Objective

SSR

Social Studies Connections Discussion

Memoir Quick Writes/Persepolis Plot check in

Wrap up and Next Steps

How Does Historical Context Influence a Story and Other Burning Questions

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Objective

SWBAT analyze the importance of using of specific details in memoir by comparing the story of the Iraqi bombing of Tehran as it appears in Persepolis and in a history source and then applying similar techniques in their own writing.

Big Idea

A skilled author uses historical details to ground his or her narrative. Asking students to identify how authors do this will help them to build skills for their own writing toolbox.

Lesson Author

Jessica Keigan

Thornton, CO

Grade Level

Tenth grade

Subjects

English / Language Arts

memoir (Literature)

Standards

RL.9-10.3

Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

RL.9-10.5

Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.

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.

RI.9-10.3

Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them.

RI.9-10.6

Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.

W.9-10.3

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

W.9-10.10

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

SL.9-10.1

Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

SL.9-10.1a

Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.

SSR

10 minutes

SSR Reflection Video

SSRreflection9.5.mov

We will start class by giving students their allotted ten minutes of reading time. I will send a spreadsheet around so they can track how many pages they have read so far. I will then read as they read.

Social Studies Connections Discussion

15 minutes

Benefits of Team Teaching

To support my social studies partner, who is in turn supporting me with non-fiction content related to Persepolis, I will help him to teach the APPARTS reading strategy for primary and secondary sources (RH.9-10.1).

We will use the Iran/Iraq War article from historychanel.com to review a key scene from Persepolis, but model the APPARTS reading strategy to help the students comprehend informational texts. Basically, this strategy asks students to determine the main idea of an informational text (RI.9-10.2) and then consider the ways a non-fiction text sets up its information and how that arrangement support the author's purpose (RI.9-10.3 and RI.9-10.6).

Memoir Quick Writes/Persepolis Plot check in

20 minutes

Quick Write Reflection

Quickwritereflection.mov

After we do our historical analysis of the text, we will switch gears to begin preparing for the final assignment for our reading of Persepolis.

To begin this transition, I will ask students to consider Persepolis as a model text for their own narrative writing. I will give them a prompt and ask them to write as much as they can about that particular topic in the time allotted (W.9-10.3 and W.9-10.10). I haven't decided which prompt to use yet, so here are three options that fit with the reading they had from last night that I will pick from.

1. Describe a time when you were denied something that you wanted. Think about how you felt in the moment, why you were denied that thing and how you feel about it now. Have you learned anything from this experience? If so, what?

2. Marji has to learn about forgiveness multiple times in the text. Describe a time in your life when you should have forgiven someone for something. Did you do it? If so, what happened and what made you decide to do it? If not, what happened and what made you decide to hold that grudge?

3. Marji sees her Uncle Anoosh as a hero. Who is a hero in your life story? Why?

Wrap up and Next Steps

5 minutes

I will use this time to remind them that their reading journals are due tomorrow and let my teaching partner make any announcements he might have on homework assignments or what we did in class today.

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