Primary Type: Lesson Plan
Status: Published
This is a resource from CPALMS (www.cpalms.org) where all educators go for bright ideas!
Resource ID#: 43146
A Poignant Passage about the Middle Passage
In this lesson, students will explore what makes a passage poignant by analyzing an important chapter from the historical fiction novel, The Slave
Dancer, by Paula Fox. In cooperative groups, they will use their knowledge of figurative language, conflict, theme, and characterization to identify a
passage that has high emotional impact, while better understanding one of the most tragic human experiences: the journey along the Middle
Passage during the slave trade. As culminating assessments, students will present their group's textual analysis to the class and write an extended
response to the text.
Subject(s): English Language Arts
Grade Level(s): 6
Intended Audience: Educators
Suggested Technology: Computers for Students,
Internet Connection, Overhead Projector
Instructional Time: 4 Hour(s)
Resource supports reading in content area: Yes
Freely Available: Yes
Keywords: novel, The Slave Dancer, Slave Trade, Middle Passage, historical fiction
Instructional Design Framework(s): Direct Instruction, Writing to Learn, Cooperative Learning
Resource Collection: CPALMS Lesson Plan Development Initiative
ATTACHMENTS
Excerpt_an_account_of_the_slave_trade_1788.pdf
Poignant Passage DirectionsWord.doc
Teacher Poem.jpg
Poignant Passage PromptWord 2.doc
Poignant Passage WorksheetWord 2.doc
LESSON CONTENT
Lesson Plan Template: General Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives: What should students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?
Students will be able to:
1. identify a theme presented in the text and be able to summarize the plot, while taking a strong position based on available facts.
2. identify and interpret examples of imagery, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, and personification, analyzing how they convey connotation, denotation, and theme in the
text.
3. compose a clear explanation of the identified theme presented in the text and how it is conveyed through the use of figurative language, word choice, conflict,
characterization, suspense, and mood.
4. engage effectively in collaborative discussions, including coming to discussion prepared, fulfilling individual roles in Literature Circles, working with a group to
analyze a passage from the text, and presenting the group's conclusions to the whole class.
5. cite evidence from the text that is both explicitly stated and inferred, which supports the central idea being analyzed.
page 1 of 5 Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?
In order to be successful in this activity, students are required to have read chapters 1-6 prior to selecting their poignant passage in chapter 7.
Students should have an understanding of the "self-discovery" or "coming of age" themes. The "self-discovery" theme occurs when characters learn that they
possess special abilities or qualities through triumphs and hardships in the novel. The "coming of age" theme is also frequently found in young adult literature and
usually involves the maturation of the protagonist through challenging situations. For instance, Jessie (the main character) has to endure many painful lessons
throughout the story that prepare him for becoming a responsible adult.
Students should understand what the Middle Passage has to do with slave trading in the 1800s.
Students should be able to distinguish between protagonists and antagonists. Students should be able to identify basic plot elements, including the identification of
the climax.
Students should be able to work in groups (like literature circles) to meet provided objectives.
Students should be able to compose a response to literature in which appropriate examples are cited for support and an original opinion is formed from available
facts.
Students should be able to distinguish between different types of figurative language and interpret their meanings in the form of a written response.
Students should be able to use signal words for persuasion when arguing points in a written composition.
Students should know the difference between denotation (dictionary definition) and connotation (symbolic meaning) when analyzing word choice.
Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?
What was the slave trade and how did it impact the slaves physically and emotionally?
What does the word "poignant" mean and how can a passage from literature qualify as poignant?
Why is the chapter being analyzed representative of the climactic point in the story, containing the peak amount of action, emotion, and conflict?
How can you rationalize your opinion of what is considered poignant in literature and use evidence from the text to substantiate your claim?
What are some examples of poignant passages from other novels in the curriculum that can be compared to those found in chapter 7 of The Slave Dancer?
What are some poignant moments you have experienced personally?
Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?
The "Hook" and Activation of Prior Knowledge
The teacher will ask students to refer to the cover of the novel and ask what the image is depicting. The students will identify characters, setting, and situation that
they have already read about in previous chapters (e.g., Jessie playing the fife, the captain, the slaves on the ship being entertained by the protagonist, the
surrounding high seas off the coast of Africa).
Introducing/Modeling the Concept or Skill
1. The teacher will use the poem "Beside Myself" (written by the author of this lesson plan) as a review of themes and figurative language.
2. The teacher will complete a sample Poignant Passage worksheet and show it on the overhead projector so students know how to fill it out when they go home to do
it. This practice passage can come from any chapter from 1-6 of The Slave Dancer. The scene in which Jessie is kidnapped by slave traders and taken aboard the
Moonlight (ship), is one of many appropriate examples of poignant passages leading up to chapter 7. The teacher can point out that a poignant passage should not run
more than 1-2 pages of text, be suspenseful, contain examples of figurative language, have rich word choice, convey a definite mood, and touch upon one of the
broader themes outlined in the beginning of the lesson.
Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher guidance?
1. The teacher will review the events in the previous chapter (6) to make sure students understand the context of chapter 7 and what led to the circumstances at
hand. For instance, students can be reminded that what happens in Chapter 6 foreshadows the tragic events of the subsequent chapter. This reminder can add an
extra level of intrigue to chapter 7 and cause students to strive for deeper understanding.
2. After students have returned with their selected passages from chapter 7 of The Slave Dancer (homework assignment), the teacher will group students of varying
reading proficiency levels into groups of three or four, while mixing genders as well. During the small group activity, the teacher highlights particular sentences from
the novel and asks students why they are important "ingredients" to a poignant passage.
3. Note: For students who are still having trouble with what a poignant passage is, the teacher can provide copies of Alexander Falconbridge's non-fiction account of
the slave trade (see attachment) and ask them to highlight emotionally impacting sentences that would qualify as poignant. If needed, the teacher could work with a
small group of struggling students to fill out the Poignant Passage worksheet using an excerpt that students selected from Falconbridge's account for additional guided
practice.
4. Once students are assembled in their literature circles (please see the link for assistance with implementing literature circles), discussing their findings based on
their homework assignment from chapter 7, the teacher will circulate from group to group, keeping students on task with probing questions and redirecting their
thinking when appropriate. The students are working together and guiding each other in small groups to form a group consensus on what is the most poignant
passage in the chapter.
Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to reinforce the concepts and skills developed in the
lesson?
Student Actions during the activity:
The students will be expected to find a section from chapter 7 (roughly a page) and answer the questions on the Poignant Passage worksheet thoughtfully and
appropriately regarding its poignancy. Please note that this happens before the Guided Practice mentioned above.
Expected Student Products and/or Performance:
The students are expected to bring to their groups a thoroughly completed worksheet that will allow them to contribute vital information to their peers and ideally
teach them something new.
Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in the lesson?
Lesson Review Activity:
At the completion of the oral presentations for each small group (see summative assessment section), the teacher will appeal to the whole class and ask how the
themes of Moments of Truth or Coming of Age have been depicted in chapter 7. This brings the instruction full circle, since the same conversation was brought up at the
page 2 of 5 beginning of the lesson with the teacher poem on day 1. In their answers, students should reflect on poignant moments.
Summative Assessment
Summative Assessment #1 (Short Written Response/Speaking)
Each team will deliberate over which group member's passage best represents a poignant passage. Then, as a group, they will complete an additional Poignant
Passage worksheet, where they each contribute (in writing) their own input. Finally, they will engage in 10-minute oral presentations to the whole class, where every
member will have speaking parts (the written sections they added).
1. One person will read the attention grabbing section to begin the presentation. This can contain an overview of what has happened so far in the book and it can
contain references to other novels or the speaker's own life. The speaker can ask rhetorical questions to the audience, dealing with the topic of poignant moments in
our lives. Someone who is creative and dramatic would be best suited for this part.
2. The next student will read from the Basics and Overview sections of the report, announcing where the passage is located, the context of it, and what is happening
in the scene. This might be one of the students who is of a lower reading proficiency (ESE, ELL, etc.).
3. The last section (In Depth), which is the richest in detail, can either be presented by one student, or broken into two parts if it is a 4-person group. This is where
the proof for why the passage is poignant is uncovered.
During the presentation, the audience is following along in their books, highlighting or taking notes about new discoveries brought to light by the other groups.
Note: It is possible that there will be overlap in which passages are selected, but remember that there will always be differences in the justifications for those choices.
Note that the teacher has already provided a small rubric on the Poignant Passage worksheet so everyone has prior knowledge of what the teacher will be evaluating
when the presentations are given. The rubric contains the following categories that will be rated on a 1-5 scale (5 being outstanding/1 being poor): attention grabber,
use of figurative language, knowledge of plot, and identification of mood and theme. The teacher will assign a collective group grade for the performance.
At the conclusion of all the presentations, the teacher will collect every student's home learning worksheet and evaluate the individual knowledge demonstrated by the
students. This grade is separate from the group grade.
Summative Assessment #2 (Extended Response to Literature)
The next day, after the teacher returns each individual home learning assignment (the Poignant Passage Worksheets) to the students, they will respond to the prompt:
"Explain why the passage you have chosen is poignant. Support your reasons with examples of word choice, figurative language, conflict, characterization, suspense,
mood, and theme from chapter 7 of The Slave Dancer." The students can use their worksheets with teacher corrections to help them compose their extended
response, as well as their novels.
Since the worksheet did not always require complete sentences or elaboration in the answers, students must now expand on their points, using topic sentences and
supporting details in the proper sequence, while writing two, well-balanced paragraphs. The worksheet would be considered the planning sheet for this assignment,
but students are welcome to brainstorm in any way they see fit prior to writing their extended response.
Each student will have 30 minutes to take his/her short responses from the Poignant Passage worksheet and synthesize it into two, well-developed paragraphs. They
are encouraged by the teacher to use direct quotes from the novel as evidence to support their claims. The novels may still be used as a reference if students want to
expand on existing proof or add new supporting details not previously included in their worksheets.
Rubric: The criteria that this writing assignment will be evaluated on are the following: comprehension of plot, use of relevant facts and details for support, knowledge
of various literary elements (students should be referred to the list on the Directions Sheet), and an appropriate concluding statement. A score of 1-4 can be assigned
to each element, then divided by 4 for the grade.
Formative Assessment
Before Reading--Whole Class
The teacher will read a free verse poem aloud to the class entitled "Beside Myself" (written by the author of this lesson) and use it as a springboard for the discussion
of topics that will be presented in the upcoming lesson. Class discussion will provide the opportunity for informal diagnostic assessment to gauge how familiar students
are with stylistic elements that will be studied later.
The teacher will ask students what in the poem reminds them of The Slave Dancer, the novel from which this lesson is based. Responses from the students may
include comparisons of the speaker to the protagonist, Jessie, as well as the captain in the poem being similar to one of the antagonists in the novel. The 1st person
point-of-view is also a commonality. Beyond characterization and setting comparisons, students should find similarities in the deeper aspects of mood and theme.
Questions from the teacher may include:
1. How is the theme of "Coming of Age" or "Moments of Truth" depicted in the poem?
2. How is the mood of the poem similar to that of The Slave Dancer?
3. What words/phrases from the passage qualify as poignant?
4. What is the conflict in the poem (speaker vs. self) and how does it add to the dramatic tension?
With the introduction of the word "poignant," the teacher has initiated the lesson plan, which includes an analysis of a poignant passage from the novel. Every student
will look the word up in the dictionary for a precise meaning.
The teacher will then ask students to identify examples of figurative language that contribute to the poignancy of the poem. For instance, students can cite examples of
metaphor: "phantom winds," "tame beast," or "blue pasture." Sensory imagery also abounds in the poem: "groan," "worn copper," "briny green," "fossilized pants,"
and "dignified limp."
At this point, the teacher will pass out the directions for the Poignant Passage activity and ask students to review the checklist of literary elements, which serve as the
criteria for what passages will qualify as poignant.
As a review, the teacher will ask students to provide an example of each of the following literary devices from the poem: word choice, imagery, suspense, conflict,
characterization, mood, and theme.
page 3 of 5 During Reading--Small Groups
Students will be given the Poignant Passage Worksheet, which they will complete individually as a home learning assignment. They will be instructed to read or reread chapter 7 of The Slave Dancer ("Ben Stout's Mistake"). This chapter was specially selected by the teacher for its richness in meaning and its climactic moments
(Moments of Truth). It is also the longest and most rigorous chapter in the book.
The next day, students will be put in heterogeneous groups of approximately four students so they may each present their information to the rest of the team. The
teacher will circulate around the room and listen for pertinent discussions and balanced participation. The worksheet that each student filled out functions as a "script"
so that conversations are focused on the poignancy of the passages selected within the chapter.
Feedback to Students
The teacher will monitor each group's productivity by eliciting information from various group members through questioning, probing, and seeking clarification about
why the one-page passage was chosen as poignant. Prompting at this stage should be done on a deeper level than the pre-reading activity, dealing with plot details,
interpretation of character motives, and literary device analysis.
Whenever possible, the teacher will correct or redirect student responses in case they are having difficulty distinguishing between the various criteria for what makes
a passage poignant in this situation. Of course, feedback from other members of the group to a struggling learner will be welcomed by the teacher and can be seen as
less intimidating to those being helped.
The feedback provided to students during this phase will give them further background and reinforcement of how literary elements contribute to poignancy. When it is
time to compose an analysis of their passage on an individual basis (during the summative assessment) each student will have the confidence and knowledge needed
to substantiate their claims.
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Accommodations: 1. When picking members for each group, it is important for the teacher to include a mix of students with different levels of proficiency, which
can include ELL students mixed with native speakers. This allows a support network to exist for the lower level learners and gives the more advanced students an
opportunity for peer teaching.
2. Assigning each group member a specific job (director, note-taker, uniter) increases efficacy among them and allows everyone to feel important.
3. A glossary of literary terms/devices should be made available for all group members, especially the exceptional learners.
Extensions: Students should read and discuss a non-fiction account of what life was like for the slaves during the Middle Passage. It is recommended that the
teacher share an excerpt from The African Slave Trade (1788) by Alexander Falconbridge. Falconbridge's eyewitness account was recorded in 1788 while he was a
surgeon aboard several of the slave ships. The language is vivid and even graphic at times, but never offensive. The book is available in the public domain from Google
books (link to book).
The students can compare what was said in the historical fiction book to that of Falconbridge’s piece. They can analyze what details about the slaves' hardships were
left out of The Slave Dancer and why. Also, the historical context (1788) is reinforced, in case students could not visualize the time period.
Timing the study of this informational piece with a social studies unit about Africa would be ideal for the retention of knowledge on this subject.
Suggested Technology: Computers for Students, Internet Connection, Overhead Projector
Special Materials Needed:
Nothing high-tech is needed for this lesson. The novel, teacher-generated documents that are attached to this lesson (The free-verse poem that ties in thematically to
the lesson, Poignant Passage Directions Sheet, Poignant Passage Group Worksheet, Writing Prompt Sheet), whiteboard, overhead projector, An excerpt from Alexander
Falconbridge's An Account of the Slave Trade on the Coast of Africa (1788), the internet for exploring different aspects of the Slave Trade
(www.understandingslavery.com), a highlighter, and a dictionary for students to check the meanings of nautical terms.
Further Recommendations: Tips for preparing and managing materials
Due to the richness and complexity of this assignment, it is recommended that this lesson plan be executed later in the school year when students have a solid
foundation in literary terminology and close reading strategies. The teacher may be inclined to teach this book in the month of February, which is the third 9 weeks (in a
quarterly system) not only because students will have had sufficient practice studying other books, but it is traditionally the time of year when black history is celebrated
in the United States.
Make sure students have a historical context of the events surrounding the Middle Passage. Some students may confuse this era of history (1700s and early 1800s) with
the Civil Rights Movement, which happened in the 1960s. Point out to them that although the struggles in both instances deal with many of the same basic denials of
human liberty, the Slave Trade was a callous, murderous, profit-making endeavor.
Classroom management tips
It is important to make this poignant material accessible to students without trivializing it. Some students may draw comparisons of the slave ships to pirate ships (as in
movies like Pirates of the Caribbean). This light-hearted reference could cause students to be a little detached from the sinister business of the slave trade. Remind
them that the ships may have looked like the kind in some popular pirate movies, but the cargo wasn't gold or material goods. Beneath the decks were kidnapped
humans, crammed into tiny holds with barely enough air, water, and food to survive. Diagrams showing the stowage compartments will also enhance empathy.
Students may ask if there is a movie out there about the slave trade. The answer is yes, there are. However, many of the most visceral movies, like Amistad, are rated
page 4 of 5 R, and likely will not be appropriate for your audience.
The teacher should be mindful of African American students who will be participating in the study of this book. The material could be especially offensive to them and it
is best to let those students speak about the book on their terms, not the teacher's. These students should not be "put on the spot" or asked to read passages aloud
unless they volunteer to do so.
Additional Information/Instructions
By Author/Submitter
Students need to have read Chapters 1-6 of The Slave Dancer prior to the start of this lesson.
SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Contributed by: Jason Jones
Name of Author/Source: Jason Jones
District/Organization of Contributor(s): Miami-Dade
Is this Resource freely Available? Yes
Access Privileges: Public
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial
Related Standards
Name
LAFS.6.L.3.5:
LAFS.6.RL.1.1:
LAFS.6.RL.1.2:
LAFS.6.SL.1.1:
LAFS.6.W.1.2:
Description
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., personification) in context.
b. Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., cause/effect, part/whole, item/category) to better understand
each of the words.
c. Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., stingy,
scrimping, economical, unwasteful, thrifty).
Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of
the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners
on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation by
referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
b. Follow rules for collegial discussions, set specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
c. Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic,
text, or issue under discussion.
d. Review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and
paraphrasing.
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the
selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
a. Introduce a topic; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition, classification,
comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and
multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
c. Use appropriate transitions to clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style.
f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the information or explanation presented.
page 5 of 5