Lee Unit Plan

8/3/2019 Lee Unit Plan

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Essential Questions

1. What is the relationship between education and power?

2. What hypothesis can be developed about slavery through the analysis ofcharacters in literature that is thematically based on slavery and the race of

the author writing the text?

3. What can I learn from this text and the writer of this text about how to

express myself?

4. How can exposure to different literary genres and forms based on the same

theme influence your personal perspective and analysis of literary aspects

such as theme and character?

5. How does background information about the author of a literary work help

the readers understanding of a literary text?

6. How can the various components of language (such as diction and word

choice) in literature help readers draw conclusions about the characters ofthe work?

7. How does literature demonstrate new understandings of societal institutions

such as slavery across time?

Enduring Understandings

1. Education builds self-esteem and plays a key role in the development of self.

2. The literary techniques used to express and explore the multiple perspectives

of a heros characteristics including resilience, resourcefulness, spiritual

freedom, and self-actualization.


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3. Writing about an experience helps alter it from what may be a seemingly life

shattering event to a more purposeful memory that can be explored in the

context of other events and integrated with other experiences to be

understood in a different way.

4. Different stylistics and characteristics of literature help readers form better

analysis of character and delve deep into character development processes

while developing a thorough insight of the overall theme being studied.

5. Having prior knowledge about the authors background helps readers to

better understand the writers intended goal of the text and how the

authors work is constructed.

6. Language is one of the key literary elements authors use to make a

statement about a character or help the reader make connections to a

bigger idea.

7. The cultural or historical significance of society and its institutions vary

throughout time periods and the changing perspectives in literatures that

share the same common theme reflect this over the course of time.

Learning Objectives

1. Students will be able to engage in a deeper understanding of the history

of slavery

2. Students will be able to understand the personal connection between the

author and the authors work.

3. Students will be able to successfully work collaboratively on various

discussions and assignments.

4. Students will be able to make some form of a personal development

through different forms of self-expressive writing.


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5. Students will become familiar with the concept of apostrophe.

6. Students will be introduced to historical fiction and understand how fiction

can allow personal insight into actual history.

7. Students will be able to understand how racial barriers can impact the

development of an individuals identity.

8. Students will be able to develop skills to demonstrate a genuine and

comprehensive understanding of a text through close reading of the text.

9. Students will be able to learn how to use setting and themes of a text to

analyze characters and interpret literature.

10.Students will be able to understand the role of language in slave

narratives and understand how it affects the readers perspective of the

work.

11.Students will be able to explore narration through different points of view.

12.Students will be able to identify the characteristics of a narrative and a

slave narrative.

List Of Materials:

Week One:

Biography of Thylias Moss

Interview of Thylias Moss (3pgs.)

Slave Moth by Thylias Moss (152 pgs.)

Copies of Forward Illustration by Jacob Laurence

Excerpts of Oroonoko by Aphra Behn (pgs. Unknown)

Biography of Aphra Behn (3pgs.)

The Autobiography of Henry Parker (8 pgs.)

Letters of Ignatius Sancho by Ignatius Sancho (8pgs.)

The History of Mary Prince Introduction (selected excerpts) and Preface (8pgs.)

K-W-L Chart

Week Two:


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Slave Moth by Thylias Moss (152 pgs.)

Independent Weekly Article about William Henry Singleton

William Henry Singleton Narrative

Mary Norcott Bryan Narrative

Brief biography of Mary Norcott Bryan

An Introduction To The Slave Narrative by William L. Andrews (3pgs.)

Week Three:

Excerpts from The Tempestby William Shakespeare (pgs. Unknown)

Film Version ofThe Tempest

Cesaire, Aimes: Une Tempete. D aprs la Tempete de Shakespeare: Translated

Version (69 pgs.)

Csaire and Shakespeare: Two Tempests Author(s) by A. James Arnold

Biography of Aime Cesaire

Biography of William Shakespeare

Props and other materials for Performance Day

K-W-L Chart

Introduction:

I chose to create a unit on the various portrayals of slaves and the effects of

the institution on slavery through various forms of literature because I thought it

was an effective way for students to be exposed to various forms of literature,

understand the history and emotions of slavery and gain a new perspective on it,

experience writing different forms of literature, enhance their character analysis

skills, understand how to express themselves through writing, and develop the skills


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necessary to perform a close reading of the texts. I chose to teach this unit to a

11th grade Advanced Placement English class because it is an exhaustingly intensive

unit that requires an abundance of reading, remarkable time management skills

and prior knowledge that lower level students may not have fully grasped at this

stage in their academic careers. Another reason I chose to focus on slave

narratives and other literature that gives attention to slavery is because slavery

cannot be written about, read about, or discussed without thinking about identity in

some way, shape, or form. Identity is an important theme in the life of an eleventh-

grader because they are at the stage when they are trying to figure out what they

will do with themselves once they graduate high school. A lot of youth have trouble

figuring this out because they dont really know what their interest are and they

have not really found their identity. Through several of the writing exercises,

students will have the opportunity to express themselves and possibly discover a

new talent through both academic and creative forms of writing.

Many of the characteristics of the slaves presented in the chosen literature

also demonstrate positive characteristics such as resilience and resourcefulness,

which may inspire students to develop these characteristics if they havent already.

Another prevalent theme in slave literature is the idea that education is

empowering, this is also a good theme to present to eleventh graders because it

may encourage those who are not interested in or unsure about pursuing a

secondary education. The study of narrative is also a useful course of study for

eleventh graders because this is when they are given standardized tests, which

contains a narrative component.

The units focus is on varying perspectives of slavery and the exploration of

authors from various backgrounds to demonstrate diverse thoughts and feelings.


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Students will really grow to understand the multiple ways in which writing can be a

form of self-expression and they will be given the opportunity to express

themselves in several of the assessments, but most importantly in the final

assessment. The final assessment is for the students to take a pre-selected chapter

from Slave Moth and turn the verse narrative into written dialogue and make two

changes in the plot, along with an extensive analysis that is further explained in the

instructional guidelines. There were many great things that could have been done

with the material in this unit and it was difficult to narrow down what excerpts to

use and what assessments to develop because there was an abundance of material.

Initially, I was just going to use one novel, which was Slave Moth and base the

whole unit solely on that one novel. However, I decided it would be much more

useful and beneficial to incorporate other slavery based literatures for comparison.

So the unit became focused on making discoveries through the comparing and

contrasting of varied texts, perspectives, and authors, all based on the theme of

slavery.

The first week serves as an introduction to the idea of the slave narrative and

encourages students to take what they already know about slavery and view it in a

different light. This is why they start off with Slave Moth by Thylias Moss, which is a

narrative in verse that can best be described as historical fiction. This book was

published in 2004 by an African-American author and gives a completely

unexpected view of slavery and dispels the typical slave stereotype because the

main character is a literate slave whose master likes to collect rare things. Varl, the

main character, knows how to read and write and her mother does as well, in fact

the mother reads to the master because his wife is illiterate and cannot read. Varl

does all of her writing by sewing her words onto a cotton shift underneath of her


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dress. Slave Moth will give students a non-traditional approach to the original slave

narrative because it is a fictional account and the author makes very interesting

twists in the novel. Slave Moth will also assist students in developing their close

reading skills because it is a narrative written in verse, so they have to pay very

close attention to every word to follow the story .Currently, Spark notes for the

novel do not exist, so they cannot just skim the material or look up the themes, they

have to actually read.

I am also only requiring students to read two chapters of the novel a night, so

that they dont feel pressured to rush through the reading. They will be forewarned

to take their time with the reading of Slave Moth because it requires attention to

detail and it is not your average novel. I do not want them to be mislead by the fact

that the main novel of the unit is only 152 pages long, and think that it is an easy

read because it is not.

To ensure that students do the reading and to build their close reading skills,

there will be a required daily journal, which I will also hand out a rubric for prior to

starting the unit. In this journal students are to pick a song for each chapter that

they feel best describes either the theme, the tone, or that they feel would serve as

an overall summation of the chapter. Each row will be assigned tone, theme, or

chapter summation on different days, so that it is evenly spread out. They are to

write a brief paragraph stating why they chose this song and provide a copy of the

lyrics. It is required that they explore different genres of music because most likely

the music they listen to will be hard to apply because Slave Moth is set in the

1800s and it is about slavery. This requirement helps tie in the theme of identity to

the assignment. Students will also be reading excerpts of Oroonoko in conjunction

with the reading of Slave Moth. Oroonoko is another historical fiction narrative


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which also strays from the authentic slave narrative because of fictional constructs.

Oroonoko is about a royal African slave who actually profits from selling his own

people into slavery. The plot consists of a love triangle between all people of color,

slave trade, escape, and heroism. Oroonoko is written by a White anti-slavery

advocate named Aphra Behn and was published in 1688. The two novels are a nice

parallel to one another and the discussions and activities done for the novels help to

answer and develop Enduring Question/ Essential Understandings #1, #3, #5, and#

7.

Other texts that will be used in the unit are the narrative of a slave who

escaped through the Underground Railroad, named William Henry Singleton and the

narrative of a wealthy slaveholder named Mary Norcott Bryan. These two texts are

great for comparing and you get to examine the perspective of two opposing views

of slavery and by exploring their background through interviews and biographies

students will be able to clearly understand the way in which the authors social

backgrounds, cultural influences, and values influenced the text. These two brief

narratives serve as a nice parallel to one another and the activities and

assessments for these texts help to answer and develop Enduring Questions/

Essential Understandings #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, and #6.

Finally, in the last week of the unit, I will use excerpts and film clips from

William Shakespeares The Tempest(if they havent already read the play in its

entirety) for students to get exposure to another perspective of the slave mindset

and to use for comparison against an adaptation ofA Tempestthat was written by a

Black Caribbean, named Aime Cesaire that focuses primarily on the master slave

relationship and casts Caliban as the protagonist of the play. The material of these

texts addresses all of the Essential Understandings and Enduring Questions, which


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is why I think these particular texts serve as an appropriate closure to the unit

because the most important concepts are being drilled throughout all of the texts

and each of the different groups of texts focuses on a new Essential Understanding/

Enduring Question that the prior text didnt address. The final genre of text that is

explored in the unit breaks away from the textual narrative by looking at it through

the form of a play. Students will answer interpreative discussion questions and

examine a scholarly literary criticism comparing the two versions of The Tempest to

guide their answering of the discussion questions and guide their thinking for the

final project.

In the final assessment students will be given groups and create a

screenplay of designated chapters in Slave Moth with the requirement that there be

at least two changes from the novel and the student work. Students are also to

write a detailed description of why they made the changes that they made. The

different groups will present their detailed description to the class and the class will

vote on which group will perform their screenplay and the winning group will

perform their screenplay on Production Day.

On the day before we officially begin the unit, students will be provided with

a packet full of supplementary readings and selected excerpts that will be used at

various stages throughout the unit. They will also be assigned into groups that they

will remain in for the duration of the unit. These groups will be referred to as

conversation groups, the recorder of the facilitator of each group are to be chosen

(the students can assign these roles) at this time. They will also be given their

assignment sheet for their final project along with an assignment sheet for all other

assessments at the very beginning of the unit so they can properly plan and

prepare ahead of time. Students will begin reading the biography of Thylias Moss


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and the interview with her, along with the biography of Aphra Behn for their

homework assignment.

As an introduction to the unit, I felt it would be a good idea to review the

characteristics of narrative writing and introduce the characteristics of narrative

writing of slaves. I provide the students with a brief, but complete autobiography of

a former slave who escaped though the Underground Railroad. Then I provide them

with an illustration of slaves escaping through the Underground Railroad and ask

them to write a brief narrative based on the picture and their knowledge of the

Underground Railroad using the characteristics of the slave narrative. The purpose

of this activity is to learn about the Underground Railroad and give students

background knowledge of slavery while familiarizing the students with the

conventions of authentic slave narratives and becoming accustomed to transferring

the expression of ideas from one form of literature to another. This activity will also

help students to develop a connection between background knowledge of an author

and connection to a literary work.

Day One:

Students will come to class prepared to talk about what they learned about

Aphra Behn and Thylias Moss. Ask students what they gathered about

Thylias Moss and Aphra Behn and the type of books you think these authors

would write based on this information.-BriefDiscussion. Next, write this

question on the board: If you were to write some form of narrative

literature under an assumed name, what characteristics of the novelwould give you away to your friends, family members, and others

that know you rather well? Make it clear that it could be anything from a

characters name to an event in the plot, to a saying the character says

often, etc. If they are having trouble understanding, ask them how would

they know if a certain celebrity was writing a book under an assumed name?

What details or events would give them away? Have students respond to this

question in their notebooks, this does not need to be discussed out loud.


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(Focuses on Enduring Understanding and Essential question #3 and #5).

Next, instructor will review the concept of a narrative and the characteristics

of a narrative. After this has been reviewed, Instructor will introduce new

characteristics of narrative writing that may only be seen in a slave narrative

such as dynamic and complex characters, preface, consideration of

audience, and penetrating language / lyrical songs. Students will thenget into their assigned conversation groups of five or six and complete a K-W-

L- chart on slavery.

After the chart has been completed, the groups will share and a brief

discussion will occur based on the outcomes of the K-W-L chart. Still in their

groups, students will read The Autobiography of Henry Parker from their

supplementary reading packets (this can be done silently). After reading

Henry Parker, they should discuss how the autobiography confirmed or

disproved what they already knew about slavery. Following the discussion,

the students will be instructed to take out a copy of the painting Forward

by Jacob Laurence. Instruct students to discuss these three topics and havethem write their answers down and make sure students understand that

the painting that is in front of them represents the middle, or the

climax of an untold story.

What they think is going on in the painting?

What do they think happened before the painting (beginning of

the untold story) and what would that drawing look like?

What do they think happened after the painting (ending of the

untold story) and what would that drawing look like?

Students do not have to share this discussion, as the information has been

discussed in small groups. Have students write a three paragraph narrative based

on this information that is similar to The Autobiography of Henry Parker. If there is

time students will share their narratives aloud. (Focuses on Enduring

Understanding/ Essential Question #3 and #4).

Assigned Readings: Begin Slave Moth and Soundtrack Log. Chapters 1 and 2 should

be read for tomorrow. Assign pre-selected excerpts from Oroonoko alongside

tonights readings.

Day Two:

Have students read their soundtrack logs aloud as a review of the two

chapters and a discussion starter. Have a brief discussion and allow time for

questions. Make sure no one is having difficulty reading and understanding


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the verse used in the novel. Assign students into conversation groups and

follow the exact same procedure as yesterday, only with a different set of

questions. Make sure the groups recorder writes down everything that is

discussed. Designate a time they have to complete this assignment in small

groups and come back together for a whole class discussion. (Focuses on

Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions 2, 4, 5, and 7.)

Universal question: How do the readings from last night coincide with our prior

knowledge and assumptions about slavery that we discussed yesterday? How do

they differ from the narrative we read and the narratives we created yesterday?

Other questions:

1. Do you think Varl has low self-esteem? Oroonoko? What evidence do you

have of this?

2. Do you see anything in Slave Moth that is demonstrative of Thylias Moss?

Anything in Oroonoko of Aphra Behn?

3. What do you think the Luna moth in Slave Moth symbolizes? What

conclusions can be drawn from Behns description of Oroonokos physical

features?

4. How would you feel if you were separated from one or both of your parents?

How do you think it affects the characters that we are reading about? How

would you feel if your parents were suppliers for the slave trade? How do you

think this affects Oroonoko? How does this influence his character?

5. How do the differences in eras affect the difference in the two novels?

Assigned Readings-Chapters 3 and 4 of Slave Moth. No Supplementary readings.

If there is extra time remaining during the class period students may have SSR

time where they begin the readings for tonights homework.

Day Three:

Have students read their soundtrack logs as a review of the two chapters and

start off our discussion. Assign students into their conversation groups and have

them write down one question they have about Slave Moth and one intellectual

statement suitable for discussion. No rotation is necessary for this conversationgroup. Have students turn in their questions and their statements. Pass out Venn

diagram sheets to the recorder of the conversation groups. Have students write

down some similarities and differences between Varl and Oroonoko. Open up to

whole class discussion about the differences between the two characters. Have

students take out supplementary reading packet and open to Letters of Ignatius

Sancho. Have students do popcorn style reading with guided instruction by teacher

(meaning instructor should interject at certain points with brief questions to ensure


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comprehension or ask various students for a brief summary of what is going on so

far) After essay is read have all students write individual reflection journals on the

essay and its relevance to previous readings.

Journal: Based on what we have just read and what we have been reading

what conclusion cans be made about the role of education in the life of aslave?

Allow students to get back into their conversation groups to reflect on what each

individual in the group wrote. Have select students share their thoughts, preferably

one person from each group can share their reflections. (Focuses on Enduring

Understanding/ Essential Question #1)

Assigned readings for tomorrow: Chapters 5 and 6

Day Four:

Have whole class discussion starting with soundtrack log. Then introduce questionsand discussion topics students wrote from last class. Have students discuss these

issues. After discussion, ask students are they still having difficulty reading or liking

the novel because of its verse form? This question should lead into a discussion

about the different forms of literature and the audience the literature is written for.

Have students consider the stylistics of entertainment literature (Danielle Steele,

Omar Tyree) and its audience. Have students consider the stylistics of classical

literature (Nathaniel Hawthorne, Thomas Hardy) and its audience. What differences

do they see? Does the authors preferences and intent play a role in the depiction of

a literary work? Ask students to consider the very beginning of Oroonoko, or the

preface and what purpose did it serve? Have them look over other examples ofprefaces from The History of Mary Prince, in the supplementary reading packet.

Introduce the concept of an apostrophe and have students identify sections in

Oroonoko, where apostrophe occurred and if Slave Moth, were to have apostrophes

where would they occur and why?

In class writing assignment: If you were to write a preface to Slave Moth,

what would it say?

Have students read these aloud and give feedback. (Focuses on Enduring

Understanding /Essential Question #1, #3, #5, #6, #7).

Assigned readings for tomorrow: Chapters 6 and 7

Day Five:

Open with sharing of soundtrack logs. Bring up the types of point of view that Slave

Moth uses and that Oroonoko uses? What is different about them? Why do you think

the author chose to write from the chosen perspectives? How does the point of

view used affect you interpretation of the work? Which point of view do you prefer?


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Start a discussion with these questions. Next, introduce Dear Diary Assignment,

which will be due on Day 8. Discuss the theme of identity and its role in slavery and

relate it to our discussion about point of view. Have students begin their Diary

assignments in class, it will be mandated that at least one character that students

write a diary entry for be from the perspective of Lusa and they can work on that

one in class. They will be allowed to get into their conversation groups to discussLusa and the Mud Man and then start the diary assignment. The Dear Diary

Assignment serves to help students to develop their thoughts and opinions about

the novels characters and assesses their understanding of the impact slavery

makes on different people and how it shapes their identity.

The assignment: The students will write a diary entry from the perspective

of another character besides Varl after every four chapters based on what

was read in the three chapters up until Day eight. The diary entries should

cover emotions, descriptions, and behaviors of the character as well as

establish a relationship between the character portrayed and Varl. They

will be due on Day eight of the unit plan and they will be given a briefamount of time in class to work on them

(Focuses on Enduring Understanding/Essential Question #1, #3, #4, and #6)

Assign Weekend Reading- Chapters 8 through 11

Day Six:

Open up with soundtrack log assignment. Have students get into conversation

groups. Hand students a list of discussion questions to answer. Have the facilitator

and the recorder rotate groups and take notes. Open up discussion questions towhole class. Any remaining time may be used for students to finish their diary

assignments.

Assigned reading for tomorrow: Chapter 12 and 13

Day Seven:

Open up with soundtrack assignment. Have students get into conversation groups.

Hand students a list of discussion questions to answer. Have the facilitator and the

recorder rotate groups and take notes. Open up discussion questions to whole class.

Discuss whether or not chapter 12 resembles their initial thoughts of slavery? Why

or Why not? Discuss. Any free time can be used for students to complete their diary

assignments.

Assigned Reading for Tomorrow: Finish novel

Day Eight:


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Open up with soundtrack log assignment. Have whole class discussion about the

novels ending. Did it surprise you? Did you wish it ended differently? Why or why

not? Do you think Varl developed a sense of identity? Has your perspective of

slave changed? Would you prefer to possess or be possessed? Do you think Varl

would have been a different person if she had a different master? How? Why? Have

students go back to their notes from the extensive anticipation questions theyanswered before they started the novel. Have any of their feelings about any of

those questions changed? Have students go back to the biography and interview of

Thylias Moss and discuss how she influenced the novel. Also ask them how do they

think the novel would have ended if Aphra Behn wrote Slave Moth, based on what

you know about her? How does Slave Moth compare to Oroonoko? How does it

differ? Hand in diary assignment. (Focuses on Enduring Understanding/Essential

Question #1, #2, #5, #7)

Assigned Reading for Tomorrow: Supplementary Packet- Independent Weekly Article

about William Henry Singleton, William Henry Singleton Narrative, Mary Norcott

Bryan Narrative, and the Brief biography of Mary Norcott Bryan.

Day Nine:

Hand the recorder of each group entrance slips as they enter the class. Have

students go immediately to their groups as they come in. They should use these

slips to discuss and write down their answer to the following:

1. Who seems to be the audience for each narrative?2. What do you think is each authors purpose for writing the narrative?3. What were some of Bryans and Singletons important childhood

experiences?4. How does each author depict the relationship between slaves and

slaveholders?5. Reread the passages where each author writes about the abolition of

slavery (Bryan, p. 27, 2nd paragraph; Singleton, p. 9, 1st paragraph).How does Bryans night of horror compare to Singletons descriptionof Emancipation?

6. How did the events of the Civil War and Emancipation change eachnarrators life?

All of the groups will also have three universal questions which should be asfollows:

1. How have Bryans and Singletons values and experiences influencedhow they chose to tell their stories?

2. How does each author feel about North Carolinas antebellum society,and where can you see that reflected in the narratives?

3. Can you find any common themes in the two narratives? Ask studentsto use examples from the texts to illustrate their responses.


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Have groups come back and have a discussion regarding these issues as a wholeclass. After this discussion hand students Venn Diagrams and have them comparethe authentic slave narratives they read last night with the historical fiction slavenarratives we have previously read. They should focus on:

Audience

Level of Excitement in Plot

Influence of Authors background on text

How can Mary Bryant be compared to Oroonoko?

How can Varl be compared to William Henry Singleton?

What literary techniques helped you to form your opinions of thesecharacters? (all 4)

The role of the slave masters in Slave Moth, Mary Bryant, William HenrySingleton, and Oroonoko

The role of education in the lives of the slaves and Mary Bryant in all theaforementioned novels

2. After Venn Diagrams have been completed, have students open up to: AnIntroduction To Slave Narratives. This can be read aloud popcorn style. Afterreading is finished students should be asked to share their thoughts on thepiece and whether or not is an accurate description of the narratives theyread for homework last night. (Focuses on Enduring Understanding/EssentialQuestions # 1, #2,#3,#4,#5,#6,#7,)

Assigned Readings for tomorrow: Reread An Introduction To SlaveNarratives and do a pre-write for tomorrows in-class group writing project.

Tomorrows in class group writing project: An Introduction to SlaveNarratives-Historical Fiction. This writing assignment shouldculminate our class discussion today with all of the discussions wehave had previously. It should mimic the handout we read aloudtoday being three paged in length and having four primary sections:

Value of the Project

Historical Context of Slavery

Literary Contexts for Historical Fiction-Slave Narratives

Importance of This Project to the Nation/The Classroom

Day Ten:

Students will get into their conversation groups and create their own versionof An Introduction to Slave Narratives Historical Fiction based on the

article they read yesterday in class. They will use the whole period to produce

an imitation of An Introduction To Slave Narratives by William L. Andrews,

except that they will introduce the fictitious slave narratives that they have

read instead of authentic slave narratives. We will need access to Microsoft


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Word and printers as this is a formal writing assignment. (Focuses on

Essential Questions and Enduring Understandings #1, #2, #3, #4, #7).

Assign Weekend Readings- A Tempest (TCG Translation) by Aime Cesaire

(69pgs.)

Day Eleven:

Large group discussion of A Tempest and how it compares to the other

literatures we have read in this unit.

All students will have read The Tempestby William Shakespeare prior to this

unit. Note: The purpose of using The Tempest in this unit is not to go in-depth

with Shakespeare or even delve into all of the concepts of The Tempest. The

goal is to understand the character of Caliban and the portrayal of the slave

in the Shakespearian era and how it compares to the adaptive version of A

Tempest. Just as a refresher I will show the film version that accurately

follows the play and provide an overall synopsis of the play along with the

actual textual excerpts of specific scenes that I want students to focus on for

this particular unit.

Day eleven will be the day of viewing and all students will answer the

following questions for discussion, finding the answers while watching the

movie or taking notes to properly answer the questions for homework. If they

cannot finish the assignment in class, they can finish it for homework

because they will have the textual excerpts and the synopsis to work with.

They should also be keeping track of all the differences they notice between

the original and the adaptive version of the play. (Focuses on EnduringUnderstandings/Essential Questions #2, #3, #6, #7)

The Tempest Questions

When answering these questions there is another component foranswering each question which is as follows. For each question, thereshould be a following question that is as follows: How is this particularsituation addressed in Cesaires: A Tempest? Is it included in this version?Why or Why Not?

1. In Act 1, Scene2, Caliban curses Prospero and regrets the welcome he

initially gave him; but by Act 2, Scene2, he has enslaved himself to a newmaster (the drunken butler, Stephano); comparing the language he usesin Act 1, Scene 2 to that he employs in Act 2, Scene2, explain the natureand state of Caliban's character.

2. Compare Prospero's treatment of Caliban with the treatment Arielreceives from Sycorax, Caliban's mother. Explore the parallels andcontrasts between Prospero and Sycorax, Ariel and Caliban.


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3. What is the effect of Caliban's remark at Act 1, Scene 2 lines: 350-351?He says that, if he had succeeded in his intent "to violate / The honor of"Miranda (347-48), he would have "peopled . . . / This isle with Calibans";What does this line allow us to infer about Caliban?

4. Ariel's song in Act 1, Scene 2 and Caliban's at the end of Act 2, Scene 2

are both about change, but they are clearly very different lyrics. Considerthe reason/motive each has for singing, the audience or listener (real orimagined) to whom each song is addressed, the nautre of the imagery, thetone, and the kind of change described. In light of all these parallels andcontrasts, what bearing do the two songs have on the play's thematicdevelopment?

5. The question of Caliban's being taught to speak comes up both in Act 1,Scene 2 and in Act 2, Scene2; comparing the references to this subject inthe two scenes, explain the importance of verbal language/speech inestablishing relationships and/or identities in the play.

6. How does Caliban's behavior in Act Three, Scene 2, affect theaudience's conception of him? Are his tactics justified? Are they wise?What would the members of the African Company say?

7. The masque's pagentry vanishes when Prospero is jarred back into thereal-life consciousness that he must deal with Caliban's conspiracy. Whatdo you make of this moment? How does it comment on the relationshipbetween art (or, at any rate, Prospero's art) and revolution?

8. How does the outcome of the play for the European "bad guys" and forProspero compare with the outcome for Caliban?

Assigned Readings for Tomorrow:

Csaire and Shakespeare: Two Tempests Author(s).

Assignment: Read and pick two quotes from this article that you think are

relevant and would like to discuss.

Aime Cesaire biography and William Shakespeare Biography

Assignment: Write a one-two page reaction paper that explains why you think

each author wrote their versions of the play and how it relates to their

personal lives based on the biographies you read. We will not discussbiographies in class as they should know what to look for when comparing

and contrasting biographies.

Day Twelve:

Have students open up to the discussion questions for The Tempestthat they

answered yesterday, found in their supplementary packets. Have students quickly


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get into their conversation groups and quickly recap their answer to these

questions. Discuss answers in relation to the article they read for homework last

night. Come back together as a whole group and let students present their findings.

Finally, discuss which version of the play students liked better and why as a segue

way for to share the quotes they chose from the article for last nights readings.Have students share their general thoughts or questions about the article.

Now we will move onto a wrap-up activity for the unit called Group Survey ofthe unit by arranging chairs in a circle and passing a talking piece (stress ball,special rock, etc.) around the room giving each person an opportunity to saysomething. Everyone must answer a question. Ideally, the instructor should have asmany questions as there are students. A sample of the Questions that will beasked are as follows:

Group Survey Questions

What have you learned from this overall unit? (Answers from this shouldbe written on the last portion of the K-W-L- chart at this time)

If you were given the opportunity to rewrite the narrative you wrote onthe day you were introduced to this unit would you change it?

What would you change and why?

Which genre gave the most flattering perspective of slavery?

Which genre gave the most degrading perspective of slavery?

What have you learned about slavery from this unit?

Which work did you like the most and why?

Do you think that the authors background of the works that we studiedinfluenced the outcome of the work? Is this a good or bad thing?

If you were alive during the slave era, do you think you would have writtena narrative? Why or Why not?

What did you learn about the use of language and its role in literature

from this unit?

What insights do you gain from seeing things in different perspective?

There may or may not be enough time to get to everybody in this period. Instructorsshould prepare for this by creating the questions on an Entrance/Exit slip and eachstudent should be holding a slip with a written question on it in their hand while inthe circle. If you sense there will not be enough time to go around the entire circle,


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have students rotate slips before they are dismissed, so that no one will answer thesame question twice. Have students perform this activity in their individual seats,responding on paper as soon as they come into the class the next day and collect.

Assignment for tomorrow: Work on final project

Day Thirteen:

If Group Survey activity was not finished, finish it. Afterwards, students will begiven entire period to work on their final project.

Assignment for tomorrow: Work on final project

Day Fourteen:

Work on final project. Leave enough time for groups to present a brief overview ofthe chapter were assigned the two changes they made so that class can vote on

which group they would like to see perform their assessment.

Assignment for tomorrow: Finish final projects and bring whatever props, music, ormaterials you will need for tomorrow.

Day Fifteen:

Performance Day!!!

Chosen group performs their production. Students may have food and drink.


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Final Assessment: Dramatic Interpretation of Slave Moth with analysis.

Exploring Identity : The Comparison and Contrast ofPerspectives of Slavery Using Varying Genres of Literature

Advanced Placement English

Due Date: Last Day of Unit

Total Points: 100

Grade Breakdown: Script: 45 pts Analysis: 50 pts Presentation: 5 pts

Instructions: You will be assigned a group of five to six people in which you willtake a designated chapter from Slave Moth and transform the verse into dialogue.

Therefore the chapter will now be an act in a play. It is required that you make at

least two plotchanges in your adaptation along with a detailed write-up as to whyyou made these changes. I will assign the chapter your group is responsible fortransforming. Here are the requirements:

A slave character from your screenplay needs to undergo an identity changeby you and your group members changing their name. You will need toexplain why and your explanation should include what you have learnedabout the co-relation between slaves, names, and identity through thereadings we have done in this unit. Consider this example from Slave Moth:

As long as he can himself my master

and make me call him that

and calls me anything he wants to but Free

the name Mamalee wanted to give me.

Hurting me worse than if he would hit me (Moss, 61)


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Please make sure that the changes you create are representative of someonein your group or a culmination of all of you. This needs to be explained inyour explanation. Consider this example from about the character of Onahalfrom Oroonoko:

Onahal is a "decayed beauty," one of the "cast-off mistresses of the king," and nowthe caretaker of his newer and younger wives, whose job is to "teach them all thewanton arts of love" (18). Although she has been cast aside, she still smolders withpassion, especially for Oroonoko's friend Aboan. There is perhaps an autobiographicalelement surrounding the character of Onahal, who helps the young lovers, Oroonokoand Imoinda, unite in the otan (the king's seraglio--forbidden to other men) while shemakes love with the handsome Aboan. When Behn wrote Oroonoko, two years beforeher death in 1690, she also was whispered about as a fading beauty who waspractically destitute. (Gradesaver.com)

The adapted version of the novel should be no less than the amount of pagesthat was in the chapter you were assigned. If your chapter was 13 pageslong, your version should be a minimum of thirteen pages long. (Everyone

will have roughly the same amount of work, which is why I designated thechapters). The length of the analysis depends on the length of your script;however the analysis needs to cover all points mentioned unless otherwisementioned.

If there is a conversation between slave and slave owner please make surethe dialect reflects that. If there is not an exchange between slave and slaveowner, please find some way to incorporate what you have learned aboutlanguage and its role in the portrayal of slaves in literature, as you will haveto demonstrate this knowledge in your explanation. For example, you couldwrite that the main character hummed song lyrics and the lyrics should belyrics from a fitting slave hymn. Then in your explanation you would writethe relevance of slave hymns to the portrayal of the slave figure in literature.Please consider Caliban when incorporating this requirement if you arehaving trouble fulfilling it. Some additional research may be required for thiscomponent.

Be sure to include the time period of your adaptation, it does not have to befrom the same time period as Slave Moth, but if it isnt this should be obvious

without me having to look at the date you say it was published. You shouldexplain why you chose the time period that you chose and what you did tothe screenplay to portray the particular time period you are writing about.Note: If you change the time period, this does not count as one of the twochanges.


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The role of education should be addressed in everyones screenplay. If yourassigned chapter does not mention education, one of your requiredchanges should make it involve education. If your chapter alreadyinvolves education, your groups stance on the matter should be madecrystal clear through the incorporation of one or more of the characteristicsof slave narratives that we discussed. Your explanation of this component

should include your knowledge of the power dynamics associated witheducation of slaves.

Your screenplay should contain some form of apostrophe, you can do this bycreating a preface before the script or by interjecting throughout the script.

Your explanation of this should coincide with the purpose of third personpoint of view or the purpose of preface in slave narratives.

Lastly, the final part of your explanation should be a review of the adaptednarrative through the perspective of Thylias Moss based on what you knowabout her. What would she like? What would she dislike? Why?, etc. Thissection should be written as though Thylias Moss were writing it and it shouldbe in first person point of view. This section should be a least a paragraph.

All projects need to effectively meet the above

requirements for a minimum of 85%. Higher grades

will be determined by fluency of analysis and

creativity of adaption.

All groups will present a brief summation of the chapter they had and thechanges they made while focusing more on the presentation of their analysisto the class. Students will vote on which groups s adaptation they would liketo see performed. The winning group will perform their play on ProductionDay. The performance is meant for fun and acting will not be assessed. If thegroup who wrote the script doesnt want to perform it, other groups shouldfeel free perform their story. Later in the year the story will be submitted tothe drama club for production. Anyone who attends the production or stars init, will receive extra credit.

Good Luck!


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Lee Unit Plan

Documents