Friday, January 29, 2010

Lesson 44: January, 28-29

Today's objectives:
By the end of today's lesson, students will orally analyze p. 108-131 in Kindred, analyze the Willie Lynch letter as a contest primary source, and begin to track slaveholders’ methods of controlling slaves (i.e., mental slavery) and identify analogous situations within contemporary culture.

Agenda:
Do-now: SSR in Kindred [30 min]
1) Literary discussion circles #5
2) Willie Lynch Letter activity in small groups
3) Whole class discussion/debrief on Willie Lynch Letter

HW:
Read through page 160 in Kindred

Lesson 43: January, 25-26

Today's objectives:
By the end of today's lesson, students will answer the unit’s essential questions by looking deeply at one character in Kindred and justify their response to the essential question using quotations from the text.

Agenda:
Do-Now: SSR in Kindred [30 min.]
1) Review of “mental slavery” as a concept
2) Literary discussion circle #4 with three roles (all but questioner) → each group finishes by writing their paragraph on chart paper

HW: Read through page 131 in Kindred

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Lesson 42: January 19 (per. 1/2) and January 21 (per. 5/6)

Today's objectives:
By the end of class today, students will have orally analyzed pages 66-91 in Kindred and learned how to use dashes to create complex sentences.

Agenda:
1) SSR in Kindred
2) Literary discussion circles #3
3) Introduction to dashes --> dashes practice sheet

HW:
Read through the end of page 107 in Kindred by the next time you have English class: 1/21 (per. 1/2) or 1/26 (per. 5/6)

Lesson 41: January 14/15

Today's objectives:
By the end of today's lesson, students will have orally analyzed pages 46-65 in Kindred and participated in History Live with Nida.

Agenda:
1) SSR in Kindred [20 min.]
2) Literary discussion circles #2 [20 min.]
3) History Live with Nida in the Community Room [45 min.]

HW:
Read up to the end of page 81 in Kindred.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Lesson 40: January 13th

There is no curricular lesson today. Instead, we will spend the 40 minute period uploading students' Grad. Portfolio literary analysis essays and reflections, which they submitted before winter break, to the digital archive.

Students need to make sure they have access to their essay and reflection when they come to class on Wednesday and should make sure they have read up to page 51 in Kindred before class on Thursday or Friday.

Lesson 39: January 11/12

Today's objectives:
By the end of today's lesson, students will familiarize themselves with the literary discussion circle roles and expectations, orally analyze p.1-45 of Kindred, and use apposition to combine simple sentences.

Agenda:
Do Now: SSR in Kindred [30 min.]
1) Introduce literary discussion circles & roles
2) Apposition and higher-level punctuation --> practice sheet

HW:
• Make sure you will have access to your ESGP Lit. Analysis essay and your reflection during class this Wednesday (we will be uploading to the digital archive)
• Read from River 3 (33)- end of River (51) by Thursday/Friday

Lesson 38: January 7/8

Today's objectives:
By the end of today's lesson, students will have interacted with the new essential questions and be able to explain mental slavery. They will also make connections between (internalized) racism with mental slavery, understand that racial epithets have a complex history in America and exhibit sensitivity in decisions they make about reading the word aloud, and begin reading Kindred.

Agenda:
1) What does “mental slavery” mean?
• Students look at multiple texts on mental slavery (two short writings excerpted from the internet, two songs/lyrics, a brief section of a text on mental slavery, and a sticker slogan) and work in groups to come up with a definition of mental slavery. [15 min]
• Groups share out their definitions and we work towards a class definition of mental slavery [10 min]
• How does mental slavery relate to racism (interpersonal, institutional, and internalized)? [10 min]
2) The n-word and the power of language [10 min]
3) Begin reading Kindred

HW: Read through the middle of page 33.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Lessons 37: January 4/5

Today's objectives:
By the end of today's class, students will get over the myth of “colorblindness," think about their previous experiences talking/learning about racism in school as well as their own current understanding of racism; differentiate between interpersonal and structural/institutional racism; and, get more comfortable talking about race and racism in a heterogeneous environment.

Agenda:
1) Students read an abridged version of “See Baby Discriminate” individually and discuss in small groups → each group shares out one thing they discussed about the article.
2) Students fill out Kindred anticipation guide
3) The class works together to generate a definition for racism.
4) What’s the difference between interpersonal and institutional/structural racism? (and some examples of institutional/structural racism)
5) Introduce homework assignment

HW: Positionality Journal Response (should be ~2 pages handwritten) -- due Thursday/Friday. This will count for the first Leadership Skills assignment of the 2nd semester.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Want some extra credit?

I rarely offer up extra credit, but I can't resist this one. While trying to come up with a good, engaging way to start a class conversation about racism, I came across the following blog entry. Here's the assignment, should you choose to accept it:

1) Read the blog entry and the lesson plan that follows it.

2) Think about the situation the teacher is responding to, her objective for her "Emergency Culture Lessonplan," and the procedure. How well does this teacher seem to understand race and racism? Do you think this is an effective lessonplan about race/racism? What do you think the students will learn from this lesson? Will they meet the stated objectives? If you were the teacher, what might you do differently?

3) Respond to the blog entry in one of two ways: by writing up a paragraph for me, or, if you feel like you can respond with thoughtfulness and maturity, you may leave a comment on the blog entry itself.

Yeah, That'll Teach You A Lesson: My Emergency Racism Lesson Plan

-Micah