UNIT:
Lesson: 4
Text Title
“Status Symbol, I Am A Black Woman” by Mari Evans
Main Idea
In “Status Symbol, I am a Black Woman”, Evans takes the reader through the journey of the African American who was enslaved upon arrival of Affirmative Action. While a status symbol typically represents an admirable social or professional position, Evans used the common use of a public restroom to signify African Americans’ symbol of success during this time period. Evans uses text structure with short lines and ellipsis to cause the reader to pause and pay attention to each proud moment as she offers a derisive culmination of status as a result of the historic struggles.
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…
- There have been significant moments in history that have shaped African American culture. These events, while seemingly progressive, have sometimes offered small changes at an undesirable pace. This poem expresses Evans’ voice through the imagery she creates as she reflects on the culmination of events African Americans have faced.
Literacy Objective
By engaging in this lesson, students
will strengthen their ability to…
- 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)
