Chicago Teachers’ Center/NEIU Units for Books Program Unit Template An expandable version of this form is available online at www.gearupchicago.org or www.neiu.edu/~yal.

Title of Unit : Modern Day Slavery Date Submitted 11/15/2010 Book: Day of Tears by Julius Lester Unit Developed by: Eileen Mandera Grade: High School/Special Education Subject: Topics of Lit Email: [email protected] School: Clemente High School Dates when Unit will be Hours of Class Time Needed for Implemented: November & December Unit: 2010 5 weeks Curriculum Areas and Grade Level(s): Reading Language Arts/English, High School level Brief Description of the Unit (50-75 words) : Day of Tears, is a story that gives an emotional account of what it is like to be enslaved. The story begins in 1857 in Savanah, Georgia on a plantation owned by Pierce Butler. The main character, Emma, lives on the Butler Plantation with her family and is the direct caretaker of Pierce Butler’s two children. Emma and her family are the domestic caretakers that work very closely with Master Pierce Butler, who auctions off the majority of his slaves because of his mounting gambling debts. Emma is sold at the age of 12 to a new Mistress and is taken away from her parents whom she has lived with all her life. This story weaves together the haunting account of a historical event occurring in Savannah, Georgia-the largest slave auction in American history known as “The Weeping Time,” named so because of the torrential rains that came down for two days from the beginning of the sale until the very end. The slaves have lived on the Butler plantation with their families for generations. Through dialogue, the author, Julius Lester, effectively relays the horrors of slavery and the tragic aftermath that occurs to all of the people who participated that day. Julius Lester’s writing in this novel is set up to get the reader emotionally interested with a feeling, whether good or bad, for everyone involved in the auction. The reader will feel as if he is experiencing the emotional losses, the degradation, the sorrow, and the cruelty as he reads about the experiences of several people attending the slave auction from multiple viewpoints; the slaveowner, slaveowner’s ex-wife, slaveowner’s children, slave seller, several slaves sold at the auction (young and old), the mother and father of a slave sold, a slave couple desperately in love who are separated, etc. Lester uses both historical facts and fictitious details to demonstrate how all people were deeply impacted by that fateful rainy two days in March of 1859. Many sections of the book read like monologues, but each contributes to a powerful whole… the novel provides a compelling opportunity for students to step into the shoes of those whose lives were torn apart by slavery. Lester does not limit the book to one viewpoint, and by using an alternate format, it gives the students the ability to see all points of view and really get a feeling from the historic viewpoints of everyone involved. Illinois State Learning Standards to be addressed by this unit. State Goal 2: Read and understand literature representative of various societies, eras and ideas. State Goal 2.B.5a. Analyze and express an interpretation of a literary work. Common Core Standards: English/Language Arts: Reading: Literature Grades 9-12: 1.Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain Teacher’s Focus Question: As a teacher, what aspect of your own instructional practice will you be examining or testing out in this unit? What is your goal and how will you know if you have succeeded? My goal with this unit was not only to teach my students about a moment in time in history regarding slavery, but to enlighten them about how slavery still exists in the world today. I wanted them to discover that modern-day slavery is still going on today and by just being aware of this, it can help them protect their own children, family, or neighbors now and in the future. Students should know that by educating themselves, they can perhaps see the signs of manipulation that occur with so many youngsters and put a stop to it by refusing to allow this into their world. During this unit I introduced my students to many articles and documentaries regarding Human Trafficking and they learned about the organizations that fight against this crime. I wanted them to think of ways to change the world by volunteering for organizations such as The Polaris Project, Haggar Shelter, World Visions and many other entities that are fighting slavery today. We had many discussions regarding manipulation and how easily sometimes we can all be swayed to go along with something that will lead us into trouble when we don’t listen to warnings coming from our inner voice. I believe they recognized that making changes in the world is possible, whether they are deciding to take on a cause to make a change by themselves, or volunteering within a group to work towards a cause. My students really enjoyed this book and were surprised and shocked to learn about slavery going on in the world today. This is a book that really puts the reader into the minds of a slave and what it must have felt like being trapped, controlled, manipulated and stricken from freedom and control of your own future. I had them relate this historical event with current events going on around the world that involve slavery. I had many students come to me and tell me about things going on in their neighborhoods that related to this unit. I realized that by educating them about the past as well as how it can relate to the future, enabled them to make a connection and know that there are things we all constantly need to fight against so we can make this a better world to live in for our future generations. Documentation Plan: Please list the documentation you will submit to GEAR UP when you implement your unit. It should include samples of student work and your own reflection on your focus question and any other aspect of the unit. Day of Tears Reading Guide Day of Tears Vocabulary Articles relating to Human Trafficking and Modern-day Slavery Documentary: “Not for Sale” Movie: “Slum Dog Millionaire” Follow the Character Chart Maps of Civil War-Confederate-Union States Reader’s Acting Theater-pick a character Silhouette Projects Slave writing activity Request for photographer or video: Based on availability, GEAR UP staff can photograph or videotape an aspect of the unit (a debate, art project, final presentation, etc.) If you are interested please indicate. What I would like to document: Type of documentation: Photographs of Silhouette Project on Slavery Projected dates end of November, 2010

Student media releases signed by a parent or guardian, are mandatory. Rigor, Relationship, and Relevance We believe that successful high schools have three elements in common. The schools set high academic standards and provide rigorous instruction paired with meaningful support so that all students can meet those high standards. Teachers build trusting relationships with students and take steps to build community within their classrooms. They take an interest in students’ lives, drawing on their real-world experiences and current understandings to build new knowledge. Teachers make school relevant to students, showing them the connections between success in school and their plans for the future. (What Matters for Staying On-Track and Graduating in Chicago Public Schools, 2007. Consortium on Chicago School Research). We have divided this template into three sections to support your planning to include the new 3Rs. Academic Rigor Enduring Understandings What do you want your students to understand and be able to use ten years from now? I want my students to understand that we all have a responsibility for the world we live in and they way we live in it. I hope that they will learn from this unit to be aware of manipulation and what it can do to a person. I want them to think before they make choices and to learn that they are responsible for their own actions. I want them to learn about how to make changes in their own lives as well as being empowered to make changes in the world. I think by introducing them to some of the heroes that are featured in the “Not for Sale” documentary, they can see how groups of people or even one person can start to make a change in the world by taking up a cause to help others that are suffering in the world. We can all make these changes by using our voices to speak up for or against what we feel is right or wrong. Essential Questions What are the open-ended questions that will promote inquiry into the heart of the subject or discipline? What is Modern-day Slavery? How does this happen? What can we do about it? How do we make a change? What is control? Who is vulnerable? How do you recognize when or if someone is trying to manipulate you? Knowledge and Skill What will your students know and be able to do at the end of the unit? How will your students use higher order thinking skills? My students will be able to imagine themselves or their peer groups in a situation like modern-day slavery or human trafficking and realize that situation is not just historical but exists now. Assessment Evidence/Instruments How will you know how well your students learned? Attach rubrics and checklists, if used. Follow the Character Chart Class discussions Day of Tears Final Learning Activities List the most important learning activities students will perform during the unit. I think the writing activity helped the most. After reading the book, they were to write a paper on what it feels like to be enslaved. They are writing from the slaves’ point of view and putting themselves in a moment in time as the character they choose to be. In writing this paper, they have to consider what their options would have been at that moment in history and what assets they had to work with if any. I think it is a great opportunity to measure what learning outcomes they absorbed. Differentiating Instruction In what ways does the unit respond to students’ different learning styles or multiple intelligences? What modifications are made for students with special needs? ELL students? We not only read the book, but acted out the characters, made silhouettes, followed a character chart that we all worked on together in class. They were all able to volunteer to read different parts and therefore actually perform as individual characters which gave them more of a feeling about what these people felt like as slaves. Relevance How does the unit relate to students’ lives, skills, cultures, language, and background knowledge? How does the unit show students the relevance of their work in school to their future lives?

Taking issues of slavery and human trafficking into consideration Seeing the vulnerability and loss of control of the victims. Exploring where victims’ have lost control over their lives or wish they could gain control What changes they can make in the future by volunteering or speaking out against injustice Relationship How does the unit build, support, and draw from a trusting classroom community?

I feel that by reading this book, viewing the articles & documentaries that are included, gave my students a sense of what it feels like to be enslaved. This opened up their minds to their own surroundings and their experience with family or friends who have been controlled by something or someone. Introducing them to the thought of how easily it is to sometimes be manipulated, brought up a lot of classroom discussion about how to be your own person and not become influenced by others to do something you may regret at a later date.