# of Days 1

Students’ Prior Knowledge of: annotating texts, rhetorical devices (i.e.

Knowledge irony), T-charts, providing evidence
Formative Journal entires, Small group and whole-class discussions,
Assessment “Pink Houses” T-Chart
Lesson Objective(s) SWBAT:
● Make text-to-text and text-to-world connections
● Use their newfound understanding of the American
Dream to analyze a song
Standards (please CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.1
include the fully Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support
written out analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences
standard(s) here) drawn from the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.2
Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its
development over the course of the text, including how it
emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details;
provide an objective summary of the text.
Materials Needed PowerPoint presentation, pencils, journals, YouTube video,
American Dream article, “Pink Houses” song, “Pink Houses”
song lyrics, “Pink Houses” T-chart

Time Learning Task Methods or Procedures

5 mins Warm-up On the board, have a writing prompt
that reads: How would you describe the
American Dream? Do you think the
American Dream is attainable for
everyone? Why or why not? What are
some of your dreams? Are they
attainable for everyone? Why or why
not?

Have students complete this warm-up

independently in their journals.
2-3 Small Group Share Have students have a discussion at their
mins table pods about what they wrote for
the warm-up. (multiple means of
engagement/peer-to-peer)
5 mins Whole-Class Discussion Have each pod share what they
discussed. Some questions you might
pose are:
● What did your group think the
American Dream was?
● Did your group agree on whether
or not it is attainable for
everyone?
● What were some of the reasons
that surfaced?
● Did you think all your dreams
were attainable for everyone?

3-4 Recall Essential Questions Ask a volunteer to re-read the essential

mins questions on the board. Ask the class if
they have any questions about them.

Ask for a few responses to the essential

questions based on ACT 1. You might
ask:
● Based on what we’ve read so far
in ACT 1, what does the pursuit
of dreams look like for the
Younger family?
● Is it easy?
● What are some of the struggles
they’re experiencing and why?
3-4 Watch American Dream Video Have students watch a YouTube video
mins on the American Dream video.

While they watch, have students write

down at least two (2) bullet points from
the video in their journals.
2-3 Whole-Class review Have a few volunteers share what they
mins wrote about and discuss them. Some
questions you might ask are:
● What does this video say about
the attainability of the American
Dream?
● Who are disadvantaged in
regards to attaining the
American Dream?
● Have you seen or heard this
occurring?
● How does this impact the
Younger family in A Raisin in the
Sun?

10 Read American Dream Article Pass out an American Dream article to

mins each student.

In pods, have students read the article.

While they read, they should underline
or star key ideas that connect with A
Raisin in the Sun.
5 mins Listen to “Pink Houses” song Pass out song lyrics to each group.

Have students listen to “Pink Houses”

song and follow along with the lyrics.
11 “Pink Houses” T-Chart Number students 1-4, and have
mins students with the same number sit
together (groups will be large). Assign
groups one of the three verses or the
chorus to annotate and analyze.

Pass out one T-chart to each student.

Have students discuss their assigned

portion of the song and connect it back
to what they now know about the
American Dream. (multiple means of
engagement/peer-to-peer)