Roselle Public Schools
Abraham Clark High School
African American Literature Curriculum Units of Study
Unit/Chapter Title: Unit 4 Tides of Change
Unit Length: 10 weeks
Course/Grade: African American Literature /Grades 11 - 12
Interdisciplinary Connection: History; Computer Technology
Course Description:
Participants of this course will be exposed to a variety of African-American writers from different times and places. They will
examine the struggles and achievements of the African-American community through various types of writing including, but not
limited to, essays, speeches, novels, poems, and plays. Not only will students read essays and literature, they will also write analytical
pieces where they synthesize the information they have read.
Unit Overview:
Fourth marking period will focus on the lives of the activists who played the greatest role in the Civil Rights Movement. The
readings will include speeches by Dr. King, speech by President Obama, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, essays written by
Richard Wright and James Baldwin. Students will examine the measures taken to ensure equality for all and analyze the approaches
deem successful. Additionally, students will have an opportunity to study the relevance of other literary pieces and connect them to
the present. How has African American Literature changed overtime? Are the issues of racism and prejudice still pervades most of
the literary pieces written in the present or have they totally reclaim African American Literature.
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Roselle Public Schools
Abraham Clark High School
African American Literature Curriculum Units of Study
Common Core State Standards for Language Arts
Focus Standards
Key Ideas/Details:
Reading Literature/Reading Informational Text:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.1
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text,
including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy RI.11.2 Determine two or more 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 provide a complex analysis; an objective summary of the text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.3
Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over
the course of the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.RI.11.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative,
connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course
of a text
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.RI.11.5 Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her
exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.RI.11.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is
particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the text.
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Roselle Public Schools
Abraham Clark High School
African American Literature Curriculum Units of Study
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.10
By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 11-CCR text complexity
band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 11-CCR
text complexity band independently and proficiently.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.10
By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 11-CCR text complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 11-CCR text complexity band
independently and proficiently
21st Century Life and Careers Standards
9.1.12.A.1 Apply critical thinking and problem-solving strategies during structured learning experiences.
9.1.12.A.3 Assess how a variety of problem-solving strategies are being used to address solutions to global problems by
participating in online discussions with peers from other countries.
9.1.12.C.5 Assume a leadership position by guiding the thinking of peers in a direction that leads to successful completion of a
challenging task or project.
9.1.12.C.3 Explain why some current and/or past world leaders have had a greater impact on people and society than others,
regardless of their countries of origin.
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Roselle Public Schools
Abraham Clark High School
African American Literature Curriculum Units of Study
9.1.12.D.2 Determine the immediate and long-term effects of cross-cultural misconceptions or misunderstandings resulting from
past or current international issues or events.
Interdisciplinary Connections: World History, English III, English IV, African American History
History: 6.2All students will acquire the knowledge and skills to think analytically and systematically about how past interactions of
people, cultures, and the environment affect issues across time and cultures. Such knowledge and skills enable students to make
informed decisions as socially and ethically responsible world citizens in the 21st century.
Computer Technology: 8.1.12.A.2 Produce and edit a multi-page document for a commercial or professional audience using desktop
publishing and/or graphics software.
Essential Questions
1. How were militant and pacifist leaders different and
how did each justify their approach to civil liberties
achievement?
2. What civil liberties do the African American community
today deal with? How are they similar to problems of
the past? Are they different?
Enduring Understandings



In addition to protests, written letters and essays played a
fundamental role in change.
Literature illustrates various norms and behaviors as well as
the acceptable moral norms of any given time period.
Social, political and cultural influences are prominent in the
literature of African Americans as they engage
in a struggle for freedom
3. How is literature a means of changing the status quo?
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Roselle Public Schools
Abraham Clark High School
African American Literature Curriculum Units of Study
Student Learning Objectives
(What students should know and be able to do?)
What students should know
What students should be able to do
Reading Standards:
RL.11-12.1
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of
what the text says explicitly.
RI.11-12.2
Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and
analyze their development over the course of the text.
W.11-12.1 Provide an objective summary of the text.
RI.11-12.3 Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of
events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events
interact and develop over the course of the text.
RL.11-12.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in
the text, including figurative and connotative meanings
RI.11-12.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in
the text, including figurative and connotative meanings
 Respond to a variety of questions by citing strong textual
evidence using RSS/RSSE
 Take a position and cite strong textual evidence to support my
position.
 Identify a variety of themes in various informational texts
 Analyze the developments of those themes.
 Determine the central idea and themes within The
Autobiography of Malcolm X and MLK’s Letter from
Birmingham Jail
 Analyze ideas in The Autobiography of Malcolm X
 Restate the literal meaning of the text, including main ideas
and important details
 Explain how literary elements contribute to meaning and
author intention for Gwendolyn Brooks’ poems
 Examine the messages of Baldwin and Wright and
determine which messages still hold true today.
 Determine the effects of various sound devices in poems
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Roselle Public Schools
Abraham Clark High School
African American Literature Curriculum Units of Study
RI.11.5 Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure
an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including
whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and
engaging.
RI.11-12.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in
the text.
RI.11-12.6
Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which
the rhetoric is particularly effective.
RI.11-12.8
Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal African
American Text
 Examine the political and social norms in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries and examine how they influenced the
works of Dr. King and Malcolm X.
 Examine the political and social norms that lead to the essays
and literary works of James Baldwin
 Analyze the and evaluate the effectiveness of structure in The
Autobiography of Malcolm X and MLK’s Letter from
Birmingham Jail
 Use context clues to read African American literature with
comprehension
 Determine how the authors’ choices of specific words and
phrases strengthen their argumentative essay
 Use effective elements of rhetoric to determine an author’s
purpose
 Evaluate and Delineate the authors’ reasoning The
Autobiography of Malcolm X
Writing Standards:

W.11-12.1
Write argument texts to examine and convey complex ideas,
concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the




Write an informative/explanatory that will score a 5 or
better on the NJ Holistic Scoring Rubric.
Recognize the elements of an argument
Brainstorm points to include in essay
Demonstrate the ability to write an argument essay
Create a newsletter

Develop a concise thesis statement
When writing arguments, introduce precise, knowledgeable
claim(s) and establish the significance of the claim(s).
W.11-12.1a.
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Roselle Public Schools
Abraham Clark High School
African American Literature Curriculum Units of Study
When writing arguments, introduce precise, knowledgeable
claim(s), and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing
claims.
W.11-12.1a
When writing arguments, introduce precise, knowledgeable
claim(s), and create an organization that logically sequences
claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
W.11-12.1a.
When writing arguments, develop claim(s) and counterclaims
fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for
each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a
manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level, concerns,
values, and possible biases.
W.11-12.1b.
When writing arguments, use words, phrases, and clauses as well
as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text, create
cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and
reasons.
W.11-12.1c.
When writing arguments, use words, phrases, and clauses as well
as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text, create
cohesion, and clarify the relationships between reasons and
evidence.
W.11-12.1c.

Create counter-arguments to strengthen argument


Provide valid and strong reasons to support claims
Support reasons with relevant and sufficient evidence and
sound reasoning from the text
Differentiate between types of reasons and evidence
Write alternate or opposing claims



Brainstorm using a graphic organizer to ensure cohesion
in writing

Write a variety of questions using compositional risks.

Maintain formal writing by avoiding contractions and
common language in writing
 Use transition words
 Use varied sentence structure
 Create a strong conclusion that leaves the reader thinking.
 Write a thesis statement to prove.
 Create note cards and outline
 Write a rough draft.
 Write a peer edited final draft
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Roselle Public Schools
Abraham Clark High School
African American Literature Curriculum Units of Study
When writing arguments, establish and maintain a formal style
and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions
of the discipline in which they are writing.
 Publish work
W.11-12.1e.
When writing arguments, provide a concluding statement or
section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
 Utilize NOODLETOOLS or the like to draft your analytical
essay
W.11-12.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience.
 Locate and evaluate informational text digitally to determine
validity for task, purpose, and audience
 Use evidence from informational text to support
thesis
W.11-12.5
Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising,
editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on
addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and
audience.
 Craft short and long pieces of text to develop and support
ideas
 Evaluate sources used for validity and accuracy
W.11-12.6
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and
update individual or shared writing products in response to
ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.
W.11-12.8.
Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and
digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the
strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task,
purpose, and audience.
W.11-12.9b.
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Roselle Public Schools
Abraham Clark High School
African American Literature Curriculum Units of Study
Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research; apply grade 11 Reading standards to
literary nonfiction
W.11-12.10
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research,
reflection, and revision)
Speaking and Listening Standards:
SL.11-12.1a
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.
SL.11-12.1b.
Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and
decision making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish
individual roles as needed by listening to each other, allowing
peers to speak and respond only when they are finished. Note take while others speak.
SL.11-12.1c.
Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that
probe reasoning and evidence.
SL.11-12.1c.
When taking part in collaborative conversations, ensure a
hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify,
verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.
SL.11-12.1c.
 Collaborate and prepare for Socratic Seminars on the role of
Christianity on society as outlined in a variety of texts
 Determine important points peers make and make notations to
discuss once they have finished.
 Respond to peers by citing evidence in text to either support or
argue their claims.
 Listen intently to others and ask for clarification as needed
 Speak in a clear manner that promotes creativity and reduces
confusion
 Listen intently to others and ask for clarification as needed
 Ask questions
 Clarify issues
 Consider audience and task when preparing to speak
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Roselle Public Schools
Abraham Clark High School
African American Literature Curriculum Units of Study
Promote divergent and creative perspectives when speaking.
SL.11-12.1d
Resolve contradictions when possible when speaking.
SL.11-12.6Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks,
demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or
appropriate.
Instructional Strategies
Modifications/Extensions
Assessments
Resources/Technology
(How will the students reach
the learning targets?)
(How will I differentiate?)
(How will the students
demonstrate mastery?)
(What resources and materials
will students need?)
Scaffolds:
 Use a graphic organizer
when preparing for writing
 Have the text read to them
prior to the analysis
 Have access to a paper or
online dictionary, a word
bank, or other word
identification tool during
assessments
 Pair with stronger writers
during peer editing.
Formative Assessments:
Reading
 Close reading of Texts
 Use Cornell note-taking
system while reading
 Annotated reading in
preparation for class
discussions or debates.
 Use graphic organizer to
compare and contrast
literature and the arts
 Check for Understanding
 Use Highlighted Reading
Continuum






Teacher Observation
Presentations
Quizzes/Test
Portfolios
Group Discussions
Demonstrations
Socratic Seminar: See
Appendix A
Performance Tasks: See
Appendix B
Texts: See Appendix D
Websites:
Readwritethink.org
Teachervision.com
Onlinereadingresources.com
Studyisland.com
teacherdomain.org
www.essaypunch.com
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Roselle Public Schools
Abraham Clark High School
African American Literature Curriculum Units of Study





Build background knowledge
Exit Tickets
Gallery Walk
Turn and Talk
Peer Conference
Extensions:
Be able to chose alternative
assignments if there is
evidence that they already
have a particular set of skills
including writing and
producing their own plays
based on the themes in the
assigned texts
Analytical Writing
See Appendix C
Summative Assessments:
See Appendix E
-Final Exam ( separate
attachment)
onlinedictionary.com
www.state.nj.us/education/modelcu
rriculum/ela/
www.mla.org/
www.noodletools.com/
NJDOE Model Curriculum
Unit Assessment
www.poets.org
Student Portfolios
Ancillary Materials:



Writer’s Notebook
Journals
Open-Ended Response
Rubric
 Word Walls
 Internet
 Various Writing Prompts
 Exemplars
 Student Portfolios
Feedback worksheets
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Roselle Public Schools
Abraham Clark High School
African American Literature Curriculum Units of Study
Writing:




Use writing exemplars
Writing Process
Peer Feedback
Teacher Feedback/
conference
 Revision/Editing checklists
Scaffolds:
Formative Assessments:
Writing:
 Use a graphic organizer to
map claims, counterclaims,
and supports for each
 Use a Cloze writing model
for preparing arguments
 Edit their writing with a
partner











Extensions:
Socratic Seminar: See
Appendix A
 For argument writing
students will include a
minimum of two
counterarguments and five
compositional risks
 For term paper students will
include a third
Shakespearean tragedy to
analyze independently and
include analysis in writing
Teacher Observation
Presentation
Quizzes/Test
Portfolios
Logs, journals
Constructed responses
Student Reflection
Use writing exemplars
Writing Process
Peer Feedback
Teacher Feedback/conference
 Revision/Editing checklists
Performance Tasks: See
Appendix B
Analytical Writing
See Appendix C
Summative Assessments:
See Appendix E
-Final Exam ( separate
attachment)
NJDOE Model Curriculum
Unit Assessment
Student Portfolios
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Roselle Public Schools
Abraham Clark High School
African American Literature Curriculum Units of Study
Language :
Scaffolds for Learning:
 Vocabulary: Every ten days
students will receive 25 SAT
vocabulary words and 10
prefix/root/suffixes and use
these words in their writing
and mock trial.
Students will be given fewer
SAT words.
Extension:
Students will study the origins
of various words (i.e. Latin,
Greek, etc…)
Formative Assessments:
See Appendix D
Teacher observation of
students use of language
Websites:
 Use of SAT words in
daily writing and
speaking
 Exit tickets
 Teacher observation of
small group
conversations
Socratic Seminar: See
Appendix A
Performance Tasks: See
Appendix B
http://readwritethink.orghttp://read
writethink.org
http://schmoop.com
http://www2.maxwell.syr.edu/plega
l/crit3/a3.html
http://www.readwritethink.org/reso
urces/resource-print.html?id=799
http://www.corestandards.org
http://www.state.nj.us/modelcurriculu
m/ela
www.state.nj.us
www.corestandards.org
http://www.parcconline.org/parcctimeline
www.teachervision.com
www.theteachingchannel.org
Analytical Writing
See Appendix C
Summative Assessments:
See Appendix E
-Final Exam ( separate
attachment)
NJDOE Model Curriculum
Unit Assessment
Student Portfolios
www.readwritethink.org
http://www.merriam-webster.com/
www.mla.org/
www.noodletools.com/
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Roselle Public Schools
Abraham Clark High School
African American Literature Curriculum Units of Study
Speaking and Listening
Scaffolds for Learning:
Formative Assessments:
Their Eyes Were Watching God
 Students will prepare for and
perform a mock trial on the
literature they read. They
will plan, perform, and
counter-argue.
 Participate in a Socratic
seminar in which they
prepare discussion questions
and listen to one another.
 Jigsaw
 Fishbowl
 Turn and Talk
 Students will be grouped
according to ability
 Students will be given
specific tasks in the form of
answer plans to help keep
focus
 Teacher observation of
student conversations
 Oral presentations
 Debates
 Teacher observation of
active listening
Websites:
Extension:
Socratic Seminar: See
Appendix A
Students will assume
leadership roles in both mock
trial and Socratic seminar
where they prepare more
critical thinking questions and
lead discussion.
Performance Tasks: See
Appendix B
Analytical Writing
See Appendix C
Summative Assessments:
See Appendix E
-Final Exam ( separate
attachment)
http://readwritethink.orghttp://read
writethink.org
http://schmoop.com
http://www2.maxwell.syr.edu/plega
l/crit3/a3.html
http://www.readwritethink.org/reso
urces/resource-print.html?id=799
http://www.corestandards.org
http://www.state.nj.us/modelcurriculu
m/ela
www.state.nj.us
www.corestandards.org
http://www.parcconline.org/parcctimeline
www.teachervision.com
www.theteachingchannel.org
www.readwritethink.org
http://www.merriam-webster.com/
www.mla.org/
www.noodletools.com/
www.whitehouse.gov
NJDOE Model Curriculum
Unit Assessment
Student Portfolios
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Roselle Public Schools
Abraham Clark High School
African American Literature Curriculum Units of Study
Vocabulary Words /Literary Terms
Filibuster, titular, nationalist, decorous, inconspicuously, patronized, domineering ,swarthy ,tutelage, digressing, illuminate,
hoodwink, bamboozled metaphor, simile, idiom, hyperbole, understatement, sarcasm, personification, rhyme, rhythm, alliteration,
consonance, assonance,
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Roselle Public Schools
Abraham Clark High School
African American Literature Curriculum Units of Study
Appendix A:
Socratic Seminar:
Questions:
Part Three: Socratic Seminar
Answer the following questions and participate in a Socratic Seminar citing textual evidence to support your arguments



Examine the messages of Gwendolyn Brooks her poems. What literary and devices do they use to bring forth their message?
Are these devices effective? Explain. Which of her messages in her poems still resonates today and why?
Examine the essays of Richard Wright and James Baldwin. What are some of the struggles African Americans face today in
terms of civil liberties and what in the writings foreshadow about these struggles?
Examine President Obama’s first inaugural speech. What historical events does he allude to? What challenges does he say we
still have to face? How has the election of our first African-American president influenced our country?
Grading: Refer to Socratic Seminar Rubric under Common Rubrics
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Roselle Public Schools
Abraham Clark High School
African American Literature Curriculum Units of Study
Appendix B
Performance Task/s:
1. Write an analytical essay determining who was more effective in pushing forth the civil rights movement? Was Dr. King’s
peaceful protest more effective or Malcolm X’s more militant approach? MLK or Dr. King? Cite textual evidence to support your
thesis. Be sure to include counter arguments. Once you have determined which of these approaches you find more effective, write
a newsletter within your groups that would push the agenda’s of Dr. King or Malcolm X. Your articles should be persuasive pieces
and they should have visuals that help support your written pieces. Be sure that the following are clear: the purpose of the
newsletter; what you are hoping your newsletter will achieve, and who your audience is.
2. Gwendolyn Brooks once wrote, “My aim in my next future, is to write poems that will somehow successfully ‘call’…all black
people: black people in taverns, black people in alleys, black people in gutters, schools, offices, factories, prisons, the consulate. I wish
to reach black people in pulpits, black people in mines, on farmers, on thrones, not always to ‘teach’ – I shall wish often to entertain,
to illumine. My newish voice will not be an imitation of the contemporary young black voice, which I so admire but an adaptation of
today’s Gwendolyn Brooks’ voice.” Create a Power Point Prezi presentation how Ms. Brooks achieves the above statement in her
poems?
Grading: Refer to NJ Registered Holistic Scoring Rubric under Common Rubrics
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Roselle Public Schools
Abraham Clark High School
African American Literature Curriculum Units of Study
APPENDIX C:
Analytical Essay
One of the sad realities of the world we live in is that history does often repeat itself where we do not always learn from our mistakes.
Research two major civil liberty issues that affect the African American community today. Think in terms of Stop and Frisk,
excessive police force or the Stand Your Ground law that helped exonerate George Zimmerman. How are they similar to struggles of
the past? How are they different? Many critics of the aforementioned struggles make historical allusions and cite literary works of the
past to illustrate that there is still much work to be done in the lines of civil liberties. Cite textual evidence from all works. A works
cited page is required. This assignment should be three to five pages and written in MLA format. Use the link below if not familiar
with the format:
Website:
www.mla.org/
Grading: Refer to NJ Registered Holistic Scoring Rubric under Common Rubrics
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Roselle Public Schools
Abraham Clark High School
African American Literature Curriculum Units of Study
Appendix D
Texts/Other Resources
Title
Genre
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Autobiography
Letter from Birmingham Jail
Informational text
Brooks’ “For Malcom X
Poem
Prophets for a New Day
Poem
Poppa Chicken
Poem
The Vacant Lot
Poem
The Preacher Ruminates Behind the Sermon
Poem
The Children of the Poor
Poem
A Lovely Love
Poem
Blueprint for Negro Writing (Wright)
Essay
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Roselle Public Schools
Abraham Clark High School
African American Literature Curriculum Units of Study
The Ethics of Living Jim Crow (Wright)
Essay
Everybody’s Protest Novel
Essay
Many Thousands Gone
Essay
President Obama’s Inaugural Address
Speech
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