Name: Lindsay Nathanson
Duration: Approx. 5 weeks
UNIT PLAN
Subject: English Language Arts
Class size: Avg. (+/-30 students)
Grade(s): Grade 11/12
: Secondary Level 5
Topic: Theatre/Poetry/Cultural and Media studies
Content: Lorraine Hansbury’s Raisin in the Sun, Langston Hughes’ Dream Deferred
Student Learning Objectives:
 Students will participate in small and large group discussions regarding aspects of the texts
studied as part of the unit. They will also present a project to the class, fielding questions from
their classmates regarding their studies.
 Students will read and analyze the play, making connections to the social and historical context
of the play (and Langston Hughes’ poem Dream Deferred read as a prelude to the play).
 Students will choose one of the characters and keep a running blog for that character; the blog
will record the students’ interpretations of the character’s thoughts, actions and motivations,
and will make reference to the events in the play throughout the blog. (*NB. Students may be
able to make up a blog for a character outside of those inside play, but this has to be Okayed by
the teacher first.*)
 Students will watch several stagings of the play, and compare the directorial choices made and
guesstimate as to why these choices may have been made.
 As a final project, students will take on the role of the director, and stage the play. They can
choose any actors they wish (dead or alive, and at any point in their career) to play these roles.
The final project will have 2 parts: a report outlining and justifying their choices (using textual
references) for their staging of the play, and a diagram, diorama, or simulation of the practical
elements of the play (sets, costumes, props, etc).
Materials
 A sample blog for students to use as a template/guide for their writing.
 A space to house their blogs (Ideally in a more controllable forum such as Moodle or WebCT,
sample available at http://lindsayraisin.blogspot.com/)
 Instruction sheets for blog project (available below/on wiki)
 Instructions for staging project (available below/on wiki)
 A copy of Sims 2 if they want to create a digital diorama
 Supplies for physical diorama (cut shoe boxes, tape, glue, old kids toys for props, fish tank
plants, etc)
 Computer for students to create Sim on (as I’m unsure whether or not it can be loaded onto the
school laptops)
Schedule of Lessons
Date
Session Name Materials
Assignment
Teacher’s Duties
Week 1
Mar 31, 08
Intro to
Hansbury/Play
Copies of the play, copies of
project 1 instruction sheets,
sample blog
Why did Hansbury include the poem? Discuss
historical/cultural context of play; Explain Blog
Project; Assign Reading Roles for Act 1.
Create Sample blog,
create instruction
sheets for P1 and P2,
Lecture, observe
Apr 1, 08
Reading Play
Copies of the play, 1961
Read Act 1; Watch movie clip; clumping activity
Observe reading,
Sidney Poitier movie
(map social relations of characters); assign reading observe activity, collect
roles for act 2
sheets from clump
groups
Analysis of play
Copies of play
Lecture/Class Discussion – group analysis of Act 1
Lecture/guide
discussion
Apr 3, 08
Reading Play
Copies of the play, 1961
Sidney Poitier movie
Read Act 2, Scenes 1 and 2; Watch movie clip;
clumping activity (track conflicts between
characters through acts 1 and 2)
Observe reading,
observe activity, collect
sheets from clump
groups
Apr 4, 08
Analysis of Play
Copies of the play
Lecture/Class Discussion – group analysis of Act 2
Lecture/guide
discussion
Apr 2, 08
Week 2
Apr 7, 08
Reading Play
Copies of the play, 1961
Sidney Poitier movie
Assign reading roles for Acts 2/3, Read Act 2, S3
and Act 3; Watch Rest of movie; clumping activity
(list transformations of characters, giving one
reason it happened, and one outcome of each
transformation)
Apr 8, 2008
Analysis of play
Copies of play
Lecture/Class Discussion – group analysis of Act 3
Writing about the
Play
Laptops/spare looseleaf,
copies of the play, notes
from reading
classes/discussion classes,
instruction sheets for
project 2
In-class assignment: Write up to 1 page double
spaced. After reading the play, how does your
interpretation of the poem’s significance change?;
write up to 2 pages double spaced summarizing
the class analysis of the play; discuss staging
project
Observe, collect
finished assignments,
collect notes taken (to
be returned next day)
Apr 11, 2008 Analysis of the film
Notes from film screening
Lecture/Discussion – conventions of the film,
affects they have, choices director made; take
notes
Lecture/guide
discussion
Apr 12, 2008 Watching the play
Danny Glover Movie
Apr 9, 2008
Observe reading,
observe activity, collect
sheets from clump
groups
Lecture/guide
discussion
Watch 1988 film starring Danny Glover, take notes Observe
Week 3
Apr 14, 2008 Analysis of the film
Notes from film screening
Lecture/Discussion – conventions of the film,
affects they have, choices director made, how
does it differ from last film; take notes
Apr 15, 2008 Watching the play
Sean Coombs Movie
Watch the 2008 Made-For-TV version starring Sean Observe
“Puffy” Coombs, take notes
Apr 16, 2008 Analysis of the film
Notes from film screening
Lecture/Discussion – conventions of the film,
affects they have, choices director made, how
does it differ from last 2 films; take notes
Lecture/guide
discussion
Laptops/spare looseleaf,
copies of the play, notes
taken during film screenings
Brainstorming ideas for your staging (Project 2) –
what considerations do you need to make? What
are you focussing attention on?; Discuss what goes
into staging project; assign groups for staging
project (3-4 to a group); if students will see each
other over the weekend,
Observe, collect
brainstorming and film
notes (to be returned
next day)
Get into groups, discuss sets, lighting, and props,
take notes – decide re: diorama/sim, inform
teacher of choice; choices of lighting, props and
sets must be justified by text
Observe, facilitate
group discussion, assign
times to work on sim,
aid in work on Sim
Apr 17, 2008
Writing about the
film
Laptops, looseleaf, copies of
Apr 18, 2008 Working on Staging
play
Lecture/guide
discussion
Week 4
Apr 21, 2008 Working on Staging
Laptops, looseleaf, copies of
play
Get into groups, create dioramas/sim
Apr 22, 2008 Working on Staging
Laptops, looseleaf, copies of
play, copies of
brainstorming ideas/notes
from last day
Get into groups, create dioramas/sim
Apr 23, 2008 Working on Staging
Laptops, looseleaf, copies of
play
Get into groups, discuss costumes, actors, music,
take notes; choices of costumes and music must
Observe, facilitate
group discussion, aid in
work on sims/diorama
Observe, facilitate
group discussion, aid in
work on sims/diorama
Observe, facilitate
group discussion
be justified by text
Laptops, looseleaf, copies of
Apr 24, 2008 Working on Staging
play
Get into groups, discuss and assign roles for
Observe, facilitate
writing (ex. 1 person will describe sets and props, 1 group discussion
will discuss lighting and sound, and 1 will discuss
actors and costumes).
Laptops, looseleaf, copies of
Apr 25, 2008 Working on Staging
play
Get into groups – find pictures to describe choices Observe, facilitate
(cite websites/magazines!!) Each person begins
group discussion
writing their section of the paper, finish over
weekend…
Week 5
Observe, facilitate
group discussion, aid in
work on sims
Apr 28, 2008 Working on Staging
Laptops, looseleaf, copies of
play
Editing paper together, finishing work on
dioramas/sims
Presentation of
Apr 29, 2008
staging
Peer/Presentation
Evaluation sheets
Observe, facilitate
Present dioramas and reports, field questions from question period,
fellow students, justify choices
facilitate movement
through presentations
Presentations of
Apr 30, 2008
staging
Peer/Presentation
Evaluation sheets
Observe, facilitate
Present dioramas and reports, field questions from
question period,
fellow students, justify choices; begin on
facilitate movement
reflections/self evaluations
through presentations
Self/Group Evaluation
rubrics, reflection sheets
Individual work, synthesize
learning/understanding, evaluate blog (officially
finished on Fri Apr 25), evaluate group work,
evaluate own role in group, reflect on experience,
create game plan for future presentations/groups
Observe, qualify
questions if needed,
collect self evals.
Self/Group Evaluation
rubrics, reflection sheets
Individual work, synthesize
learning/understanding, evaluate blog (officially
finished on Fri Apr 25), evaluate group work,
evaluate own role in group, reflect on experience,
create game plan for future presentations/groups
Observe, qualify
questions if needed,
collect self evals.
May 1, 2008
May 2, 2008
Reflection/Self and
Group Evaluation
Reflection/Self and
Group Evaluation
Lesson Plans
Date: March 31, 2008
Subject: English Language Arts
Name: Lindsay Nathanson
Topic: Theatre Studies
Content: Introduction to Lorraine Hansberry and Raisin in the Sun
Objectives:
Objectives for Students
 Students will be introduced to the poetry
of Langston Hughes and the play Raisin in
the Sun
 Students will make a connection between
the themes of the play, poem and the
historical context within which it was
written
 Students will be introduced to Blog
Project.
Presentation:
SET:
Objectives for self
 Discussion Facilitation
 Classroom management


Read A Dream Deferred aloud to students.
o So, what happens? What happens when you put a dream aside to deal with
more practical concerns? Or when someone tells you to give up on that dream
because you can’t do it? That’s what Langston Hughes is asking in the poem,
isn’t it? “What happens to the dream? Is it just forgotten, or does it have an
effect?” and “What happens to a person when they carry that frustrated or
deferred dream
o So what do you think?
 Class Discussion.
 What do you think Hughes meant when he talked about “a
dream deferred”?
 Why would the playwright use this as a prelude to the play?
DEVELOPMENT:
 Social/Cultural/Historical context of the poem and play
o Langston Hughes, NY, Black Poet, addressed social and political issues facing
African Americans in the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s
o Dream Deferred written 1951 – how does this bit of information change your
interpretation of the poem?
 How were Blacks treated in WWII? How were they treated when they
war ended? If you were in their positions, how would you feel?
 What might the “dream deferred” be then?
o Lorraine Hansberry, NY, Black playwright,
o Raisin in the Sun – takes title from Hughes’ poem; opened on Broadway in 1959.
First play on Broadway to be written by an African American (Let alone an
African American Woman!); First Broadway play to have African Americans in
ALL lead roles (nearly whole cast is Black). Takes Blacks, and issues of Black
America, and portrays them in a literal sense; does not ridicule or push them
aside as previous pop-culture had.
 Blog Project –
o Students will keep a daily blog for 2 weeks for one of the following characters:
 Walter-Lee, Ruth, Travis, Lena (Mama), Beneatha, Bobo, George
Murchison, Joseph Asagai, or Karl Linder (For Asagai, Murchison and
Linder, students will have to read ahead to get an idea of their
characters) Students may make a case for another character (white
person in new neighbourhood, Mr Johnson in their building, etc) but it
has to be convincing, otherwise the teacher will say no.
o The Blog must make reference back to the events of the text as it affects the
character. Blog is meant to showcase the personal thoughts and motivations of
the character as you interpret them.
o At the end of the two weeks, you will include an entry justifying why you felt the
character would act and think this way based on the text read and movie
watched.
o You will also include a short response ( ½ -1 page typed in length) to each of the
other movies we watch in class. This short analysis will include your critique of
the choices the director made and whether or not you agree with them. Make
sure there are explicit links to the films and the play.
o Altogether there should be 3 weeks’ worth of material
o Sample Blog located at http://lindsayraisin.blogspot.com/
CLOSURE:
 Class discussion - So with all this information how has your interpretation of the poem
changed? Why do you think Hansberry included it as a prelude to the play? Why do you
think she took the name of the play from the poem?
 Housekeeping:
o Assign Reading Roles for Act 1
o Want the name of the Character you decide to keep the blog for and so I can set
up a blogger.com address for it.
o One typed entry tonight based on your interpretation of the poem… approx ½
page... This will be posted to the blogs once the space has been made for them.
Materials and Aids: Copies of the play, copies of project 1 instruction sheets, sample blog
Evaluation:
Will evaluate students participation in discussion, and opinions through anecdote and
observation
Date: April 9, 2008
Subject: English Language Arts
Name: Lindsay Nathanson
Topic: Theatre Studies
Content: Analysis of Lorraine Hansberry’s Raisin in the Sun
Objectives:
Objectives for Students
 Students will revisit earlier interpretation
of Langston Hughes Poem and reorient it
in their thinking after reading the play.
 Students will discuss their personal
interpretations of the play based on class
discussions and analysis which followed
the reading of each act.
 Students will be introduced to Diorama
Project.
Presentation:
SET:

Objectives for self
 Discussion Facilitation
 Classroom management

Read A Dream Deferred aloud to students, again
o What do you think about it now? How has your interpretation of the poem
changed with the reading of the play, and watching the first movie?
 Short Class Discussion.
DEVELOPMENT:
 Write me up to 1 page, telling me how your interpretation of the poem has changed, or
if it has stayed the same and why.
o Referring to text, please include a short analysis of the poem and how it relates
to the play

When you have that done, I want 1-2 pages summarizing what you thought of the class
discussions we had after reading each act. I want you to describe your part in these
discussions and how they helped (or didn’t help) you understand the play better.
o Textual references are nice, but not necessary. However, I will need you to
justify your reasons for why this did or didn’t help.
 Diorama Project –
o In groups of 3, students will design a diorama for Raisin in the Sun (a diorama is
a physical, pictorial, or digital rendering of the sets, props and costumes you
would use if you were to stage this play for an audience).
o Students are allowed to make physical dioramas with old-school art supplies,
use pictures and sound to create an I-movie set tour, or a digital simulator, such
as The Sims to create the necessary parts for the diorama.
o The group will also co-author a paper explaining their choices and justifying
them using references to the stage directions in the play, as well as to choices
made for each movie.
 The paper will discuss Lighting, music, set, props, costumes, and who
you would choose for each role if you could have any actor you liked
(Dead or alive!)
 Writing duties will be split up among group members as they see fit, but
all must agree on who writes what, who presents what, which part each
works on the artistic part of the project, and then all come together at
the end to edit the paper together before handing it in to the teacher.
 Should your group choose to do a digital (The Sims) staging, please let
the teacher know immediately, so she can schedule times in for
everyone to use the program. This also means your group may have to
work quicker to make the decisions on light, props, sets, etc than other
groups.
o Students will present their staging to the class, and be prepared to justify their
choices to the group. They will also field questions from the audience regarding
their choices for the staging as well as their choice of medium.
 Students are encouraged to use other technologies as well in their
presentations.
CLOSURE:
 Class discussion – Field questions regarding diorama project.
 Housekeeping:
o Assign Groups for diorama project
o If anyone knows now whether or not they want to use Sims, please let the
teacher know ASAP
o Make sure you’re Keeping up with the blogging everyone!!!
Materials and Aids: Laptops/spare looseleaf, copies of the play, notes from reading classes/discussion
classes, instruction sheets for project 2
Evaluation:
Will evaluate students’ participation in discussions, and opinions through anecdote and
observation. Will be able to evaluate them on the written work handed/emailed in.