FORTHETEACHER

EssentialQuestion:

1. Whatprivilegesareconferredordeniedbasedonone’sidentity?

LearningGoals:1. StudentswillunderstandthemeaningsofkeytermsandconceptsinTa-Nehisi

Coates’sBetweentheWorldandMe.2. Studentswilldefineandexaminethekeytermsanauthor’sargumentandwillsee

howthisisanimportantskillfordeeperunderstandingoftheargumentasawhole.

LessonPlan:1. Askstudentsabouthistoricalandcontemporaryexamplesofviolenceagainst

AfricanAmericans.2. DistributeKeyTermsforReadingWorksheetandgivestudentstimetoanswer

questionsindependently.After10-15minutes,breakstudentsintosmallgroupstodiscusstheiranswers.

3. Givestudentstimetotalkinsmallgroupsandthenbringthembacktoawholegroupdiscussiontocontinuetodeveloptheiranswers.

1 ACTIVITY1

KeytermsforreadingTa-NehisiCoates:BetweentheWorldandMe

ONBEINGWHITE

Closelyreadpages5-12.

1. ExplaininyourownwordswhatthefollowingquotationsmeanandhowtheyserveCoates’slargerargument.

a. “Americansbelieveinthereality

of‘race’asadefined,indubitablefeatureofthenaturalworld”(7).

b. “Butraceisthechildofracism,notthefather.Andtheprocessofnaming‘thepeople’hasneverbeenamatterofgenealogyandphysiognomysomuchasoneofhierarchy.”(7)

c. “Differenceinhueandhairisold.

Butthebeliefinthepreeminenceofhueandhair,thenotionthatthesefactorscancorrectlyorganizeasocietyandthattheysignifydeeperattributes,whichareindelible—thisisthenewideaattheheartofthesenewpeoplewhohavebeenbroughtuphopelessly,tragically,deceitfully,tobelievethattheyarewhite.”(7)

2. Fromthereading,aswellasyourprior

knowledge,whatprivilegesareconferredordeniedbasedonanindividual’sorgroup’sperceivedidentity?Elaborate.

THEBODY

Closelyreadpages5-12.

1. HowdoesCoatesdescribehisownbody?

2. Highlighttheinstancesinwhich

Coatesusestheword“body.”Whatistheimpactoftheuseofthisword?Doestheimpactchangefordifferentsituationsinthebook?

3. CoateswritesabouttheprecariouspositionoftheBlackbodyinAmerica.WhataresomeofspecificexamplesofthedangersthatfacetheBlackbody?

4. ExplainwhatCoatesmeanswhenhewritesaboutlearningtolivewithinyourownbody.

WORKSHEET:KEYTERMSFORREADING

Ta-NehisiCoates:BetweentheWorldandMe

1

THEDREAM

Closelyreadpages10-11.1. WhydoesCoatescapitalizetheword“Dream”?

2. Inyourownwords,explainwhatCoatesmeansby“theDream.”

3. Whatisyourpriorknowledgeoftheuseof“dream”inAmericanliteratureandculture?

4. DoesCoates’snotionof“theDream”matchthe

qualitiesofyourownexperience?5. Whoisabletoexperience“theDream”and

whoisn’tabletoexperienceit?6. Coatesusesimageryandfigurativelanguageto

describe“theDream.”Identifyspecificexamplesandexplainhowthedetailsworktoservehispurpose?

7. ExplainwhatCoatesmeansby“withina

countrylostintheDream.”

THEMECCA

Closelyreadp.40.

1. Whatisthe“Mecca”?WhydoesCoatesusethisterm?

2. HowdoesCoatesdescribetheMeccaonp.40?

3. DescribethestudentswhoattendtheMecca.Whoaresomenotablealumni?

4. HowdoesCoates’sperceptionoftheMeccachangeovertime?

1 WORKSHEET:KEYTERMSFORREADING

Ta-NehisiCoates:BetweentheWorldandMe

FORTHETEACHER

EssentialQuestions:

1. WhyisitimportantforthereadertounderstandhistoricalaswellascontemporaryexamplesofviolenceagainstAfricanAmericans?

2. HowdoesthisviolenceshapetheexperienceofbeingBlackinAmerica?3. Inparticular,howdopoliceshootingsofunarmedBlackmenandwomenandthelow

convictionratesfortheseofficersaffecttheBlackcommunity’sperceptionofthepolice?

LearningGoals:

1. StudentswillunderstandthehistoricalcontextsurroundingthedeathsofMichaelBrownandPrinceJonesandhowtheyshapedCoates’stext.

2. Studentswillpracticeclosereadingandannotatinganon-fictiontext.

LessonPlan:

1. AskstudentsaboutpriorknowledgeabouthistoricalexamplesofviolenceagainstAfricanAmericans(e.g.,lynching,murder,policebrutality).

2. Providestudentswithexcerptsforclosereading(pp.5-12andpp.75-88).Assignreadingforhomeworkorprovidestudentswithtimetoreadinclass.

3. Distribute“WhoIsMichaelBrown”Worksheetandgivestudentstimetoanswerquestionsindependently.After10-15minutes,breakstudentsintosmallgroupstodiscusstheiranswers.Givestudentstimetotalkandthenbringthembacktoawholegroupdiscussiontocontinuetodeveloptheiranswers.

4. Assessment:youmayconsideraskingyourstudentstotaketheiranswershomeandtypeupfullerresponses.

ACTIVITY2:WHOISMICHAELBROWN?

“ThatwastheweekyoulearnedthatthekillersofMichaelBrownwouldgofree”

2

AdditionalTeachingResourcesforReadingandDiscovery

CharlesM.Blow,NYTimesOp/Ed:“MichaelBrownandBlackMen”13Aug.2014.https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/14/opinion/charles-blow-michael-brown-and-black-men.html?_r=0“ThePerfect-VictimPitfall:MichaelBrown,andNowEricGarner”3Dec.2014.https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/04/opinion/charles-blow-first-michael-brown-now-eric-garner.htmlPaulSolotaroff,“TheStoryofJordanDavis:‘AMostAmericanWaytoDie’”15April2013.

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/jordan-davis-stand-your-grounds-latest-victim-20130425

WORKSHEET:WHOISMICHAELBROWN?

“ThatwastheweekyoulearnedthatthekillersofMichaelBrownwouldgofree”

WHOISMICHAELBROWN?JONESBROWNANDPRINCEJONESDCloselyreadpages5-12.

1. WhowasMichaelBrown?

2. Howdoeshisstoryserveastheimpetusforthewritingofthisbook?

3. Coateswrites,“ThatwastheweekyoulearnedthatthekillersofMichaelBrownwouldgofree.”Towhomdoesthe“you”referinthisquotation?

4. WhydoesCoatesincludethenamesofEricGarner,RenishaMcBride,JohnCrawford,TamirRice,andMarlenePinnock(p.9)?

WHOISPRINCEJONES?PRINCEJONESCloselyreadpages75-88.

1. WhowasPrinceJones?WhydoesCoatesincludehiminthebook?

2. WhydoesCoatesincludethenamesofElmerClayNewman,GaryHopkins,andFreddieMcCollum(p.75)?

3. Lookcloselytheparagraphstartingatthebottomofp.78andendingattopofp.79.Coateswrites,“thetruthisthatthepolicereflectAmericainallofitswillandfear.”ReadtherestoftheparagraphcarefullyandtrytoidentifytheelementsofCoates’sargument.WhatconnectionsdoesCoatesmakebetweenthepoliceandAmerica?

2

ForFurtherReadingandDiscovery

CharlesM.Blow,NYTimesOp/Ed:“MichaelBrownandBlackMen”13Aug.2014.

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/14/opinion/charles-blow-michael-brown-and-black-men.html?_r=0

“ThePerfect-VictimPitfall:MichaelBrown,andNowEricGarner”3Dec.2014.https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/04/opinion/charles-blow-first-michael-brown-now-eric-garner.html

PaulSolotaroff,“TheStoryofJordanDavis:‘AMostAmericanWaytoDie’”15April2013.

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/jordan-davis-stand-your-grounds-latest-victim-20130425

ACTIVITY3

POETRYANDSOCIALJUSTICE3

EssentialQuestions:1. Whatistheimpactofchoosingpoetryasatoolofsocialjustice?2. Whenhaveyoureadpoemsinahistoryorsocialstudiesclass?3. Whydoyouthinkmosthistoryispresentedinproseandnotpoetry?

LearningGoals:1. Studentswillcontemplatethegenreofpoetryanditsimpactuponthereader.2. Studentswillconsidertheplaceofpoetryinahistoryorsocialstudiesclass.3. Studentswilldoaclosereadingofapoem,bothforcomprehensionandanunderstandingoftheauthor’s

purpose.

LessonPlan:1. Handoutworksheet3andacopyofRichardWright’sBetweentheWorldandMe.2. Discusspoetryasaform(seetextbox1).3. Discusspoetryinthehistoryclassroom(seetextbox2).4. Afterreadingthepoemindependently(orteachermaychoosetoreaditaloud),studentswillworkinsmall

groupstoanswertheworksheetquestions.Then,theycanshareanswerswiththewholeclass.

FORTHETEACHER

TEXTBOX1:WHYPOETRY?Whymightawriterchoosetowriteapoemortellastorytoconveyanexampleofviolence?Howdoesapoemorstorydifferfromastatistic?

TEXTBOX2:POETRYINHISTORYCLASS?Doespoetryhaveaplaceinahistoryorsocialstudiesclass?Howcouldpoetrycontributetoourunderstandingofhistory?Whydoyouthinkpoetryisnotoftenreadinhistoryclasses?

ADDITIONALTEACHERRESOURCESFORREADINGANDDISCOVERYBernstein,Joel.60Minutes.“TheRosewoodMassacre.”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7scd7wwwsAc“FloridaTerror”fromthePBSdocumentaryFreedomNeverDies.http://www.pbs.org/harrymoore/terror/index.htmlRobbins,Hollis.“TheLiteratureofLynching.”(containsgraphicimages)http://www.chronicle.com/article/The-Literature-of-Lynching/232185

WORKSHEET:POETRYANDSOCIALJUSTICE

RichardWright’s1935poem“BetweentheWorldandMe”

3

POETRYANDSOCIALJUSTICEThetitleofCoates’sbookBetweentheWorldandMeistakenfromRichardWright’s1935poemofthesamename.

Directions:onaseparatesheetofpaper,answerthefollowingquestionsaboutRichardWright’spoem“BetweentheWorldandMe.”Bepreparedtoshareyouranswersinaclassdiscussion.

ReadingComprehension

1. Whatisthe“thing”thespeaker“stumbledsuddenlyupon”?

2. Retellthestoryinthepoeminyourownwords.

3. WhatdoyouknowaboutlynchinginAmerica?

4. Howdoesthepoem“BetweentheWorldandMe”promotesocialjustice?

5. Whydoyouthinktheauthorchosethisparticularformattoconveythatpurpose?

FORTHETEACHER

EssentialQuestions:1. Whatcan“whitepicketfences”symbolizeinAmericanculture?2. HowcanweconnectTheWhitePicketFencetoCoates’snotionof“theDream”?

LearningGoals:1. Studentswilllearnhowtoapplytherulesofrhetoricandeffectivewritingtoworksofart.2. Studentswillcompareandcontrasthowaworkofvisualartandaworkofnon-fictionaddressthe

conceptoftheAmericandream.LessonPlan:

1. BuildonActivity1andthekeytermof“theDream”inCoates’stext.2. Arrangestudentsintosmall,even-numberedgroups.3. ProvidestudentswithcopiesofPrevard’sTheWhitePicketFence(incolor,ifpossible)andthe

VisualRhetoricViewingGuide.Projecttheimageontotheboard.4. Definerhetoricforyourstudents(seetextbox1)5. Askaboutwhitepicketfences(seetextbox2)6. BrieflydiscussandaskstudentstoexamineTheWhitePicketFencewiththeVisualRhetoricViewing

Guideandquestions.7. Givestudents15minutestodiscussthepaintingingroups,thenaskstudentstocometotheboard

tolabelsomedetailstheyfoundinthepicture.8. Withapproximately10minutesleftinclass,bringthesmallgroupsbacktoawholegroup

discussiontoshareideasandcontinuelabelingdetails.

ACTIVITY4:VISUALRHETORIC

TheWhitePicketFence

TEXTBOX1:DEFININGRHETORIC Theartofeffectiveand/orpersuasivewritingorvisuals,whileestablishingthespeaker’scredibility,providingspecificdetailsandevidence,andappealingtotheaudience’semotions.

TEXTBOX2:WHITEPICKETFENCESWhat,ifany,priorknowledgedoyouhaveabout“whitepicketfences”asanimageinAmericanculture?Whatcan“whitepicketfences”symbolize?

ADDITIONALTEACHINGRESOURCESFORREADINGANDDISCOVERY

“TheWhitePicketFence:DefiningtheAmericanDream”:exploresymbolismconnectedtotheAmericanDreaminthisvideofromthedocumentaryDreamOn.http://www.pbs.org/wnet/dream-on/resources/dream-on/https://kirkpatrickjuniorenglish.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/ethos-pathos-logos-definitions-and-worksheet.pdf

4

VISUALRHETORICVIEWINGGUIDE

Usethesequestionsasguidesforobservinganddiscussingthepictures.Youdonothavetoanswerthemall.Imagineyouareansweringthequestionsforsomeonewhocannotseethepicture.

WHATIMAGESANDDETAILSAPPEALTOOUR:Ø Emotions?Ø Logic?Ø Commonexperiences?

COMMUNICATEWHATYOUSEEØ Observeit.Ø Whatdoyousee?Ø Writeit.Ø Beasspecificandasliteralaspossible.Ø Youdon’thavetounderstandtheimagetodescribeit.

VIEWINGQUESTIONSØ Whatdoyousee?Ø Whatisitabout?Ø Towhatdoesitrelate?Ø Howisitcomposed?Ø Whatdetailsmatter?Ø Whatmaterialsdoyouthinkitismadeoutof?Ø Whatstylecartoonisit?Realistic?Surreal?Exaggerated?Ø Whatcolors?Ø Whatisthefocalpoint?Isthereafocalpoint?

WHATISTHEARTIST’STHESIS?

Ø Whatistheartist’spurpose?Ø Whatdetailsleadyouthatconclusion?

FORFURTHERREADINGANDDISCOVERY

“TheWhitePicketFence:DefiningtheAmericanDream”:ExploresymbolismconnectedtotheAmericanDreamhttp://www.pbs.org/wnet/dream-on/resources/dream-on/

WORKSHEET:VISUALRHETORIC

KelleyPrevard’sTheWhitePicketFence

4

WHATDOYOUSEE?

WorkinsmallgroupsandexamineKelleyPrevard’sTheWhitePicketFencehttps://kelley-prevard-9tmn.squarespace.com/warten/

• UsetheVisualRhetoricViewingGuidetoleadyoursmallgroupdiscussion.• Bepreparedtostopandreportoutobservationsinwhole-groupdiscussions.• Youshouldworkcollaborativelyontheideas,butpleasehaveyourwrittenworkrepresent

yourownthoughtsandefforts.

1. What,ifany,priorknowledgedoyouhaveabout“whitepicketfences”asanimageinAmericanculture?Whatcan“whitepicketfences”symbolize?

2. Whatdoyouseeinthepainting?

3. Identifyspecificobjectsinthepictureandthendescribetheirsignificance.WhydoesPrevardincludetheminherpainting?

4. Inyourownwords,tellthestoryofTheWhitePicketFence.