Raisin in the Sun Act I

It's 23 March, 2019!  You have come to The Village Inn on Mackinac Island for a planned reunion with a few of your friends from high school.  Ten years ago, you and these same close friends were having a serious discussion about your individual dreams or vision for your future.  The discussion was so good that you agreed to meet at this location in ten years to check with each other on your progress toward realizing your dreams.  You are early and have time to reflect and write some notes to share with your friends who will be arriving soon.  Reflect on your progress in your journey toward realizing your dreams and on the positive steps you have taken toward your goal.  Jot down some notes to share with your friends when they arrive:

First describe what you look like, what you are wearing, where you are, and the way you are feeling.  (2 minutes)
Then write about your progress toward realizing the dreams/vision you talked about ten years ago. What have you accomplished? (10-15 minutes)

Tues 24 March
Dreams are important in people's lives. Walt Disney said that if you can dream it you can do it. Dreams can be like beacons, leading a person on the journey of life. Dreams can give people a reason to live and lend meaning to life. Dreams can be about relationships, a future occupation, and/or future life goals.
Write about the theme: My Dream for My Life
Do one of the following:
Describe your dream for your life and tell how you plan to realize your dream. OR
Tell how a person you admire has worked to realize his/her dream. OR
Persuade the reader that having a dream and working toward that dream are important in life.
Use examples from real life, from what you have read or watched, or from your imagination.  Interested adults will read your writing.

Wed 24 March
Parent-Teacher Conference

Thurs 26--Fri 27
Read and discuss a Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss, also on the subject of reaching one's dreams, but in poetic form. 
Read aloud "The Personal Bank Account" pp. 31-46, from The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey, a book that will help you realize your dreams and become a happy and successful adult. 

Focus for Listening:
Try to understand the advice the author is giving from the examples he uses:
· Inside Out (changing from the inside out)
· The Personal Bank Account (how one feels about one's self): Keep Promises to Yourself ; Do Small Acts of Kindness; Be Gentle with Yourself; Be Honest; Renew Yourself; Tap Into Your Talents 
After reading, we will break into pairs and produce a poster board with a working definition and illustrated symbol for an assigned habit in order to learn, synthesize, and share with the class the characteristics of that habit. The poster design will allow room for sticky note additions of examples from text and life during the course of the unit.

Essential Questions
What is meant by the American Dream?
When did the phrase American Dream come into vogue?  How has its meaning changed? Does it mean the same for all races?
What must happen for the dream to come true? What can you do to realize your dreams or visions for the future?
What is expected of you by adults at home? At school? Are these expectations realistic? How do your expectations of yourself differ from adults' expectations of you?
What do your peers expect from you?
What problems occur if your expectations and others' expectations of you differ? Give a specific example from experience or the experience of someone you know.
If your expectations differ from those others have of you, how can you resolve this? Where does your personal loyalty belong?

As required by ELA 10  Michigan Merit Curriculum Course Requirements, 35

Week 2:

Monday, 6 Apr        day 5
The poems of Langston Hughes:
"Harlem"  764
"I, Too"  733   
"The Weary Blues" 761
"The Negro Speaks of Rivers"
"Theme for English B"
Read & discuss the poem, "A Dream Deferred"  828, by Langston Hughes; see also this video
Written Response:
Level 1: What is the poet actually saying here? (Restate in your own words.) This level is simply using the student's words to say the same thing that the poet says.
Level 2: What does that mean? (Explain the poet's meaning within the poem.) This level is still within the poem, talking about the people in the poem, using their names.
Level 3: What might the poet be suggesting about the world beyond the poem? This level uses terms such as "mankind" or "people."

For the Act I quiz and for the exam, you will need to know the following vocabulary:
Xx ally
Xx anguish
Xx assimilation
Xx drily [sic]
Xx furtively
Xx mutual
Xx permeated
Xx unobtrusively
Xx reflective
Xx raucous

Use remaining time to work on Language Arts Fair

Tues, Apr 7               day 6
Read and discuss Marrianne Williamson's "Our Greatest Fear", the paragraph from Emerson's Self-Reliance, and  the "Conclusion" of Henry Thoreau's Walden, paragraph 5.  Then, complete the Comparison Chart, identifying the two main ideas from each selection and supporting quotes for the main ideas, as well as stating their opinion about the authors' concept of the American Dream. 
                                                                              Coach Carter clip

Wed, Apr 8               day 7
Read and discuss the essentials on the right hand side of this page. Read "What is the American Dream?"
Writing Assignment:
What is the author's purpose?
How does the author use historical details such the Declaration of Independence, homesteaders, Martin Luther King, Jr.?
Is this your American Dream?  Why or why not? How does it differ from your vision of the American Dream?

Use remaining time to work on language arts fair projects.

Thurs, Apr 9            day 8
Brief review of materials covered so far and how they present the concept of the American Dream. 
Define drama.  Review conflict and plot. 
Assign parts for reading the play.

Use remaining time to work on language arts fair projects.

Fri, Apr 10 
Good Friday--No School

Week 3

Tues, Apr 14   day 9
Students will receive a copy of the Character Analysis Chart, in which students will relate the characters in the play to their class definition of the American dream.  (We will briefly review the characteristics of the class definition).  Students should keep these in mind as the play begins to unfold and they learn about characters.

Students will begin to read / perform A Raisin in the Sun, pp. 830-834, stopping after "women with small minds!"

Focus Question #1
What are the relationships between the characters and how is the action between them affected by money?  How are their dreams related to money?
Answer Plan
1. Introduce the answer by restating the question.
2. Write several sentences giving details of the characters' relationships and their responses to money or the lack of it.
3. Conclude with a personal observation about how money motivates a person's actions.

Wed, Apr 15  day 10
Students perform A Raisin in the Sun pp. 834-838 (Begin after Walter's "women with small minds!" and end with Mama's "Yes, a fine man…that's all.")

Focus for Listening: What are the characters' dreams? How are these dreams related to The American Dream? How have the dreams been deferred, and how could this have been avoided?

Work on Character Analysis Chart. 

For the Act I quiz and for exam, you will need to know:
Xx Biography of the playwright, pg 826
Xx Internal conflict and external conflict (link or use pg 1191)
Xx Dialect (link or use pg 1192)

A Raisin in the Sun Trailer 1961, NPR Article audio clip (8:55)

Use remaining time to work on language arts fair projects.

He's moving on full steam
He's chasing the American dream
And he's going to give his family the finer things
"Not this time son.  I've no time to waste.
Maybe tomorrow we'll have time to play."
And then he slips into his new BMW
And drives farther and farther and farther away

So he works all day and tries to sleep at night
He says things will get better, better in time
And he works and he builds with his own two hands
And he pours all he has in a castle made with sand
But the wind and the rain are coming crashing in.
Time will tell just how long his kingdom stands.

His American Dream is beginning to seem
More and more like a nightmare
With every passing day:
"Daddy, can you come to my game?"
"Oh Baby, please don't work late."
Another wasted weekend,
And they are slipping away.

He used to say, "Whoever dies with the most toys wins"
Now he works all day and cries alone at night
It's not getting any better
Looks like he's running out of time
'Cause he worked and he built with his own two hands
And he poured all he had in a castle made with sand
But the wind and the rain are coming crashing in
Time will tell just how long his kingdom stands

All they really wanted was you
All they really wanted was you
All they really wanted was you

Thurs, Apr 16   day 11
Continue having students perform A Raisin in the Sun pp. 838-841.  Begin with Beneatha's "What could be so dirty…" and end with "Curtain."
Focus for Listening: What do we learn about Beneatha?

Focus Question #2
What information about Beneatha have we learned from this part of the play?
Answer Plan
1. Restate the question.
2. Write a number of sentences detailing what we have learned about Beneatha. Be sure to provide both a characteristic and evidence of that trait.
3. Conclude by giving your opinion of Beneatha.

Fri, Apr 17   day 12
Continue having students perform Act I, Scene Two of A Raisin in the Sun, pp. 842-846 ending with Asagai's exit.

Focus for Listening: What is Beneatha searching for in her life?

Focus Question #3
What influence do you think Asagai will have on Beneatha's dream?
Answer Plan
1. Restate the question.
2. Write several sentences that describe how Asagai's view on African-American culture and women could have an impact on Beneatha. Provide quotes for support.
3. Conclude in a sentence or two how Asagai's views may affect Beneatha.