CUIN 4332 Lesson Plan Template

Name: Heather Beans

Course Name and Time: CUIN 4332, Wednesday @ 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Date: 28 October 2019
Grade Level: 8th

Content Area: ELAR

Content Objective: TSW write how the setting of “Warriors Don’t Cry” by Melba Pattillo
Beals, affects the story and characters.

TEKS covered:

(7) Multiple genres: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--
literary elements. The student recognizes and analyzes literary elements within and across
increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse literary texts. The
student is expected to:

(D) explain how the setting influences the values and beliefs of characters.

Materials Needed:

- “The Harmonica” by Tony Johnston

- Class copies of “Warriors Don’t Cry” by Melba Pattillo Beals
- Lined Paper
- Pen/Pencil

Step-by-Step of the Lesson (What learning experiences will students engage in).

1. Students will engage in the following warm-up discussion: What is setting? What are
some examples of setting? Why is setting important? What parts of the story can the
setting affect?
2. I will read the picture book, “The Harmonica” by Tony Johnston, to the class. Students
will be given the opportunity to move closer so that everyone can see.
3. After the initial read-through, I will walk through “The Harmonica” with the class. This
time, I will ask students to identify parts of the setting, such as: What time period is the
story in? (1940’s), Where is the story taking place? (Concentration Camp, Europe,
Poland), What mood does the setting portray? (Dark colors, main character is alone, the
Nazi’s facial expressions = depressing).
4. Once we finish the second walk-through and setting analysis, I will ask students if the
setting was an important part of the story. How did the setting affect the story? How did
 the setting affect the characters? Could this same story be told in present day Europe?
Could this same story be told in the 1940’s in America? What impact does the setting
have?
5. After the discussion about “The Harmonica,” students will pair up and work on
analyzing the importance of the setting in their class novel, “Warriors Don’t Cry” by
Melba Pattillo Beals. Each pair will turn in one (1) assignment that answers the
following questions:
a. What is the setting of “Warriors Don’t Cry”? Include time period/year, place,
and social details (how are certain people treated?).
b. What event triggered the story? How did this event change the setting?
c. How does the setting affect the main character, Melba, physically?
d. How does the setting affect the main character, Melba, emotionally and
mentally? How do her beliefs/thoughts change?
e. Why is setting such an important part of narrative (storytelling) writing?
6. A few minutes before the end of class, each pair of students will turn in their setting
analysis of “Warriors Don’t Cry.”
7. To close, I will end with having students share what they learned about setting with the
class. This will be on a volunteer basis, although I will probe students for answers if no
one volunteers.
Assessment:

Written Partner Setting Analysis of “Warriors Don’t Cry” by Melba Pattillo Beals. Includes the
answers to following questions:
a. What is the setting of “Warriors Don’t Cry”? Include time period/year, place,
and social details (how are certain people treated?).
b. What event triggered the story? How did this event change the setting?
c. How does the setting affect the main character, Melba, physically?
d. How does the setting affect the main character, Melba, emotionally and
mentally? How do her beliefs/thoughts change?
e. Why is setting such an important part of narrative (storytelling) writing?
Closure:

To close, I will end with having students share what they learned about setting with the class.
This will be on a volunteer basis, although I will probe students for answers if no one
volunteers.

Modifications:

Based on student needs and what they are learning in Social Studies at the time, I may use a
different class novel (“Out of the Dust” by Karen Hesse).