Literary Circle Lesson Plan

Name: Kristen Rigo

Grade/Subject: Grade 10/11/12 Sports Literature
Lesson Title “Examining Racial Injustice: Serena Williams”
Time Available 90 minutes (Last 20 minutes: Literary Circle)

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Central Focus-
Students will examine and discuss social and racial injustices in the tennis world. They will do
so by reading an excerpt from ​Citizen​ written by Claudia Rankine, on Serena Williams and
watching videos of racial injustices. They will understand the struggles that diverse athletes face
in a predominantly white sport.

Materials
● Notebooks
● Text
● Pen or Pencils

Student Learning Goals

1. Students will be able to formulate their own unique opinion on racial injustice.
2. Students will be able to examine a text and draw meaning from it.
3. Students will be able to discuss the injustices within the text.

Identified Language Demands:

Examine the learning objectives​.
What verbs do you use? How will you support learning of these activities?
These demands must be satisfied in your instructional phase

Identified Language Planned Language

Demands (Example) Supports

Identify Given the text, students

identify racial injustices
against Serena Williams.

Discourse Students discuss and

formulate their own
opinions on racial
injustices.
 Vocabulary Injustice
Racial Injustice
Prejudice

Syntax Following students

explanation, they will be
able to formulate opinions
and discuss racial
injustices in the sports
world.

Standards supported by this lesson

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
(one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11-12
topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly
and persuasively.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1.C
Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning
and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue;
clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and
creative perspectives.

CSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1.D
Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and
evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and
determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the
investigation or complete the task.

4.6 Identify and design instruction appropriate to students’ stage of development, learning
styles, strengths and needs

SPA: IV. Candidates plan instruction and design assessments for composing texts (i.e., oral,
written, and visual) to promote learning for all students.

III. Candidates plan instruction and design assessments for reading and the study of literature to
promote learning for all students

​Accommodations/ Modifications
No accommodations or modifications needed
Instruction Phase-
1. (30 minutes Do Now)- Students will watch a video of
a. Serena William from the 2004 US Open
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyECzEKShz0​ (start 7:49-end 10:00)
(15:40-16:20) (17:22-17:50)
b. 2009 US Open
i. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNwc7o_0Sgg
c. US Open 2018
i. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiBrForlj-k​ (beg-8:04)
1. They will be asked to answer the following questions
a. What is your initial reactions from the videos?
b. Were Serena’s actions justified? Why or why not?
c. How would you react if you were Serena?
d. There will then be a class discussion based on the questions the students
answered

2. (35 minutes)- The students will be given an excerpt from the novel ​CItizen. ​The students
will be asked to analyze the meaning of racial injustice and how it has affected Serena in
a predominantly white sport.
a. They will be asked to consider the following questions while reading.
i. Has your opinion of Serena changed since the beginning of class?
1. Why has it changed? Why has it stayed the same? (Use evidence
from the text to support your answer).
ii. What is racial injustice?
iii. Describe a scenario when Serena was discriminated against?
1. Have you ever been discriminated against? Explain.
b. What does the saying, “I feel most colored when I am thrown against a sharp
white background" mean?
i. How does this saying relate to Serena?
c. Could Serena have handled herself differently?
d. The text states that Serena tried to hold in her anger and she still was cheated.
So, how can she change the mistreatment?
e. Are Serena’s actions justified?
f. What do you think about the image on page 80?
i. Do you think it was right for Caroline Wozniacki to imitate Serena? Why or
Why not?
ii. What do you think Caroline Wozniacki's intentions were?

3. (20 minutes)- The students will then partake in a literary circle in which ideas will be
exchanged about the text.

Assessment Phase: ​Students will be assessed on completion. If they are off task they will not
receive credit for the day. If they are on task and completing the work that is asked of them they
will receive full credit for the day. Also, they will be given credit for partaking in the literary circle.
If they do not partake at least 1 time they will not receive credit.