Activities
My strategies are usually a balance of standard language arts classroom reading and writing protocols and activities that inspire interpersonal reflection and artistic creativity from my students. In response to reflection of previous units and trials last year, I’m more intentionally pairing visual and textual literacy. Students will also benefit from ongoing text discussions and both reflective and formal writing opportunities during this unit. Noted below are sample lesson plans for the five main sections of the unit: Small-Group Work, Article Analysis, Article Analysis with an Audio Complement and the Explore Downtown Fieldtrip Discussions. Lastly, a brief description of the Final Project can also be found below.
Mixed Small-Groups: Analyzing Character’s Wants, Obstacles, Actions
Act II, Scene 4: Boy Willie and Berneice’s Argument over Perception
For this activity we’ll focus on Boy Willie and Berneice’s argument over perception in Act II, Scene 4. The argument begins while Boy Willie watches Berniece comb her daughter’s hair. The child cannot sit still, and she complains that her mother is combing her hair too hard. Irritated, Berniece replies: “Be still, Maretha. If you was a boy I wouldn’t be going through this.” Immediately, Boy Willie openly rebukes the comment, stating that it degrades the child’s unique individuality and purpose. As the scene evolves, Boy Willie and Berneice begin to passionately argue about the opportunities that Blacks have to be successful compared to days past.
At the beginning of class, students will answer probing questions about limits and submit their reflections in Google Classroom. Questions include: 1.Have people ever put limits on you? If so, how did you respond? Have you ever put limits on yourself? What was the result of having those limits? (4-5 sentences)After submitting this work, students will create a hashtag (#) that summarizes their perspective on limits. This will be displayed on the online class wall. Some examples of hashtags include: #limitLess #whatlimits? #BreakEm. As a whole class, we will briefly discuss student ideas, and allow them the opportunity to volunteer explanations (7-8 minutes for entire Entry Activity)
With the first activity completed, students will be informed that the day’s work will focus on Limits: How limits affect our thinking, and how limits affect the way we live. We will discuss the power of limits by closely studying how they affect character’s wants, obstacles, and actions. Students will then be directed to the specific scene study and group rotation. While in their groups, students will have 15-20 minutes to read through the scene and discuss what each character believes about limits. For this discussion, students are documenting their answers and evidence on a character chart (to be used for the remainder of class).
Once time has expired, we will begin a whole class discussion about their findings, and record their collective responses on a class anchor chart. We will then define the terms want in our own terms (these can be added to a separate vocabulary chart). By focusing on terms one-by-one, students are prepped for a second reading of the script. The second reading will be done using film. As a group, we will complete the chart for select characters, and the students will work independently on others. Watching the same scene, students will study the actors to determine their wants. Students will record their observations in their charts. We will discuss their conclusions, and move forward to cover obstacle and action. The same process loops as we talk about new terms. Naturally, after watching the same clip twice, students will most likely be able to vividly explain what character action without using the audiovisual. Students will be given time to work independently to complete the entire chart, and this sample will be used for assessment.
Tulsa Greenwood District Article Analysis: Inspectional Reading, Close-Reading, Recognizing and Annotating Textual Features
For this activity, the emphasis will be on studying an article in terms of its features. More specifically, students will: clarify unfamiliar words by creating footnotes; annotate argument claims, evidence, warrants, and counterclaims.
At the beginning of class, students will answer probing questions about struggle and opposition and submit their reflections in Google Classroom. Questions include: 1. Does struggle (opposition) make a person better, or not? Does the absence of struggle (opposition) make a person weak? Explain your reasoning. (4-5 sentences) Once done with this writing, students will submit their work online. As a whole class, we will briefly discuss student responses, allowing them the opportunity to volunteer explanations (7-8 minutes for first exercise).
With the first activity completed, students will be informed that the day’s work will focus on Struggle: #Thestruggleisreal, and life becomes better or worse based upon how you handle opposition. We will discuss the effects of opposition by closely studying what triggered the rise, fall, and reconstruction of the Tulsa Greenwood District. We will also be analyzing this historic account in terms of argument: claim, evidence, warrant, and counterclaim---because Greenwood---indeed--- was in the center of controversy. We will then refresh our memories on argument terminology. (This may be a call and response or individual-answer activity.)
After a brief review, students will then begin working through the text, “The Tulsa Race Riots: The Questions that Remain.” First, students will complete a brief inspectional reading of the text: numbering paragraphs and circling any words that they do not recognize (3 minutes). Once the allotted time expires, we will then work whole-group to confirm answers about text sections and begin our work on vocabulary. The “Working Footnotes” section is crafted around student responses to vocabulary: words circled as “unknown” are defined in a new “Footnotes” section of their paper. Students will be allotted 5-7 minutes to independently research unknown words (including teacher-recommended words) on their devices. At the close of this activity, we will return to the whole-group setting, and students will share their research with the class. As students continue to share, the “Footnotes” section lengthens.
Next, we will read and discuss the article to better understand the sequence of events. During the second reading, students will read to answer a specific question related to identifying examples of terms within the text. As we identify and discuss answers, students annotate their copies with symbols and highlighters. This cycle continues until all terminology has been covered. We will then focus our attention on the meaning of the text by relating this story to our person and to current society. These conversations will first be had among peers using the Think-Pair-Share technique. Having this smaller audience will help students become more comfortable with sharing their personal convictions. In time, we will return to the large-group a last time to openly reflect on content ideas.
Questions that students will continue to grapple with include are below.
Relationships:
What caused the riot? Were Rowland and Page a couple? What do you think would happen if they “went public”?
Quotation:
“A riot is the language of the Unheard.” –CBS31
How can we apply this quotation to the Tulsa Race Riot?
What were the “two battling armies” fighting for?
What did they fear they could lose?
How was their identity challenged?
What could have been done differently?
Personal:
What do you do when you feel like your identity is threatened?
What would you do if a peer was struggling in their identity and with feeling accepted? What would you do if this was a close friend?
Tulsa Greenwood District Article w/Audio Complement: Analyzing Cinematic Features, Explaining how Author’s Purpose and Methods
For this activity, students will engage in film studies that highlight the affluence and influence of Tulsa’s Greenwood District as well as the aftermath and reconstruction of the nationally-known “Black Wall-Street.” In my classroom, such film studies will serve as supplements to the articles. The video clips will be further divided into distinct segments: Life before the Race Riot and Life after the Race Riot.
At the beginning of class, students will answer a writing prompt about dreams and submit their reflections in Google Classroom. Questions include: What does success look like for you personally? Describe your lifestyle after college graduation. Some things to consider: Where will you live? What will be your career? Will you have a family of your own? (4-5 sentences) Once done with this writing, students will submit their work online. As a whole class, we will briefly discuss student responses, allowing them the opportunity to volunteer explanations (7-8 minutes for first exercise).
With the first activity completed, students will be informed that the day’s work will focus on Success: Dreams only become tangible as you work, and success is optional. We will discuss the power of dreams by closely studying the wealth and influence of the Greenwood District. Students will then be given a viewing guide that consists of various questions about the film: cinematic observations, character inferences based on body language, identifying embedded information, and overall comprehension questions. Students are encouraged to “search for answers” while the film is running. Periodically, the film will be paused so that we can discuss potential answers to a question; afterwards, we will resume watching. At the conclusion of the movie, students will draw text-to-text and text-to-life connections through discussion. We will end this learning session with exit ticket asking students to describe how the film affected them personally---what was their takeaway.
Questions that students will continue to grapple with are noted below.
Personal:
Personal qualities help people solve or overcome their problems. What qualities do you believe the members of Greenwood had, and have you seen them in your own experience, either in your own behavior or in behavior of someone you know?32
Group:
How would you describe the members of the Greenwood community?
How would you describe the atmosphere of the Greenwood District?
How does this area compare to Wall Street? Why would we---Tulsa---be given that name?
After reflecting on the quality of his life, Canadian hip-hop artist Drake boldly proclaimed, “We started from the bottom, now we’re here.”
What did it mean to “arrive” back then? What seemed most important? What does it mean to “arrive and be successful” today? Are our definitions of hustle, grind, grit and success the same?
What image is the most striking to you? Why?
Are there details in the 1920’s setting that are still familiar today (2017)? 33
Explore Downtown Fieldtrip Discussions
Visiting The Greenwood Cultural Center is an eye-opening experience for students. Here, they view primary documents about the Tulsa Race Riot, participate in a series of group dramatization and reflection activities, and discuss how to preserve the rich legacy of the Greenwood District.
When we first arrive, students are encouraged to become acclimated to the museum. In order to facilitate this, students are assigned to study different sections of the museum with the intent of teaching that knowledge to the entire team. Students scatter all over the museum and engage in deep study for 10 minutes. After that time ends, students return to the larger group to share what they learned independently. Following this exercise, students are often asked to reflect on the conditions of Greenwood during the 1920’s: How do you think they felt having all their businesses stripped away? How would you feel? Upon their replies, docents begin to guide students into deeper thinking about The Riot through the use of dramatizations. For the remainder of the presentation, students are instructed to hold their hands above their heads. Students will automatically groan, knowing that this is uncomfortable---seemingly impossible. Little did they know that this was the posture many African-American captives held for days---with guns held to their backs. While students are learning about the marches, they are being challenged physically and mentally: Can you imagine what it was like holding this posture all day? Could you do it? Would you stay submitted to the march? Or would you refuse to comply—break away---and risk dying?
For their final activity, students engage in an intimate discussion with the museum director about the need to preserve the legacy of Greenwood. She discusses how the rise of “Black Wall Street” garnered national attention, but the destruction of “Black Wall Street” remained unspoken of and undocumented for decades. In conversation, she gages students’ understanding of legacy through challenging questions: What do your friends do, outside of school? (Questioning intentional connections and productive use of time) Do your friends know about Greenwood? Do you know how important it is to keep this legacy alive? Students tend to be rather quiet during this conversation---I believe it is a sign that they are intently listening. In all, there were a few questions about details of the event, but silence was our honest response. Students continued this experience as they walked through the John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park. Docent-led, students learned more about national figures and historic moments that forever shaped Tulsa, Oklahoma and the nation.
Final Project Description
To conclude this unit, students will create an original business plan for the modern-day Greenwood District, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Our work will be framed according to the principles: Your Purpose is where your talent and passions collide, and Purpose fuels Legacy. This process of learning about Purpose will occur in distinct stages. First, students will study the self through a series of surveys: their personality strengths and weaknesses, potential career paths, etc. Students will then take what they have learned about themselves, and complete a short research project about future academic goals. This project will include their top career choice from survey results, one potential college-choice, a highlight of a successful person in this field, a description of current research developments in this field, and a statement about what they, as students, will add do to add to this work and meet community needs. During the last stages, students will learn more specifically about the components of a business plan and project specifications. The overall goal is that students will be able to merge what they know about themselves and business in order to creatively “Bring their Passions to Greenwood” and help restore what was lost. This project will conclude with speech, PowerPoint, and Display presentations.
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