Two-Day Lesson Plan for Nonfiction Activity
Objectives: Outcomes align with the objectives for Honors English. Students will be able to:
1. Analyze theme in short stories through use of non-fiction selections (Objective 8, State
Standards 2.A.5c, 2.A.5d)
Content: The issue of lynching during the segregation area will be introduced through two nonfiction selections: the first, a section from an essay documenting past descriptions of lynching in
the South; the second, an actual article from the 1920s describing a lynching in Georgia. During
the first day, the class will read the first article together through assigned readers by the
instructor, followed by a discussion over reactions, thoughts, perceptions of race now and then,
and connections to the novel, based on the following (tentative) prompts:
1. What are your reactions to the Southern perception on lynching? Are you horrified?
Dismayed? Explain.
2. What are were your initial thoughts on segregation and lynching in American history?
Did you know they were so violent?
3. Imagine the perceptions of race required to justify the lynching of human beings. Do they
remind you of anything from Light in August?
4. How lynching affect your conceptions of race from “Desiree’s Baby?”
Discussions will focus on relatable themes between the non-fiction selection and “Desiree’s
Baby,” gearing toward the in-class essay prompt:
1. Read the attached article. Consider the theme of racism in how it demonizes members of
different races, making them acceptable subjects for slavery, mistreatment, and lynching.
Now, consider the theme of miscegenation in “Desiree’s Baby.” How does lynching and
a fear of miscegenation characterize the idea of “race” in Southern American ideology?
Use evidence from the article, “Desiree’s Baby,” and Light in August. Then, write about
current racist ideologies/representations you have observed in your own culture. (2-3
pages)
Students will be informed on the subject of the prompt the day before, giving them ample time to
analyze the two texts they have with the topic of racial fear in mind. Students will have the entire
class period to read the article and writer their essays, and given one chance of rewriting for a
higher grade.
Instructional Procedure:
Day 1:
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Introduce topic of lynching (10 minutes)
- What is lynching? Why was it controversial?
Class reading (readers chosen by instructor) (15 to 20 minutes)
Discuss topic (15 minutes)
- What are your reactions to the Southern perception on lynching? Are you horrified?
Dismayed? Explain.

What are were your initial thoughts on segregation and lynching in American history?
Did you know they were so violent?
Imagine the perceptions of race required to justify the lynching of human beings. Do
they remind you of anything from Light in August?
How lynching affect your conceptions of race from “Desiree’s Baby?”
Introduce in-class essay (5-10 minutes)
Day 2:
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Have article and writing prompt on desks before class
Cover prompts, answer questions (5-10 minutes)
Writing session (40-45 minutes)
Collect essays as exit slips
Materials:
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Copies of essay
Copies of article
Writing prompt
Computer Lab
- Extra Pencils and Paper (if Computer Lab isn’t available)
Assessment: The in-class discussion on the reading day will track student understanding of
racial tensions in segregated societies. The in-class essay will be both formative and summative:
formative for assessing students’ progress with conceiving themes of racism and growth in
writing skills; summative for assessing students’ abilities in synthesizing texts from nonfiction
and fiction genres. Quality discussions will exhibit an understanding of the issue of lynching, and
an application to themes from the novel or short story. Quality essays will exhibit a synthesis of
thematic ideas from each source, explaining the textual evidence that connects them
thematically. Students will have one opportunity to rewrite their essays for a higher grade. The
essay will be worth twenty points: twenty for excellent work, ten for sufficient work, and five for
poor work.
Accommodations: Visually-impaired students who cannot use software to complete their essays
in class will be given time outside of class to complete it. Students who struggle with writing will
be given a chance to rewrite; the instructor will accept the better essay.
Rationale: Synthesis between nonfiction and fiction is essential for students to construct
meaning between texts, especially between those of different genres. Also, by examining past
conceptions of race, students will be provoked to examine current conceptions of race in their
own cultures, allowing them to think critically of oppressive structures (a pedagogical approach
influenced again by Paulo Freire). Using the mentor text of the essay—followed by introducing
the article—students will have a template understanding for what nonfiction entails, but then also
understand that nonfiction texts require the same construction of meaning that fictional texts
incite. Similar to the short story lesson plan, text-tapping, as envisioned by Turbill, Butler, and
Cambourne, will foster textual comparisons and analysis, while also demonstrating the thematic
pattern of the human condition present in multiple texts and mediums (Meeks and Austin 126).
By connecting meaning into nonfiction texts, students can begin to conceptualize the human
condition not only in fictional terms, but in more concrete and (ideally) factual texts. Texttapping allows students to practice direct comparison and synthesis with a thematic idea in mind,
and proper synthesis will demonstrate connecting a thematic idea to textual evidence from both
sources.