Curriculum / ELA / 11th Grade / Unit 3: To the Horizon and Back: Janie's Search for Identity in Their Eyes Were Watching God / Lesson 21

To the Horizon and Back: Janie's Search for Identity in Their Eyes Were Watching God

Lesson 21

ELA

Unit 3

11th Grade

Lesson 21 of 21

The unit's Socratic Seminar and Performance Task are the primary assessments in this unit. The following additional assessments also accompany Unit 3. For more guidance, see the Summative Assessments Teacher Tool.

Warm Read Assessment

The Warm Read Assessment measures students' ability to apply the core reading standards and their knowledge from the unit to comprehend new, topically or thematically aligned texts. It includes multiple choice and an optional on-demand essay.

Vocabulary Assessment

The Vocabulary Assessment measures students' acquisition of text-based vocabulary words from the unit.

Lesson 20

Lesson Map

Gain background knowledge Their Eyes Were Watching God by exploring a text set on the Reconstruction and Jim Crow laws, The Great Migration, Zora Neale Hurston, and African American Vernacular English.

“The Story of Reconstruction” — from 00:00–6:06
“Jim Crow Laws”
“Jim Crow Laws”
“The Great Migration”
“Claiming a Space” — 00:00–5:55
“Accent Expert Gives a Tour of U.S. Accents” — from 4:40–7:04
“AAVE Explained: A dialect that Transcends Internet Culture” — from 2:56–5:44
“African-American Dialect the Heart of Penumbra's 'Speak”

Standards

RI.11-12.7SL.11-12.2

Analyze how Hurston uses anecdotes, tone, and imagery to convey her perspective on race and identity.

“How It Feels to Be Colored Me”

Standards

L.11-12.5RI.11-12.2RI.11-12.4RI.11-12.6

Analyze how Hurston uses dialect and narrative voice to characterize Janie and the community.

Their Eyes Were Watching God — Chapter 1, pp. 1–7

Standards

RL.11-12.3RL.11-12.5RL.11-12.6

Analyze how Hurston uses imagery and symbolism to introduce themes of love, relationships, and personal growth.

Their Eyes Were Watching God — Chapters 2–4, pp. 8–33

Standards

L.11-12.5RL.11-12.3RL.11-12.4

Analyze how Hurston characterizes Joe's relationship with Janie and the town of Eatonville.

Their Eyes Were Watching God — Chapter 5, pp. 34–50

Standards

RL.11-12.3RL.11-12.4

Analyze motifs introduced in the first five chapters of Their Eyes Were Watching God and how Hurston uses them to develop Janie's character.

Their Eyes Were Watching God — Chapters 1–5

Standards

L.11-12.5RL.11-12.3RL.11-12.4RL.11-12.5SL.11-12.1SL.11-12.4

progress
monitoring

progress
monitoring

Analyze how Hurston uses motifs and symbols to illustrate themes of power and control in Joe and Janie's relationship.

Their Eyes Were Watching God — Chapter 6, pp. 51–62 and 69–75

Standards

L.11-12.5RL.11-12.2RL.11-12.3RL.11-12.5

progress
monitoring

progress
monitoring

Analyze how poets use imagery, tone and structure to convey a theme about womanhood.

“Women”
“WOMAN”

Standards

L.11-12.5RL.11-12.2RL.11-12.4RL.11-12.5

Analyze Janie's evolving sense of self through her actions and reflections after Joe's death.

Their Eyes Were Watching God — Chapters 7–9, pp. 76–93

Standards

RL.11-12.2RL.11-12.3RL.11-12.4

progress
monitoring

progress
monitoring

Create a found poem that reflects Janie's transformation using language from Their Eyes Were Watching God and explain creative choices in a short poet's statement.

Their Eyes Were Watching God — Chapters 7–9

Standards

L.11-12.5RL.11-12.1RL.11-12.3W.11-12.3W.11-12.9

progress
monitoring

progress
monitoring

Analyze how Hurston portrays the relationship between Tea Cake and Janie.

Their Eyes Were Watching God — Chapters 10–13, pp. 94–115

Standards

RL.11-12.3RL.11-12.5RL.11-12.6

Analyze how Hurston uses setting to convey Janie's growth and to develop ideas about love.

Their Eyes Were Watching God — Chapters 13–15, pp. 116–138

Standards

RL.11-12.3RL.11-12.4RL.11-12.5

progress
monitoring

progress
monitoring

Analyze how Hurston addresses themes of internalized racism and colorism through the interactions between Janie, Tea Cake, and Mrs. Turner.

Their Eyes Were Watching God — Chapters 16–17, pp. 139–153

Standards

RL.11-12.2RL.11-12.3RL.11-12.4

Analyze the structure of Chapter 18 and how Hurston uses the hurricane as a symbol to convey themes.

Their Eyes Were Watching God — Chapter 18, pp. 154–167

Standards

RL.11-12.2RL.11-12.3RL.11-12.4RL.11-12.5

Analyze how Hurston uses key events at the end of the novel to highlight Janie's personal growth as well as examine race, gender, and power dynamics in society.

Their Eyes Were Watching God — Chapters 19–20, pp. 168–193

Standards

L.11-12.5RL.11-12.3RL.11-12.4

progress
monitoring

progress
monitoring

Socratic Seminar

Engage in a Socratic seminar about Their Eyes Were Watching God by supporting arguments with strong textual evidence.

Their Eyes Were Watching God — full text

Standards

SL.11-12.1.aSL.11-12.1.bSL.11-12.1.cSL.11-12.1.d

Performance Task

Write a strong thesis statement about how a motif evolves to convey Janie's journey and the novel's themes; outline body paragraphs needed to support the thesis statement.

Motif Functional Analysis Essay Mentor Text (G11, U3)
Motif Functional Analysis Essay Outline (G11, U3)

Standards

RL.11-12.2W.11-12.1.aW.11-12.1.bW.11-12.1.cW.11-12.4W.11-12.5

Performance Task

Write the body paragraphs of the literary analysis essay, using smooth integration of evidence and language that ties the body paragraphs together.

Motif Functional Analysis Essay Mentor Text (G11, U3)
Motif Functional Analysis Essay Outline (G11, U3)

Standards

W.11-12.1.aW.11-12.1.bW.11-12.1.cW.11-12.4W.11-12.5

Performance Task

Write a strong introduction and conclusion for the motif functional analysis.

Motif Functional Analysis Essay Mentor Text (G11, U3)
H-I-T Visualization
Conclusion Visualization

Standards

W.11-12.1.dW.11-12.1.eW.11-12.4W.11-12.5

Performance Task

Provide peer feedback and make revisions to the literary analysis essay.

Motif Functional Analysis Essay Peer Review Worksheet (G11, U3, L20)

Standards

W.11-12.1W.11-12.4W.11-12.5

2 days

If additional assessment is needed, use the Warm Read and/or Vocabulary Assessments to gauge student understanding of unit content and skills.

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