-Lesson Plan Information Lesson Title: Pre-reading project for Lorraine Hansberrys A Raisin in

the Sun
Grade Level: 8th
Subject: English Language Arts
Developed By: Corey Triplett
Unit: The Play as Dramatic Literature
Length of Lesson: 3-5 days
-Pre PlanningBig Ideas:
Literary Analysis: grammar, structure, symbolism, character
motivation, central ideas, theme
Essential Questions:
This block lesson is an introduction to a larger unit based on the
reading of A Raisin in the Sun. The essential questions for that reading
are as follows:
What happens to a dream deferred?
Which is more important to accomplish: family drams/goals or
individual dreams/goals?
Can you have both? If so, how?
Essential questions for the lesson:
What are the different components of a script important for
understanding its meaning as a reader?
Why are scripts written differently than books and novels?
What does both the playwright, actors, and readers of a script all have
to consider in order to understand the story (why the characters do
what they do)?
California Content Expectations:
RI.8.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used
in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings
W8.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and
convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection,
organization and analysis of relevant content.
W8.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W8.5: With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop
and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and
audience have been address.
W8.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish
writing and present the relationships between information and ideas
efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
W8.7: Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing

on several sources and generating additional related, focused

questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
W8.8: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital
sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and
accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and
conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a
standard format for citation
W8.10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research,
reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a
day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and
audiences.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:

recognize and understand the format of a play script

indentify the various components of dramatic writting

use specific vocabulary to write about dramatic literature in

preparation for classroom discussions

write your own dramatic scene with dialogue

Summative Assessment:
There are two major summative assessments:
1. A one-page (multi-paragraph) expository paper that describes a
play idea and incorporates important content terms and
vocabulary.
2. An original scene with dialogue that also makes use of ellipses
and dashes as taught in the intro lesson
In addition, students will be asked to perform their original scenes by
getting into groups and either reading all the scenes written by the
group members or writing one additional scene as a group that fits for
the particular members. At the end of every scene presentation
students will then be given a brief oral quiz about the different aspects
of their dramatic writing in order to provide an additional opportunity
to show their understanding and knowledge of the new content specific
vocabulary (e.g. Which character is the protagonist and why? Which
part of the scene was the rising action/falling action?)
-LessonLesson Opening:

The opening activity will include a creative presentation on the use of

ellipse and dashes (grammar) in the writing of dramatic scenes.
Teacher will ask one student to read the following scene that will act as
a lecture on the definition and uses of ellipses and dashes as well as
act as an example of a scene written with dialogue (students will tack
notes in their notebooks):
Ellipses
and Dashes
A short play about punctuation
Sammy Student: Mr. K, what are weMr. K: We are learning about dashes and ellipses in writing.
Sammy Student: Oh cool. Wait a dash?
Mr. K: Yes, it looks like a hyphen only longer. Playwrights often use a
dash to break up dialogue. For example, when a character is
interrupted
Sammy Student: Break up? Guess who broke up last night? Its all over
the school and
Mr. K: Sammy, dont interrupt me I was
Sammy Student: Oh, sorry. Im such a gossip. My mom says that I
Mr. K: Sammy! Im trying to explain how dashes
indicate
Sammy: Interruptions. Got it, Mr. K. What else?
Mr. K: Well, a dash can also be used to show a uh hesitat hesitation.
Sammy: Okay wait, a hesitation like when you know, like
Mr. K: Yes, when a character hesitates in speech.
Sammy: I I got it.
Mr. K: Dashes can also be used to convey bonus information.
Sammy Student: What sort of bonus?
Mr. K: Well, when you add information in a sentence like elephants
are the largest African mammal but the meaning of the sentence is to
explain how to use dashes.
Sammy: Bonus information I like elephants and now I know how to
express it using a dash.
Anything else?
Mr. K: Yes, dashes also can put more emphasis on a phrase.
Sammy Student: Wait more emphasis?
Mr. K: Yes, dashes add emphasis or drama.
Sammy: Oh wow dashes rule!
Mr. K: Yes, theyre very dashing.
Sammy: Okay I got dashes butwaitwhat was that other
punctuation?
Mr. K: an ellipsis?
Sammy: Yeswhat is that?
Mr. K: An ellipsis is punctuation of three periods in a row.
Student: Hmmthree in a row?

Mr. K: Yes, an ellipsis can be used to convey a pauselike when a

character is having a thought.
Sammy: Hmma thought?
Mr. K: Yes, or when a character is speaking but then trails off
Sammy: Trails off
Mr. K: Yes, in general an ellipsis indicates that the character is
thinkingsomething.
Student: What?
Mr. K: Could be anything
Sammy: know what Im thinking?
Mr. K: Uhthat Im the best teacher ever?
Sammy: Noelephants
Mr. K: Oh no.
Teacher will then ask students to work in small groups in order to
highlight Act I, Scene One of their text for all instances of dashes and
ellipses in dialogue only and annotate their text with the purpose for
each. Students will be encouraged to read the text aloud in order to
make a decision about the purpose of each ellipses and dash.
Exploration:
Most of the content will be delivered through a teacher created website
:
http://mrtriplett.weebly.com/
Combined with direct instruction mini-lessons this web-based lesson
block will create a blended learning experience for students.
This website has four important tabs for student use: 1. Home, 2.
Tasks, 3. Evaluation, 4. Vocabulary Extension Task
The website will include hyperlinks to other websites preselected by
teacher for students to use for research purposes and exemplars.
Home: This page will introduce the primary text, playwright, rationale
for lesson, lesson objectives and standards addressed
Tasks: This page will present five tasks that students can work on at
their own pace. Each tasks include instructions, student product for
evidence of learning and accompanying videos or links to exemplary
products.
Evaluation: This tab contains the grading rubric for students to use.
Vocabulary Extension Task: This tab is connected to the summative
assessment in Task 5 and lists important and key vocabulary for
students to use within their expository writing task.
Check for Understanding:
Each task will require a student product as a way to check for
understanding. These include:
Graphic organizers:
Freytags Pyramid (Task 1)

 Cornell Notes (Task 3)

T-Charts (Direct instruction)
Bullet point
Summaries (Task 3) & all Cornell Notes
Creative writing (Task 4 original scene with dialogue)
Expository writing including implementation of content specific
vocabulary
Scene presentations
Text annotations
Explanation:
Direct instruction will encompass the following terms and content:
Grammar (ellipses and dashes)
Symbolism
Motif
Theme
Main Ideas
Flashback
Monologue & Interior monologue
Non-verbal vs. verbal communication
Stage Directions
Teacher will use specific videos as well as classroom discussion in order
to present the above materials.
Teaching strategies will include: dramatic presentations, video,
exemplars, graphic organizers, expository writing, web-based learning,
text annotations, direct instruction, independent learning/student
centered learning (web-based project learning), teacher-lead
discussions/lectures.
Check for Understanding:
Each task within the lesson will encompass a different opportunity to
demonstrate understanding with the culminating tasks encompassing
multiple means:
Task 1: Freytags Pyramid Graphic Organizer (with terms and
explanations)
Task 2: One paragraph summary of information on the history of drama
presented through a graphic video
Task 3: Cornell Notes on the following content vocabulary: drama,
characters, protagonist, antagonist, playwright, setting, dialogue,
stage directions
Task 4: An original scene with dialogue (creative writing) incorporating
ellipses and dashes as well as Freytags model of dramatic literature
Task 5: Expository writing about a play idea using content specific
vocabulary.

In addition, students will have an opportunity to present original

scenes in class with props.
Each task and student product will act as a measure of what the
student understands and still needs clarification on. Also, each task
allows for information (terms and content specific vocabulary) to be
applied in multiple means ultimately leading up to fully realized
professional script.
Direct instruction will function to reinforce content specific terms and
vocabulary as well as to model the reading of a play.
Extended Practice
Students will be given the opportunity to read portions of A Raisin in
the Sun in small groups in order to annotate the their text for various
aspects (grammar, monologue, vocabulary).
Closing:
Students will be asked to read the text along with a filmed staged
version of the play in order to match their annotations of ellipses and
dashes with actor/director choices. This read along will the following
standards in the form of a graphic organizer:
RL8.1: Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of
what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL8.2: 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.
RL8.3: 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.