Black Boy By Richard Wright - Author(s): J. Barnett, N. Caleo, A. Eannace, K. Fiozzo - Grade Level: 11 - Subject Area: English Language Arts - Write about an episode when you were the victim of or a witness to an act of prejudice. Discuss your feelings and the outcome of the situation.

Planning Guide

Creating Learner-Focused
Schools

* Madison-Oneida BOCES- This document may not be reproduced in any form without the expressed written consent of the District Superintendent or his designee.

LU Title: Black Boy by Richard Wright	Author(s): J. Barnett, N. Caleo, A. Eannace, K. Fiozzo
Grade Level: 11	School Address: Thomas R. Proctor HS Hilton Avenue, Utica, NY 13501
Subject Area: English Language Arts	School Phone/Fax: 315-792-2110

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE

Declarative	Procedural
Historical background	Create a flow chart of the events most influential in Wright's life.
Information on the author	Create an artistic representation of Richard's emotional state at a specific point in the work.
Jim Crow South	Understand the writer's craft.
Philosophy of meeknessd

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

In what philosophical ways is Richard different from his peers?
How is violence a major factor in shaping Richard's personality?
In what ways is hunger a predominant theme in Richard's life?
How is prejudice from both the white and black communities a controlling factor in Richard's life?

INITIATING ACTIVITY

Write about an episode when you were the victim of or a witness to an act of prejudice. Discuss your feelings and the outcome of the situation.

Research the terms Jim Crow south, philosophy of meekness, and separate but equal.

Research biographical information on Richard Wright using selected websites.

Connection to State Learning Standards

Content Area: English Language Arts

Level: 11

Benchmarks: Students will take notes on sections of the work, analyze the writers craft, and watch documentary on Richard Wright's life

Benchmarks: In groups, students will present a well-developed analysis of a chosen theme of the autobiography.

Standard: ELA #1 Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding

Standard: ELA #3 Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation

Unit Theme: Hunger, violence and oppression in the sutobiography Black Boy

Standard: ELA #4 Students will read, write, listen and speak for social interaction

Standard:

Benchmarks: Students will take part in a book club after reading several other autobiographies; this will be filmed in the school's TV studio.

Benchmarks:

Learning Experiences

Declarative Knowledge

What declarative knowledge should studentsbe in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of the unit, the student will know or understand…

What experiences or activities will be used to help students acquire & integrate this knowledge?

What strategies will be used to help students construct meaning, organize and/or store the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

Historical background Author facts Jim Crow South Philosophy of meekness

Students will use websites and guided lecture notes as sources of information on declarative knowledge.

KWL discussion on historical issues.

Notetaking on guided lecture sheets.

View biographical film.

Students will write in the 1^st person as Richard Wright about a major experience in his adult life dealing with the themes.

Students will create a list of social limitations for the typical young black person in the Jim Crow South.

Learning Experiences

Procedural Knowledge

What procedural knowledge will students be in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of this unit, students will be able to:

What will be done to help students construct models, shape & internalize the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

Create visual models Understand writers craft Use film studio equipment Use internet for research Using the following websites: http://csis.pace.edu/~cs552/curran

http://www.pbs.org/rwbb/rwtoc.html

Think aloud strategies

Collaborative teaching with art teachers

Create flow charts

Audiovisual seminar in TV studio

Discuss common pitfalls for internet research.

In conjunction with the art teacher, students will consult the text to create a model of any one of Richard's neighborhoods.

Students will create an artistic representation of Richard's emotional state.

Students will create a flow chart of the most influential experiences in Richard's life as they relate to the themes.

Students will film a talk show (similar to the Oprah Book Club) where they discuss autobiographies with other students.

Students will research Richard Wright on the internet using selected websites.

Learning Experiences

Extending and Refining

What knowledge will students be extending and refining? Specifically, they will be extending and refining their understanding of…

What reasoning process will they be using?

Describe what will be done.

…developing themes of a literary work and comparing and contrasting literary works.

Comparing

Classifying
Inductive Reasoning
Deductive Reasoning
Error Analysis
Analyzing Perspectives
Constructing Support

Abstracting
Other:

Students will write a compare contrast analysis of Black Boy and a number of poems by black authors.

After choosing a unit theme, students will demonstrate the development of this theme through a presentation of excerpts from the work, a thematic collage, music, and a clip from a film with a similar theme.

Planning Guide

Unit:

Step 1	Step 2	Step 3
*What knowledge* will students be using meaningfully? Specifically, they will be demonstrating their understanding of and ability to...........** Synthesize information and present it orally.	What reasoning process will they be using?	Describe student's products and performances and the criteria for evaluation. Students will assume the role of Richard Wright as an adult who has been asked to deliver a motivational speech to students in his former school discussing some of the choices he made in his own life and offering advice to students.
	[ ] Decision Making (selecting from seemingly equal alternatives or examining the decisions of others) [ ] Problem Solving (seeking to achieve a goal by overcomming constraints or lmiting conditions) [X] Invention (creating something to meet a need or improve on a situation) [ ] Experimental Inquiry (generating an explanation for a phenomenon and testing the explanation) [ ] Investigation (resolving confusions or contradictions related to a historical event, a hypothetical past or future event, or to the defining characteristics of something) [ ] Systems Analysis (analyzing the parts of a system and how they interact) [ ] Other:	Products/Performances
		Criteria for evaluation

Rubric:

Key Questions:

What are the key elements, traits, or dimensions that will be evaluated?

Are the identified elements of equal importance or will they be weighed differently?

	Element #1	Element #2	Element #3	Element #4
Elements Scale	Opening	Support	Conclusion	Presentation
Weights	25%	25%	25%	25%
4	Thoroughly and clearly states opinion, personal preference or value in a logical manner. Strives for accuracy in the recognition of own bias.	Provides well-developed and accurate support of opinion or value. Shows deeper insight into the stand taken.	Thoroughly and clearly summarizes opinion, personal preference or value in the concluding statement.	Presentation showed detailed preparation as well as practice in the delivery.
3	Clearly states the opinion, personal preference or value in a logical manner	Provides accurate and sufficient support for the opinion, personal preference or value.	Accurately summarizes opinion, personal preference or value in the concluding statement	Presentation showed adequate preparation as well as practice in the delivery.
2	Opinion, personal preference or value is not clearly stated or is stated in an illogical manner	Provides some accurate support for the opinion, personal preference or value.	Concluding statement of the speech did not clearly summarize the opinion, personal preference or value.	Presentation showed some preparation as well as some practice in the delivery.
1	Opinion, personal preference or value is not stated or cannot be logically understood	Provides little or no support for the opinion, personal preference or value	Concluding statement, if given, did not summarize the opinion, personal preference or value.	Presentation was lacking in needed preparation as well as in practice in the delivery.

NOTE: Rubric or other performance asessment instruments may be used.

Constructing a Holistic
Scoring Tool
(Rubric or Activity Specific Key)

Key Questions:

* How many score points are needed to discriminate among the full range of different degrees of understanding, proficiency, or quality?

This response, product, or performance provides evidence of understanding of concept/principle/generalization or proficiency in skill/process/strategy.

Score Point 4	Score Point 3
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Score Point 2	Score Point 1
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Have You Considered These Yet?

Learn to Learn Skills:

Assessment Modifications:

Unit Schedule/Time Plan:

Written Overview: