UOI/English Jeremia Alexander

35 minutes Grade 6

Day: One (30 January 2017)

Lesson: Introduction to Journey to Joburg
Instructional Mode: Direct Instruction
Unit Overview
Main Idea (Claim) Summative Assessment
Aligned with the unit of the sixth grade in SPH, this mini-unit introduces Interview Assignment
several social justice issues in a historical-fiction novel, Journey to Joburg. Making a Poster
While appreciating the novel as a work of literature, not only will the student
analyze human rights and social justice issues in the novel, but the student
will also learn to value other people as the image bearers of God.
Biblical Framework
This mini-unit fits within the Great Commandment Biblical Framework. The first and the greatest
commandment is that we shall love God with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds (Mat.
22:37). If we confess we love God, we know we also shall obey the second great commandment: to love our
neighbor as ourselves (Mat. 22:39). Loving other people as we love ourselves should not be a problem if we
believe everyone is created equally unique in the image of God (Gen. 1:27).

Lesson Overview
Guiding Questions Objectives (know/understand/do/value)
1. What is South Africa? The student will:
2. What is Apartheid? 1. Know South Africa as the setting of Journey to
3. Why should I read Journey to Joberg? Joburg and some of its geographical facts.
2. Know apartheid as a system of racial segregation.
3. Know some Apartheid laws
4. Care about reading Journey to Joberg
Time Instructional Procedures and Strategies
1. Write the agenda on the board:
1. Picture
2. South Africa
3. Apartheid
4. Hypothetical question
Beginning the Lesson
10 mins. 1. [Opener] Show Picture 1 using a power point slide
2. Ask whats wrong with the picture.
3. Questions to ask:
1. What if this happened in SPH?
2. What if Caucasians in SPH could use a better sink than Asians?
3. What would Tucker and Koen as North Americans feel?
4. The real question: Does this picture real? Did it really happen?
Developing the Lesson
15 mins.
4. Read the agenda. State the objectives of todays lesson: Today we are going to learn
about South Africa and Apartheid. This is very important because this is the background
or setting of the novel Journey to Joberg that we are going to read in the next two
weeks.
[Introduce South Africa]
5. Ask students if they have heard about South Africa. Have students raise their hand if
they know South Africa.
6. Ask those who raised their hand what they know about South Africa.
UOI/English Jeremia Alexander
35 minutes Grade 6

7. Use a PowerPoint slide to show some questions below. These questions will help
students understand better South Africa as the setting of Journey to Joberg.
1. What are some geographical facts about South Africa?
1) It lies at the tip of the African continent (2) Borders Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe,
and Mozambique. Surrounds Lesotho and Swaziland (3) Drakensberg Mountains in the
east and Karoo in the south.
2. What attracted European settlers to come to South Africa?
Its abundant mineral resources including gold, diamonds, coal, and platinum.
3. In what two cities can we find mining areas? Johannesburg and Pretoria
8. Have students write down the answer in their notebook while they are watching the
video
9. Show a 2-minutes video, South Africa Geographic Challenge.
10. Discuss the answer to each question.
[Introduce Apartheid]
11. Now that we have learned about South Africa. We are going to learn what happened in
that country.
12. Ask what students know about Apartheid.
13. Use a PowerPoint slide to show some questions below. These questions will help
students understand better Apartheid as the setting of Journey to Joberg.
1. What is Apartheid? Separateness, discrimination, segregation, exploitation. A system
of racial segregation.
2. What are some Apartheid laws? Blacks had to bring their ID, obey the curfew. Public
facilities were separated. No interracial marriages. Blacks were divided into 10
homelands. Wages were low. Strikes were illegal. Blacks could not vote. Mandatory
education ended at age 13.
14. Show a 3-minutes video, Apartheid Explained.
10 mins. 15. Discuss the answer to each question.
16. Ask some reflective questions: Can you imagine living under Apartheid? Who wants to
live under Apartheid?
Closing the Lesson
17. To close the lesson, use a PowerPoint slide to show another hypothetical question to
prepare them to read Journey to Joburg:
Suppose World War III breaks. The Dutch comes and colonizes Indonesia again. They
do not allow you to use any communication devices. Everyone in Karawaci lives in
poverty. You live with your siblings and your grandmother in Karawaci, while your
parents work in Surabaya (very far from here). What would you do if your little brother
or sister you love so much has a fever for one week?
18. Have one or two students share what they would do.
19. Tell the students Journey to Joburg is about two children leaving their village to tell
their mother that their baby sister is sick. Lets find out their story tomorrow!
Formative Assessment Differentiation
Students writing on their notebook Play the video twice. While playing the video for the
Students response to reading Journey to Joburg second time, pause the video so that students can take
notes since not everyone can write fast.

Resources
1. Picture 1: https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3050/3001147401_4a96e4f0cc.jpg
2. Video 1: South Africa Geographic Challenge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP2EmglUeIQ
3. Video 2: Apartheid Explained https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7yvnUz2PLE