Daily Lesson Plan - Excerpt From “God Bless The Child” by Toni Morrison

Members: ​Cox, Alas, Nightingale Lesson Number: ​1

1. Objectives:
Objective(s) DOK Level State Standard

Students will be able to analyze the development of theme 4 RL 8.2

within Toni Morrison’s God Help the Child by citing
supporting textual evidence.
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and
analyze in detail its development over the course
of the text, including how it emerges and is
shaped and refined by specific details; provide
an accurate summary of the text-based upon this
analysis.

3. Procedures
What the teacher will be doing What the students will be doing

Bellringer TTW project the bellringer slide on the board. TSW silently and independently respond to the
bellringer prompt.
QUESTION
3 mins CORRECT ANSWER
(3)

SET TTW project SET slides with two sets of photos: OJ TSW observe the photos and answer teacher
magazine covers and Hurricane Katrina photos. questioning about differences between the images.

“What differences do you notice between the

pictures?”
“Why do you think these images are treated
differently?”
“Why do you think people thought a darker-skinned
OJ was more guilty?”
4 mins “Why did the media portray lighter-skinned people as
(7) survivors and not as looters? Why do you think that
was appropriate or inappropriate?”

Transition TTW link SET to author: “We can see here that the TSW listen.
color of someone’s skin can affect people’s
perception of them. We will now talk about one of
1 min my favorite authors, who wrote a short story exactly
(8)
about this.”

Author TTW will show a powerpoint slide describing TM TSW watch the slide and listen to the teacher.
Background and her background and why she chooses to write
about the themes she does. TSW read out bullet points on the author’s life.

2 mins TTW will ask for volunteers to read bullet points on

(10) the author’s life.
 Transition TTW hand out copies (or instruct students online) of TSW receive documents (or online instructions) with
“Sweetness” and introduce the text: the text for “Sweetness” and wait silently for
instructions.
“In ‘Sweetness’, Toni Morrison talks about the big,
overarching themes that we just spoke about. We will
1 min now read a selection from ‘Sweetness’ and examine
(11) these themes.”

Reading/ TTW will ask students to read a short reading section.
Discussion
TTW periodically pause students to ask them to
discuss the guiding questions in the margins.
TSW silently and individually read the text in the
document provided to them.
TSW answer questions provided in the margin of the
text.

35 mins TSW be faced with a question that they will have to

(46) answer, and students will be prepared to discuss their
recently formed questions with the rest of the class.

Transition TTW thank students for reading silently and ask TSW stop reading and focus on the slide show.
students to bring their attention to the slide show.
1 min
(47)

Finding TTW will display passages, restate the theme, and ask TSW refer to slides when prompted and answer
Supporting students to identify adjectives and words within the questions when asked.
Evidence sentence that can be used as textual evidence. The
textual evidence identified will then be discussed.
10 mins
(57) TTW ask students to pull evidence from beginning,
middle, and end of text.

Transition TTW will ask students to restate the theme of passage Students will participate by responding out loud or by
giving them a powerpoint slide that corresponds. cold calling.
1 min
(58)

Writing - Dev. TTW explain assignment parameters. TSW independently write a paragraph about how
of Theme Morrison develops the theme of colorism in the
TTW circulate, checking student work and offering excerpt.
20 mins feedback.
(78)

Transition “Thank you so much for so thoughtfully engaging TSW listen.

with this important text. Since you all did such good
1 min analysis, I would love to highlight some of the
(79) brilliance you exhibited! Volunteers?”

Closure TTW ask students to share their finished paragraphs. TSW volunteer to share their finished paragraphs.
TTW praise students for sharing their good work!
6 mins
(85)

4. Assessment
Formal TSW complete a paragraph analyzing the development of theme in the Morrison excerpt.
 Informal Bellringer (multiple choice), closure, and questioning.

5. Potential Student Questions/Stumbling Blocks

Questions/Stumbling Blocks How to address:

“What’s theme again?” “Theme is the lesson/moral of the text… the point. Why are we
bothering to read this?”

“How do I know that this example supports the TTW model an example for students.
theme?”