Declaring Identity: Being Jazz (2020)

Lesson 17
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ELA

Unit 11

6th Grade

Lesson 17 of 28

Objective


Interpret words and figures of speech Jazz uses in her memoir and analyze their impact.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen by Jazz Jennings  pp. 143 – 152

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Target Task


Writing Prompt

Look up the meaning of the word “void,” then read the sentence on page 145 where Jazz writes, “the world felt like a meaningless void.” What does she mean by this simile? How does this help you understand her depression?

Key Questions


  • Using context clues, what is the meaning of the word “sadist” as it is used on page 144? Then, look up the meaning of the word to confirm your definition. What does this reveal about Jazz’s feelings about this game?
  • On page 145, Jazz uses the metaphors “my love of those things had slipped through my fingers” and “I was stumbling through [the world] with no direction.” What is she comparing in these metaphors? What do they reveal about her feelings?
  • On page 145, Jazz writes, “My life seemed to screech to a halt while the rest of the world sped up around me.” What does she mean by this simile? How does it help you understand her feelings?
  • Discussion: How does creativity impact Jazz’s mood? What do you do when you feel down?

Lesson Guidance


Standard and Literary Concepts

  • Simile: A comparison between two unlike things, using “like” or “as” to indicate that a comparison is being made.
  • Metaphor: A comparison made between two unlike things.

Notes

  • Today’s reading discusses depression, which some of your students may have experienced or may have questions about. Additionally, Jazz mentions genitalia several times and describes the changes she is seeing in her body as a result of hormone treatments.

Homework

  • Read Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen, pages 155–167.

Common Core Standards


  • L.6.4.c — Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.
  • L.6.5.a — Interpret figures of speech (e.g., personification) in context.
  • RI.6.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.

Next

Draw conclusions about Jazz’s character based on the way she responds to challenges in her own life and the injustice she sees around her.

Lesson 18
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Lesson Map

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