Claiming Our Place: LGBTQ+ Experiences in the United States (2021)

Lesson 14
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ELA

Unit 6

7th Grade

Lesson 14 of 20

Objective


Identify an author or speaker’s argument and assess whether the evidence they provide is relevant and sufficient.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater  pp. 161 – 190

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Target Task


Writing Prompt

Based on the evidence she includes in the chapter titled "Under the Influence of Adolescence," what is Slater’s perspective on the practice of trying and punishing juveniles as adults? Identify her position and the evidence she provides to support this position. Then explain whether the evidence provided is relevant and sufficient to support this argument.

Sample Response

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Key Questions


Close Read Questions

  • Why did states begin to charge juveniles as adults in the 1980s and 1990s? Provide specific details from the chapter "Direct Files" to support your answer. 

  • On page 164, Slater suggests that giving prosecutors the choice about when to try juveniles as adults leads to significant inequality. What evidence is presented on this page to support that idea? Is the evidence relevant and sufficient to support this claim?

  • On page 190, Richard’s lawyer Du Bois makes the claim that Richard is not homophobic because "he doesn’t know how to spell homophobic." Is this evidence relevant and sufficient to support his claim? Explain your thinking.

Exit Ticket

Assess student understanding and monitor progress toward this lesson's objective with an Exit Ticket.

Discussion Questions

  • Review Richard’s two letters to Sasha (p. 180 and pp. 184–185). Do these letters change the way you feel about Richard? Does it change how you feel about the fact that he was accused of a hate crime?

Vocabulary


Text-based

malleable

adj.

easily influenced or shaped

Academic

sufficient

adj.

in appropriate amount; enough.

Homework


To ensure that students are prepared for the next lesson, have students complete the following reading for homework. Use guidance from the next lesson to identify any additional language or background support students may need while independently engaging with the text.

  • Book: The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater  pp. 191 – 222

While reading, answer the following questions.

  • What do Oakland High basketball players wear on their jerseys? Why?

  • How does the director of Oakland High's GSA respond when she sees a photo of Richard? Why?

  • Why is Sasha excited to talk to the media?

  • Who is Dan Gale? How has his life changed since the fire?

  • How does the judge respond to the request for Richard to be tried as a juvenile and not an adult?

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Common Core Standards


  • RI.7.8 — Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.

Supporting Standards

L.7.6
RI.7.1
RI.7.2
RI.7.10
SL.7.1
SL.7.2
W.7.1
W.7.1.a
W.7.1.b
W.7.4
W.7.8
W.7.9
W.7.9.b
W.7.10

Next

Explain the way that events affect individuals’ emotions, beliefs, and behavior in The 57 Bus.

Lesson 15
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