Curriculum / ELA / 12th Grade / Unit 1: Invisible Man / Project
ELA
Unit 1
12th Grade
Project
Jump To
(PROCESS)
Read "Niagara Movement Speech" by W.E.B. Dubois. W.E.B made this speech in 1905 at a meeting of the Niagara Movement, a civil rights group organized by Dubois and William Monroe Trotter. In the speech, Dubois introduces a call to action and a list of demands for social, political and economic equality for African Americans. Read the passage carefully. Then, in a well-developed essay, analyze how Dubois uses the first paragraph to prepare his audience for his message. Support your analysis of his rhetoric with specific references to the text.
Niagara Movement Speech by W.E.B. Dubois
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Where in the corresponding English unit we recommend teaching this lesson
In Lesson 5 of English 12 Unit 1, students will read about Booker T. Washington. Because Dubois’ speech is, in many ways, a direct response to Washington and his ideas, completing this assignment around Lesson 5 is recommended.
How this projects connects to the AP English Language and Composition Free Response Questions
During Supplemental AP Project 1, students engaged in rhetorical analysis of a documentary film. In this project, they will analyze the rhetoric in a historic document as they are expected to do in FRQ 2 on the AP English Language and Composition exam.
Suggested objectives and lesson structures for this project
Identify the setting, infer the major themes of the novel, and identify the author’s purpose for writing the novel.
Explain the narrator’s attitude towards his own “invisibility” by analyzing elements such as diction, tone, motifs, and style.
Explain how the author develops the motifs of invisibility and blindness in Chapter 1.
Explain the connection between the novel and the article.
Explain the impact of the Battle Royal on the narrator.
Explain how the author uses the motif of blindness/invisibility to develop theme.
Analyze the impact of Ellison’s portrayal of the Founder, the trustees, and the university.
Explain how the author uses the Trueblood family as a social critique.
Analyze how the author uses the incident at the Golden Day and the character of the veteran to develop the motifs of invisibility and blindness.
Analyze the motif of masks and how the author develops it in Chapter 4.
Explain the significance of Reverend Barbee’s characterization of the Founder and Dr. Bledsoe.
Use evidence from the chapter to analyze Dr. Bledsoe’s character and its impact on the narrator.
Analyze the narrator’s initial experience in New York, contrasting it with his previous experiences in the South.
Explain how the author develops the motif of blindness in Chapter 9.
Analyze the metaphor of the Liberty Paints plant, tracking how the author introduces and develops the metaphor over the first ten pages of Chapter 10.
Track how the author continues to use the metaphor of the Liberty Paints plant to develop the theme of racism in the United States.
Analyze how the author develops the theme of racism in the North and the theme of identity in this chapter.
Analyze the narrator’s internal conflict and be able to explain where he is in the Hero’s Journey stages.
Write an essay response to the prompt using evidence from the first five pages of the chapter.
Analyze the author’s characterization of Brother Jack.
Describe how the narrator evolves in Chapter 13.
Analyze the impact that the Brotherhood has on the narrator’s developing identity.
Explain how the author uses symbolism and imagery to reveal character and theme in this chapter.
Interpret the author’s extended metaphor of blindness as it is developed in this chapter.
Analyze the mood created through the events and images of this chapter.
Analyze Ras the Exhorter’s critique of the Brotherhood.
Writing
Analyze each document and select evidence for use in answer to the essay prompt.
Use evidence from both documents to support an answer to the prompt.
Explain how the narrator’s attitude toward the letter changes over the course of the chapter.
Explain how the author uses diction and other techniques to foreshadow the events of the chapter.
Explain how the author builds suspense in Chapter 20.
Track the shift in the narrator’s attitude toward the Brotherhood by analyzing author’s craft.
Analyze Ellison’s portrayal of the leadership of the Brotherhood and their conflict with the narrator.
Explain how the author uses symbols to develop theme.
Analyze how the narrator’s attitude and actions toward the Brotherhood are shifting.
Analyze the development of the symbol of the briefcase.
Analyze this scene as the Supreme Ordeal of the narrator’s journey and explain his Reward.
Describe how the narrator’s ideas about identity have evolved and what theme the author is conveying.
Assessment
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