Varitions on a Dream

A Language Arts Lesson Plan by Vance Holmes

Based on Lorraine Hansberry's play,
A Raisin in the Sun




Grade 11 unit overview with differentiated instruction
notes pertaining to a learner identified as Twice Exceptional

Week of October 4 - 8, 2010

I. Summary of Learning -- Week One

Variations on a Dream is an instructional unit designed to synthesize and super-size 11th Grade students' literacy and language skills through activities and exercises related to the Civil Rights era. Study encompasses Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun and other post World War II, African-American literary works.

Much of the instruction in Week One of this month-long lesson plan is linked to managing introduction of the myriad unit topics, learning targets and multicultural materials.

Week One begins with a PowerPoint presentation on the Civil Rights era, followed by discussion about the "American Dream." Throughout the week, learners practice using the anticipation / reaction reading strategy with the assigned texts: two Langston Hughes poems, a section of Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963, "I Have a Dream" speech, and the first segment of Hansberry's drama. Round Robin read-alouds cover all of Act I. Along with review of proper citation formatting, lessons include instruction on learning tools for text analysis and techniques for promoting collaborative group discussion.

VI. Reflection on Performance of Learner with Exceptionality

DL's written summation of the first part of A Raisin in the Sun represents a depth of understanding that is truly rare. Based on DL's advanced grasp of the material, his performance during the group RSD presentations was a bizarre disconnect. DL was unable -- or unwilling -- to respond to questions about the play from classmates in the audience. Even when prompted, he refused to answer in the prescribed manner. At one point, he appeared to be sabotaging his entire team by yelling out strange answers. I was later informed that two of the boys in DL's group gave him a hard time about the assignment in an after-school confrontation.

It was, for most students, an energizing and productive week, but DL was having difficulty focusing. He seemed to resist doing the activities that demonstrate completion of daily learning targets. During the 10-question communication quiz, DL doodled and scribbled across the page. At the end of the week, DL and I had a long meeting. Our discussion revealed that he is, in fact, engaged in the unit's topics and targets, he is just not engaged during class time. DL shared some of his extremely creative ideas for staging Hansberry's drama.

IX. Differentiated Instructional Activities

A. Along with being extraordinarily gifted, DL has a mild form of ADHD, a fact which prompts me to make instructional adjustments to the Quick-Writes and Exit Tickets. It is important to emphasize DL's strengths, not his challenges. He much prefers the word processor over the pen. I will accommodate this by having DL email his work to me on the day following an assignment. He will utilize the in-class writing time to organize his thoughts and create notes, employing either the outline format sheet or some other graphic organizer.

B. Instead of rotating partners, DL will team with TW for all Pair & Share assignments. TW is also ready for advanced work and gets along well with DL.

C. Although DL has been identified as a learner with ADHD, he is very intense and actually works better with a high level of stimulation. By thoughtfully rearranging RSD teams, I can create a grouping that will facilitate DL's needs, assist him in developing an identity supportive of achievement, and promote his growth. I will initially provide the supplementary material for this group's study. Thereafter, I will have each member pick a poem or piece of writing to discuss.

D. I must, at all times, model appropriate behavior and work to deepen class discussions on cultivating community and communication.

E. In addition to these accomodations, I have arranged an independent study project for DL. He will work alongside the director of the school play as a dramaturg. He is to keep a journal of his reading and research. At the end of the rehearsal process, DL will create and publish an online, dramaturgical web guide for the school's production of The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigolds. DL is thrilled! Together, we will design a rubric for the project assessment which will focus on organization skills.