking Gourd” stand for?
25. How does the sound clip for “Follow the Drinking Gourd” differ from the other
sound clips we have heard so far?
Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel
Didn't my lord deliver Daniel, deliver Daniel, deliver Daniel.
Didn't my lord deliver Daniel, then why not every man.
He delivered Daniel from the lion's den,
Jonah from the belly of the whale.
And the Hebrew children from the fiery furnace,
then why not every man.
Didn't my lord deliver Daniel, deliver Daniel, deliver Daniel.
Didn't my lord deliver Daniel, then why not every man.
I set my foot on the gospel ship and the ship began to sail.
It landed me over on Canaan's shore and I’ll never come back no more.
Didn't my lord deliver Daniel, deliver Daniel, deliver Daniel.
Didn't my lord deliver Daniel, then why not every man.
Ol' Man River
Ol' man river,
Dat ol' man river
He mus'know sumpin'
But don't say nuthin',
He jes'keeps rollin'
He keeps on rollin' along.
He don' plant taters/tators,
He don't plant cotton,
An' dem dat plants'em
is soon forgotten,
But ol'man river,
He jes keeps rollin'along.
You an'me, we sweat an' strain,
Body all achin' an' racket wid pain,
Tote dat barge!
Lif' dat bale!
Git a little drunk
An' you land in jail.
Ah gits weary
An' sick of tryin'
Ah'm tired of livin'
An' skeered of dyin',
But ol' man river,
He jes'keeps rolling' along.
[Colored folks work on de Mississippi,
Colored folks work while de white folks play,
Pullin' dose boats from de dawn to sunset,
Gittin' no rest till de judgement day.
or musical part]
Don't look up
An' don't look down,
You don' dast make
De white boss frown.
Bend your knees
An'bow your head,
An' pull date rope
Until you' dead.)
Let me go 'way from the Mississippi,
Let me go 'way from de white man boss;
Show me dat stream called de river Jordan,
Dat's de ol' stream dat I long to cross.
O' man river,
Dat ol' man river,
He mus'know sumpin'
But don't say nuthin'
He jes' keeps rollin'
He keeps on rollin' along.
Long ol' river forever keeps rollin' on...
He don' plant tater,
He don' plant cotton,
An' dem dat plants 'em
Is soon forgotten,
but ol' man river,
He jes' keeps rollin' along.
Long ol' river keeps hearing dat song.
You an' me, we sweat an' strain,
Body all achin an' racked wid pain.
Tote dat barge!
Lif' dat bale!
Git a little drunk
An' you land in jail.
Ah, gits weary
An' sick of tryin'
Ah'm tired of livin'
An' skeered of dyin',
But ol' man river,
He jes'keeps rollin' along!
Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho
Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
Jericho Jericho
Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
And the walls come tumbling down
God knows that
Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
Jericho Jericho
Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
And the walls come tumbling down
Good morning sister Mary
Good morning brother John
Well I wanna stop and talk with you
Wanna tell you how I come along
I know you've heard about Joshua
He was the son of Nun
He never stopped his work until
Until the work was done
God knows that
Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
Jericho Jericho
Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
And the walls come tumbling down
You may talk about your men of Gideon
You may brag about your men of Saul
There's none like good old Joshua
At the battle of Jericho
Up to the walls of Jericho
He marched with spear in hand
Go blow them ram horns, Joshua cried
'Cause the battle is in my hands
God knows that
Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
Jericho Jericho
Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
And the walls come tumbling down
You may talk about your men of Gideon
You may brag about your king of Saul
There none like Joshua
At the battle of Jericho
They tell me, great God that Joshua spear
Was well nigh twelve feet long
And upon his hip was a double edged sword
And his mouth was a gospel horn
Yet bold and brave he stood
Salvation in his hand
Go blow them ram horns Joshua cried
'Cause the devil can't do you no harm
Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
Jericho Jericho
Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
And the walls come tumbling down
Up to the walls of Jericho
He marched with spear in hand
Go blow them ram horns, Joshua cried
'Cause the battle is in my hands
Then the lamb ram sheep horns began to blow
The trumpets began to sound
Old Joshua shouted glory
And the walls came tumblin' down
God knows that
Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
Jericho Jericho
Joshua fit the battle of Jericho
And the walls come tumbling down
Down, down, down, down, down
Tumblin' down
Reading and Responding
Directions: Read all three songs. Respond to the three songs by answering the
questions below. Your answers should be in complete sentences and supported by the
lyrical text. Please include what you have learned from the day’s discussion when
necessary.
1. What title grabs your attention the most? What does this title mean in context
of the song? What else does the title remind you of?
2. Which song do you most connect with? Why does this particular song stick
out for you?
3. Compare and contrast the rhythm of these three songs.
4. Compare and contrast the form of these three songs.
5. Compare and contrast the pattern of these three songs.
Name: Rachel Beetschen
School: Kennesaw State University
Lesson Title: History of Gospel
Annotation: Students will read the article found at
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php? storyId=4233793. Students will also listen to the
recorded broadcast found at this site. Students will respond to what they read and listen to on a
modified Cornell notes style handout. This study is particularly about Gospel They will gain an
understanding of the influence and importance of this musical genre and the musical genres we
will study during a week long unit on Spirituals, Gospel, and the Blues.
Primary Learning Outcome:
EQ: How does our understanding of History shape our understanding of today?
EQ: How can technology assist us in furthering our understanding of the world?
Assessed GPS’s:
ELAALRL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to
their contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time
periods.
ELA11W3 The student uses research and technology to support writing.
National Standards:
 Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an
understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States
and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and
demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among
these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.

Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to
build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical,
aesthetic) of human experience
Materials:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Pen/Pencil
Reprinted article
Cornell Notes worksheet
Computer
Homework: 3 Gospel song lyrics, 1 reader response worksheet
Total Duration: 30 minutes
Technology Connection:
The teacher will use a computer and computer speakers for the purpose of the day’s lesson. The
teacher will play a sound recording from the following site: http://www.npr.org/templates
/story/story.php? storyId=4233793. Students will listen to the recording to complete particular
notes compiled on a worksheet.
Procedures:
7. The students will begin the day by journaling in their daily journals. (10 minutes)
8. The students will then be asked to put up their costumes for a group Performance Project
later in the week. The students will be asked to attach their names to the particular
costume. The teacher will check to be sure everyone’s costumes are turned in and ready.
(10 minutes)
9. The teacher will introduce the students to the day’s lesson, purpose, and hand out the
article and Cornell Notes. (5 minutes)
10. The students will first listen to the recording and fill out the Cornell Notes. (8 minutes)
11. The students will then read the article and fill out the Cornell Notes. (22 minutes)
12. As students turn in their completed Cornell Notes they will also pick up a homework
packet to be completed that night.
Assessment:
The lesson will be assessed based on two different assessments. The first assessment will be
based on the completion of the Cornell Notes. The second assessment will be based on the
completion and content of the homework packet.
Extension:
Students who already have an understanding of this topic will have the opportunity to write their
own Gospel in class that reflects the pattern, rhythm, form, and conventions of this lyrical style.
Remediation:
Students who may struggle with the pacing or the content of this piece will be provided with a
taped recording of the broadcast and allowed to finish both the Cornell Notes and the homework
packet that night.
Works Cited and Consulted:
"Georgia Standards.Org." Georgia Department of Education. 2 Dec. 2007
<http://www.georgiastandards.org/english.aspx>.
Norris, Michele. "A History of Gospel Music." NPR.Org. 2007. NPR. 2 Dec. 2007
<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4233793>.
"Standards for the English Language Arts." NCTE. 2 Dec. 2007
<http://www.ncte.org/about/over/standards/110846.htm>.
NPR's Michele Norris discusses the rich history of gospel and spirituals with Robert
Darden, author of People Get Ready.
Book Excerpt: 'People Get Ready'
Mahalia Jackson, like Thomas Dorsey, arrived at a particular point in time, a point where
— in retrospect — it is always easy to identify the intersection of demand and talent. It's
possible that Mahalia's gift was such that had she arrived earlier or later she still would
have had an overpowering impact. In writing about Frank Sinatra, musicologist Henry
Pleasants says that he was "neither pioneer nor radical." Instead, he claims Sinatra was
"simply a musical genius who arrived at a moment predestined for that genius." The
parallel with Mahalia is unmistakable. Hindsight indicates that where the demand for this
kind of music meets this kind of talent, something lasting always occurs:
"And with the changing music came a new style of performance, a style that emphasized
movement and improvisation, a style that demanded emotional involvement and
personalized expression. Dorsey's model singers — those who initially presented the
songs and then coached the young choruses — all came straight out of the sanctified
church. Sallie Martin, Mahalia Jackson and Willie Mae Ford Smith all believed in letting
the Holy Ghost have Its way; each of them made this belief performatively obvious in her
singing. The new choruses, under these vocalists' careful tutelage, thus learned more than
just new tunes. They also received training in the freedom and faith of singing in the
Spirit."
Especially in the African American Holiness churches, "experience pervades all
description of worship and performance." Each service, each song, is designed to invite
the presence of the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Protestant church's "Holy
Trinity." What Jackson was apparently able to do better than virtually all singers before
or after her, according to numerous eyewitness accounts, was take listeners to a place
where they could feel the "touch" of the Holy Spirit. This is an experience, writes Hinson,
that is best "described in metaphors of fire and mystery:"
"Transcending emotion, this spiritual 'anointing' is upheld as the pinnacle of human
experience. Its advent - said to be facilitated by the mind-focusing power of praise and
prayer, song and sermon - serves as the experiential leitmotif of religious expression in
the sanctified church."
How Mahalia Jackson came to possess such a voice, one that so effortlessly brought
about this "anointing," may ultimately be impossible to determine. Perhaps it was simply
a gift, like the one bestowed on Mozart. Its origins - and its recipients' worthiness — may
vex the likes of a Salieri in Milo Forman's Amadeus, but it is readily apparent to all who
hear it. In many African American churches, the absence or presence of such a gift is
signaled by a series of responses from the congregation. According to a study by
Mellonee Burnim, respondents repeatedly and consistently reported that for the Holy
Spirit to be present, the singer is required to possess a voice that "must transmit intensity,
fullness, and the sense that tremendous energy is being expelled." If this happens, the
congregation will spontaneously respond with phrases such as:
"She's blowing!"
"She's jamming; she can't help it!"
"(The) girl is burning!"
"Now that's getting' it, boy."
"She's tough."
"Sing!"
"She's getting' down."
"The girl needs to sit down and rest a while!"
"I guess after that song that's all you need to do."
This, of course, is exactly what happened in the numerous contemporary accounts of
Mahalia Jackson performances. During a particularly emotional church service during
this period, Laurraine Goreau records one overwhelmed congregant as shouting, "That
woman sing too hard; she going to have TB!"
And thus, in the heart of the Depression, began the rise of one of America's greatest
singers.
From People Get Ready: A New History of Black Gospel Music Copyright © 2004 by
Robert Darden. Publisher: Continuum International Publishing Group.
Name:
Date:
Class:
A History of Gospel
1. ______________________________ is a beloved American art form.
2. The __________________________ of the music are not well
documented.
3. _________________________________ were churches found on the
plantations of the South where religion was not encouraged.
4. Gospel music and __________________________________ have been
cross-pollinated by the likes of such performers as Ray Charles.
5. Gospel, an American art form, has found footholds overseas in places
like ____________________________________________.
6. The changing musical performance style of Gospel emphasized
_______________________________ and demanded
____________________________.
7. Mahalia Jackson was able to help her audience feel
__________________________.
8. The call and response of Gospel is called a
____________________________ in Spirituals.
9. Mahalia Jackson began as a rising star during the
_____________________________________.
10. Summarize the purpose of the article in your own words.
Dark Was the Night
Dark was the night, cold was the ground, on which my Lord was laid.
Mine was the debt, mine was the crime for which my Savior paid.
How could He die? How could He die to save a soul like mine?
To save a soul like mine?
Cold was the night, black was the tomb. They sealed it with a stone.
Still was the air, stilled was His breath, and there He lay alone.
Body and blood, broken and shed; the price of love divine.
The price of love divine.
Dark is my mind, cold is my heart, and black my sin stained soul.
Can it be true, can it be real, that God would make me whole?
Deep is the pain, deep is the fear, so deep the sin in me.
So deep the sin in me.
Earthquake and light, wonder and fear, the stone was rolled away!
Mighty He rose up from the grave. Oh great and joyful day!
Savior and Lord! Savior and Lord! His love has set me free!
His love has set me free.
Move On Up A Little Higher
One these morning soon one morning
I'm gonna lay down my cross get me a crown
soon one evening late in the evening
Late in the evening I'm going home live on high
Soon as my feet strike Zion
Lay down my heavy burdens
Put on my robe in glory
Going home one day and tell my story
I've been coming over hills and mountains
Gonna drink from the Christian Fountain
You know all God's sons and daughters that mornin' now
Will drink that old healing water
And we gonna live on forever, we gonna live on forever
We gonna live on up in glory afterwhile.
Oh Lord I'm going out sight-seeing in Beulah
March all around God's altar
Walk and never get tired
Fly Lord and never falter
I'm gonna move on up a little higher
Gonna meet old man Daniel
Gonna move on up a little higher
Gonna meet the Hebrew children
Gonna move on up a little higher
Meet Paul and Silas
Gonna meet my friends and kindred
Gonna move on up a little higher
Gonna meet my loving mother
I'm gonna move on up a little higher
Gonna meet the Lily of the valley
I'm gonna feast with the Rose of Sharon
It will be always howdy howdy
It will be always howdy, howdy
It will be always howdy howdy and never goodbye
Oh will you be there early one morning
Will you be there somewhere round the altar
Will you be there oh when the angels shall call the roll
God knows I'll be waiting
Yes I'll be watching somewhere on the altar
Well I'll be waiting oh at the beautiful yes golden gate
Well well soon as my feet strike Zion
Gonna lay down my heavy burden
I'm going to put on my robe in glory
I've been coming over the hills and mountains
Gonna drink from the Christian Fountain
You know all God's sons and daughters that mornin'
Will drink that old healing water
Meet me there early one morning
Meet me there somewhere on the altar
Meet me there oh when the angels shall call the roll
Will the Circle Be Unbroken
I was standing by my window,
On one cold and cloudy day
When I saw that hearse come rolling
For to carry my mother away
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, lord, by and by
There’s a better home a-waiting
In the sky, lord, in the sky
I said to that undertaker
Undertaker please drive slow
For this lady you are carrying
Lord, I hate to see here go
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, lord, by and by
There’s a better home a-waiting
In the sky, lord, in the sky
Oh, I followed close behind her
Tried to hold up and be brave
But I could not hide my sorrow
When they laid her in the grave
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, lord, by and by
There’s a better home a-waiting
In the sky, lord, in the sky
I went back home, my home was lonesome
Missed my mother, she was gone
All of my brothers, sisters crying
What a home so sad and lone
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, lord, by and by
There’s a better home a-waiting
In the sky, lord, in the sky
We sang the songs of childhood
Hymns of faith that made us strong
Ones that mother Maybelle taught us
Hear the angels sing along
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, lord, by and by
There’s a better home a-waiting
In the sky, lord, in the sky
Will the circle be unbroken
By and by, lord, by and by
There’s a better home a-waiting
In the sky, lord, in the sky
Reading and Responding
Directions: Read all three songs. Respond to the three songs by answering the
questions below. Your answers should be in complete sentences and supported by the
lyrical text. Please include what you have learned from the day’s discussion when
necessary.
3. What title grabs your attention the most? What does this title mean in context
of the song? What else does the title remind you of?
4. Which song do you most connect with? Why does this particular song stick
out for you?
3. Compare and contrast the rhythm of these three songs.
4. Compare and contrast the form of these three songs.
5. Compare and contrast the pattern of these three songs.
Name: Rachel Beetschen
School: Kennesaw State University
Lesson Title: History of the Blues
Annotation: Students will read the handout provided about the Blues and the Diddley Bow.
Students will also listen to the recorded podcast found at the following site:
http://www.deltabluesmuseum.com /high/index.asp. Students will respond to what they read and
listen to on the handout provided. This study is particularly about the Blues They will gain an
understanding of the influence and importance of this musical genre and the musical genres we
will study during a week long unit on Spirituals, Gospel, and the Blues.
Primary Learning Outcome:
EQ: How does our understanding of History shape our understanding of today?
EQ: How can technology assist us in furthering our understanding of the world?
Assessed GPS’s:
ELAALRL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to
their contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time
periods.
ELA11W3 The student uses research and technology to support writing.
National Standards:
 Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an
understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States
and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and
demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among
these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.

Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to
build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical,
aesthetic) of human experience
Materials:
1. Pen/Pencil
2. Blues handout: 1 handout on rhythm, 1 handout on the diddley bow, and 10
reader response questions
3. Computer
4. Homework: 3 Blues song lyrics, 1 reader response worksheet
Total Duration: 30 minutes
Technology Connection:
The teacher will use a computer and computer speakers for the purpose of the day’s lesson. The
teacher will begin the lesson by showing the students a Blues video clip from Youtube. The
teacher will then play a podcast from the following site: http://www.deltabluesmuseum.com
/high/index.asp. Students will listen to the recording while reading the handouts and completing
the questions.
Procedures:
13. The students will begin the day by journaling in their daily journals. (10 minutes)
14. The students will then be asked to put up their props for a group Performance Project
later in the week. The students will be asked to attach their names to the particular props.
The teacher will check to be sure everyone’s props are turned in and ready. (10 minutes)
15. The teacher will introduce the students to the day’s lesson, purpose, and pass out the
handout. (5 minutes)
16. The students will first watch a video about the blues found on Youtube. (9 minutes)
17. The students will then read the handout and fill out the questions found on the handout.
(21 minutes)
18. As students turn in their completed handouts they will also pick up a homework packet to
be completed that night.
Assessment:
The lesson will be assessed based on two different assessments. The first assessment will be
based on the completion of the Blues handout. The second assessment will be based on the
completion and content of the homework packet.
Extension:
Students who already have an understanding of this topic will have the opportunity to write their
own Blues in class that reflects the pattern, rhythm, form, and conventions of this lyrical style.
Remediation:
Students who may struggle with the pacing or the content of this piece will be provided with
extra time to finish the assignment. They will be allowed to take the Blues handout home to finish
along with their homework.
Works Cited and Consulted:
"Blues Legends Diaporama V4." YouTube. 2 Dec. 2007
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG7Vp_V3JKE>.
"Educational Programs." Delta Blues Museum. Delta Blues Museum. 2 Dec. 2007
<http://www.deltabluesmuseum.com/>.
"Georgia Standards.Org." Georgia Department of Education. 2 Dec. 2007
<http://www.georgiastandards.org/english.aspx>.
"Standards for the English Language Arts." NCTE. 2 Dec. 2007
<http://www.ncte.org/about/over/standards/110846.htm>.
Rhythm: Keeping the Beat
Sunrise, sunset, the seasons, the lunar cycle, the tides. All of these are rhythms,
recognizable patterns that break up the monotony of time. The most basic human
rhythm pattern is the beating of our hearts. Listen to your heartbeat: ta-Dunk! taDunk! ta-Dunk! ta-Dunk! ta-Dunk! Analyze this rhythm: a) it has 2 beats; b) one
beat is stronger than the other. The stronger beat is called the “downbeat,” the
weaker the “upbeat.” Usually we expect any rhythmic patterns to have their
strongest beat first, the weaker following, but this one doesn’t. Huh? Keep
reading: All songs have rhythm, and blues songs are no exception. Blues rhythm is most
clearly heard in the drums -- in the bass drum: thump! thump! thump! thump! But
if you listen closely to the bass, you will also hear a strong rhythm statement.
Now listen to the guitar: It sometimes follows the rhythms established by the
drums and the bass, but sometimes it punctuates its notes in unexpected places,
sometimes in between the beats of the drum. This is called “syncopation,” which
is a common rhythmic trick in the blues. Syncopation just means that there is
more than one distinct rhythmic pattern going on at the same time, within the
same song. Most blues songs are like our hearts, the strongest beat is found in
an unexpected place!
Some simple rhythms you can play:
The Beat: Count evenly 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4 and tap your foot or beat your
hand with each number. Don’t go too fast! Be a metronome. This simple rhythm
pattern “1-2-3-4” is made up of four individual beats, in other words “four beats
per measure,” each beat sounds the same, or receives the same accent.
Down Beat, Up Beat: Now tap out the same rhythm but this time place an
accent or emphasis on the first beat of each measure. This doesn’t necessarily
mean that you tap it louder! Try adding emphasis without volume. Can you do it?
In this pattern, 1 is the “Downbeat,” 2,3 & 4 are the “Upbeats.” It sounds like this:
1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4 and so forth and so on.
A Simple Blues Beat: Tap out the following pattern, placing emphasis on the
3rd beat:
1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4
Notice how placing the emphasis on the 3rd beat gives the rhythm a whole
different feel. Weird, isn’t it? This “offbeat” is actually a common blues rhythm
structure! It’s known as “the shuffle.” Tap out this rhythmic pattern until you get a
“feel” for it, and then imagine your favorite blues song, and try to make it fit in. If
you have difficulty doing this alone, you might pair up with someone: One of you
keeps the beat, and the other sings the song. Or improvise your own song.
Down change the rhythm! Keep up the beat!
© 2006 Delta Blues Museum. Used with permission of Delta Blues Museum
Diddley Bow
The diddley bow is a simple stringed instrument that was commonly built and
played by the black sharecroppers of the Mississippi Delta. It probably originated
in West Africa. Many well-known blues musicians including B.B. King, Muddy Waters,
Jessie Mae Hemphill, John Lee Hooker and Big Jack Johnson played the diddley bow
before they learned guitar. Its easy to see why: you can construct a diddley bow with just
about any materials you find close at hand, a porch column, a barn wall, a 2x4, a piece of
cypress planking. Almost any chunk of wood will work as the body. And for the string?
Well, the preferred wire was the shiny silver-colored wire holding the straw on a broom.
But, you can use just about any wire as well. You need something that won’t stretch.
Hard, shiny wire is best because it vibrates better, and is good for sliding on. The last
thing you need to complete your diddley bow is a slider, something hard and smooth that
you can slide up and down the string to form your notes.
Construction
There are 4 essential components required for diddley bow construction. The first
three correspond to the parts found on any guitar:
1. The Body: You need a plank of wood, a piece of 2x4, a log, a porch column, a
classroom wall, a window frame, the side of a barn. It needs to be at least 3 feet
long to get a good sound.
2. The String: You need a piece of wire that will reach the length of the body.
You can attach the wire with nails at either end -- or screws, hooks, whatever will
securely fasten the wire firmly down and won’t allow it to move.
3. The Bridge: The bridge lifts the string off the body and lets it vibrate (or
resonate) clearly. As they used to say, “rings like a bell!” A rock or a short stick
was commonly used as a bridge for a diddley bow, but a snuff can or a coke can
works better. The resonance of the can makes the diddley bow sing with a raspy
voice, almost like the barrelhouse sound you hear in Bessie Smith's singing, or
the “fuzz” guitar sound you sometimes hear in rock-and-roll guitar.
4. The Slider: You need a socket wrench, a short medicine bottle or the neck of
a beer bottle -- something you can slip over your finger and slide along the string.
You don’t finger the diddley bow, like you would a classical guitar; you “slide it.”
To make the notes of your song you’ve got to move your slider up and down the
string; the position of the slider determines the note. The closer you are to the
bridge, the higher the note. The lowest note on the diddley bow is attained by
playing the string “open,” with no finger or slide touching it.
© 2006 Delta Blues Museum. Used with permission of Delta Blues Museum
Name:_____________________
Date:_______________
Class: ___________
The Blues
Directions: Read the handouts. Using the handouts answer the following questions in 2-3
complete sentences.
1. What is the most basic human rhythm pattern?
2. In what instrument is Blues rhythm most clearly heard?
3. How does the guitar compliment the rhythm of the drum and the bass?
4. What is syncopation?
5. What is a shuffle?
6. What is a diddley bow?
7. Who was it most commonly played by?
8. Where did it originate?
9. What is a slider?
10. What are the four essential components required for constructing a diddley bow?
Sweet Home Chicago
Come on, baby don't you want to go
Come on, baby don't you want to go
To the same old place, sweet home Chicago
Now, one and one is two, two and two is four
I'm heavy loaded baby, I'm booked, I gotta go
Cryin' baby, honey, don't you want to go
Back to the same old place, my sweet home Chicago
Come on, baby don't you want to go
Com on, baby don't you want to go
To the same old place, sweet home Chicago
Now two and two is four, six and two is eight
Come on baby, don't you make me late
I'm cryin' hey, baby, don't you want to go
To the same old place, sweet home Chicago
Come on, baby don't you want to go
Com on, baby don't you want to go
To the same old place, sweet home Chicago
Two and two is four, four and two is six,
keep stayin out late at night you gonna get your business fixed.
Six and two is eight, eight and two is ten
She double crossed you one time
and she gonna do it again.
I'm goin to Chicago, two thousand miles away,
Boy won't you tell me that you'll be my friend someday.
Sam, You’re Jus a Rat
Sam you say you're my friend, but your ways I just don't like
Sam you say you're my friend, but your ways I just don't like
Soon as I leave my home, you're tryin' to bite me in my back
Now Sam you're not my friend, and my home you better stop hangin' 'round
Sam you're not my friend, and my home you better stop hangin' 'round
Cause I paid for your coffin, and I mean that you're graveyard bound
Sam if you want a woman go get one, and let my wife alone
Sam if you want a woman go get one, and let my wife alone
Cause if I would catch you with my wife, you're hellbound sure as I'm born
Sam a real man can't live happy, for no good man like you
Sam a real man can't live happy, for no good man like you
You're tryin' to wreck my family, and some other man's family too
Sam I thought you was my friend, I thought you just was swell
Sam I thought you was my friend, I thought you was just too swell
Sam I wanna give you a vacation, that's a round-trip ticket to hell
Grits Ain't Groceries
If I don't love you baby,
grits ain't groceries,
eggs ain't poultry,
and Mona Lisa was a man.
All around the world
I'd rather be a fly
and light on my baby's head,
I'll stay with that
woman 'til I die.
A toothpick in my hand,
I dig a 10-foot ditch
and ride through the jungle
fightin' lions with a switch,
because ya' know I love ya' baby,
well, you know I love you baby,
and if I don't love you baby,
grits ain't groceries,
eggs ain't poultry,
and Mona Lisa must-a been a man.
Well, it's all around the world and I got
blisters on my feet
a-tryin' to find my baby,
a-bring her back to me.
If you see my baby,
I know she'll be convinced.
If it don't send her back to me,
it just
don't make no sense,
because ya' know I love ya' baby,
well, you know I love you baby.
If I don't love you baby,
grits ain't groceries and eggs ain't poultry,
and Mona Lisa must-a been a man.
Well,
all around the world
I never will forget
I lost all my money, my woman and my pet,
but I got to have you baby,
I got to settle for nothin' less,
give up all my good time for the sake of happiness,
because ya' know I love ya' baby,
you know,
you know I love you baby.
If I don't love you baby,
grits ain't groceries,
eggs ain't poultry,
and Mona Lisa must-a been a man.
I said, if I don't love you baby,
grits ain't groceries,
eggs ain't poultry,
and Mona Lisa must-a
Mona Lisa must-a been a man.
Well,
if I don't love ya' baby,
if I don't love you baby,
if I don't love you baby,
grits ain't groceries,
and eggs ain't poultry,
and Mona Lisa must-a been a man.
Mona Lisa must-a been a man.
Reading and Responding
Directions: Read all three songs. Respond to the three songs by answering the
questions below. Your answers should be in complete sentences and supported by the
lyrical text. Please include what you have learned from the day’s discussion when
necessary.
5. What title grabs your attention the most? What does this title mean in context
of the song? What else does the title remind you of?
6. Which song do you most connect with? Why does this particular song stick
out for you?
3. Compare and contrast the rhythm of these three songs.
4. Compare and contrast the form of these three songs.
5. Compare and contrast the pattern of these three songs.
Name: Rachel Beetschen
School: Kennesaw State University
Lesson Title: Lyrics and Language
Annotation: Students will begin the week learning about three highly influential and important
musical styles: Negro Spirituals, Gospel, and the Blues. I will spend the first day taking the
students to the computer lab to work on a Web Study that I have created about the source of these
three styles and its’ representation today as African American Spirituals. The students will have
required reading of three Spirituals and a worksheet that asks them to respond to what they have
read. The following day we will spend time looking at the history of Gospel and its’ current
manifestation by listening to a radio cast found at
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId= 4233793. We will also read the
accompanying article. As a follow up for this activity the students will be required to read three
Gospel songs and complete a worksheet that asks them to respond to what they have read.
Finally, on the last day we will listen to a podcast of the history of the blues found at
http://www.deltabluesmuseum.com/. We will also read a couple of the items found on the sites
educational page. The students will then be required to follow up the day’s lesson by reading
three Blues songs and responding to the reading on a worksheet I provide. The final assessment
of what they have learned that week will be an academic writing prompt.
Primary Learning Outcome:
EQ: How do we use the form of lyrical writing?
EQ: How does our understanding of History shape our understanding of today?
EQ: How can technology assist us in furthering our understanding of the world?
Assessed GPS’s:
ELA11C2 The student demonstrates understanding of manuscript form, realizing that different
forms of writing require different formats.
ELAALRL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to their
contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time periods.
ELA11W3 The student uses research and technology to support writing.
National Standards:
 Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g.,
conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of
audiences and for different purposes

Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an
understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States
and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and
demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among
these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.

Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to
build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical,
aesthetic) of human experience
Materials:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Pen/Pencil
Lyrical prompt handout
Paper
Poster Board
Markers, crayons, paint, etc…
Total Duration: 40 minutes
Procedures:
19. The students will begin the day by journaling in their Reader Response Journals. The
day’s journal topic will be: “The lyrical styles we have been studying express sorrow, but
also hope. What real life experience could you have applied this towards? What were
your sorrow and your hope?”(10 minutes)
20. The teacher will introduce the students to the day’s lesson, purpose, and pass out the
handout. (5 minutes)
21. The students will then begin drafting their own lyrics. (35 minutes)
22. As students finish writing their lyrics they will begin working on their final product. Any
remaining work on their final product will be done that night for homework.
Assessment:
The lesson will be assessed based on two different assessments. The first assessment will be a
fully illustrated poster board of their lyrics. The second and alternate assessment will be a student
performance of their song the following day.
Extension:
Students who already have an understanding of this topic will have the opportunity to create a
diddley bow.
Remediation:
Students who may struggle with the pacing or the content of this piece will be provided with
extra time to finish the assignment. They will be given the assignment earlier in the week.
Works Cited and Consulted:
"Georgia Standards.Org." Georgia Department of Education. 2 Dec. 2007
<http://www.georgiastandards.org/english.aspx>.
"Standards for the English Language Arts." NCTE. 2 Dec. 2007
<http://www.ncte.org/about/over/standards/110846.htm>.
The Land of Lyrics
Welcome to the Land of Lyrics! Where is this you ask? Well, right here in our classroom.
America’s music has been shaped, formed, and influenced in many ways by the
Spirituals, Gospel, and Blues that we have been studying this week. We have spent a day
engrossed in each of these three musical art forms and their origins. Now, it is time to put
to the test what you have learned!
How do we do that you ask? Well, you will be taking inspiration from one of these highly
influential musical art forms and writing your very own lyrics! Ack! How do we do that!?
Before you panic, slow down, and take a deep breath. Do I expect you to write a song
about some great biblical figure? Or how about how sad you’ve been since yo’ baby left
you by the roadside? No! I expect you to draw from your own life experience. The first
rule of writing? Write from the heart! That means write what you know. I do expect you
to follow the rhythm, pattern, and structure of one of these lyrical styles.
Your song must:
 Have 15-30 lines
 Follow the structure of your lyrical style choice (this includes number of stanzas,
repetition, etc…)
 Be one page typed with a one paragraph explanation of what lyrical style you chose
and how this style is represented in your lyrics
Your finished product must be:
 A piece that you are willing and ready to perform
 Or, typed or hand written on an illustrated poster board
20-25: Great Job!
Presentation/Organization Artfully crafted,
clearly put effort
into this
assignment.
Lyrical Conventions
Understood and
followed the
conventions.
Paragraph of Explanation
Content
Paragraph is
logical, shows
evidence of
knowledge, and
meets writing
standards.
Lyrics were
thoughtful, honest,
creative, and well
done.
13-19: Room to
grow.
Pretty messy or
chaotic, rushed the
assignment.
0-12: Needs work.
Did not produce a
final product or
final product was
not presentable.
Understood some
Showed little
of the conventions, evidence of
but may have
following any of
mixed one style
the conventions or
with another.
simply did your
own thing.
Paragraph is
Paragraph is
logical, shows
incomplete or was
little evidence of
not done at all.
knowledge or does
not meet writing
standards.
Lyrics were fairly Lyrics were
well done, but not plagiarized or
very thoughtful.
seriously
resembled a
published song.
Name: Rachel Beetschen
School: Kennesaw State University
Lesson Title: Bringing Eatonville Alive
Annotation: Students will begin working on this assignment the first week of the semester.
Students will be asked to provide one resource either from the library or the World Wide Web to
be used in further research of this assignment. I will then compile the list and give the compiled
list to each student to aid in their research for this project. During the second week of the unit
students will choose roles and begin researching these roles. The students will also be required to
create and distribute three invitations to parents, teachers, or administrators. In the third week
students will be responsible for turning in a research analysis and a MLA style works cited page
of ten resources that they used. Students will be asked to bring in old clothes, old material, and
any extra brooms, buckets, or other props that would assist in bringing their character or the town
to life. That same week the students will complete a week long lyrical study that will culminate in
their performing a song or decorating the walls or halls with their written and illustrated lyrics.
Finally, students will create the town of Eatonville in our classroom for the visiting parents,
teachers, and administrators.
Primary Learning Outcome:
EQ: How do we use the form of lyrical writing?
EQ: How does our understanding of History shape our understanding of today?
Assessed GPS’s:
ELAALRL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to their
contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time periods.
MLVI.P2 The students present student-created, as well as culturally authentic, stories, poems,
skits, and/or short plays in the target language.
National Standards:
 Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g.,
spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre
to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts.

Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g.,
conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of
audiences and for different purposes
Materials:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Costumes
Props
Backgrounds
Set pieces
Total Duration: 40 minutes
Procedures:
23. The students will begin the day by getting into costumes and preparing themselves for the
Living History assignment.(10 minutes)
24. The teacher will welcome the visitors in for the day. The teacher will dress the part of the
Eatonville school teacher. (5 minutes)
25. The visitors will tour the “town” of “Little Eatonville”. (35 minutes)
Assessment:
The students will be given a rubric at the beginning of the assignment. The rubric will address the
key concepts and benchmarks that the students will be evaluated by.
Extension:
As the entire class must be involved there are no extensions for this activity.
Remediation:
As the entire class must be involved there is no remediation for this activity.
Works Cited and Consulted:
"Georgia Standards.Org." Georgia Department of Education. 2 Dec. 2007
<http://www.georgiastandards.org/english.aspx>.
"Standards for the English Language Arts." NCTE. 2 Dec. 2007
<http://www.ncte.org/about/over/standards/110846.htm>.
Bringing Eatonville Alive
This month we will be studying the Reconstruction of America and
American lives after the Civil War. In particular, we will focus on the lives
of African Americans after the Emancipation Proclamation. What changed?
What stayed the same? How did the culture of these citizens affect and
influence who we are today? We will be recreating the town of Eatonville,
the first African American incorporated town in the United States, and its’
residents.
Week One: Locate one resource in the library or on the World Wide Web that would
help in researching for this project. Try “googling”: Eatonville, Zora Neale Hurston, Jim
Crowe, Slave Narratives, Negro Spirituals, Blues, Gospel, Reconstruction, local color,
dialect, jargon, Regionalism, migrant workers, root doctor, etc…
Week Two: Create invitations for family, teachers, and administrators. Choose Living
History roles. Some of the roles that will need to fill in our “Little Eatonville”:
mayor/mayor’s wife, farmer/farmer’s wife, tailor/tailor’s wife, general goods store
owner/owner’s wife, root doctor/root doctor’s wife, migrant workers/migrant workers’
wives, musicians, general townspeople, children, etc…
Week 3: Research for role. Each role must do research on: history, dress, responsibilities,
speech, and anything else that will aid in your bringing your character respectfully and
authentically to life. You must turn in a research analysis and a MLA style works cited
page with 10 resources. Your research analysis must include 3 sentences of how you will
apply each resource.
Week 4: Costumes and sets! Working together we will creatively invent our costumes
from thrift store finds. Please bring in any props that would help bring your character to
life. Any extra props would be appreciated: brooms, buckets, old cloth sheets or material,
etc…
Week 5: Performance! We will bring together all of the final elements for the last day of
this week. On the last day we will open the classroom to our visiting guests for our “Little
Eatonville”.
Living History Performance Rubric
Traits
10
Authenticity
 I definitely stepped
into another’s shoes.
 I still acted like
myself a little.
 Maybe I should have
asked for help.
 I applied my
research to my
role.
 I was able to talk
intelligently and
informatively
from my
character’s
perspective.
 I really worked on
my costume.
 I somewhat applied
my research to my
role.
 I was able to talk a
little about my role.
 I did not apply my
research
 I did not complete
my research.
 I put my costume
together.
 What costume?
 I showed respect for
my role.
 I joked a little out of
character.
 I was disrespectful.
Ideas
 This is my
character’s world.
 My character’s world
is still growing.
 What character?
Responsibility
 I acted as part of a
team to put this
together.
 I could have helped
more.
 I didn’t help at all.
Research
Appearance
Respect
5
1
Benchmarks:
_____/10
_____/10
_____/10
_____/10
_____/60
Week 1: One resource from the library or the web.
Week 2: Created and handed out 3 invitations.
Week 3: Research analysis and 10 resources.
Week 4: Bring in any old clothes or set/prop pieces to be used OR lead a
team in designing the set or costumes.
Week 5: Performance rubric.
Name: Rachel Beetschen
School: Kennesaw State University
Lesson Title: Jailed for Freedom
Annotation: This lesson is the introduction for a week long unit of study about the Suffragettes,
their struggles obtaining the vote, and the issues surrounding gender. Students will begin this
week of study with an anticipation guide that facilitates their exploring their own ideas of gender.
After students have filled these out, the teacher will lead a whole group discussion. Next, the
teacher will lead a guided reading of Jailed for Freedom. Finally, the students will begin viewing
the film Iron Jawed Angels. The students will be responsible for completing a letter to a state
representative and reading pages 7-20 of Jailed for Freedom for homework that evening.
Primary Learning Outcome:
EQ: How does our understanding of our beliefs and the beliefs of those around us shape our
world?
EQ: How can incorporating print and non-print text broaden our understanding?
EQ: How does our understanding of History shape our understanding of today?
Assessed GPS’s:
ELA11LSV1 The student participates in student-to-teacher, student-to-student, and group verbal
interactions.
ELAALRL1 The student demonstrates comprehension by identifying evidence (i.e., examples of
diction, imagery, point of view, figurative language, symbolism, plot events and main ideas) in a
variety of texts representative of different genres (i.e., poetry, prose [short story, novel, essay,
editorial, biography], and drama) and using this evidence as the basis for interpretation.
ELA11W1 The student produces writing that establishes an appropriate organizational structure,
sets a context and engages the reader, maintains a coherent focus throughout, and signals a
satisfying closure.
ELA11C1 The student demonstrates understanding and control of the rules of the English
language, realizing that usage involves the appropriate application of conventions and grammar in
both written and spoken formats.
ELAALRL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to their
contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time periods.
National Standards:
 Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an
understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States
and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and
demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among
these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.

Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to
build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical,
aesthetic) of human experience.

Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g.,
spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre
to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts.
Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different
writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different
audiences for a variety of purposes.


Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language
use, patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions,
and social roles.
Materials:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Pen/Pencil
Copies of Anticipation Guide
Copies of course packet (which includes excerpts from Jailed for Freedom)
Iron Jawed Angels VHS/DVD
Television
VHS/DVD player
Homework handout
Total Duration: 50 minutes
Technology Connection:
The teacher will use a television and VHS/DVD player for the purpose of the day’s lesson. The
teacher will also need a VHS/DVD version of the film Iron Jawed Angels. The teacher will play
the first 20 minutes of the film Iron Jawed Angels.
Procedures:
26. The students will begin the day by completing an anticipation guide.(5 minutes)
27. The teacher will lead a group discussion of the anticipation guide. (10 minutes)
28. The teacher will lead a guided reading of the first six pages of Jailed for Freedom
excerpt. (10 minutes)
29. The students will begin watching the film Iron Jawed Angels. (22 minutes)
30. The teacher will pass out the homework as a “ticket out the door”. (3 minutes)
Assessment:
The students will be evaluated based on participation. These participation points will be given to
students based on their completion of the anticipation guide. Students will also be held
responsible for completing their homework assignment. They will be given a homework grade for
this assignment.
Extension:
Students will be asked to complete a letter of concern to a state representative.
Remediation:
Students who may be dependent readers will receive the audio taped version of the reading
excerpts along with the homework.
Works Cited and Consulted:
Beers, Kylene. When Kids Can't Read: What Teachers Can Do. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann,
2003.
"Georgia Standards.Org." Georgia Department of Education. 2 Dec. 2007
<http://www.georgiastandards.org/english.aspx>.
"Standards for the English Language Arts." NCTE. 2 Dec. 2007
<http://www.ncte.org/about/over/standards/110846.htm>.
Anticipation Guide
Directions: Read each statement and write Yes in the blank if you believe
the statement and could support it or No in the blank if you do not believe
the statement and could not support it.
_________ 1. It is important to fight for your beliefs.
_________ 2. Breaking the law is never acceptable.
_________ 3. Laws are always right.
_________ 4. We should always support the government’s choices.
_________ 5. Our state and federal politicians listen and respond to the needs of the
people.
_________ 6. It is important to always do what’s right.
_________ 7. Laws should be challenged.
_________ 8. The government always knows best.
_________ 9. We should always support our President.
_________ 10. All people are created equal.
Letter to a Politician
Directions: Choosing an argument (political, environmental, etc…) on the
state level that you are passionate about, write a letter to the appropriate
representative. The letter must clearly argue your belief or idea. This
argument must be well supported with facts, not just opinions, to reinforce
the validity of your argument. The letter must include a possible solution to
your argument/concern. The letter must be respectful, well written, and
follow a formal style of letter writing. Finally, you must choose the
representative that you will send this to and acquire the correct address to
send the letter to. Once these letters are written we will mail them to the
representative. This assignment must be started tonight for homework. I will
check your work! The final letter is due on Friday.
Name: Rachel Beetschen
School: Kennesaw State University
Lesson Title: The Price of Freedom
Annotation: This lesson is the second day of a week long unit of study about the Suffragettes,
their struggles obtaining the vote, and the issues surrounding gender. The first day the students
will begin this week of study with an anticipation guide that facilitates their exploring their own
ideas of gender. The second day students will be introduced to the legal consequences of the
Suffragettes fight. The teacher will lead a discussion using a Power Point about this topic.
Students will be responsible for completing the Cornell Notes provided by the teacher. Finally,
the students will continue viewing the film Iron Jawed Angels. The students will be responsible
for completing the homework assignment, “Reading an Argument”, and reading pages 21-31 of
Jailed for Freedom.
Primary Learning Outcome:
EQ: How does our understanding of our beliefs and the beliefs of those around us shape our
world?
EQ: How can incorporating print and non-print text broaden our understanding?
EQ: How does our understanding of History shape our understanding of today?
Assessed GPS’s:
ELAALRL1 The student demonstrates comprehension by identifying evidence (i.e., examples of
diction, imagery, point of view, figurative language, symbolism, plot events and main ideas) in a
variety of texts representative of different genres (i.e., poetry, prose [short story, novel, essay,
editorial, biography], and drama) and using this evidence as the basis for interpretation.
ELAALRL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to their
contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time periods.
National Standards:
 Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an
understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States
and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and
demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among
these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
Materials:

Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to
build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical,
aesthetic) of human experience.

Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language
use, patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions,
and social roles.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Pen/Pencil
Cornell Notes
Computer
Digital overhead
Power Point
Copies of course packet (which includes excerpts from Jailed for Freedom)
Iron Jawed Angels VHS/DVD
Television
VHS/DVD player
Homework handout
Total Duration: 50 minutes
Technology Connection:
The teacher will begin the day’s lesson with a Power Point Presentation. To display the Power
Point Presentation the teacher will need the use of a computer and a digital overhead. The teacher
will then use a television and VHS/DVD player for the purpose of the day’s lesson. The teacher
will also need a VHS/DVD version of the film Iron Jawed Angels. The teacher will play 20
minutes of the film Iron Jawed Angels.
Procedures:
31. The teacher will begin the day by passing out the Cornell Notes and leading a brief
discussion of the day’s purpose. (3 minutes)
32. The teacher will show a Power Point Presentation. The students ill be responsible for
completing the Cornell Notes as they watch the presentation. (20 minutes)
33. The students will continue watching the film Iron Jawed Angels. (22 minutes)
34. The teacher will pass out the homework as a “ticket out the door”. (3 minutes)
Assessment:
The students will be evaluated based on participation. These participation points will be given to
students based on their completion of the Cornell Notes. Students will also be held responsible for
completing their homework assignment. They will be given a homework grade for this
assignment.
Extension:
Students will be asked to read and complete a worksheet that asks them to look at opposing sides
of an argument in a literary text.
Remediation:
Students who may be dependent readers will receive the audio taped version of the reading
excerpts along with the homework.
Works Cited and Consulted:
Burke, Jim. Reading Reminders: Tools, Tips, and Techniques. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann,
2000.
"Georgia Standards.Org." Georgia Department of Education. 2 Dec. 2007
<http://www.georgiastandards.org/english.aspx>.
"Standards for the English Language Arts." NCTE. 2 Dec. 2007
<http://www.ncte.org/about/over/standards/110846.htm>.
Name:
Date:
Class:
Female Freedom Fighters
1. Prior to 1914, the Senate had not voted on the ____________________
since _________.
2. The __________________________ voted for the first time on the
federal woman suffrage movement in _________.
3. In _______, President ____________________ angrily walked out on
over 300 suffragists, refusing to support them.
4. Picketing began in _______.
5. ____________________ and Katherine Morey become the first women
arrested in 1917.
6. That same year police make _______ more arrests.
7. _______ total suffragists served jail time.
8. _________________________ demanded that suffragists be treated like
__________________________________.
9. ________________________ and Rose Winslow begin hunger strike in
1917.
10. President Wilson publicly declares his support in ________.
11. In _______ President _____________ asked support of both the
______________________ and the ______________________________.
12._____________________ was the 36th state needed to ratify the new
amendment.
13. The __________________ passed in _______.
14. Women across the nation ________________ in _________.
Name:___________________ Date:_____________ Class:____
Reading an Argument
Position Statement
Position: Support
Position: Oppose
Argument 1:
Argument 1:
Evidence:
Evidence:
Argument 2:
Argument 2:
Evidence:
Evidence:
Argument 3:
Argument 3:
Evidence:
Evidence:
For
Third Position:
Summarize their reasons for support:
Perspective
Against
Explain why they would oppose this:
Name: Rachel Beetschen
School: Kennesaw State University
Lesson Title: Feminism and the Fight for Freedom
Annotation: This lesson is the third day of a week long unit of study about the Suffragettes, their
struggles obtaining the vote, and the issues surrounding gender. The first day the students will
begin this week of study with an anticipation guide that facilitates their exploring their own ideas
of gender. The second day students will be introduced to the legal consequences of the
Suffragettes fight. The third day the students will engage in a study of Feminist Literary Theory.
The teacher will pass out an excerpt from Deborah Appleman’s Critical Encounters in High
School English. Students will read the excerpt, respond independently to a couple of questions on
the handout accompanying the excerpt, and then break into small groups of 4-5 to complete group
work on Appleman’s activity, “Through Rose-Colored Glasses: The Feminist Lens”. Finally, the
students will continue viewing the film Iron Jawed Angels. The students will be responsible for
completing the homework assignment, “Using Feminist Literary Theory”, and reading pages 3240 of Jailed for Freedom.
Primary Learning Outcome:
EQ: How does gender affect our reading of a text?
EQ: How does our understanding of our beliefs and the beliefs of those around us shape our
world?
EQ: How can incorporating print and non-print text broaden our understanding?
EQ: How does our understanding of History shape our understanding of today?
Assessed GPS’s:
ELAALRL1 The student demonstrates comprehension by identifying evidence (i.e., examples of
diction, imagery, point of view, figurative language, symbolism, plot events and main ideas) in a
variety of texts representative of different genres (i.e., poetry, prose [short story, novel, essay,
editorial, biography], and drama) and using this evidence as the basis for interpretation.
ELAALRL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to their
contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time periods.
National Standards:
 Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an
understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States
and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and
demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among
these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.

Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to
build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical,
aesthetic) of human experience.

Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language
use, patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions,
and social roles.
Materials:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Pen/Pencil
Feminist Theory handout
Copies of course packet (which includes excerpts from Jailed for Freedom)
Iron Jawed Angels VHS/DVD
Television
VHS/DVD player
Feminist Theory homework handout
Total Duration: 50 minutes
Technology Connection:
The teacher will use a television and VHS/DVD player for the purpose of the day’s lesson. The
teacher will also need a VHS/DVD version of the film Iron Jawed Angels. The teacher will play
20 minutes of the film Iron Jawed Angels.
Procedures:
35. The teacher will begin the day by passing out the Feminist Literary Theory handout and
briefly describing the day’s agenda. (3 minutes)
36. The students will read the handout and complete the questions for individual response.
(12 minutes)
37. The students will then meet in small groups to complete the group portion of the
worksheet. (10 minutes)
38. The students will continue watching the film Iron Jawed Angels. (22 minutes)
39. The teacher will pass out the homework as a “ticket out the door”. (3 minutes)
Assessment:
The students will be evaluated based on participation. These participation points will be given to
students based on their completion of the handout. Students will also be held responsible for
completing their homework assignment. They will be given a homework grade for this
assignment.
Extension:
Students will be asked to read and complete a worksheet that asks them to look at Feminist
Literary Theory.
Remediation:
Students who may be dependent readers will receive the audio taped version of the reading
excerpts along with the homework.
Works Cited and Consulted:
Appleman, Deborah. Critical Encounters in High School English. New York, NY: Teachers
College, 2000.
"Georgia Standards.Org." Georgia Department of Education. 2 Dec. 2007
<http://www.georgiastandards.org/english.aspx>.
"Standards for the English Language Arts." NCTE. 2 Dec. 2007
<http://www.ncte.org/about/over/standards/110846.htm>.
Name:_________________ Date:____________ Class:______
Intro to the Feminist Lens
1. What is the feminist lens?
Feminist literary criticism applies the philosophies and perspectives of feminism
to the literature we read. Some theorists examine the language and symbols used and how
they are “gendered”. Other theorists look at how men and women write differently and
how their writing is “gendered”. Many theorists look at female characters and examine
how they support or negate gender stereotypes. Feminist literary theory also suggests that
our gender affects how we interpret the text.
Feminist literary theory asks us to consider the relationships between men and
women and their roles in society. Many feminists claim that those relationships are
unequal and reflect our male dominated society. Feminist theorists ask us to pay attention
to patterns of thought, behavior, values, and power in those relationships.
2. How do we apply the feminist lens?
We closely examine the characters, both male and female, the language of the
text, the attitude of the author, and the relationship between the characters. We also
consider the comments that the author seems to be making about the society as a whole.
3. Application: Looking through the feminist lens.
Select two female characters from novels with which you are very familiar. They
could be from your summer reading, from texts we have read together, or from texts that
you have read for other English classes. For example, you might choose Hester Prynne
from The Scarlet Letter, or Janie from Their Eyes Were Watching God.
For each character write two descriptive statements—one from a traditional perspective
and one from a feminist perspective.
Character 1:
Traditional Statement:
Feminist Statement:
Character 2:
Traditional Statement:
Feminist Statement:
4. Now in groups of 4-5 answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences and
in your own words:

What is feminism?

What is feminist literary theory?

Can the feminist lens be used in every day life? Write on sentence from a
traditional perspective and one sentence from a feminist perspective for the
following:
1. Mount Rushmore
2. the Miss America Pageant
3. coverage of the Olympic women’s soccer team
4. anchors of national network news shows
Name:_________________ Date:____________ Class:______
Using Feminist Theory
1. What is the feminist lens?
Feminist literary criticism applies the philosophies and perspectives of feminism
to the literature we read. Some theorists examine the language and symbols used and how
they are “gendered”. Other theorists look at how men and women write differently and
how their writing is “gendered”. Many theorists look at female characters and examine
how they support or negate gender stereotypes. Feminist literary theory also suggests that
our gender affects how we interpret the text.
Feminist literary theory asks us to consider the relationships between men and
women and their roles in society. Many feminists claim that those relationships are
unequal and reflect our male dominated society. Feminist theorists ask us to pay attention
to patterns of thought, behavior, values, and power in those relationships.
2. How do we apply the feminist lens?
We closely examine the characters, both male and female, the language of the
text, the attitude of the author, and the relationship between the characters. We also
consider the comments that the author seems to be making about the society as a whole.
3. Now, think about Jailed for Freedom.
Using the feminist lens, write a brief analysis of the narrator, her situation, and her intent
in writing the piece. Consider her audience as well. Finally, what meaning(s) did you
derive from the text as you applied the feminist lens?
Name: Rachel Beetschen
School: Kennesaw State University
Lesson Title: What’s Gender Got to Do with It?
Annotation: This lesson is the fourth day of a week long unit of study about the Suffragettes,
their struggles obtaining the vote, and the issues surrounding gender. The first day the students
will begin this week of study with an anticipation guide that facilitates their exploring their own
ideas of gender. The second day students will be introduced to the legal consequences of the
Suffragettes fight. The third day the students will engage in a study of Feminist Literary Theory.
The fourth day students will look at Feminist Literary Theory and our reading from gender
divided corners. The students will complete the “What’s Gender Got to Do with It?” gender
study. Students will divide into gender specific groups for this activity. Students will then be
asked to answer a series of questions that look at the gender arguments in our reading. Next,
students will be asked to predict how this argument will end. Then, students will reconvene for
whole class discussion. Finally, the students will continue viewing the film Iron Jawed Angels.
The students will be responsible for completing the necessary work for their role in the next day’s
Literature Circle and reading pages 41-55 of Jailed for Freedom.
Primary Learning Outcome:
EQ: How does gender affect our reading of a text?
EQ: How does our understanding of our beliefs and the beliefs of those around us shape our
world?
EQ: How can incorporating print and non-print text broaden our understanding?
EQ: How does our understanding of History shape our understanding of today?
Assessed GPS’s:
ELAALRL1 The student demonstrates comprehension by identifying evidence (i.e., examples of
diction, imagery, point of view, figurative language, symbolism, plot events and main ideas) in a
variety of texts representative of different genres (i.e., poetry, prose [short story, novel, essay,
editorial, biography], and drama) and using this evidence as the basis for interpretation.
ELAALRL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to their
contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time periods.
National Standards:
 Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an
understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States
and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and
demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among
these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.

Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to
build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical,
aesthetic) of human experience.

Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language
use, patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions,
and social roles.
Materials:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Pen/Pencil
Gender study handout
Copies of course packet (which includes excerpts from Jailed for Freedom)
Iron Jawed Angels VHS/DVD
Television
VHS/DVD player
Literature Circle homework handout
Total Duration: 50 minutes
Technology Connection:
The teacher will use a television and VHS/DVD player for the purpose of the day’s lesson. The
teacher will also need a VHS/DVD version of the film Iron Jawed Angels. The teacher will play
20 minutes of the film Iron Jawed Angels.
Procedures:
40. The teacher will begin the day by passing out the Gender Study handout and briefly
describing the day’s agenda. (3 minutes)
41. The students will then meet in small gender specific groups to complete the Gender Study
handout. (12 minutes)
42. The teacher will then ask the students to reconvene for a whole class discussion. (10
minutes)
43. The students will continue watching the film Iron Jawed Angels. (22 minutes)
44. The teacher will pass out the homework as a “ticket out the door”. (3 minutes)
Assessment:
The students will be evaluated based on participation. These participation points will be given to
students based on their completion of the handout. Students will also be held responsible for
completing their homework assignment. They will be given a homework grade for this
assignment.
Extension:
Students will be asked to complete the work for their Literature Circle roles for the next day.
Remediation:
Students who may be dependent readers will receive the audio taped version of the reading
excerpts along with the homework.
Works Cited and Consulted:
Appleman, Deborah. Critical Encounters in High School English. New York, NY: Teachers
College, 2000.
Burke, Jim. Reading Reminders: Tools, Tips, and Techniques. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann,
2000.
"Georgia Standards.Org." Georgia Department of Education. 2 Dec. 2007
<http://www.georgiastandards.org/english.aspx>.
"Standards for the English Language Arts." NCTE. 2 Dec. 2007
<http://www.ncte.org/about/over/standards/110846.htm>.
Name:_________________ Date:____________ Class:______
Gender Study
Divide into groups of 4-5. These groups must be gender specific—girls in
girl groups and boys in boy groups. In your groups answer the following
questions in 3-4 sentences.
1. How is the struggle between the “Administration” and the Suffragists
portrayed in Jailed for Freedom?
2. How is the struggle between the “Administration” and the Suffragists
portrayed in Iron Jawed Angels?
3. How are the portrayals of men and women different in Jailed for
Freedom?
4. How are the portrayals of men and women different in Iron Jawed
Angels?
5. How is President Wilson portrayed in Jailed for Freedom?
6. How is President Wilson portrayed in Iron Jawed Angels?
7. Summarize what it means to read literature through a feminist lens.
8. Select a passage from what we have read so far in Jailed for Freedom.
How does this passage benefit from a feminist reading? Page # ______
9. How does being a female or a male affect your reading of Jailed for
Freedom? How would it differ for the opposite gender?
10. How does being a female or a male affect your viewing of Iron Jawed
Angels? How would it differ for the opposite gender?
Name: Rachel Beetschen
School: Kennesaw State University
Lesson Title: A Literary Analysis of Freedom
Annotation: This lesson is the fifth day of a week long unit of study about the Suffragettes, their
struggles obtaining the vote, and the issues surrounding gender. The first day the students will
begin this week of study with an anticipation guide that facilitates their exploring their own ideas
of gender. The second day students will be introduced to the legal consequences of the
Suffragettes fight. The third day the students will engage in a study of Feminist Literary Theory.
The fourth day students will look at Feminist Literary Theory and our reading from gender
divided corners. The fifth day asks students to look at the texts through the use of a Literature
Circle. This assignment facilitates further understanding of text. The class is divided into groups
of six and each student is given a role (Discussion Director, Page Master, Connector, Illustrator,
Summarizer, and Vocabulary Enricher). Finally, the students will finish viewing the film Iron
Jawed Angels. The students will be assigned the Multi Genre Research Paper (MGRP). This
assignment is a semester long research and writing project. This project asks students to research
the influence that minorities have had on America. Students will be asked to create a thesis
statement that answers this broad and overarching question in a very specific manner. Students
will be required to write a 3-5 page research essay, as well as four various genre pieces (poetry,
prose, news article, dialogue, monologue, etc…) that focus on their thesis statement. Students will
also be asked to choose images and sound clips that compliment their theme. Students will be
able to choose how they want to answer this question, focus their research, and what genres they
write. Finally, students will pull the entire project together to create a digital portfolio of their
semester long work
Primary Learning Outcome:
EQ: How does our understanding of our beliefs and the beliefs of those around us shape our
world?
EQ: How can incorporating print and non-print text broaden our understanding?
EQ: How does our understanding of History shape our understanding of today?
Assessed GPS’s:
ELAALRL1 The student demonstrates comprehension by identifying evidence (i.e., examples of
diction, imagery, point of view, figurative language, symbolism, plot events and main ideas) in a
variety of texts representative of different genres (i.e., poetry, prose [short story, novel, essay,
editorial, biography], and drama) and using this evidence as the basis for interpretation.
ELAALRL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to their
contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time periods.
ELA11W3 The student uses research and technology to support writing.
National Standards:
 Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an
understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States
and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and
demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among
these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.

Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to
build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical,
aesthetic) of human experience.

Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language
use, patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions,
and social roles.
Materials:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Pen/Pencil
Paper
Completed homework for group discussion
Copies of course packet (which includes excerpts from Jailed for Freedom)
Iron Jawed Angels VHS/DVD
Television
VHS/DVD player
MGRP handout
Total Duration: 50 minutes
Technology Connection:
The teacher will use a television and VHS/DVD player for the purpose of the day’s lesson. The
teacher will also need a VHS/DVD version of the film Iron Jawed Angels. The teacher will play
20 minutes of the film Iron Jawed Angels.
Procedures:
45. The students will begin the day by meeting in their assigned Literature Circles. (25
minutes)
46. The students will finish watching the film Iron Jawed Angels. (22 minutes)
47. The teacher will pass out the MGRP assignment. (3 minutes)
Assessment:
The students will be evaluated based on participation. These participation points will be given to
students based on their completing the homework necessary for their assigned Literature Circle
role. They will be given a homework grade for this assignment.
Extension:
There is no extension for this activity as it is the last day before the second Winter break.
Remediation:
There is no remediation for this activity as it is the last day before the second Winter break.
Works Cited and Consulted:
Burke, Jim. Reading Reminders: Tools, Tips, and Techniques. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann,
2000.
"Georgia Standards.Org." Georgia Department of Education. 2 Dec. 2007
<http://www.georgiastandards.org/english.aspx>.
"Standards for the English Language Arts." NCTE. 2 Dec. 2007
<http://www.ncte.org/about/over/standards/110846.htm>.
Literature Circles
A literature circle is an opportunity for you to discuss, intelligently, and informatively
with a group of your peers what we are reading. I have assigned each of you to a group.
Each group member will have a specific responsibility in the group. Each role has
particular work that must be done prior to the day of the literature circle. This is for a
grade! We will have eight (four in the fall and four in the spring) literature circles this
school year. The following charts show your role assignments, with your names listed
along the left side, the circle number listed across the top, and the role abbreviations to
the right of your name. Explanations of the roles are below. I will inform you of the
dates as we go along.
Group #1
Student a
Student b
Student c
Student d
Student e
Student f
Group #2
Student g
Student h
Student i
Student j
Student k
Student l
Group #3
Student m
Student n
Student o
Student p
Student q
Student r
Group #4
Student s
Student t
Student u
DC
#1
DD
PM
C
I
S
VE
DC
#2
PM
C
I
S
VE
DD
DC
#3
C
I
S
VE
DD
PM
DC
#1
DD
PM
C
I
S
VE
DC
#2
PM
C
I
S
VE
DD
DC
#3
C
I
S
VE
DD
PM
DC
#1
DD
PM
C
I
S
VE
DC
#2
PM
C
I
S
VE
DD
DC
#3
C
I
S
VE
DD
PM
DC
#1
DD
PM
C
DC
#2
PM
C
I
DC
#3
C
I
S
DC
#4
I
S
VE
DD
PM
C
DC
#4
I
S
VE
DD
PM
C
DC
#4
I
S
VE
DD
PM
C
DC
#4
I
S
VE
DC
#5
S
VE
DD
PM
C
I
DC
#5
S
VE
DD
PM
C
I
DC
#5
S
VE
DD
PM
C
I
DC
#5
S
VE
DD
DC
#6
VE
DD
PM
C
I
S
DC
#7
DD
PM
C
I
S
VE
DC
#8
PM
C
I
S
VE
DD
DC
#6
VE
DD
PM
C
I
S
DC
#7
DD
PM
C
I
S
VE
DC
#8
PM
C
I
S
VE
DD
DC
#6
VE
DD
PM
C
I
S
DC
#7
DD
PM
C
I
S
VE
DC
#8
PM
C
I
S
VE
DD
DC
#6
VE
DD
PM
DC
#7
DD
PM
C
DC
#8
PM
C
I
Student v
Student w
Student x
I
S
VE
S
VE
DD
VE
DD
PM
Group #5
DC
#1
DD
PM
C
I
S
VE
DC
#2
PM
C
I
S
VE
DD
DC
#3
C
I
S
VE
DD
PM
Student y
Student z
Student aa
Student bb
Student cc
Student dd
DD
PM
C
DC
#4
I
S
VE
DD
PM
C
PM
C
I
DC
#5
S
VE
DD
PM
C
I
C
I
S
I
S
VE
S
VE
DD
DC
#6
VE
DD
PM
C
I
S
DC
#7
DD
PM
C
I
S
VE
DC
#8
PM
C
I
S
VE
DD
Literature Circle Roles
DD = Discussion Director:
Your job is to develop a list of 5 thoughtfully prepared questions that your group might
want to discuss about today’s reading. Your task is to help people talk over the big ideas
in the reading and share reactions. So, do not ask questions that can be answered with a
simple yes or no! Usually the best discussion questions come from your own thoughts,
feelings, and concerns as you read. Your job is to begin the discussion, make sure the
conversation stays on track, and involve all group members. You will turn in your list of
questions after your discussion.
PM = Passage Master:
Your job is to locate at least 3-4 special sections of the reading the group should look
back on. The idea is to help people notice the most interesting, funny, puzzling, or
important sections of the text. You decide which passages or paragraphs are worth
reviewing and then jot plans for how they should be shared with the group. You can read
passages aloud yourself, ask someone else to read them, or have people read them silently
and then discuss. Please prepare 2-3 sentences for each of the passages/paragraphs you
choose. Include why you have chosen, why you think this is important, and what bigger
statement it makes about our reading. You will turn in your list after the discussion.
C = Connector:
Your job is to find connections between the material being read and the real-world. You
can choose to make connections to: other texts, real world situations, or your own
personal experiences. Be sure to discuss any questions you have about the reading. Your
connections should be about one page in length. You will turn in your connections at the
end of the class.
I = Illustrator:
Your job is to draw/paint/sketch/create some kind of picture/model/visual/act related to
the reading. It can be a sketch, cartoon, diagram, flow chart, table, diorama, scene, or
model; two- or three-dimensional; free-hand, computer-generated, or pre-assembled;
conventional or eclectic. The idea is that you creatively link the reading to some kind of
interpretation. Think outside the box. Any kind of drawing, graphic, visual, or illustration
is okay. You will be expected to explain to the group how your illustration is a response
to the reading. You will turn in your illustration to me at the end of class.
S = Summarizer:
Your job is to prepare a brief summary of the day’s reading. You will give a 2 minute
summary of the key ideas, main points, and central themes of the previous night’s
reading. Your summary should be about one page in length. You will turn in your
summary at the end of the class.
VE = Vocabulary Enricher:
Your job is to locate at least 5-6 particularly difficult words from the reading that the
group may need help understanding to comprehend the text. The idea is to help people
understand the most interesting, difficult, puzzling, or important vocabulary words in the
text. You decide which words are worth reviewing and then complete a vocabulary
square for each word on a 3x5 index card to share with the group. Remember, a
vocabulary square is an index card with a middle circle and two lines that divide the card
into four boxes. The middle circle contains the vocabulary word and the four boxes
should be labeled: root/part of speech, variations of the word, picture/logo, and definition.
You will turn in your index cards after the discussion.
Multi Genre Research Paper (MGRP)
This is your semester long research and writing project!
Breathe.
This writing and portfolio project will be manageable and we will get through it together.
You even get to choose your topic! You will need to start thinking about everything we
have been discussing this year, particularly how the minority population of this country
has shaped America. Your topic must be related in some way, shape, or manner to this
basic underlying idea. You will have plenty of time for this assignment. If you should
have any trouble coming up with a topic, just come see me. You will be required to write
a 3-5 page research essay, as well as four various genre pieces (poetry, prose, news
article, dialogue, monologue, menu, book review, journal page, etc…) that focus on your
thesis statement. You will also be required to choose images and sound clips that
compliment your theme. Finally, we will work collectively to pull all of this together to
make your own electronic portfolio. I will publish your electronic portfolios on my
website. Please pay attention to the benchmarks below. I have also included a rubric so
you know exactly what I expect!
Important Dates:
_____/0
February 15th: MGRP assigned
_____/2
February 25th: Topic due
_____/2
March 10th: Research due
_____/2
March 28th: First draft of Research Paper due
_____/2
May 2nd: Final draft of Research Paper due
_____/2
May 19th: 2 rough drafts of 2 genres due
_____/2
May 20th: Feather Circle of 1 finished genre piece
_____/2
May 27th: 2 rough drafts of 2 genres due
_____/2
May 27th: Visual elements due
_____/2
May 28th: Feather Circle of 1 finished genre piece
_____/2
May 28th: Audio elements due
_____/2
May 29th: Workshop MGRP, bring in all of all of the above to put together
_____/3
May 30th: MGRP and Electronic Portfolio due
As you can see from the above benchmarks getting everything completed and in on time
is 25% of your grade.
MGRP Rubric
11-15
6-10
1-5
Organization



Genres


Research



Ideas



Conventions



MGRP in organized
3 ring binder
binder is tabbed and
includes an index
portfolio is clear
and easy to follow
from one link to the
next
MGRP contains
four different
genres
Clear grasp of form
and mechanics of
each genre
Research thorough,
quoted, and applied
Research paper
includes complete
MLA formatted
works cited page
Researched 15
separate sources
Ideas are clear,
engaging, and well
supported
Very creative
Includes 1 audio
and 2 visual pieces
Few or little errors
in spelling
Few or little errors
in grammar
Few or little errors
in punctuation













MGRP in 3 ring
binder
portfolio is clear
MGRP contains
four different
genres
Lacks a clear grasp
of how these genres
differ
Research thorough,
not quoted, but still
applied
Research paper
includes works
cited page, not
MLA
Researched 10
separate sources
Ideas are engaging
Creative
Includes 1 audio
and 1 visual piece
A few or more
errors in spelling
A few or more
errors in grammar
A few or more
errors in
punctuation













MGRP not in
binder or
incomplete
portfolio
incomplete
MGRP does not
contain four
different genres
MGRP genres
section incomplete
Research
incomplete
No works cited
page
Researched 4 or
less separate
sources
Ideas not engaging
Clearly didn’t put
much effort in
Does not include
either the audio or
the visual or is
missing both
Many errors in
spelling
Many errors in
grammar
Many errors in
punctuation
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