Daily Lessons

Week 1, Day 1
(Activity modified from http://timemachineyeah.tumblr.com/post/58648290519/this-isa-jar-full-of-major-characters)
Objectives:
1. Students will be able to (SWBAT) identify the racial bias in representation in major
forms of media.
2. SWBAT infer the reasons for the lack of racial diversity in major forms of media.
3. SWBAT examine the significance of the lack of racial diversity in major forms of
media.
Materials:
1. Several sheets of large butcher paper
2. A jar of jelly beans or other small, round candy free of common allergens
3. Two large bowls
Strategies:
1. Full-class group activity
2. Large group discussion
3. Journals [all journals written onto a Google Doc and shared with the teacher]
Procedure:
1. Set up the jelly bean jar and the two bowls at the front of the class. One of the bowls
will represent characters of color, and the other will represent white characters.
2. Tell students to consider the stories they read in the last unit (on race in America).
Ask to recall the main characters of the stories or novel they read for that unit, and
have one student write them down.
3. Add a jelly bean to the POC bowl for every character of color they mention. Add a
jelly bean to the other bowl for every white character they mention.
4. Ask students to remember every book they read in school. Tell them to write down
the name of any protagonist they can remember. Given them a moment to write.
5. Once theyve finished, ask them to call out the names of the characters they wrote
and the novel or story they were from. Add a jelly bean to the POC bowl for every
character of color they mention, and add a jelly bean to the other bowl for every
white character.
6. Ask the students to write down popular books, movies, television shows, comic
books, or video games they know. For each, tell them to list the major characters.
Given them several minutes to write.
7. After theyve finished, ask students to give you the show/movie/book/etc and the
name of several of the characters. When unfamiliar with the character, ask for their
race. Add the appropriate number of jelly beans to the appropriate bowls.

8. After several students have spoken, the purpose of the activity should have become
clear enough for students to understand what youre trying to achieve. Ask them to
guess what youre doing. When a student responds correctly, ask students to count
their characters, counting characters of color and white characters separately.
9. Add the appropriate number of jelly beans to the appropriate bowl.
10. Ask students what they notice about the two bowls. If given a response of
observation that details what the bowls visually represent, follow up with questions
such as Why do think I did this? and Why does this matter?
11. Lead the students into a discussion. Discussion questions include:
a. What happens when so many characters are white and so few characters are
anything else?
b. Did you notice this when you were reading books for class? When you were
watching television or playing video games?
c. Why do you think this is a reality?
d. Who gets decide what kind of characters we read about and watch? Who
has control of our media?
e. Is one person responsible for this, or is the problem deeper than that? How
deep is the problem?
12. With ten minutes until the end of class, preview material for unit. Remind them that
they just finished a unit exploring the cultures and perspectives of people of color in
America, and now youre moving into a unit on racismthe social, cultural, and
institutional struggles POCs face and the effects it has on them.
13. Introduce the unit question: How do different people experience r acism and racial
discrimination in America?
14. Assign journal homework. Ask the students to consider and write about what they
know about racism, who experiences racism, and why, and ask them to write a
reflection about the class activity in light of what they already know. Tell them you
will ask them to share in class the next day. Provide any remaining time in class for
them to start their journals.
Assessment:
1. I will informally assess students ability to identify racial bias in media by their
reaction and responses to the class activity during the following discussion.
2. I will informally assess students ability to infer the reasons for the lack of racial
diversity in media by their responses during the discussion, in which I will listen for
responses that question and challenge the lack of representation in media.
3. I will informally assess students ability to examine the significance of the lack of
racial diversity in media during discussion, in which I will listen for responses that
question the impact of such a lack and speculate about why this lack exists.

Week 1, Day 2
Objectives:
1. SWBAT define racism, discrimination, and prejudice in their own words.
2. SWBAT compare and contrast different forms of prejudice, discrimination, and
racism.
3. SWBAT compare their prior understanding of racism to sociological and
psychological definitions of racism.
Materials:
1. Computer
2. Television/projector and screen
3. Computer-to-TV/-projector connectors
4. Powerpoint
a. Powerpoint contains textual definitions of several concepts, which facilitate
instruction by providing visuals for students to read to reinforce concepts; it
will be available to them online for reference throughout the unit
b. Concepts include:
i. Stereotypes
ii. Prejudice
1. Hostile prejudice
2. Benevolent prejudice
iii. Discrimination
1. Interpersonal discrimination
2. Organizational discrimination
3. Institutional discrimination
4. Cultural discrimination
iv. Racism
1. Old-Fashioned racism (or Jim Crow racism)
2. Symbolic racism (or Modern racism)
3. Aversive racism
4. Tokenism
c. All definitions will be taken from The Psychology of Prejudice and
Discrimination, 2nd ed., by Bernard E. Whitley Jr. & Mary E. Kite
Strategies:
1. Interactive lecture
2. Small group discussion
3. Journals
Procedure:
1. Have students discuss their journal responses assigned the previous day in small
groups. After a few moments, bring the class together and ask each group to share
some of their responses.

2. Validate their responses and explain that racism is a complicated issue, much more
complicated than most people understand. Introduce the main concepts of
stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination as the base of racism.
3. Ask students to speculate what each of those words mean and to give you an
explanation in their own words. Have several students to share their explanations.
4. Open the powerpoint to the first slide, which should show brief definitions of each
of the three concepts. Ask students how the definitions compare to the definitions
they had formed while thinking.
5. Start with stereotypes. Ask students to discuss the concept for three-five minutes
in groups given the definition you gave them and to come up with some examples of
stereotypes. Ask some groups to share.
6. Move onto prejudice. Ask students to brainstorm how stereotypes and preju dice
are related for three-five minutes, given what theyve discussed about stereotypes
and the definition of prejudice. Introduce benevolent and hostile prejudice on
another slide. Give an example or two so students can conceptualize both types, and
ask they to come up with some more examples.
7. Move onto discrimination. Ask students to brainstorm how discrimination is
related to prejudice for three-five minutes, given the previous discussion and
definitions. Introduce the four types of discrimination on another slide. Ask
students to discuss what the four types mean and how theyre different in their
groups for about five minutes. Ask for their input and elaborate or expand when
needed.
8. Ask them what the implication of the different kinds of discrimination might be,
reminding them what they learned from the activity the day before. Is
discrimination always visible? Is it always person-to-person? Do people always
mean to discriminate when they do? Give up to five minutes for students to think
and respond.
9. Introduce racism and the different types of racism on another slide. Remind
students that racism is a type of discrimination. Ask students to talk in groups to
predict or guess what the different types might involve. Allow up to five minutes.
10. Explain the difference between old-fashioned (Jim Crow) racism and symbolic
(modern) racism, providing examples. Give a little background for each, historically
and socially.
11. Explain aversive racism and tokenism. Ask students if they ever considered these
forms of racism as racism at all. Ask if theyve ever noticed this kind of racism, or if
they can think of examples now that they know of it. Allow some time to respond.
12. Explain the importance of respect in discussing these issues. Offensive language of
any kind will not be tolerated. Tone and word choice are important to productive
discourse, and students should pay attention to the way they speak.
13. In the last few minutes of class, explain that the students will have plenty of
opportunity to explore these concepts more in-depth over the course of the unit and
that the powerpoint will be available to them for reference online. These concepts
will be extremely important, and the students should start to familiarize themselves
with them.
14. Ask students to write in their journal about how their previous understanding of
racism compares to what theyve learned. They should also try to explain their

understanding of the new vocabulary in their own words or way, which can include
examples, creative stories, or visual representations of their thinking. They start in
class, and whatever they dont finish will be homework.

Assessment:
1. I will assess students ability to define racism, discrimination, and prejudice through
a the journal response they write before and after class.
2. I will informally assess students ability to compare and contrast different forms of
racism by asking them to respond to questions prompting them to do so over the
course of the interactive lecture.
3. I will informally assess students ability to compare their prior understanding of
racism to sociological and psychological definitions of racism through their journals,
as well as their responses to questions during interactive lecture asking them to
make connections.

Week 1, Day 3
Objectives:
1. SWBAT apply vocabulary relating to racism learned the day before to newly
introduce facts about racism. (Objective for Days 3-5).
2. SWBAT interpret facts and information about the erasure of race in popular culture
and politics in relation to previous class activities and vocabulary.
Materials:
1. Computer
2. Television/projector and screen
3. Computer-to-TV/-projector connectors
4. Internet
5. YouTube
Strategies:
1. Video
2. Video notes
3. Full-class discussion
Procedure:
1. Pass out video note-taking sheet (below). Give students a moment to look over the
questions to direct their attention as they watch the video. The first question should
be completed while watching, and the next questions can be completed while
watching or some moments afterwards. Remind students that they will receive
completion grade for notes, as long as theyre thoughtful and complete.
2. Load the Tim Wise video on YouTube and project it.
3. Play the video until 13:21, through the section The Erasure of Race in Politics &
Culture.
4. Give students a few moments to finish writing on their note-taking sheet.
5. Go through the questions, asking students to provide their answers and opening a
discussion on issues, concepts, or facts they found interesting or alarming. Write
down important points from students responses in teachers notes, to be used in
later discussions and to help formatively assess students. Use the note-taking
questions to guide discussion. Focus on representation, who does and does not get
represented in media and politics, and what that means.
6. On the last question, elaborate on students responses concerning their connections
between the different kinds of discrimination and the facts/statistics in the video to
ensure their understanding is correct. Use questions, comparisons, and examples to
deepen students understanding of the vocabulary and allow students to challenge
or question each others understanding whenever it leads towards a productive end.
7. At the end of class, remind students that they will be continuing to watch the video
the next day and to turn in their video notes, which will be graded for completion
and returned back to them.

Assessment:
1. I will assess students ability to apply vocabulary to new concepts and fact by their
video notes, which I will collect. (This assessment for Days 3-5).
2. I will assess students ability to interpret facts and information about the erasure of
race in popular culture and politics through their responses to the class discussion
following the video and to their video notes.

Video notes
Name:
List facts you did not hear or know about before you watched this video:

How do these facts relate to the discussion we had about representation of pe ople of color
in literature and popular media? How do they relate to our course themes, power and
perspective?

How do these facts relate to what we discussed and learned about racism, discrimination,
and prejudice? According to what you know and your understanding so far, try to relate
one fact or statistic from the video to the different types of discrimination (interpersonal,
organizational, institutional, and cultural) or racism (old-fashioned, modern, aversive, and
tokenism).

Week 1, Day 4
Objectives:
1. SWBAT apply vocabulary relating to racism to newly introduce facts about racism.
(Objective for Days 3-5).
2. SWBAT discuss how representation impacts the way people are seen in society and
how this factors into privilege.
3. SWBAT define privilege in reference to race.
Materials:
1. Television/projector and screen
2. Computer-to-TV/-projector connectors
3. Internet
4. YouTube
Strategies:
1. Video
2. Video notes
3. Full-class discussion
Procedure:
1. Pass out video note-taking sheet (same as the day before). Give students a moment
to look over the questions to direct their attention as they watch the video. The first
question should be completed while watching, and the next questions can be
completed while watching or some moments afterwards. Remind students that they
will receive completion grade for notes, as long as theyre thoughtful and complete.
2. Load the Tim Wise video on YouTube and project it.
3. Play the video from the stopping point the day before until 32:57, through the
section Unburdened by Race.
4. Give students a few moments to finish writing on their note-taking sheet.
5. Due to time constraints, focus on the last two questions. Ask students to share their
responses to the second question and allow discussion on interesting points
between students. Write down important points in teachers notes.
6. Clarify the concept of stereotype threat, referring to the anxiety of people of color to
represent their race because of the lack of representation and the monopoly of
white people in media, discussed in the video.
7. Ask students how they thought this concept and the content of the video related to
racism, discrimination, etc., transitioning to the next question. Elaborate on
students responses to deepen their understanding and steer them in the right
direction.
8. At the end of class, ask students what they think of privilege and Wises description
of privilege. Assign an optional journal to allow students to explore or critique the
idea in reference to their own lives. How do they feel about the concept, and why do
they feel that way?
9. Collect the video notes.

Assessment:
1. I will assess students ability to apply vocabulary to new concepts and fact by their
video notes, which I will collect. (This assessment for Days 3-5).
2. I will assess students ability to discussion how representation impacts the way
people are seen in society and how this factors into privilege by the way the respond
to the video note questions and their fellow students in full-class discussion.
3. I will assess students ability to define privilege by the way they use and interpret
the word on their notes and in full-class discussion.

Week 1, Day 5
Objectives:
1. SWBAT apply vocabulary relating to racism to newly introduce facts about racism.
(Objective for Days 3-5).
2. SWBAT explore how racism affects all people, even those who have racial privilege.
3. SWBAT relate concepts of racism and privilege to the course themes of power and
perspective.
Materials:
1. Television/projector and screen
2. Computer-to-TV/-projector connectors
3. Internet
4. YouTube
Strategies:
1. Video
2. Video notes
3. Full-class discussion
4. Journal
Procedure:
1. Pass out video note-taking sheet (same as the day before). Give students a moment
to look over the questions to direct their attention as they watch the video. The first
question should be completed while watching, and the next questions can be
completed while watching or some moments afterwards. Remind students that they
will receive completion grade for notes, as long as theyre thoughtful and complete.
2. Load the Tim Wise video on YouTube and project it.
3. Play the video from the stopping point the day before until 32:57, through the
section Unburdened by Race.
4. Give students a few moments to finish writing on their note-taking sheet.
5. Due to time constraints, focus on the last two questions. Ask students to share their
responses to the second question and allow discussion on interesting points
between students. Write down important points in teachers notes.
6. Focus on power and perspective, the course themes. Ask students how Wises
discussion about racism and privilege demonstrate power relations and the
importance of multiple perspectives. Encourage students to discuss and challenge
each others responses.
7. As a transition, ask students to relate the course themes to the concept of racism,
using what they wrote or thought for the third question to guide their discussion.
Press students to make a connection between power, perspective, and the factors
that go into racism.
8. Collect the video notes.
9. Preview content for the next week. Tell students that, because perspective and
representation is such a critical issue in topics related to racism, they will be

exploring different issues relating to racism targeting different groups, some of

which they may think about when they consider racism, some of which they may
not. They will be assigned their main project for the unit on Monday, which will
directly relate to the research and exploration they do, and they will be able to apply
skills relating to research and informational text that they had gained earlier in the
semester. Preview the topics of the project, particular the demographics the project
will cover (Black or African Americans, Asian Americans, Latino Americans, and
Native Americans), so they can start thinking about what theyd like to learn about.
10. Assign a journal for over the weekend, asking students to consider what they know
and what they think they dont know, given the things they learned in the past week.
Ask them to write down what they might like to learn more about.
Assessment:
1. I will assess students ability to apply vocabulary to new concepts and fact by their
video notes, which I will collect. (This assessment for Days 3-5).
2. I will assess students ability to explore how racism affects all people by their
responses to the impact of racism discussed in the video in both their video notes
and full-class discussions.
3. I will assess students ability to relate concepts of racism and privilege to course
themes through the connections they make in discussion between the concepts.

Week 2, Day 1
Objectives:
1. SWBAT articulate their understanding of the main unit presentation project.
2. SWBAT recall and review skills and strategies for reading and analyzing
informational texts learned earlier in the semester.
Materials:
1. Racism in America project assignment sheet and rubric
2. Student iPads/computers
Strategies:
1. Lecture
2. Small-group work and discussion
Procedure:
1. Review the information from the previous week. Ask students to share what they
wrote about in their journals. Use students points from their journals and from
discussions from the week before to make connection between previous weeks
content and the project: stress how representation and understanding the
perspectives of others is critical to avoiding and preventing racism and how
knowing how racism affects the lives of others is important to understanding how
power structures work in the United States. Therefore, reading extensively about
the problem and how it affects others is one of the most important ways to find a
solution for it and to avoid making the problem work. Educating others is another
important solution that all people can undertake.
2. Pass out the Racism in America: Building and Sharing a Solid Foundatio n of
Knowledge assignment sheet and rubric (or show students where to find them
online).
3. Work through the elements of the assignment together. Emphasize the unit
question, which should guide the students exploration: How do different people
experience racism and racial discrimination in America? Frequently ask
students if they have any questions. Ask students to explain their understanding of
the assignment in their own words. Point out the requirements for a good grade on
the rubric. Remind student that the powerpoint with the terms related to
stereotype, prejudice, and discrimination is online for them to use to help them
conceptualize the information they gather.
4. Divide students into small groups based on their interests and their compatibility,
with some reasonable allotment for student choice. Assign group topics: Black or
African Americans, Asian Americans, Latino Americans, and Native Americans.
There may be one group for each topic, or there may be multiple groups.
5. Ask every group to pull out some paper and to write as much as they can remember
about reading and analyzing informational texts, including skills and strategies that
they learned earlier in the semester. They should produce terms relating to

rhetoric, authorial intent, and strategies for checking facts, as well as strategies such
as skimming, reading titles, and reviewing the credibility of websites.
6. After five-ten minutes, bring students back to full-class discussion and ask for them
to share what they came up with in their groups. Work to help them remember and
activate the procedural knowledge they gained earlier in the semester.
7. With fifteen minutes until the end of class, show students where to find the list of
sources online that they will be reading for the project. They will apply the skills
and strategies they discussed to these articles and videos. Emphasize that these are
not the only texts they can read or videos they can watch, as it states on the
assignment sheet. They may work outside of class if they wish, but they will have
time in class to work as well.
8. Have each group open a Google Doc to share among them for the project. They must
allow you permission to view and comment on the document as well. These
documents will count as research notes, which will be graded on completion and
reviewed for formative assessment. Students may also keep notes on paper if they
wish, but they must be able to produce their notes for completion grades on
research notes. Allow the rest of class time for groups to discuss how they want to
distribute and organize information among themselves.
Assessment:
1. I will assess students ability to articulate their understand of the main unit
presentation project by the questions the students ask concerning the project and
their explanation of the project in their own words.
2. I will assess students ability to recall and review skills and strategies for
reading/analyzing informational texts by the notes they take in small-group work
concerning skills/strategies learned in previous units.

Week 2, Days 2-4

Objectives:
1. SWBAT apply skills and strategies for reading and analyzing informational texts
learned earlier in the semester to a new topic.
2. SWBAT explore perspectives on racism through a variety of texts in a variety of
genres, including scholarly journals, blogs, and videos.
3. SWBAT draw connections between texts to build a better and more comprehensive
understanding of the ways in which racism affects different groups in America.
Materials:
1. Internet
2. Student iPads/computers
Strategies:
1. Small group work
Procedure:
1. Students will work in their groups to find, read/watch, and assess texts relating to
their topic for the presentation project. Students may work as a whole group, or
they may work in smaller pairs or trios if their group is large, as long as they devote
time during class to come together with the full group to discuss the texts they read.
2. Keep an eye on what students are doing in their Google Docs and move between
groups to listen to their discussions, adding information or a new perspective when
appropriate or asking questions to press their understanding or thinking further .
Answer questions as needed, and provide extra help and support in the case that a
group gets stuck or has trouble reading a more difficult text, such as the more
formal or scholarly sources included in the list.
3. Make it clear each day that students may complete journals detailing their personal
responses to the information they read to increase their journal grade as needed.
Assessment:
1. I will assess students ability to apply skills and strategies for reading and analyzing
informational texts to a new topic by their research notes, which will be monitored
and reviewed for completion as well as for formative assessment, and by group
discussions of the texts read/watched.
2. I will assess students ability to explore perspectives on racism through a variety of
texts in a variety of genres by the inclusion of multiple texts in multiple genres in the
research notes and by the analysis of these in both the notes and group discussions.
3. I will assess students ability to draw connections between texts by the discussion of
the issues shared between texts and their relation to the concepts related to racism
in the research notes and in group discussion.

Week 2, Day 5
Objectives:
1. SWBAT identify factors that make a presentation good.
2. SWBAT discuss the rhetorical and practical differences between presenting
information in a textual format and presenting information orally in a presentation.
3. SWBAT examine what factors may be beneficial for their own presentations given
the needs of the assignment and their description of good presentations.
Materials:
1. Computer
2. Television/projector and screen
3. Computer-to-TV/-projector connectors
4. Internet
5. Powerpoint
a. Badly created powerpoint, made using the worst techniques for powerpoint
6. YouTube
Strategies:
1. Interactive lecture
2. Small group discussion
3. Full-class discussion
Procedure:
1. Remind students that their ultimate product for the presentation project will be a
presentation.
2. Ask students to get into their groups and to discuss the questions What makes a
good presentation? and How are oral presentations different than research
papers? Ask them to think about rhetorical and practical factors when coming up
with their responses (i.e. How do presenters think about their audience? What is
needed for a good presentation?)
3. Allow five minutes for groups to discuss. Ask them to share some of the factors they
discussed and what their significance might be for the class in terms of their own
presentations.
4. Ask students to think back to the Tim Wise video, and show a clip if necessary. Ask
them to think about what works and what doesnt work in his style of public
speaking. If the students dont point it out, mention his lack of visual aids. Ask
students if, for his purposes, that lack is okay, and ask them to think how their
presentations might be different from his in terms of the benefit of visual aids.
5. Show part of Aaron Hueys TED TALK
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tEuaj4h8dw)
6. Ask students to analyze how Huey incorporates visuals, as well as how he talks and
what sort of information hes presenting. Ask them to assess these factors; are they
good? What works and what doesnt? Ask students to discuss how their
presentations differ from his and how their needs may be similar or different.

7. Project the bad powerpoint. On each slide is a different bad technique thats
commonly used in presentations, like garish colors, too much text, too many images
in one slide, etc. Encourage students to react and discuss the bad techniques and
how they might change them, and ask them to compare the powerpoint to Hueys
TED TALK.
8. Look at the rubric with the students again. Ask them to discuss in their groups how
the needs of the assignment as well as the content theyre working into their
presentation may influence how they organize their presentation. At least one
group member should record important factors discussed during the discussion to
help guide them later.
9. Near the end of class, encourage students to look at various TED TALKs as models to
help them figure out what makes a good presentation, especially with regards to
visual aid and addressing the audience. Remind students that the transitions
between speakers and ideas are also important, so they should begin to plan how
theyll organize information to make transitions logical. Most importantly, students
should sound like the know what theyre talking aboutand the best way to do that
is to actually know the content. Encourage students to do extra research and to
reread/watch sources over the weekend.
10. Preview the creative project, which will be introduced the next week. Tell students
it will help them familiarize them with the content and that itll give them the
opportunity to do something more creative and personal with their topics.
Assessment:
1. I will assess students ability to identify factors that make a good presentation based
on their responses to the question What makes a good presentation? in small
group discussions as well as their responses to questions posed to them during
interactive lecture.
2. I will assess students ability to discuss the rhetorical and practical differences
between presenting information in text and orally in a presentation based on their
responses to the question How are oral presentations different than research
papers? in small group discussions as well as their responses to questions posed to
them during interactive lecture.
3. I will assess students ability to examine what factors may be beneficial for their
own presentations based on their small group discussions and the notes they take
during their discussions.

Week 3, Day 1
Objectives:
1. SWBAT articulate their understanding of the main unit creative project.
2. SWBAT recall and review skills and strategies for reading and understanding poetry
learned earlier in the semester.
Materials:
1. Racism in America project assignment sheet and rubric
2. Student iPads/computers
Strategies:
1. Lecture
2. Small-group work and discussion
Procedure:
1. Review content from the week before, particularly about presentations. Ask
students if they have any pressing problems or questions they want to discuss
before you introduce the creative project. Remind students that becoming familiar
with the issues theyre learning about will help them greatly in their presentations
and that the creative project will help them connect on a more personal level.
Explain that they will be exploring more individual and personal experiences of
racism now through the poetry of poets of color.
2. Pass out Racism and Poetry: Connecting Individual to Collective Experiences of
Racism assignment sheet and rubric (or show students where to find them online).
Frequently ask students if they have any questions. Ask students to explain their
understanding of the assignment in their own words. Point out the requirements
for a good grade on the rubric. Stress that you will seriously consider what they are
attempting to accomplish in their creative projects and that their brainstorming and
author/artists statement will help you to understand their projects.
3. Ask students to get into groups and to write as much as they can remember about
reading and analyzing poetry, including skills and strategies that they learned
earlier in the semester. They may produce terms related to reading poetry, such as
rhyme, meter, etc., or they may recall reading specific poems and the strategies they
used to read them.
4. After five-ten minutes, bring students back to full-class discussion and ask for them
to share what they came up with in their groups. Work to help them remember and
activate the procedural knowledge they gained earlier in the semester.
5. In the remaining time, allow students to explore the poetry, which should be
available either on a platform similar to blackboard if the school has such a thing or
in physical copies. Let them know that you will be modeling one way of
approaching the project tomorrow and that they do not need to commit to any one
poem yet. They can talk in their groups about the poetry and the sort of connections
they can make between the poems theyve already read and the texts they
read/watched in the last week.

Assessment:
1. I will assess students ability to articulate their understand of the main unit creative
project by the questions the students ask concerning the project and their
explanation of the project in their own words.
2. I will assess students ability to recall and review skills and strategies for r eading
and understanding poetry by the notes they take in small-group work concerning
skills/strategies learned in previous units.

Week 3, Day 2
Objectives:
1. SWBAT examine how a poem can be connected to informational texts.
2. SWBAT brainstorm how they can represent an issue or concept creatively in the
forms permitted by the choice square.
Materials:
1. Poem handout
2. Projection equipment to project poem and notes
Strategies:
1. Interactive modeling activity
2. Read aloud
3. Small group activity
4. Journal
Procedure:
1. Pass out the poem to students: Deer Cloud by Susan Clements
2. Tell students that youll be working with them to better demonstrate how they
might approach the creative project. This poem was chosen because the themes and
conflicts the students have been working with are more obscure than in many of the
other poems, so working through it should help clarify many of the other poems for
the students.
3. Read the poem out loud, underlining important parts and thinking out loud to model
the thought process of reading.
4. Ask students what they think is happening in the poem or how they interpret it.
Validate students responses and ask them to elaborate or explain in order to better
develop their thinking.
5. After some responses, direct students attentions to important lines, words, or
motifs: the paintings of Native Americas (note how the Native American tribes are
specifically named), the words reason and rational, the phrase polite Indian on
tranquilizers, dreams, and the lines, Am I nothing to you but a biochemical
imbalance...Where are the ghosts of mine? Model thinking on what these might
mean and why theyre important to the poem: how the paintings connect to the
dream and the ghosts of her people; the connection between the phrase polite
Indian on tranquilizers and her need to cry, hurt, or scream rage; the contrast
between reason/rational and the dream, the rage, and the way the psychiatrist
treats the patient. Mention the cultural implications (in terms of Western
philosophy) of words like reason and rational. Draw out the discontent and
disillusionment the author is trying to express.
6. Ask students to interpret in their own words the thinking youve modeled.
Encourage them to grapple with the ideas and to expand on your interpretation.
7. Ask students to brainstorm in groups how they might connect this to some of the
texts they read. Give them five minutes. Ask the groups to share their thinking,

prompting them to describe any articles/videos they mention if the rest of the class
may not have read them.
8. Offer your thoughts on what texts might shed light on the poem. Tim Wises
discussion of privilege, for instance, might work, since the Native Americans in the
paintings are what largely represent the Native American population but the
paintings dont reflect the actual Mohawk woman herself. Articles on the
psychology of racism or on appropriation may also work, as would any videos on
the history of the Native American genocide.
9. Write the connections you and the students make down so that its projected on the
overhead to model the brainstorming part of the assignment. Ask students to read
the questions on the assignment sheet to you and prompt them to help you an swer
them, given what you and they said about the poems and the informational texts.
10. Focus on the last question listed on the assignment sheet for the brainstorming
activity: Why do these texts matter, both to you and to the world? Stress the
subjective nature of the question. Ask students to get into groups and brainstorm
answers for the question. Invite them to share their answers.
11. Ask students how they might represent the ideas expressed in the poem and their
significance creatively in any of the ways provided on the choice square. After some
responses, allow them to discuss in their groups. Encourage them to bring the texts
theyve read into the discussion to brainstorm the sort of issues they may have the
opportunity to represent.
12. Assign a journal, which the students may start writing for the remaining time in
class. They should write about their initial thoughts for their project: What sort of
issues do they believe are significant enough to make into a good project? When
they think about creatively/symbolically representing an idea, what do they think
about? What kind of project are they considering so far, or what would they like to
do potentially?
Assessment:
1. I will assess students ability to examine how a poem can be connected to
informational texts by their responses to the modeling activity, particularly the
potential connections they provide, and their discussions in small groups.
2. I will assess students ability to brainstorm how they can represent an issue or a
concept creatively by their responses to the modeling activity, their discussions in
small group activity, and their journals.

Week 3, Days 3-4

Objectives:
1. SWBAT apply skills and strategies for reading and analyzing poetry learned earlier
in the semester to new poems.
2. SWBAT compare concepts discussed in informational texts to poetry.
3. SWBAT draw connections between texts to build a better and more comprehensive
understanding of the ways in which racism affects both groups and individuals in
America.
4. SWBAT express complex and controversial ideas through creative or symbolic
means.
5. If students choose to use the time to work on the presentation projects, the
objectives are similar to those of Week 2, Days 2-4.
Materials:
1. Poetry (online or physical copies)
2. Students iPads
3. Art/craft materials: colored paper, scissors, pompoms, glue, pipe cleaners, wire, foil,
paint, oil pastels, markers, crayons, colored pencils, various knick-knacks, etc.
Strategies:
1. Individual work
2. Small group work
Procedure:
1. If students choose to work on their creative projects:
a. Students choose a poem they like and want to work with
b. Students brainstorm the connection between the poem and the informational
texts they read/watched with their group.
c. Students choose a creative medium on the choice square to represent the
ideas they chose to represent in their brainstorming.
d. Students work on their creative project, using whatever materials they need
or composing using their iPads.
e. Students write their artist/authors statement, either during the process or
Move between students to examine what theyre working on and to keep
track of their progress on the creative project, asking questions to
formatively assess their understanding of the assignment and the texts
theyre utilizing. Answer questions as needed, and provide extra help and
support in the case that students need extra help brainstorming or analyzing
their poetry.
2. If students choose to work on their presentations:
a. See Week 2, Days 2-4
b. Keep in mind that groups may not be complete if some students decide to
work on their creative projects. Keep an eye on group harmony.

3. Make it clear each day that students may complete journals detailing their personal
responses to any of the texts they read and reflecting on their process of creating
their projects to increase their journal grade as needed.
Assessment:
1. I will assess students ability to apply skills and strategies for reading and analyzing
poetry to new poems by interacting with the students individually and by their
interpretation of the poem they incorporate into the brainstorming they do as part
of the creative project.
2. I will assess students ability to compare concepts discussed in informational texts
to poetry by interacting with the students individually and by the way they relate
the information of the informational texts to the poems in the brainstorming they do
as part of the creative project.
3. I will assess students ability to draw connections between texts to build a better
understanding of the ways in which racism affects both groups and individuals in
America by interacting with the students individually and by the connections they
make between the informational texts and the poems, specifically in relation to the
concepts theyre analyzing, in the brainstorming.
4. I will assess students ability to express complex and controversial ideas through
creative or symbolic means by the way they represent their ideas in the creative
project.
5. If students choose to use the time to work on the presentation projects, I will assess
them the same way I assessed them on Week 2, Days 2-4.

Week 3, Day 5
Objectives:
1. For work portion of the class: same as Week 3, Days 3-4
2. For discussion: SWBAT reflect on the processes of creating their projects and the
content they learned while doing so.
Materials:
1. Poetry (online or physical copies)
2. Students iPads
3. Art/craft materials: colored paper, scissors, pompoms, glue, pipe cleaners, wire, foil,
paint, oil pastels, markers, crayons, colored pencils, various knick-knacks, etc.
Strategies:
1. Individual work
2. Small group work
3. Full-class discussion
Procedure:
1. For the first half of class, open discussion to students to reflect on their projects.
Ask students what challenges theyve had while doing both of the projects so far, in
terms of both process and content. What have they found hard to read or write?
What part of the thinking has been difficult? What has been difficult to understand
or apply?
2. Ask students if they have any specific questions about the projects or unit so far.
Encourage other students to answer the questions if they can. Clarify any
misunderstandings or confusion.
3. Allow students to continue to work on their projects. Remind them that they will
start presentations the next week and that they may do work over the weekend if
possible.
Assessment:
1. For work portion of class: same as Week 3, Days 3-4.
2. For discussion: I will assess students ability to reflect on the processes of creating
their projects and the content they learned while doing so by their responses to the
discussion about their experiences and the questions they ask to deepen their
understanding of both.

Week 4: Overview
Week 4, Days 1-2: See Week 3, Days 3-4
Week 4, Days 3-5:
Objectives:
1. SWBAT demonstrate their ability to create and deliver presentations on a complex
and controversial topic, focusing on the rhetorical appeals of ethos and logos
through the use of research and professionalism
Materials:
1. Computer
2. Television/projector and screen
3. Computer-to-TV/-projector connectors
4. Powerpoint
5. Internet
Strategies:
1. Presentations
2. Peer feedback
3. Full-group discussion
4. Journals
Procedure:
1. Before each presentation, pass out the audience feedback sheet to students
watching the presentation.
2. Watch students give their presentation, making notes and using the rubric to
evaluate the presentations.
3. Depending on the number of groups, one or two groups may go on a given day. In
the remaining time, open a discussion with the full class on what they learne d from
the presentations that they did not know before. The discussion should seek to
encourage students to make connections between different forms of racism and
expand their understanding of the issue.
4. Assign journals for each day. Students should write about what they learned from
watching or giving the presentations, both about the content provided in the
presentations, the procedure of giving presentations, and their overall
understanding of the issue of racism and the ways it manifests in America.
Assessment:
1. Students ability to demonstrate their ability to create and deliver presentations will
be assessed using the rubric for the presentation project and the presentation
feedback given by other students.