UNIT:
Lesson: 3
Text Title
“Mari Evans, Poet and Activist” by Kisha Tandy, The Polis Center
Main Idea
In “Mari Evans, Poet and Activist,” author Kisha Tandy shares details about where Evans was born, her education and her most important work. She also informs the reader that Evans was a TV producer and was on staff at multiple universities. Finally, as the author concludes with Evans’ work as an activist and the many awards she received, she shares that Evans struggled to gain the financial success she would desire because she was a Black writer.
Essential Question
The unit essential questions developed in this lesson are…
- Who is Mari Evans?
- How does culture influence the voice of a poet?
Content Objective
By engaging in this lesson, students will know/understand that…
- A biography (nonfiction) differs from a Personal Narrative (literary nonfiction) in that the biography is an account of real events without the use of literary devices. While facts and details may be the same, the text will not reveal to the reader any emotion or insight.
Literacy Objective
By engaging in this lesson, students will know/understand that…
- Differentiate between literary nonfiction and nonfiction text and establish the purpose for writing each one.
Standards Alignment
- Compare and contrast the structure of two or more related works of literature (e.g. similar topic or theme), and analyze and evaluate how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style. (8.RL.3.1)
