Before – During – After Literacy Lessons

This is your opportunity to apply what you have learned in a practical format. Create one (1) lesson on a
topic of your choosing using before, during, and after reading activities that we have explored this
semester. It should be much more than a reading assignment with follow-up questions! You will turn in
the following lesson plan and also demonstrate your lesson in class.

Use the following format:

Topic: Is fear something that is taught/learned based on observation? Why is sort of fear not stagnant
across races?

Subject & Grade Level: ELA 11th-12th grade.

Timeframe: 45 minutes
Unit context: This is the introduction to a multi-week unit. This lesson plan will introduce a novel in which
the students will spend the next few weeks reading and analyzing
Purpose of the Lesson:
-Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course
of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide
an objective summary of the text. (CCSS.RSFL.11-12.-2.)
-Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and
connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words
with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare
as well as other authors.) (CCSS.RSFL.11-12.-4.)
● Students will be able to analyze the characters within the novel and draw conclusions, based on
events, to understand the realities of lives within urban neighborhoods and in black communities.
SWBAT analyze slang terms used in THUG, develop vocabulary, and draw conclusions as to
what the author is attempting to say. SWBAT determine how racism affects everyday life.
Texts to be Used: For the texts, I will be using The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. For this lesson, I will
just be scanning the first two chapters. According to the Fry graph, the readability score is about
5th-grade reading level.
Before Reading: Before reading the first two chapters, I will begin to introduce the book. Before I talk
about the book, I am going to give a small free-write to initiate some discussion related to the book so that
we can ween into the heavy topics this book has to offer. I will give the students a half-sheet of paper with
a prompt on it
Prompt:
● How close would you consider yourself to your community? Are you friends with your neighbors?
Do you consider your neighborhood to be safe?
● Were you ever advised by your parents on the “proper way” to communicate with another adult
figure? (Teacher, politician, police officer, store manager, etc.)
● Do you understand “slang” vocabulary for the most part?
● What happens when you no longer feel safe in places where you were once most comfortable?
Based on their responses to these questions, we will discuss their experiences, as well as I will slowly
introduce the way some of the characters within the upcoming novel would answer these questions. I will
also make sure to clarify, for the last question, that “slang” is continuously read throughout the novel, and
that we will make a list of slang terms as a sort of cheat sheet for reading the novel. By answering this
prompt, I can also analyze their critical thinking skills and how much they can analyze questions like this.
During Reading: Students will independently read the first two chapters of the text within the novel. While
reading, I will ask them to HIGHLIGHT any terms or language they do not understand, so that we may
make a formal write-up with the new vocabulary words, and their definitions. I will also ask them to
underline any information they believe to have importance to the novel. After every page, I will ask them
to annotate a few words in the bottom corner to summarize the events that are occurring or their
thoughts/emotions during that page. While the students are reading through the selection, I will also be
doing the same thing and I will be annotating and analyzing certain events along with them so that we
may have a discussion afterward.
After Reading: After reading, I will ask students what stuck out to them most within these two chapters.
We will have a discussion based on what they highlighted, as well as very crucial topics that come up
within the novel.
These discussion questions will include:
● Do you ever feel discriminated against within your school? Have you experienced discrimination
firsthand?
● Why is it different to experience racism than it is to witness the act of racism?
● Does racism affect everyday life, or does it only affect the lives of black individuals or POC
● How do labels impact someone’s self-worth?
● How can we stop violence against those who are already non-violent?
Conclusion: Do you feel like this novel has opened up your mind to think about things that you haven’t
necessarily thought about? Do you feel better-informed reading this kind of novel through a POC main
character’s eyes rather than a white person’s eyes? Does this make it more raw/real? What do you think
about Starr so far?
Attachments:
o
Name: Date:

Prompt:

● How close would you consider yourself to your community? Are you friends with your neighbors?
Do you consider your neighborhood to be safe?

● Were you ever advised by your parents on the “proper way” to communicate with another adult
figure? (Teacher, politician, police officer, store manager, etc.)

● Do you understand “slang” vocabulary for the most part?

● What happens when you no longer feel safe in places where you were once most comfortable?

Name: Date:

Prompt:

● How close would you consider yourself to your community? Are you friends with your neighbors?
Do you consider your neighborhood to be safe?

● Were you ever advised by your parents on the “proper way” to communicate with another adult
figure? (Teacher, politician, police officer, store manager, etc.)

● Do you understand “slang” vocabulary for the most part?

● What happens when you no longer feel safe in places where you were once most comfortable?
Discussion questions:
These discussion questions will include:
● Do you ever feel discriminated against within your school? Have you experienced discrimination
firsthand?
● Why is it different to experience racism than it is to witness the act of racism?
● Does racism affect everyday life, or does it only affect the lives of black individuals or POC
● How do labels impact someone’s self-worth?
● How can we stop violence against those who are already non-violent?
● Do you feel like this novel has opened up your mind to think about things that you haven’t
necessarily thought about?
● Do you feel better-informed reading this kind of novel through a POC main character’s eyes
rather than a white person’s eyes? Does this make it more raw/real?
● Were the events on Khalil’s half violent?
● What do you think about Starr so far?
● What predictions do you have for the next part?
Name: Date:

Vocab Word Page Predicted meaning definition

number