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Pursuing Dreams: A Raisin in the Sun
Students explore the American experience through the story of an African-American family struggling to achieve their dreams.
ELA
Unit 3
7th Grade
Unit Summary
A Raisin in the Sun is a story about belonging and the American Dream, and the ways that race can be a nearly insurmountable barrier to achieving both. This award-winning play follows the story of the Youngers, a working-class African-American family living in a cramped kitchenette apartment on the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s. Three generations share the apartment, which is barely large enough to fit the five people who live there, let alone the dreams each one has for his or her future and the future of their family.
Students will begin the unit studying informational texts that provide context for the play's setting, including the Great Migration, and the history of housing discrimination against Black people in the United States. Contextualizing this play within this historical moment provides students with the knowledge necessary to unpack the specific and universal themes Hansberry explores. Additionally, students will watch several scenes from the 1961 film adaptation, A Raisin in the Sun, and analyze the way that filmmakers draw viewers into a story through techniques specific to the media. Through this story of a family in a segregated northern city in the 1950s, A Raisin in the Sun continues students' exploration of what it means to belong, and how race, gender, and class shape a person's identity.
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Texts and Materials
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Core Materials
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Play: A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry (Vintage, 2004) — 1100-1200L
Supporting Materials
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Article: “A Better Life: Creating the American Dream” by Kate Ellis and Ellen Guettler (American Public Media)
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Article: “How a New Deal Housing Program Enforced Segregation” by Becky Little
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Article: “How Lorraine Hansberry Turned her Family's Story Into a A Raisin in the Sun” by Robert Loerzel
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Article: “The Great Migration” by History.com editors
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Book: The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson (First Vintage Books Edition, 2011)
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Movie: A Raisin in the Sun
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Podcast: “The Scarlet E, Part II: 40 Acres” by Brooke Gladstone (WNYC Studios)
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Poem: “Harlem” by Langston Hughes (the Poetry Foundation)
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Rubric: Dramatic Scene Rubric (G7, U3)
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Video: “Great Migration” by Yohuru Williams (History.com)
- Resource: Recommended Texts for Independent Reading
Assessment
The following assessments accompany Unit 3.
Content Assessment
The Content Assessment tests students' ability to read a "cold" or unfamiliar passage and answer multiple choice and short answer questions. Additionally, a longer writing prompt pushes students to synthesize unit content knowledge or unit essential questions in writing. The Content Assessment should be used as the primary assessment because it shows mastery of unit content knowledge and standards.
Vocabulary Assessment
The Vocabulary Assessment tests student's knowledge and usage of the unit's of text-based vocabulary.
Fluency Assessment
The Fluency Assessment measures students' ability to read a grade-level text with accuracy and prosody, at a proficient rate, with a reading passage drawn from one of the unit's core texts. Find guidance for using this assessment and supporting reading fluency in Teacher Tools.
Unit Prep
Intellectual Prep
Essential Questions
- How does migration or displacement impact individuals' sense of belonging in their new environment?
- How does the quest for belonging influence relationships between individuals and groups?
- What role do race, class, and gender play in a person's ability to achieve their dreams?
Enduring Understandings
- During the Great Migration, Black individuals who migrated from the South to the North had drastically different experiences based on their circumstances. Some found opportunities for better employment, education, and housing, while others faced new forms of discrimination and economic hardship.
- The desire to belong can strengthen some relationships, while it can create tension or tear other relationships apart. Some individuals strive to belong in a community or culture, while others focus on belonging to a family unit. Regardless, the desire to belong is universal.
- Throughout history, marginalized groups such as Black people, other minority racial groups, and women have advocated, and continue to advocate for equality. Individuals who are marginalized may have a harder time achieving their dreams due to systemic barriers.
- The American dream started as a simple ideal for all Americans to aspire to. However it has become a fallacy that excludes certain Americans based on race or class from being able to achieve their aspirations themselves and their families due to racist and classist policies.
Vocabulary
Text-based
affluenceamiablyaspirationdeferreddrearyeccentricenticedexuberantexpectantfalterforlornlyfosteringfutilehostilityindifferentlanguishesominousplaintivesullentransformundaunted
Literary Terms
actactor's choicecamera movementcamera angleclimaxcutsdialoguedialectfalling actionlightingmonologuepacingscenesetsettingsoundstage directions
To see all the vocabulary for Unit 3, view our 7th Grade Vocabulary Glossary.
Supporting All Students
In order to ensure that all students are able to access the texts and tasks in this unit, it is incredibly important to intellectually prepare to teach the unit prior to launching the unit. Use the guidance provided under 'Notes for Teachers' below in addition to the Unit Launch to determine which supports students will need at the unit and lesson level. To learn more, visit the Supporting All Students Teacher Tool.
Notes for Teachers
- Teachers should have students read this play aloud in class when possible, taking on different roles. This can be done in a whole group or in smaller groups to give more students the opportunity to read. This is a great way to build engagement and investment in this text, as well as have all students practice fluency.
- There are several instances in the play where characters use offensive language—most notably, the n-word. Prepare students for these passages and discuss as a class their reactions to these words, and what their use reveals about characters’ beliefs and emotions. As a part of intellectual preparation, review the following resources to further prepare for daily instruction:
- The N Word in the Classroom by Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor
- How the N-Word Became the 'Atomic Bomb of Racial Slurs' by PBS NewsHour
- Straight Talk About the N-Word by Learning for Justice Magazine
- Addressing Racist and Dehumanising Language by Facing History
- A Raisin in the Sun briefly discusses abortion (Lesson 10) which may be a sensitive topic for students and families. Abortion is a sensitive and often divisive issue. Students may have questions about this topic. For resources on how to support students if they have questions, consult your school or district administrators.
Fishtank ELA Connections
Previous Fishtank ELA Connections
- 4th Grade ELA - Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans
- 5th Grade ELA - Young Heroes: Children of the Civil Rights Movement
- 5th Grade ELA - Belonging to a Movement: One Crazy Summer
- 6th Grade ELA - Developing Resilience: The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963
- 7th Grade ELA - Advocating for Change: Uprising & Flesh and Blood So Cheap
Lesson Map
Common Core Standards
Core Standards
Supporting Standards
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