Owens 1

Alyssa Owens
Ms. Parker-Monger
M428
7 March 2020
Text Set

Part 1: Context of Thematic Text Set

The two essential questions that will be addressed in this unit are “What is freedom?” and

“What does freedom mean in America?”. This theme seeks to enable students to critically

analyze information that they receive (either from government sources, other people, or news

media). Often, we seek to help our students critically think about information they are given by

assigning historical texts or modern memoirs that introduce bias and unreliable narrators. By

combining all of these into a single unit, I am able to more effectively approach the topic and

synthesize different pieces of literature into one cohesive unit plan. Much of Atwell’s

methodology is based around students’ relating and engaging with material, “Freedom” applies

to everyone, especially in America, and is broad enough to allow for varying texts that students’

will likely identify with.

The target audience is ninth grade. Not only does this unit naturally lead to addressing a

number of standards, it allows students to begin to form their own opinions and to question

sources of information, ultimately leading to better research methodology and thoughtful civil

participation. Each piece chosen for this text set enables students to participate in ongoing

discussions in today’s society. From the lawful definition of freedom and how the law is

unevenly applied to certain minorities to the difficulties and entrapment associated with mental
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illness. Through this unit, students will be able to see themselves reflected and find a more

meaningful connection with each other.

The primary goals of this unit are for students to increase their understanding of word

usage and tone. Students are also expected to develop their writing and speaking skills and be

able to defend their opinions on a topic with evidence from a text. Atwell emphasizes the

importance of understanding intricate language and grammatical constructions in her chapter on

Essential Lessons for Readers (Atwell 185). She argues that a truly independent reader is able to

understand what is meant by words such as tone or theme, and that is an English teacher’s role to

create situations in which these things can be explored. In regards to writing, the assignments

given in this unit are meant to encourage students to voice their opinions and to actively engage

with the problems they are writing about. Time is allotted for students to play around with the

texts and their own writing in order to “-fool around with ideas and images off-the-page” (Atwell

129). Students are encouraged to develop their own voice and solutions to many of the issues

addressed by the following lessons.

Part 2: Text Set List and Annotations

The following are the texts I have chosen for this unit plan. Each text in some way

addresses freedom (physical, mental, or lawful). I have ordered them by lesson. Many of these

texts are considered “traditional” in that they can be found in the English curriculum, but I hope

that by studying these texts in a cohesive unit, students might develop new understandings of

traditional literature and poems.

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Those texts I have incorporated that are non-traditional (namely music and slam poetry)

were included so that students will be able to find applications of our topic (freedom) in

everyday pieces of art or media.

Spiegelman, Art. Maus: A Survivor's Tale. New York: Pantheon Books, (1991).

Maus is the first in a series of graphic novels that tells the story of Vladek Spiegelman’s survival

of the Holocaust. The book follows two separate storylines, one in the present with his son Art

(the author) and another in the past. Maus confronts themes of race and class while also

exploring the generational gap between Holocaust survivors and their children. Based on a true

story, Maus uses metaphor and symbolism to confront difficult and often controversial topics

like suicide and death. This first lesson addresses concepts of physical freedom, and Vladek’s

journey perfectly encapsulates the concept of seeking physical freedom. The book also addresses

certain mental health issues which will allow a smooth transition into the next lesson on mental

freedom.

A Lesson Before Dying, directed/performed by Joseph Sargent (1999; Future Film), television
film.
The film A Lesson Before Dying is based on the novel by Ernest Gaines of the same title. The

film is the story of Grant Wiggins, an African-American teacher during the time of Jim Crow

who is tasked with convincing his cousin Jefferson that he is human before his execution.

Jefferson is central to the plot, as it is his arrest (for a crime he did not commit) that sparks the

plot. Jefferson is told that he is less than human, a pig. It is Grant’s job to convince Jefferson that

he is still human and still worthy of common humanity before he is put to death for his mistaken

crime. While set in Jim Crow era America, the film questions how much has really changed and

lends itself to a modern interpretation of African-American prison incarceration. I chose this film
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because of its ability to address physical freedom (freedom from prison) while also addressing

the freedom of the mind, again, leading into the next lesson on mental freedom. The film also

will spark the beginnings of lesson three: what does freedom mean in America?

[Rainbow V] TEN X WINWIN Choreography: lovely (Billie Eilish, Khalid) (ring and portrait
remix), directed/performed by Ten and WinWin (2019; LabelV, 2019), Video.
This choreography cover of Billie Eilish’s song lovely explores themes of entrapment,

mental illness, depression, and feeling overwhelmed. The performers physically portray

these emotions through their dance, and the costumes and set are full of imagery and

metaphor that play on the theme of light versus dark, illness versus self. I chose to

utilize this video (and the song) to give physical form to the topics of mental health. The

dancers beautifully portray what it feels like to struggle with your own mind and to be

unable to escape from your darker thoughts and impulses, an integral part of the lesson.

The second lesson addresses feeling trapped and without freedom from the self, and this

video is a fantastic representation of that.

“lovely.” GeniusLyrics, https://genius.com/Billie-eilish-and-khalid-lovely-lyrics, Accessed 19

April 2020.

A companion piece to the choreography cover, these are the written lyrics of the song lovely.

Billie Eilish, the songs author, has stated multiple times that her music is about mental health.

Her music allows me to use a contemporary song and figure to relate to students the importance

of mental health. Students will be analyzing the lyrics as they would a piece of poetry,

determining the meaning behind them and relating them to the topic of mental freedom. Phrases

like “Wanna feel alive, outside I can't fight my fear” show the connection between physical

entrapment and mental entrapment within the self.

Ned Vizzini. It’s Kind of a Funny Story. Marvel, (2007).

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This book is a dramatized version of the author’s experiences in a mental hospital as a teenager.

Trapped inside this institution and grappling with his own self-worth, he must come to grips with

being ‘average’. I chose this book because it clearly displays the idea of being trapped both

physically and mentally, allowing students to draw on the first lesson about physical freedom.

Students will likely identify with the struggles of the narrator (getting into a good college, being

‘average’ in comparison to others, etc.). This book is written with humor and allows for an

ongoing discussion about mental health and illness while also allowing for word and tone

analysis.

Smith, Tracy K. “Unrest in Baton Rouge”, (2018), https://poets.org/poem/unrest-baton-rouge,

Accessed 24 April 2020.
This poem is based around a photo taken in Baton Rouge during protests against police brutality

after the shooting of an unarmed African-American man. The photo depicts a woman standing in

the middle of an empty street, crowds on either side, as she stares down oncoming police

officers. The poem addresses the ongoing brutality displayed towards African-Americans in

America and their lack of protection under the law, fitting perfectly into my third lesson on

freedom in America and its limits. I will be using this poem in comparison to Langston Hughes

as a method of demonstrating how little has changed in America’s attitudes towards minorities.

Royalty. “Letter to Your Flag”, Youth Speaks 2018 Poetry Slam,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=lJBo9jdUJiY&list=PLL3mEO7ymwO3gt_EPiVvxkjgMxvk 6pSq_&index=3&t=0s,
Accessed 24 April 2020.
This is a slam poem that uses the pledge of allegiance as a gateway into the mindset of America

itself. The student performing uses his own experiences and the historical experiences of

African-Americans to describe the disloyalty and pain that comes with being an African-

American in the United States. He questions America’s loyalty to people that are not of the
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majority. Reminiscent of the Hughes poem we will be discussing, this poem allows students to

see someone their own age who suffers from lack of freedom under the law and adds an

emotional element to the lesson.

Hughes, Langston. “Let America Be America Again”, (1994), https://poets.org/poem/let-

america-be-america-again, Accessed 24 April 2020.
In this poem, Hughes addresses the inability of America to live up to its promises towards those

not of the majority. He speaks about freedom: freedom to choose and freedom from oppression.

These freedoms are not afforded to him. I chose this poem so that students could more easily

perceive how minorities in America have been oppressed for long periods of time. Hughes’s

poem in comparison to Smith’s shows how many of the problems Hughes faced in the 1930’s are

still problems today. Students are able to understand how little has changed despite the law itself

changing. This allows for a discussion of application and enforcement of the law and how that

might limit freedoms if unevenly applied.

Part 3: Assessment

The major project of the unit is an argumentative essay assignment focusing on a current

issue that affects minorities today. Students will utilize skills they have gained through textual

analysis, in-class discussions, and writing workshops that are present in the unit. Students will be

asked to summarize their issue and how it affects minorities today. Students will then make an

argument for how they can help resolve the issue in their own community and will be encourage

to address their arguments to the local city council or other government officials. Students will

also be encouraged to get to know local organizations that help minorities like the NAACP.

Students will be able to utilize the skills they have gained through previous assignments
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(understanding of tone, author bias, use of metaphor, community connection, and in-class

annotations) to brainstorm ideas and refine their work.

There are two more assignments in this unit that will be used as assessments. The first is

a short writing assignment practicing the technique of “exploding” or “shrinking” a moment.

Students will utilize this assignment to write about when they most felt free. The other

assessment is an interview, where students will be asked to interview people in the community

who they trust about mental health. This interview will serve as a way to destigmatize talking

about mental health in the classroom and will allow students to discover different coping

mechanisms.

Part 4: Lesson Plans

Lesson Plan 1
Unit Theme: Freedom
Lesson Topic: Physical Freedom
Grade Level: 9th grade
Essential Questions: What is freedom? What does it mean to be physically free?
Standards:
9-10.RL.3.1 Analyze and evaluate how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a work
of literature, order events within it (e.g., parallel episodes), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing,
flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
9-10.W.3.3 Write narrative compositions in a variety of forms that – ● Engage and orient the
reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation, establishing one or multiple point(s) of
view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters. ● Create a smooth progression of
experiences or events. ● Use narrative techniques, (e.g., dialogue, pacing, description,
reflection, and multiple plot lines), to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. ● Use a
variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent
whole. ● Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a
vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters. ● Provide an ending that
follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the
narrative.
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Objectives/Student outcomes:
 Students will be able to demonstrate manipulation of a narrative’s events to create tension
 Students will be able to describe and defend their interpretation of “freedom” using
evidence from the novel
 Students will practice their narrative writing skills to create their own narrative on
freedom
Materials needed and Advanced preparation:
 Copies of Maus for each student
 Writing notebooks or laptops for each student
 Canvas site with writing prompt prepared
 Have copies of sample writing for each student
Time: 60 minutes
Specific teaching points:
1) Manipulating time adds to the tension the reader experiences
2) You must support your opinion with the text
3) Utilize personal experience to relate to reading and writing
Procedures w/Pacing:
Warm-up (5 minutes): Students will do a quick “bell” activity responding to the question: What
does freedom mean to you?
Model Lesson (20 minutes): As a class we will discuss the first few chapters of Maus, drawing
on the bell activity to find connections with “freedom” in the novel
Guiding Questions:
 How did you define freedom? Do you see that reflected in the novel?
 How does the visual symbolism of the story help you to understand different characters’
perspectives?
 Did the pacing confuse you? Why do you think the author chose to write parallel
narratives?
Mini-Lesson (20 minutes):
1) Lesson on writing technique of “exploding” or “shrinking” the moment
a. Do students notice this technique being used in the novel?
b. Provide written examples, have students indicate where the author has used either
technique
c. Have students explain how this technique adds to a story
Writing Workshop (15 minutes):
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1) Students will spend the remainder of the period working on their own narratives utilizing
“exploding” and “shrinking”
2) Students will address the prompt: What has been a moment in your life where you felt
free?
Accommodations:
1) A PowerPoint will be provided for the mini-lesson/writing prompt
2) Students who need it will be given auditory aids (this includes an audio
version/description of the novel)
3) ESL students will be provided with a translation if they require it in addition to auditory
aids
4) Students may use either their laptops or notepads during class as they prefer
5) I will provide support as discussion leader during the main lesson and will circulate
during the writing workshop to help students struggling with the concepts
6) Times will be adjusted as needed

Assessment:
Students will complete the writing they began in class as their homework for that night.
Closure:
Tell students we will be transitioning to a film that addresses similar themes in America. Ask
them to think about the question of what physical freedom might mean in America. Who would
want physical freedom and why?
Teacher tasks:
Make copies of sample writing (utilizing Kittle and Gallagher, 180 Days)
Lesson Plan 2
Unit Theme: Freedom
Lesson Topic: Mental Freedom
Grade Level: 9th grade
Essential Questions: What is mental health? How can we feel ‘trapped’ inside our minds? How
can we achieve mental freedom?
Standards:
9-
Analyze how an author’s ideas or claims are developed and refined by particular
10.R
sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of a text.
N.3.2
9- Determine an author’s perspective or purpose in a text, and analyze how an author
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10.R
uses rhetoric to advance that perspective or purpose.
N.3.3
9- Expand conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the current
10.S discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others into the
L.2.4 discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.

Objectives/Student outcomes:
 Students will be to interpret how language used in a text further clarifies an author’s
ideas, emotions, or beliefs
 Students will actively engage in group conversations that connect real-world issues to the
text
Materials needed and Advanced preparation:
 Copies of It’s Kind of a Funny Story for each student
 List of groups
 Copy of lyrics from Lovely-Billie Elisih
 YouTube video: Lovely dance cover by WinWin and Ten
Time: 60 minutes
Specific teaching points:
1) Collaborative discussion leads to new understanding of a text and allows for different
perspectives
2) Author’s word usage can affect emotional response to a text and empathy for a
character/author
Procedures w/Pacing:
Warm-up (5 minutes): Students will separate into pre-assigned groups. Each group will be asked
to discuss the question “What is mental health?” and then share with the class.
Discussion (10 minutes): Each group will share out their definitions. We will talk about some
common mental illnesses and students will be encouraged to ask questions and share out
everything they know or associate with the term ‘mental health’. Students will also be asked to
say anything new they have learned about the topic or one another.
Musical Analysis (25 minutes): I will show students a dance cover of the song Lovely by Billie
Eilish. Students will also be given a sheet with the song’s lyrics. Students will be asked to read
the lyrics and then analyze the music video. What imagery is present? How does the song and
dance cover portray the feeling of being trapped? How do the dancers find “freedom” at the end
of the video? How do the lyrics discuss and portray mental health and feeling trapped? How do
the dancers?
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Collaborative Reading (15 minutes): We will then form one large reading circle and take turns
reading from It’s Kind of a Funny Story. Students will be asked to highlight sentences that give a
clue as to the author’s purpose for writing the text or that give insight into their state of mind.
Share-Out and Assignment (5 minutes): Each student will share-out one of their highlighted
sentences and say whether it gives insight into the author’s emotional state or purpose. I will then
assign their take-home assessment.
Guiding Questions:
 What imagery is present?
 How does the song and dance cover portray the feeling of being trapped?
 How do the dancers find “freedom” at the end of the video?
 How do the words that Billie uses help us to understand her state of mind? What is she
saying? What isn’t she saying?
Accommodations:
7) A PowerPoint will be provided with the guiding questions and assignment information
8) Students who need it will be given auditory aids (this includes an audio
version/description of the novel)
9) ESL students will be provided with a translation if they require it, in addition to auditory
aids
10) Students may use either their laptops or notepads during class as they prefer
11) I will provide support as discussion leader during the main lesson and will circulate
during group discussions to help students
12) Times will be adjusted as needed
13) Students who are unable to hear or see the music video may rely on the lyrics or visual
respectively

Assessment:
Students will be asked to interview one other person about their experiences with mental health.
Questions they may ask include: How do you define mental health? Have you ever had a
therapist or been on medication? What do you personally struggle with most? What are some
strategies that you use to feel better? Do you know other people who have mental illnesses or
struggles? How do you feel and what are you able to do on a good day? The interviewed person
must be someone who students are comfortable asking and who is comfortable responding. If
students are unable to ask family or friends, I am available to be interviewed.
Students will write down the responses and then write down a short one-page reflection: What
did you learn? Did any of the information surprise you? What new coping strategies did you
learn? How does mental health limit the interviewee’s freedom to do daily tasks?
Closure:
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Students will be asked to think about what they have learned about freedom and to think about
the following: How do you see freedom being expressed or limited in the United States?
Teacher tasks:
Create PowerPoint
Make copies of Lovely lyrics
Create a resource sheet for mental health assistance
Lesson Plan 3
Unit Theme: Freedom
Lesson Topic: American Freedom
Grade Level: 9th grade
Essential Questions: What does freedom mean in America? Is everyone free? Who is not free?
What are your personal freedoms? Does everyone have those freedoms?
Standards:

9-
Analyze and interpret the changing role of the media in focusing the public's
10.ML.
attention on events and informing their opinions on issues.
2.2

9- Analyze the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in works of literature,
10.RV. including figurative, connotative, and denotative meanings; analyze the impact of
3.1 specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings.

Write arguments in a variety of forms that:

● Introduce claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims,
and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among
claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
● Use rhetorical strategies to enhance the effectiveness of the claim
9- ● Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while
10.W.3. pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates
the audience’s knowledge level and concerns.
1
● Use effective transitions to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion,
and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons
and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.
● Establish and maintain a consistent style and tone appropriate to purpose and
audience.
● Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the
argument presented.

Objectives/Student outcomes:
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 Students will be capable of discussing how media and art continue conversations about
culture and politics
 Students will be capable of identifying what words or phrases create an impactful text
 Students will be able to create evidence-based arguments that support a claim
Materials needed and Advanced preparation:
 Poetry videos (YouTube)
 Writing notebooks or laptops for each student
 Canvas site with writing prompt prepared
 Copies of poems (“Let America Be America Again”-Langton Hughes, “Unrest in Baton
Rouge”-Tracy K. Smith, “Letter to Your Flag”)

Time: 60 minutes
Specific teaching points:
4) Personal freedoms are limited in America depending on your identity
5) A good argument requires evidence
6) Word tone and usage creates emotion and drives home a point
Procedures w/Pacing:
Poetry Audio (10 minutes): Students will watch/listen to spoken versions of the poems we will
be analyzing and asked to write down notes while they listen: What are their first impressions?
What do these poems have in common?
Discussion (15 minutes): As a class we will discuss the videos and poems. How do these poems
relate to freedom? Can you identify ways in which the personal freedoms (physical or mental) of
African-Americans have been limited? What are your own memories or experiences with
racism?
Analysis (15 minutes): We will then turn to the poems themselves. Students will annotate the
poems, underlining words they find impactful and circling common themes. What words or
phrases are emotional? How does the author want you to feel and how do they accomplish this?
If requested I will replay the spoken version so students may annotate and listen at the same
time.
Mini-Lesson (20 minutes):
2) Lesson on writing technique of “exploding” or “shrinking” the moment
d. Do students notice this technique being used in the novel?
e. Provide written examples, have students indicate where the author has used either
technique
f. Have students explain how this technique adds to a story
Writing Workshop (20 minutes):
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1) Students will begin working on their final project for the unit (a research paper). I will
circulate to help students come up with ideas, gather evidence, and begin developing their
papers. They will draw from skills learned in the first lesson of the unit. (See Assessment
for details).
Accommodations:
14) A PowerPoint will be provided for the questions/writing prompt
15) ESL students will be provided with a translation if they require it in addition to auditory
aids
16) Students may use either their laptops or notepads during class as they prefer
17) I will provide support as discussion leader during the main lesson and will circulate
during class
18) Times will be adjusted as needed

Assessment:
The culminating project of the unit will require students to choose one event or concept
mentioned by one of the poets (for instance, black shootings). Students will do a short research
project (four pages) that briefly summarizes the concept, how it affected the poet or the poet’s
time period, and how it continues. Students will then make an argument for how they could help
resolve these limits on freedoms using evidence from community initiatives, national
movements, studies, etc. (Black Lives Matter movement, NAACP, local city council, etc.).
Teacher tasks:
Make copies of poems
Create PowerPoint

Part 5: Pedogeological Statement

I believe that education is the best method through which society can prepare its future

citizens to contribute positively. Through public schools, teachers attempt to uphold the idea that

education is a right and assists people in overcoming inequities.

As a teacher, I represent the most direct contact students have with the educational

system. It is my job as ELA teacher to teach critical skills that ensure students are able to express

their ideas clearly and efficiently, whether through writing or speaking. These skills are not only

necessary for academic and career success, but they also allow students to distinguish between
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an unbiased and biased source, to understand a writer’s motivations, and to otherwise parse out

truth from fiction.

Furthermore, it is also my job to introduce students to diversity. Students in my

classroom will be exposed to diverse authors, cultures, languages and ideas. Through this

exposure to diversity my students will develop the ability to understand multiple perspectives.

Students best learn literacies through a multi-layered approach to learning. A

combination of visual, sensory, auditory, and written modes of instruction ensures students have

multiple ways in which they can approach understanding a topic. It is also important to meet

students where they are: you cannot force students to tackle a difficult concept if they are still

struggling with a previous concept. Students should also be allowed to revise their work and be

graded based on their entire effort over time. As Atwell puts it: “Making assessment an occasion

for students to analyze their work, describe their progress, and set goals, extends and enriches

their development as writers and readers” (Atwell 311). My students will be given the freedom to

make mistakes and correct them.

Students must also have a certain level of choice in what they are learning. By offering

students choice, a teacher can encourage a level of engagement that is difficult in stricter

curriculums: “-student choice is synonymous with student engagement, in both writing and

reading” (Atwell 21).

I measure student “success” through assessments that demonstrate improvement and an

enthusiasm for the subject. This is achieved through assessments that create meaningful change,

either in the community or the school. I intend to make sure everything my students do has a

clear purpose, using explanations of standards and projects that serve practical purposes.
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Divergent learners will find my classroom to be an environment in which they can freely express

themselves while also being encouraged to use their unique perspectives to help other students.

This is especially true for any ESL students in my classroom. ESL students in my

classroom will be encouraged to share their language, and I will make every effort to learn some

of their native language or to employ the languages I have studied to help me teach English

language conventions.

To synthesize much of the above: my students’ experiences matter. Through “-an

acknowledgement of children’s home and community experiences-“ I am able to create lessons

and a classroom environment that encourages growth and communication, allowing students to

create and see real change in their lives (Little et al. 4).

Overall, my goal is for students to leave my classroom with a new appreciation for other

perspectives and an understanding of the importance of effective language usage. They should

understand that what we learn in the classroom is not only applicable to their daily lives, but can

vastly improve their life experience if nourished and given a chance to grow.

Part 6: References
Atwell, Nancie. In the Middle: A lifetime of Learning About Writing, Reading, and Adolescents,
Portsmouth, Heinemann, 2015.

Little, Sabina and L. Chesworth. Funds of Knowledge, MLM make literacy meaningful,
University of Sheffield, Erasmus.