Lyndsey Banks

ESE 490

April 8, 2007

Writing Task Lesson Plan

 

Core Content:   WR – HS – 1.1.3, Students will communicate as an informed writer to provide new insight through informing, persuading, or analyzing. 

 

By the end of this lesson students will be able to define racism in their own words.

Students will be able to write an effective persuasive letter.

Students will be able to connect literature to society.

 

                               

Student Task

 

                “What does this have to do with my life?”  is the question asked the most from students.  Today we are going to see how Huck Finn and Jim (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn), Scout Finch and Tom Robinson (To Kill a Mockingbird), and Jake Taylor and Carl Lee Hailey (A Time to Kill) have impacts on today. Each story that we have read and watched has had very strong racial themes.  Much of society will say that racism is no longer an issue, that we are all treated equal.  What do you think?

                Your task today is to write a letter to the school board to explain the racism in our school and a possible solution. If you believe there are no racial tensions in our school than you are to write a letter to the local newspaper, The Gleanor, and discuss the racial tension amongst the community and how it might be solved.  These letters will be sent to whom ever it is you chose to write. These are to be written as letters and formatted as such.  To help you out here are the addresses that you will need: Trish Daniel, C/O The Gleaner, 455 Klutey Park Plaza, P.O. Box 4, Henderson, KY 42419 or Dr. Thomas L. Richey, C/O Henderson County Schools, 1805 Second Street, Henderson, KY 42420.  You should include any known incidences of hate crime, hate crime and racism defined in your own words, and at least one connection from one of the stories read/watched to today’s society.

                Here are some facts to get you started. In 2004, the only areas in Kentucky to have more hate crimes than Henderson were Louisville and Lexington which have significantly higher populations.  However, in 2005 only one incident was reported but the county did not report during the fourth quarter. 

You will be graded on:

                Letter format – 10 points

                                Addresses, salutation, signature

                Appropriate tone – 10

                                Is your language appropriate for who you are talking with?  Is it non-offensive?

                Provided problem with example – 15 points

                        What do you see as the biggest race problem?

                Provided solution – 15 points

                                What actions do you recommend to eliminate the problem?

                Grammar and punctuation – 15 points

                                0 – 1 errors 15 points

                                2 - 5 errors 10 points

                                5 – 7 errors 5 points

                                More than 7 errors 0 points

                Persuasive technique – 15 points

                                Is your audience going to be moved enough to take actions?

                Literature connection – 20

                                How does your problem or solution relate to one of the works we have read/watched?

                This is worth 100 points.