Home, Grief, and Storytelling in Men We Reaped

Lesson 4
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ELA

Unit 9

10th Grade

Lesson 4 of 22

Objective


Analyze how Broom’s use of details about Hurricane Betsy develops her argument about Hurricane Katrina and the role of the government during catastrophes.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: The Yellow House: A Memoir by Sarah M. Broom  — Chapter 6, "Betsy"

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Target Task


Discourse Questions

How does Broom use of details and word choice reveal the impact that Hurricane Betsy had on the city of New Orleans and her family?

Who or what was responsible for Hurricane Betsy? What does this reveal about public responsibility and personal responsibility?

Key Thinking


Scaffolding Questions

How does Broom characterize New Orleans based on her description of Hurricane Katrina?

How does Broom characterize her family based on her description of Hurricane Katrina?

Why is Hurricane Betsy a significant event in both New Orleans history and the Broom family history?

Key Ideas

  • Broom argues that the City of New Orleans is responsible for the devastating impact that Hurricane Betsy had on residents.     
    • It neglected its most vulnerable residents at a time when they needed the most support and resources. 
  • Broom also foreshadows the devastating impact that Hurricane Katrina had on New Orleans, suggesting that this, too, was the result of the city’s negligence and failure to fix the levees. 
  • Key quote: "This area to the east is not a mirage. It will not go away if you ignore it. It will stay and haunt you if you do not start thinking of it as a part of the city." (p. 88)

Homework


Read and annotate Marc Lamont Hill’s Nobody, Chapter VI, "Emergency," pages 157–180. 

  • Annotation focus: Where does the tension between personal responsibility and public responsibility show up in this chapter? What are our initial thoughts about this tension?

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Standards


  • LO 1.4B — Synthesize ideas from multiple texts and explain how the texts may convey different perspectives on a common theme or idea.
  • LO 5.1A — Extend the conversation around an idea, topic, or text by formulating questions and recognizing the claims and perspectives of others.
  • LO 5.1B — Cite relevant evidence and evaluate the evidence presented by others.
  • SL.9-10.1 — Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9—10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Supporting Standards

LO 2.2A
RI.9-10.1
RI.9-10.2
W.9-10.1

Next

Formulate and share unique arguments on home and homecoming. 

Support arguments with strong and thorough textual evidence in a Socratic seminar.

Lesson 5
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