Formative close reading plan For A Raisin in the Sun, Act One, Scene One by Lorraine Hansberry 8th grade Standards: RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.3, RL.8.4 Created by Pamela Andreavich, 2014 Delaware Dream Team teacher 1 Formative close reading plan for A Raisin in the Sun, Act One, Scene One Directions for teachers: How to use this document After reading a selected section of Act One Scene One from A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, the text-dependent questions below should be administered as formative checkpoints to ensure students can recognize how author’s use dialogue and character motivation to establish theme. In addition to collecting written responses (in a reading journal or on a separate piece of paper), student work could also be recorded as the product of observation or interview. Use the response guide beginning on page 3 to evaluate each response and determine if student “Exceeds”, “Meets” “Approaches” or “Struggles” with the given question. Use the corresponding close reading follow-up mini-lessons (beginning on page 23 of this document) to provide targeted and close-reading based intervention to students in the “Approaches” and “Struggles” group. This document includes hyperlinks. If you open it via the web, you will be able to click on the links (links are in blue) and they will take you to the specified information. If you choose to download this document on your computer, you will have to right-click on the link and choose “open hyperlink” to open the link to the information. Text and standard details Text and author A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry Where to access the Text is attached below text: Grade-level: 8th grade Target Common CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as Core State inferences drawn from the text. Standards: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.3 Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts. 1 Formative close reading plan for A Raisin in the Sun, Act One, Scene One Formative text-dependent questions 1. Read the excerpt from Act One, Scene One of A Raisin in the Sun. What does Ms. Hansberry want the reader to understand when Beneatha says to Walter, “Well you finally got it said ... It took you three years but you finally got it said.”? 2. As we know, authors use dialogue in a variety of different ways. Some examples of these are: to add a sense of reality, to make reading easier, to reveal characters, to reveal secrets, to reveal relationships, to show backstory, and to deepen conflict. How is Ms. Hansberry using the dialogue in the previous question to move the story along? Using examples from the excerpt to support your ideas. 3. Motivation has been defined as; “a desire to do; an interest or drive”. After reading the excerpt provided, choose one of the characters and explain what you believe motivates them. Why? (Characters are: Travis, Ruth, Beneatha and Walter) 4. In the excerpt provided, is there any evidence that shows a character’s motivation may change as the play goes on? Who? Why? Use examples from the excerpt to provide support for your beliefs. 5. Theme is the combination of plot, character interaction and symbolism that describes what the author is trying to say about life. For example, a theme is not a subject, i.e. love is not a theme. However, we must love each other or perish is definitely a theme. A subject is a one-word topic. A theme tells us what to think about that topic. With that being said, after reading the attached excerpt from A Raisin in the Sun, what theme(s) do you believe Ms. Hansberry is relaying to the reader? Use examples from the excerpt to explain your answer. 2 Formative close reading plan for A Raisin in the Sun, Act One, Scene One Formative text-dependent question 1 Question #1 Read the excerpt from Act One, Scene One of A Raisin in the Sun. What does Ms. Hansberry want the reader to understand when Beneatha says to Walter, “Well you finally got it said ... It took you three years but you finally got it said.”? Standard(s) CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as covered: inferences drawn from the text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.3 Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision. Response Guide Example student response Indicators In the line, “Well you finally got it said ... It took you three years but you finally The reader should include the idea that Walter has always felt got it said.” Ms. Hansberry wants the reader to understand that Walter has that Beneatha shouldn’t be a doctor and Beneatha knew it. never wanted Beneatha to be a doctor and in reality, Beneatha has known it. The reader should also explain why that is important to the plot or In the excerpt, Walter was not having a good day. He was mad at Ruth, character interactions. stressed about the check arriving the next day, and now arguing with his The reader should include other information from the text to sister. So, Walter finally spilled the feelings that he has always had… support their ideas. women; especially Beneatha, shouldn’t/couldn’t become doctors. In fact, he says, “If you are so crazy ‘bout messing with sick people then go be a nurse The reader should acknowledge the ulterior motives of Walter’s character. like other women or just get married and be quiet.” This shows that Walter Exceeds doesn’t believe in Beneatha’s choices. Another thing that the author wanted The reader should recognize the conflict between the characters. the reader to realize/understand was that Walter wanted Mama’s insurance This is an exceeds response because it not only answers the check for himself and his liquor store and with the cost of medical school question, but it also speaks to the effect that the dialogue has on being high and his mother so close to his sister, he was worried that the the characters’ relationships and/or the conflicts that exist in the money would go to Beneatha and her education instead of him. The dialogue plot. It also uses inference to evaluate the motives of a character shows how deep the conflict is between Walter and Beneatha and how and how these motives affect the character’s decisions. Walter is jealous of his sister. 3 Formative close reading plan for A Raisin in the Sun, Act One, Scene One Example student response Indicators Example student response The reader should include the idea that Walter has always felt In the above passage it states, “Well you finally got it said…It took you three that Beneatha shouldn’t be a doctor and Beneatha knew it. years but you finally got it said.” The excerpt stated above means that after The reader should also explain why that is important to the plot three years of trying to tell Beneatha that a doctor isn’t the right job for her, or character interactions. Walter finally did so. Ms. Hansberry wants the reader to see that Walter The reader should include other information from the text to doesn’t agree with Beneatha’s decision and hasn’t said anything even though support their ideas. this has the way he has always felt and Beneatha knew that. He believes Meets that a nurse would be a better fit for her and the family because he doesn’t know how his family can afford medical school and that they really shouldn’t This is not an exceeds response because it doesn’t talk about have to. the effect that these decisions and/or conversations have on the plot of the play or the change in the character’s feelings/opinions of each other. 4 Formative close reading plan for A Raisin in the Sun, Act One, Scene One Example student response Indicators Intervention The reader should include the idea that Walter has always felt that Beneatha shouldn’t be a doctor and Beneatha knew it. The reader should also explain why that is I think that she wanted the reader to understand that maybe Beneatha didn’t important to the plot or character interactions. want to do something that all the other women do. She wanted to do The reader should include other information something different so she wants to be a doctor. I think that they wanted us from the text to support their ideas. to understand that it is O.K. to do something different and not something that Close Reading everyone does or something stereotypical so you would have to do it. She This is not a meets response because, Follow-up wants us to understand that Beneatha wants to be different and not like every although the reader addresses the fact that Lesson #1 other woman because they were usually nurses or stayed at home and she Approaches Beneatha needs to be different and believes didn’t want to do that.