2015-2016 Curriculum Thematic Unit
Grade: 11th
Course: English III
Time:
20 days
Unit: America the Beautiful…Exploring the American Experience
Essential Questions:
What makes American
literature “American”?
How does literature reflect or
shape society?
Vocabulary: See Daily
Calendar
Unit Overview: This unit will provide students with the opportunity to explore the “American Experience” through
various lenses. Students will be exposed to a myriad of experiences in America through various forms of literature.
Skills: SWBAT read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 11-CCR text complexity
band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Standards:
Suggested Activities:
Resources:
Reading Literature
Day 1 :
Texts:
RL.11-12.1
Cite strong and thorough
textual evidence to support
analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences
drawn from the text, including
determining where the text
leaves matters uncertain.
Text: “Mother to Son” Langston Hughes
“Mother to Son” Langston Hughes
Vocabulary: Extended metaphor
“I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman
(Big Question): Sometimes words have the power to help a person
through hard times. What effect do you think the words of the mother in
this poem have on her son? Would her words and warnings change if
this poem were written this last year or this year?
“The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston
Hughes
RL.11-12.2
Determine two or more themes
or central ideas of a text and
analyze their development over
the course of the text, including
how they interact and build on
one another to produce a
complex account; provide an
objective summary of the text.
(Journal Activity): If you were talking to a younger person about life
and its struggles, what would you compare life to? Make a list of
concrete “things” you might compare your life to.
RL.11-12.3
Analyze the impact of the
author's choices regarding how
to develop and relate elements
of a story or drama (e.g., where
a story is set, how the action is
ordered, how the characters
are introduced and developed).
(Questions):
“I, Too” by Langston Hughes
“Refugee in America” by Langston Hughes
“We Wear the Mask” by Paul Laurence Dunbar
“Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
What kinds of messages might a mother want to give her son?
“What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” by
Frederick Douglass
Why does the poet have the mother use such casual speech?
“Hair” from the Autobiography of Malcom X
How does the speaker extend the metaphor that compares life to a
staircase in this poem?
‘Still I Rise’ by Maya Angelou
What kinds of experiences do you think the mother is talking about in
lines 3-7? What kinds of responses to these experiences is she
describing in lines 8-13?
What do you think might have motivated this mother’s “speech” to her
son? What events may have prompted her “speech”? What recent
“A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty
Websites:
http://www.quiltivate.com/
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art172756.asp
2015-2016 Curriculum Thematic Unit
Grade: 11th
Course: English III
Time:
20 days
Unit: America the Beautiful…Exploring the American Experience
RL.11-12.9
Demonstrate knowledge of
eighteenth-, nineteenth- and
early-twentieth-century
foundational works of American
literature, including how two or
more texts from the same
period treat similar themes or
topics.
events in our country’s history would prompt a mother of color to speak
to her son?
Writing Standards
Texts:
W.11-12.1
Write arguments to support
claims in an analysis of
substantive topics or texts,
using valid reasoning and
relevant and sufficient
evidence.
“The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes
W.11-12.2
Write informative/explanatory
texts to examine and convey
complex ideas, concepts, and
information clearly and
accurately through the effective
selection, organization, and
analysis of content.
www.instructables.com/id/virtual-quilt-design/
Day 2:
http://www.educationoasis.com/curriculum/LP/LP_
PDF%20Word/LA_annotationchart.pdf
“I, Too” by Langston Hughes
(Activating Prior Knowledge): Play for the class the famous jazz song
“Take the ‘A’ Train” (composed by Billy Strayhorn and arranged by Duke
Ellington). Explain that the ‘A’ train on the New York City subway goes to
Harlem and that, during the 1920s, New York City’s Harlem was a
thriving center for literature, music, and the arts, an era known as the
Harlem Renaissance.
(Art Connection): Show students Into Bondage, by Harlem
Renaissance painter Aaron Douglas. Ask students how Douglas’
painting relates to or is connected to Hughes’ poem? Then ask
students the following questions:
Who are the people in the painting? Where are they going?
W.11-12.4
Produce clear and coherent
writing in which the
development, organization, and
style are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience.
What do Hughes’ poem and Douglas’ painting reveal about each artist’s
self-identity?
Speaking and Listening
What does the age of these rivers imply about people of African
ancestry?
SL.11-12.1
Initiate and participate
Websites:
(Activity): Have students work in small groups to brainstorm a list of
problems teenagers face. Then, have each group list reasons this poem
could help teenagers who are having trouble.
(Critical Reading Questions):
In “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” which four rivers does the speaker
mention?
http://americainclass.org/what-to-the-slave-is-thefourth-of-july/#text-analysis
(Poetry Annotation Chart)
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesso
n_images/lesson989/ModelPoemEx.pdf
(“I Hear ______Singing” poem template)
2015-2016 Curriculum Thematic Unit
Grade: 11th
Course: English III
Time:
20 days
Unit: America the Beautiful…Exploring the American Experience
effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions (oneon-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on
grades 11-12 topics, texts, and
issues, building on others' ideas
and expressing their own
clearly and persuasively.
SL.11-12.4
Present information, findings,
and supporting evidence,
conveying a clear and distinct
perspective, such that listeners
can follow the line of reasoning,
alternative or opposing
perspectives are addressed,
and the organization,
development, substance, and
style are appropriate to
purpose, audience, and a range
of formal and informal tasks.
Language Standards
L.11-12.1
Demonstrate command of the
conventions of Standard
English grammar and usage
when writing or speaking.
Why does the speaker in “I, Too” have to eat in the kitchen when
company comes?
What does eating in the kitchen represent?
What does the speaker mean when he says “I, Too, am America”?
Who do you think he refers so directly to Walt Whitman’s poem?
(Central Focus Question): Considering his ancestry and his travels, do
you think that Hughes could ever be thought of as anything but an
“American” writer?
Content Connections:
Day 3:
Art, Drama, History
Text: “I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman
Vocabulary: hatter, robust
(Activity): Have students select another location, such as their
community, an athletic event, or another extra-curricular activity, and
create an “I Hear ______ Singing” poem.
(Activity): Have students complete an author study on Walt Whitman.
(Writing Activity): Walt Whitman mentions many different types of
people who go about their day singing in “I Hear America Singing.”
Although everyone sings alone throughout the day, they know they are
part of the whole of America. Langston Hughes also mentions singing in
his poem “I, Too.” The speaker of his poem has a different idea about
belonging in America. Using information from both poems, what is the
central theme? State the shared theme of the poems and give two
examples from each poem to support your theme.
(Activity): After students have read “I Hear America Singing,” challenge
them to list as many “singing” references in the poem as they can.
Emphasize that Whitman referred to everyday people pursuing everyday
activities. Remind students that according to Whitman, everyone has
“strong melodious songs” that belong “to him or her and to none else.”
Ask students to speculate what song the workers could be singing.
2015-2016 Curriculum Thematic Unit
Grade: 11th
Course: English III
Unit: America the Beautiful…Exploring the American Experience
Day 4:
Texts:
“Refugee in America” by Langston Hughes
“We Wear the Mask” by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Opening Pair-Share Discussion: What does it mean to wear a “mask”
(figuratively)? Discuss a situation in which you or someone you know
wore a mask. Why did you/she or he wear the mask and what were you
trying to cope with? How is wearing a mask an example of duality?
(Activity): Create a mask that shows the different “faces” you present to
society.
On the outside of the mask, put the faces you show your friends,
family, teachers, for example. You can show these behaviors any way
you like—with pictures, poetry, colors, words/slogans/phrases, etc.
On the inside of the mask, show who you really are. On the outside of
the mask you may have pieces of yourself, but you may also have
misrepresentations. For example, you may behave in an outgoing
manner at a party with your friends, but you may actually feel somewhat
shy. You may be nice to others—sweet and innocent to your parents or
grandparents, but swear when you are with your friends. On the inside of
the mask, show your true self. Again, you may illustrate your true self
any way you like—with pictures, poetry, colors, words/slogans/phrases,
etc.
On the back of the mask, in a paragraph or more explain the
significance of the images/words/phrases…you chose
(Critical Reading Questions):
In “Refugee in America,” what is the speaker’s reaction to words like
freedom and liberty?
In what ways does the title of the poem connect these words to the
poem itself?
Time:
20 days
2015-2016 Curriculum Thematic Unit
Grade: 11th
Course: English III
Unit: America the Beautiful…Exploring the American Experience
What words of emotion does the speaker use in “Refugee in America”?
In what way do these emotions contribute to the mood conveyed by the
poem?
In what ways do these poems capture some of the complexities of the
African American experience?
(Test):
Who is the speaker in “The Negro Speaks of Rivers”? How does the title
help you identify the speaker? Explain.
What can you infer about the identity and emotions of the speaker in “I,
Too”?
Walt Whitman, the author of “I Hear America Singing,” was a great
inspiration to Langston Hughes. How does this information about
Hughes’ biography affect your understanding of the poem “I, Too”?
What differences do you find between the speaker in “The Negro
Speaks of Rivers” and the speaker in “Refugee in America”? To what do
you attribute those differences?
In what ways are the themes of racial identity, pride, and perseverance
interconnected?
When you read “Refugee in America” using a social or historical critical
perspective, how do you understand the poem’s last two lines?
What different interpretation of the poem might a biographical
perspective provide?
Day 5:
Text: “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
(Opening Activity):
Invite students to bring to class an object that pertains to some aspect of
a cultural heritage. Let students display the object and describe for the
Time:
20 days
2015-2016 Curriculum Thematic Unit
Grade: 11th
Course: English III
Unit: America the Beautiful…Exploring the American Experience
class its use and significance. Students can give oral presentations or
create an in class display.
(Text Dependent Questions):
What implied conflict exists between the two sisters?
Why do you think the speaker has this dream?
Why does Mrs. Johnson recall this information about Dee and Maggie?
Why does Mrs. Johnson use quotations marks around choose?
What does “scalding humor” mean? Why is this phrase significant?
What clues in the first sixteen paragraphs indicate there will be a conflict
in this story?
Which name do you think better reflects Dee’s heritage?
What do you think they are communicating through eye signals?
(Activity): Let students work with a partner, role-playing the characters
of Dee and Hakim-a-barber as they drive home. The dialogue that
occurs should be in keeping with the personalities and attitudes of the
two characters. After the partners have finished their dialogues, put them
in groups of three or four to compare interpretations.
(Activity): Divide the class into several groups, and assign one of the
four characters to each group. Allow the groups six or seven minutes to
list as many adjectives as they can that describe the personality of their
character. Students should review the story for quotations that support
their choices. When time is up, let the groups that have the same
character collaborate to produce a master list of adjectives for that
character. After five minutes, ask one member of each group to report to
the rest of the class.
Time:
20 days
2015-2016 Curriculum Thematic Unit
Grade: 11th
Course: English III
Unit: America the Beautiful…Exploring the American Experience
Day 6:
Text: “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
Text Dependent Questions:
What conclusions can you draw about the beef-cattle people from
Hakim-a-barber’s reply? How did you arrive at your conclusions?
What does the presence of milk in the churn signify?
Why does Maggie slam the door when she hears Dee ask for the quilts?
Why do you think some people, like Maggie, do not fight for what is
rightfully theirs?
Based on this passage, what do you think the narrator wants to
accomplish regarding Maggie?
What is ironic about Dee’s statement?
Do you think Dee’s day ended as peacefully and happily as Mrs.
Johnson’s?
(History Connection): Have students research the origin of the Black
Pride movement and how it functioned within the civil rights movement in
the 1960s. Students may create visual displays or dramatic
presentations on their findings.
(Art/Cultural Connection): Invite someone who is skilled in quilt making
to class to explain how quilts are made. If possible, have two or three
quilts on display during the presentation. Have the expert explain the
significance of the pattern of each quilt. Then allow students to digitally
create their own quilts online.
Time:
20 days
2015-2016 Curriculum Thematic Unit
Grade: 11th
Course: English III
Unit: America the Beautiful…Exploring the American Experience
Day 7:
Text: “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
(Creative Writing): Students should be tasked with re-writing a portion
of the story. Students could allow Maggie to narrate the climactic scene
in her own voice. Or students could write a new ending to the text.
(Editorial Writing): Students will write an op-ed article about something
important in his/her family heritage or his/her identity as an “American”.
Students can write about American traditions, foods etc.
(Design a Quilt): Students will design a quilt that reflects an aspect or
aspects of his/her cultural heritage. Students will then write a brief
explanation of why he/she chose the various elements of his/her design
and how each design reflects his/her cultural, ethnic, and/or national
identity.
Day 8:
Text: “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker
(Test): *Students should be urged to use textual evidence to
support their claims.
Which character did you side with in the conflict over the quilts, and
why?
What do you think is the source of the conflict in this story?
Dee is referred to as the child who has “made it.” What do you think that
means, and what signs tell you that she has “made it”?
Near the end of the story, Dee accuses Mama of not understanding their
African American heritage. Do you agree or disagree with Dee, and
why?
Has any character changed by the end of the story? Go back to the text.
Why do you think Alice Walker dedicated her story “For Your
Grandmama”?
Time:
20 days
2015-2016 Curriculum Thematic Unit
Grade: 11th
Course: English III
Unit: America the Beautiful…Exploring the American Experience
If you were a friend of the family, what advice would you give each of the
three Johnsons – Dee, Maggie, and Mama – about dealing with one
another?
What do you think each of these three women will be doing in ten years
after the story ends?
This story takes place in a very particular setting and a very particular
culture. Talk about whether or not the problems faced by this family
could be experienced by any family, anywhere. Or is this an American
phenomenon?
(Essay): Do you think Alice Walker chose the right narrator for her
story? How would the story differ if Dee or Maggie were telling it, instead
of Mama? (What would we know that we don’t know now?)
End Activity): After students have finished reading the story, remind
them of the everyday objects referred to in the story. Pair students, and
assign each pair to interview one or more persons who lived during the
1930s or the 1940s. The questions should focus on objects once
common in the home that are rarely seen or used today. Ask the pairs to
present brief oral reports or to create visual displays from their findings.
Day 9:
Text: “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” by Frederick Douglass
(Opening Questions):
What kind of text are we dealing with?
When was it written?
Who wrote it?
For what audience was it intended?
For what purpose was it written?
What are introductions supposed to do?
Students will read the following sections of the text:
Paragraphs 1–3: introduction (exordium)
Paragraphs 4–29: narrative or statement of fact (narratio)
Time:
20 days
2015-2016 Curriculum Thematic Unit
Grade: 11th
Course: English III
Unit: America the Beautiful…Exploring the American Experience
(Close Reading Questions):
What does Douglass try to do in this introduction? Cite evidence from
the text to support your answer.
Why does he say that “apologies of this sort are generally considered
flat and unmeaning”?
The word “flat” often means level or smooth. In this context how is
Douglass defining the word “flat”?
Why would it be “out of the common way” for him to deliver a Fourth of
July oration?
There are contradictions in Douglass’s self-presentation. What are they?
Cite specific instances of them in the text. How can you account for
them?
What expectations do you think a white audience would have for a black
speaker in 1852? How does Douglass address these expectations in his
introduction?
What is the effect of Douglass’s repetition of the words “your” and “you”
in this paragraph and throughout the speech?
Why does Douglass feel hopeful about America’s future? Cite evidence
from the text to support your answer.
What is he suggesting in the “great streams” metaphor?
In the sentence “Were the nation older, the patriot’s heart might be
sadder, and the reformer’s brow heavier,” why does Douglass equate
the patriot and the reformer? Why would both groups be sadder if the
nation were older?
Time:
20 days
2015-2016 Curriculum Thematic Unit
Grade: 11th
Course: English III
Unit: America the Beautiful…Exploring the American Experience
Day 10:
Text: “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” by Frederick Douglass
Students will read the following sections of the text:
Paragraphs 30–70: arguments and counter-arguments
(confirmatio and refutatio)
Paragraph 71: conclusion (peroratio)
Close Reading Questions:
According to Douglass, what did the “fathers” do? Cite specific language
from the text.
Why does Douglass assert his agreement with the actions of the
“fathers”?
How would you characterize the structure of the first four sentences of
this paragraph?
How does the structure of those sentences reinforce the main idea of the
paragraph?
What inference does Douglass want his audience to draw from his
portrayal of the founders?
Often speakers and writers make their points as much by leaving things
out as by putting things in. This strategy is known as the strategic
silence. What has Douglass omitted in his portrayal of the fathers? Why
would he choose to do so?
Do you think Douglass’s omission weakens his argument?
What point of view does Douglass announce in this paragraph?
How does paragraph 37 relate to paragraph 36? How does Douglass
develop this paragraph?
How does Douglass maintain the order and coherence of the first
sentence of this paragraph?
Time:
20 days
2015-2016 Curriculum Thematic Unit
Grade: 11th
Course: English III
Unit: America the Beautiful…Exploring the American Experience
What is the effect of the repetition of infinitive phrases (“to make,” “to
rob,” “to work,” etc.) in the first sentence?
What strategy of argument does Douglass employ in this section of his
speech?
How does this paragraph relate to the overall thesis of the speech?
What is the thesis of paragraph 63?
How does Douglass’s sentence structure reflect the thesis of the
paragraph?
What are conclusions supposed to do?
Why is it important for Douglass to tell his listeners that he does “not
despair of this country”?
On what does Douglass base the hope he expresses in this paragraph?
Day 11:
Text: “Hair” from the Autobiography of Malcom X
Vocabulary: self-degradation, multitude, violate, mutilate, conking
(Opening Activity):
Brainstorm in class to make a list of some of the fashions in hair,
clothing, music, and dancing that are “in” in your school and some that
are “out.” Then do a quick class survey. Ask the students the following:
How many people conform to most of these “in” fashions? Why or why
not?
(Comprehension Questions):
What words or phrases does the narrator use to create a humorous
informal tone?
What are your first impressions of Shorty and the narrator?
Time:
20 days
2015-2016 Curriculum Thematic Unit
Grade: 11th
Course: English III
Unit: America the Beautiful…Exploring the American Experience
Have you known anyone willing to experience pain for vanity’s sake? Did
the outcome justify the pain?
What are Shorty’s feelings for the narrator? How did you arrive at this
inference?
What is your reaction to the final paragraph?
(Get them Moving): To help students explore the characters in this
excerpt, have them work in groups of three to “mime” the actions of
Shorty, the narrator, and the drugstore man.
(Activity): Pair students to use the Reciprocal Teaching strategy. Ask
them to read the first five paragraphs of the excerpt. Then, have one
student in each pair ask the other student questions about the reading.
The second student answers as many questions as possible, and then
students switch roles. Designate two addition strategic stopping points in
the excerpt, and have students continue the process.
(Art): The narrator’s new hairstyle contributes to his identity. Have
students create collages that depict their identities. They might include
original drawings and paintings, cut pictures and words from
newspapers or magazines, or incorporate objects and textiles.
Day 12:
Text: “Hair” from the Autobiography of Malcom X
(Activity): Think of an experience you remember vividly, one that had a
mighty impact on you and that you’re willing to share with others. Maybe
you’ll want to talk about your experiences with pressures to conform to
the “in” fashions at your school or in your community.
(Research Activity): During the 1940s, the African American
communities in Harlem, Chicago, and Los Angeles were wellsprings of
artistic creativity. Research the life and work of one of the following
artists (or others you discover):
Music: Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie
Time:
20 days
2015-2016 Curriculum Thematic Unit
Grade: 11th
Course: English III
Unit: America the Beautiful…Exploring the American Experience
Dance: Katherine Dunham
Painting: Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence
Literature: Gwendolyn Brooks, Langston Hughes, Richard Wright
*Share with your class the results of your research as well as samples
(recordings, writing, and reproductions) of the artist’s work.
(Activity): Many words that later entered mainstream English slang
were used by African Americans during the era when “Hair” takes place.
Report on the origins of hip, cool, jive, pad, and homeboy. You’ll find
these words in a dictionary of American slang.
Day 13:
Text: “Hair” from the Autobiography of Malcom X
(Activity): Students might enjoy creating and compiling a “Slang
Dictionary”.
(Activity): Look up pictures of hairstyles throughout the course of
history. Draw four or five of them, and write an informative caption for
each. Some possible examples: conked hair; the pageboy; the Afro;
cornrows; long hippie hair; punk hair; the crewcut, ponytail, and ducktail;
powdered wigs; the squash-blossom hairstyle of the Hopis.
(Activity): Ask students to contact a linguist at a local college or
university. Students may want to ask the following questions:
-How does slang originate? Is slang determined solely by location or
ethnicity?
-Why does language change from generation to generation?
-How does culture affect language?
Day 14:
Text: “Hair” from the Autobiography of Malcom X
(Activity): Have students read autobiographies of their choice. Then,
have students design new book jackets for the autobiographies. The
Time:
20 days
2015-2016 Curriculum Thematic Unit
Grade: 11th
Course: English III
Unit: America the Beautiful…Exploring the American Experience
notes for book jackets should provide several reasons to read the book
as well as a summary of the subject’s major accomplishments. Students
might also design artwork for their book jackets, Display the book jackets
in the classroom or in a school display case.
(Activity): Since memories are usually visual images rather than written
ones, drawing is a helpful tool for evoking memories. First, ask students
to list five to ten distinct memories from childhood, using either phrases
of sentences. Remind students to choose a situation they would not
mind sharing with others. Have students then circle the two incidents
that they remember most distinctly. Next, ask students to use colored
pencils to draw one of these incidents on a piece of chart paper or post
board. They can draw the incident using either a Storyboard format or a
single picture. Encourage them to include as many details as possible,
such as people involved, emotions, places, and objects, When students
finish their drawings, they can describe their pictures to the class.
(Brief Assessment on “Hair”):
What do you think is the most important – or powerful – word or phrase
in Malcolm’s story? Why?
Why do you think Malcolm feels that conking his hair is a step toward
self-degradation?
What would you say is Malcolm’s main tone in this story about his hair?
Which words or passages do you think help establish this tone?
In William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, a father gives this advice to his
son: “This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the
night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.” What do you
think Malcolm would say about this advice?
Malcolm talks about behavior that leads toward self-degradation. What
on the other hand, gives people a sense of self-respect or self-esteem?
(After Reading Activity): After the students have read the story, have
them assume the role of Shorty to write a letter recounting the conking
incident. Students should try to reflect the attitude Shorty demonstrates
Time:
20 days
2015-2016 Curriculum Thematic Unit
Grade: 11th
Course: English III
Unit: America the Beautiful…Exploring the American Experience
toward Malcolm in the excerpt. Before students write their letters, ask
them to review the story and to create a cluster diagram for the conking
process and its details.
Day 15:
Text: ‘Still I Rise’ by Maya Angelou
(Partner Activity): Annotate the poem with your partner using the
following questions:
Who do you think the speaker/narrator of the poem is? Is it a person?
A cultural group? Identify words or phrases that help you identify the
speaker/narrator.
How does the speaker/narrator seem to feel about herself (or itself)?
Draw a face that represents that emotion (e.g., a smiley face, sad face
or angry face) next to a word phrase that exhibits it. Have you ever felt
that way about yourself? If so, share with your partner what makes
you feel that way.
To whom do you think the poem is directed? Highlight words and
phrases that support your answers and share them with your partner.
What message is the writer trying to give to the person or group to
which she is writing? Have you ever had to give a similar message to
someone? If so, when?
What do you believe the poem’s overall theme is? Examples include
hopelessness, strength, resiliency, spirit and anger. Write the theme
you have identified at the top of the poem. Then draw an arrow to a
word or phrase from the poem that supports that theme.
Do you see this poem in a historical context? If so, explain that
context to your partner.
Finally, consider and share with your partner how your own
knowledge, experiences and cultural identify influence the way you
Time:
20 days
2015-2016 Curriculum Thematic Unit
Grade: 11th
Course: English III
Unit: America the Beautiful…Exploring the American Experience
have chosen to interpret the poem. Have you interpreted it differently
than your partner?
Day 16:
Text: ‘Still I Rise’ by Maya Angelou
Students will be asked to answer the following questions:
Situation:
What do you think Maya Angelou might mean in the opening lines when
she says that history tells lies about her?
In the closing lines, whom is Maya Angelou referring to as her
‘ancestors’ and why is this important?
Angelou repeats the words ‘I rise’ throughout the poem. What does she
mean by this?
Identity is an important idea in the poem. What impression do you get of
Maya Angelou in the second, third, fifth and seventh verses?
What impression of herself does Maya Angelou definitely not want to
convey in the fourth verse?
What impression does Maya Angelou leave us with at the end of the
poem?
Viewpoint:
Who is ‘I’ in this poem?
Who is ‘you’ in this poem?
Themes:
What themes do you see or notice in the poem?
Time:
20 days
2015-2016 Curriculum Thematic Unit
Grade: 11th
Course: English III
Unit: America the Beautiful…Exploring the American Experience
Day 17:
Text: ‘Still I Rise’ by Maya Angelou
Students will be asked to answer the following questions:
Language (Diction/Syntax):
Angelou uses a great deal of natural imagery in the poem. List all the
similes and metaphors that relate to nature that you can identify in the
poem.
Find as many examples of alliteration and assonance in the poem as
you can. What effects do you think Angelou is hoping to achieve by her
use of these techniques?
How do you think the rhythm and the rhyming of the poem affects your
understanding of what Angelou is saying?
What do you think Angelou is trying to achieve with the repetition in the
poem?
Imagery:
What points do you think Angelou is making in using this natural
imagery? Identify, analyze and then evaluate at least three of these
images in detail.
Mood and Atmosphere:
How would you describe the mood or the atmosphere of the poem?
Does the mood change throughout the poem?
(Create a Poem): Provide students with another poem and have them
use the same techniques of annotation to identify the poetic terms they
Time:
20 days
2015-2016 Curriculum Thematic Unit
Grade: 11th
Course: English III
Unit: America the Beautiful…Exploring the American Experience
defined for Angelou's poem. Students should also write a short summary
discussing the poet's message or theme.
Day 18:
Text: “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty
Vocabulary: metaphor, simile, allusion, allegory, pullets, Natchez Trace,
phoenix, myth, lye, commemorate
(Opening Question): How far would you go to help someone you love
in a life or death situation? What limitations do you think would hinder
you in your journey (think physical, financial, metaphysical, etc.)?
(Activity): Refer to the text and work with your partner to place
sequencing statements into chronological order. Identify the symbolic
meaning of each obstacle Phoenix faced on her journey.








Phoenix climbs up the steps.
Phoenix falls into a ditch.
Phoenix climbs up a steep hill.
Phoenix confuses a scarecrow with a ghost.
Phoenix climbs under the barbed-wire fence.
Phoenix walks through a cornfield.
Phoenix crosses the creek by walking on a log.
Phoenix is insulted by a desk attendant
Day 19:
Text: “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty
(Activity): Many Writers have used the idea of the journey to teach a
lesson about life. In this story, Phoenix Jackson travels quite a distance
on foot. Her journey can be said to be symbolic.

Why is Phoenix making this journey? What do you think her
journey represents?
Time:
20 days
2015-2016 Curriculum Thematic Unit
Grade: 11th
Course: English III
Unit: America the Beautiful…Exploring the American Experience
Identify at least three setting details that describe what Phoenix faces
from the beginning to the end of her journey. Clearly explain how these
details contribute to the symbolism of this journey and the theme of the
story.
(Activity): Visit the Natchez Trace Parkway. Coordinate with a ranger to
walk a section of the Natchez Trace. Imagine Phoenix Jackson's
journey, read excerpts from the story, act out a skit, find sections of trail
that look like you imagined from the story.
(Text Dependent Questions):
What is significant about setting the story in December and during
Christmas?
In the first two paragraphs, Welty goes into great depth in her description
of Phoenix. How does the description of Phoenix aid in the development
of meaning?
What does the black dog symbolize?
What point of view is “A Worn Path” told in? What are the pros and cons
to that type of narration? Think from a reader’s perspective not the
author’s.
Day 20:
Text: “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty
(Text Dependent Questions):
These questions will aid students in finishing their reading of “A
Worn Path” and eventually juxtaposing ‘Still I Rise’ and Welty’s
famous short story.
Sight is another motif. Note places where Welty refers to eyes or sight.
How does Phoenix’s inability to see well help establish the nature of her
journey?
Time:
20 days
2015-2016 Curriculum Thematic Unit
Grade: 11th
Course: English III
Unit: America the Beautiful…Exploring the American Experience
Even though Phoenix is elderly, the white man treats her
condescendingly, as if she were a child. Why do you think Welty does
not give the man a name? What does he symbolize? What point is
Eudora Welty making?
What is symbolic about Phoenix’s journey back?
Once students have answered the above questions, they will
transition into pulling the texts together.
What is the significance of the title ‘Still I Rise’ and “A Worn Path”?
What is similar and what is different about each woman’s journey? What
does it say about the plight of black women?
(Essay Topics for “A Worn Path”):
1) There are many reasons someone would put themselves through a
hardship, such as Phoenix Jackson did in “A Worn Path.” Think of
something in your life that you struggle through in order to achieve
something. Write an essay describing this hardship and the reasons you
endure it.
2) “A Worn Path” can be seen as an allegory for a universal human
experience. On your own, deduce an experience that Eudora Welty had
in mind. Make an argument for this, citing examples from the story.
3) Many critics of “A Worn Path” have argued that Phoenix Jackson’s
grandson is dead and that Phoenix is suffering from a delusion. Choose
a side and make an argument, citing examples from the story, whether
or not her grandson is dead.
4) In Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path” Phoenix Jackson is suffering from
near blindness. Write an essay describing how she copes with her
blindness. Be sure to cite examples from the story.
5) In “A Worn Path” Eudora Welty alludes to many stories from
mythology (eg: Phoenix, The blind man who can see, Ulysses tricking
Time:
20 days
2015-2016 Curriculum Thematic Unit
Grade: 11th
Course: English III
Unit: America the Beautiful…Exploring the American Experience
the Cyclops, two headed snakes, etc...). Write an essay expanding on
an allusion.
6) Many myths use the ‘hero’s journey’ as a framework to describe an
adventure and successful encounter. Some examples include Ulysses in
the Illiad, Jack and the Beanstalk, Orpheus in the underworld, Harry
Potter. Describe Phoenix Jackson’s hero’s journey. Citing examples,
what was her goal, what ‘monsters’ did she defeat and how? What was
her success?
Time:
20 days