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

Lesson 7
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ELA

Unit 6

7th Grade

Lesson 7 of 20

Objective


Describe how a text is organized, how specific chapters fit into the overall structure of the text, and how the author makes structural choices to develop the reader’s understanding of characters, setting, and plot.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater  pp. 1 – 27

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Target Task


Discussion & Writing Prompt

Reread the first chapter, "Monday, November 4, 2013." Describe the way that Slater has opened this book and why she most likely began this way. How does this chapter contribute to the reader’s understanding of setting, events, and/or characters?

Sample Response

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Key Questions


Close Read Questions

  • How does the second chapter, "Oakland, California," contribute to the reader’s understanding of events, setting, and/or characters in the text?

  • How does the structure of the chapter "Tumbling" differ from the structure of "1001 Blank White Cards"? How do these chapters contribute to the reader’s understanding of events, setting, and/or characters in the text? Provide evidence from both chapters to support your answer

  • How does the chapter "Pronouns'' contribute to the reader’s understanding of events, setting, and/or characters in the text?  Provide at least two pieces of specific evidence from this chapter to support your answer.

Discussion Questions

  • What do we know about Sasha as a result of reading today’s chapters?

Vocabulary


Text-based

divert

v.

cause something to change course

binary

n.

something made up of (only) two parts; (adjective): consisting of two parts

Academic

structure

n.

the way text is organized. 

Notes


  • Slater discusses transgender and genderqueer individuals in this text, using their names and pronouns assigned at birth. Many trans people find this practice offensive and harmful. Slater notes at the beginning of the text, "The pronouns and names used for gender-nonconforming people were approved by the people in question" We can assume, therefore, that Slater got the approval of these individuals before publishing their names.
  • As of 2013, Asperger’s Syndrome is no longer an official diagnosis; rather, people like Sasha are described as having an Autism Spectrum Disorder. However, some people who were diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome before this change continue to self-identify as having Asperger’s.
  • When talking with your students about autism, it is important to seek out resources that were developed by autistic people. As always, we recommend taking an "own voices'' approach whenever possible (using texts and resources written by people who share the identity being discussed). The Autism Self Advocacy Network has a number of resources that may be useful in any conversations you have. 

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. 28 – 56

While reading, answer the following questions.

  • When did Sasha come out as genderqueer?

  • Why did Sasha choose the name "Sasha"?

  • Why does Sasha refuse to use the bathroom at a gas station?

  • Why does Sasha wear skirts?

  • What petition does Sasha start? What is the result?

  • Why does Sasha's father change the clipboards in his classroom?

  • Who is Nemo?

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Common Core Standards


  • RI.7.5 — Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas.

Supporting Standards

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

Next

Describe how Sasha’s community responded to their gender identity, and how specific chapters in the text contribute to the reader’s understanding of characters, ideas, and events.

Lesson 8
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