About This Lesson
In this unit, students will read and analyze the plays “Fences” by August Wilson and “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry through multiple assignments and activities that investigate literary elements as well incorporate Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) strategies. Students will build on literacy and SEL skills through group work, presentations, and a variety of writing and brainstorming activities. Rubrics, self-reflection sheets and teacher keys are provided for all lessons. All lessons are aligned to Ohio’s Learning Standards for English Language Arts, grade 12.
Lesson One
Title: Introduction to “Fences”
Summary: In this 80-minute lesson, students will develop SEL skills such as communicating and listening, cooperating with others and seeking and offering help. In this lesson, students will be introduced to the play “Fences” by August Wilson. The lesson starts with students viewing different images of fences and filling out a graphic organizer with their thoughts about the images. The class will discuss the common image of fences in all of the pictures and make predictions about the title. Students will participate in or watch a fishbowl activity that is focused on the title “Fences” and what it might symbolize in the play. They will then break into groups and use a graphic organizer to analyze selected poems and present their analysis to the rest of the class. The lesson ends with students working in groups of two to create a CD, play or book cover with the title “Fences.” Other activities include a quickwrite, exit ticket, and self-reflection sheet.
Lesson Two
Title: Characterization
Summary: This 80-minute lesson builds on SEL skills such as taking the perspective of and empathizing with others, communicating clearly, cooperating with others and working towards an academic goal. The lesson starts with students viewing and taking notes from a PowerPoint presentation on direct and indirect characterization, round and flat characters, static and dynamic characters and motivation. Students will then work in groups of two to fill in the last column of the graphic organizer, using either examples from the play or examples from the PowerPoint. Students will then complete a character map on one of the characters form the play “Fences” and present their character to the rest of the class. Other activities include a quickwrite, exit ticket and self-reflection sheet.
Lesson Three
Title: Symbolism
Summary: In this 80-minute lesson students will focus on SEL skills such as expressing appropriate emotions while working in a group, taking the perspective of others, recognizing and appreciating individual and group differences and seeking help when needed. Students will explore and analyze different symbols and motifs in the play “Fences.” The teacher leads a discussion about certain symbols that students see in everyday life and students take notes on a graphic organizer. Students will then generate a list of symbols or motifs from the play. Groups of two will be given one symbol. They will be requires to create a PowerPoint on their assigned symbol. Once every group is assigned a symbol, they will first view the rubric and an example of a PowerPoint. After that, they will work on their own PowerPoint. The lesson concludes with students presenting their PowerPoint to the rest of the class. Other activities include a quickwrite, exit ticket and self-reflection sheet.
Lesson Four
Title: Conflict
Summary: This 80-minute lesson will build on SEL skills such as recognizing the strengths of self and others, taking the perspective and showing respect of others, communicating clearly, working cooperatively, analyzing situations and reflecting on their own work. The lesson starts with students investigating conflict. Students will journal about their own conflicts and discuss the difference between internal and external conflict. Students view and take notes from a PowerPoint, which describes internal conflict and the many types of external conflict. After the PowerPoint presentation, students work with a partner to provide examples of conflict from shows they have seen or stories they have read. Once students have finished discussing examples of internal and external conflict, they will pick one character from the play “Fences” and complete a conflict graphic organizer on that character. The lesson ends with students participating in a “Graffiti Wall” activity, where students write questions and answers pertaining to conflict in the play. Other activities include a quickwrite, exit ticket and self-reflection sheet.
Lesson Five
Title: Introduction to “A Raisin in the Sun”
Summary: In this 80-minute lesson, students will working on building SEL skills such as showing respect for others, communicating with classmates, working cooperatively and reflecting on classwork. This lesson prepares students for reading the play “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry. It starts with students thinking about their own dreams for the future through journaling and small group discussion. Students then read the poem “Harlem” by Langston Hughes and discuss their thoughts in small groups. Next students view and take notes on a PowerPoint presentation on analyzing a poem through poetry explication. Students then work with a partner on a poetry explication of the poem “Harlem” and present to another group of two. The lesson continues with students identifying the similes in the poem and writing a poem similar to “Harlem” with their own similes. Other activities include a quickwrite, exit ticket and self-reflection sheet.
Lesson Six
Title: Tragic Hero
Summary: In this 80-minute lesson students focus on SEL skills such as taking the perspective of others, showing respect for others, communicating clearly and working cooperatively. First students participate in a discovery activity to learn about Tragic Hero. Once students discover the meaning of a Tragic Hero, they look at an example of how Romeo is the tragic hero in the play “Romeo and Juliet.” Students then work in groups of two to find textual information to support Troy and Walter Lee as tragic heroes. The lesson ends with students presenting their tragic hero graphic organizer to a group of six. Other activities include a quickwrite, exit ticket and self-reflection sheet.
Lesson Seven
Title: The American Dream
Summary: This 80-minute lesson builds on SEL skills such as expressing appropriate emotions while working with others, taking the perspective of others, recognizing and appreciating individual and group differences and seeking help when needed. The lesson starts with students writing about their version of The American Dream and sharing their ideas with first a small group and then a larger group. Students then work in small groups to analyze The American Dream of the main characters from “Fences” and “A Raisin in the Sun.” This activity leads into the final portion of the class where students make a poster that compares their own American Dream to the dreams of one character from “Fences” and one character from “A Raisin in the Sun.” Other activities include a quickwrite, exit ticket and self-reflection sheet.
Lesson Eight
Title: Gender Roles
Summary: This 80-minute lesson focuses on SEL skills such as communicating clearly, working cooperatively, taking the perspective of others and self-reflection. This lesson focuses on the female’s role in the 1950’s and 1960’s and the roles of the female characters in “Fences” and “A Raisin in the Sun.” Students watch a short video on the roles of women in the 50’s and 60’s and discuss the roles of men and women in their own households. Students write those roles on sticky notes and share with the class and post on large chart paper. Students then work in small groups to discuss and fill out a graphic organizer on the roles of the female characters in both plays. After small groups have completed their graphic organizer, they will participate in a four corners activity, where groups discuss one of the characters assigned to them. All groups present their findings to the rest of the class. Other activities include a quickwrite, exit ticket and self-reflection sheet.
