UNIT:
Lesson: 2
Text Title
“Shaping Memories: Reflections of African American Women Writers,” edited by Joanne Veal Gabbin. Paragraphs 16,18, 26-27.
Note: For students this will be paragraphs 7-10.
Main Idea
In “My Father’s Passage”, Evans begins by sharing a personal story of her father and how he was the most influential person in her life. She goes on to give a descriptive account of her journey as a writer as she stumbled upon poetry. She later expresses her motivation for writing as a connection to her culture. Evans’ use of imagery to describe who she is and how she writes is evidenced in her description of her father, “An oak of a man…” and “who hear the music and can catch a beat.”
Essential Question
The unit essential questions developed in this lesson are…
- How does culture influence the voice of a poet?
Content Objective
By engaging in this lesson, students will know/understand that…
- Evans’ pride in her culture contributed to the bold approach to her writing, as she too sought to connect with the people in her community. She was not exclusive in her writing, in that she did appreciate if others embraced what she had to say. Her purpose for writing helps to illustrate her voice in her work.
Literacy Objective
By engaging in this lesson, students will strengthen their ability to…
- Use imagery to provide a descriptive account of a memorable event. Students will highlight the key details of this memory using similes, metaphors and other forms of figurative language.
Standards Alignment
- Write narrative compositions in a variety of forms that – a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters. b. Organize an event sequence (e.g., conflict, climax, resolution) that unfolds naturally and
