Erik Nelson, Invisible Man Unit Week 1

Week Overview: This is the first week of the Invisible Man unit. Students will read through
Chapter 2.
Enduring Understanding: Students will learn how forces both internal and external play
critical roles in developing individual identity.
Objectives: SWBAT:
1. understand how symbols can be used to develop themes.
2. use close-reading strategies to gain deeper understanding of complex texts
3. analyze techniques an author uses to create three-dimensional characters
4. examine fiction writing as social commentary
Materials:
All Unit
class copies of Invisible Man, writing utensils, journals, essential
themes graphic organizer
This Week
We Wear the Mask - Paul Laurence Dunbar
Excerpt from The Souls of Black Folk - W.E.B. DuBois
Black & Blue - Louis Armstrong
Lifting the Veil of Ignorance - Charles Keck
Monday
Hand out books, syllabus with
reading schedule and assignment
descriptions (attached)
discuss expectations
for assignments
group presentations,
participation in various largegroup discussion formats, Words
of Wisdom, final essay
assign groups for
chapter presentations
Discuss content of novel;
challenging style, mature themes,
difficult language
go over guidelines for
establishing safe spaces for
dialogue
how do we talk about
race? leaning into discomfort,
challenging our own beliefs
Discuss objectives, essential
questions
Tuesday
Journal Prompt: What does it
mean to be invisible? Share out
answers. Dive deeper: How are people
made to feel invisible? What groups of
people are invisible? Challenge
students to think about people in their
everyday lives who are neglected,

what sticks out?

importance of opposing imagery?
who wears masks?
why?
Excerpt from The Souls of Black
Folks
define doubleconsciousness
how does having a
double-self affect ones ability to
carve out an identity?
Remind students to hold on to
both texts and keep them in mind as
we read IM
HW: Read Prologue
Wednesday
Play Black & Blue by Louis
Armstrong, display lyrics on
SmartBoard
Students journal while song
plays: What is the message of this
song? Why is this the song the narrator
listens to?
Discuss double
meaning of black & blue
Ellisons novel full of
music - note its
importance/appearance
throughout
Display passage for close reading
T read once, S reads

ignored, etc. (janitors, lunchroom

employees, certain students, etc.)
Read aloud We Wear the Mask T reads, S volunteer reads, read line by
line
what is the message
of this poem?
HW: Ch. 1, one question or
comment
Thursday
Graphic organizer to help
students keep track of major topics in
novel
Guided discussion based on
student questions/comments - make
sure to discuss these topics
grandfathers final
words - what did he mean?
Battle Royal - define
allegory
who is
there? irony in their
presence? SPEECH - social
equality?
dream interpretations?
HW: Ch. 2, one question or
comment, close reading due
Friday
Collect student HW
Guided discussion based on
student questions/comments - make
sure to discuss these topics
narrators college
(contrast w/ surrounding area),
statue of Founder (display picture
on Smartboard)
Nortons destiny define benevolent racism,
insidious
Truebloods dream,
action, community response
Nortons
interest in TBs actions analyzing character
HW: Ch. 3, one question or
comment

once; others note anything that

sticks - diction, syntax, lit.
devices - discuss what they
mean, what their purpose is
help students to
understand complexity of
Ellisons writing; foundation for
their reading and comprehension
Assign S pairs paragraph from
Prologue to close read to be submitted
on Friday