Literature
This lesson plan is from 2018, but the topic seems to be just as relevant today. The book is easy to read, but with 440 pages, it might scare off some of the students who are not used to reading books. To start them off, I plan to spend some time reading in class. Hopefully, that will make them eager to read at home. I’m looking forward to reading their first reflections on their blogs.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (CCSS ELA)
- RL.11-12.3 Analyze how complex characters are developed in a literary work, evaluating how their actions, interactions with other characters, and thoughts reveal their inner lives.
- RL.11-12.4 Interpret the development of themes and motifs throughout the text, including how they interact and contribute to the overall meaning of the work.
- RL.11-12.7 Analyze the impact of the choices made by the author in shaping the narrative, such as point of view, tone, pacing, and imagery.
An outstanding debut stages the debates convulsing America in the story of a teenager who testifies after a shooting. The first-person narrative is simply beautiful to read, and I felt I was observing the story unfold in 3D as the characters grew flesh and bones inside my mind. The Hate U Give is an outstanding debut novel and says more about the contemporary black experience in America than any book I have read for years, whether fiction or non-fiction. It’s a stark reminder that, instead of seeking enemies at its international airports, America should open its eyes and look within if it’s really serious about keeping all its citizens safe. The Guardian. Read more here.
Angie Thomas: the debut novelist who turned racism and police violence into a bestseller. Angie Thomas grew up witnessing drug dealing and gun crime but dreamed of being a writer. Then police shot a young, unarmed black man and she found her subject. Afua Hirsch meets her. The Hate U Give tells the story of Starr, a 16-year-old black girl who lives in inner-city America in a neighbourhood that is poor and black, but goes to school in a suburb that is affluent and white. At home, Starr’s loving and protective parents usher their children into a room they call the “den” not just to watch basketball games, but to shield them from the machine gun fire that frequently erupts on the street outside. One night Starr and her childhood friend Khalil are driving home from a party when they are pulled over by police. Khalil, who is unarmed, is made to get out of the vehicle, and an officer – who later claims he mistook the boy’s hairbrush for a gun –shoots and kills him, traumatizing Starr. The Guardian.
Lesson plan
To start off read the extract above and the articles they refer to. Read the first 3 chapters of the book and answer the following questions on your blog.
- Introduction to the book and the author
- Students complete the following on their blogs:
- What is the most significant information you get in these first three chapters?
- Choose one paragraph that stands out to you and explain why you think it might be important to the story.
- Black lives matter, write here what you know about this movement.
- Listen to this podcast. And this podcast.
- Choose a topic from this research list and write about it on your blog. Black lives matter.
- Choose a documentary to watch from this list: Black Lives Matter | Netflix Official Site
- Make a radio show where one in the group is the author, one is a reader and one is a critic. If four in the group include a radio show host as well.
- Make a radio show where you interview the characters in the short story. Choose how many you need, and have a radio host who asks the questions.
Essay Question 1:
In “The Hate U Give,” Starr navigates two worlds: her predominantly black neighborhood and her predominantly white private school. How does this dual identity shape her experiences and her understanding of race and social justice?
Essay Question 2:
The novel raises difficult questions about police brutality and racial profiling. How does Angie Thomas use the character of Khalil to explore these issues? What does Khalil’s death mean to Starr and to the community?
Essay Question 3:
In the face of tragedy and injustice, Starr finds her voice and becomes an advocate for change. What role does activism play in the novel’s message? How can individual voices contribute to broader social movements?