Fences (2020)

Lesson 8
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ELA

Unit 10

8th Grade

Lesson 8 of 17

Objective


Connect thematic topics between Fences and “Berlin Wall.”

Readings and Materials


  • Book: Fences by August Wilson  pp. 41 – 48

  • Article: “Berlin Wall” 

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Target Task


Writing Prompt

In Troy's life, he has been stopped or "kept out" by many figurative/ metaphorical barriers. Identify one of those barriers. How has it stopped him?

How is the Berlin Wall similar to the fence referenced by Wilson? Make sure to use details from both texts to support your answer.

Key Questions


Question 1

  • Which of the following would be the best alternative title for paragraph 3?

    a.   The Purpose of the Berlin Wall
    b.   The Construction and Consequences of the Berlin Wall
    c.   The “Death Strip” and the Berlin Wall
    d.   Movement Across the Berlin Wall: Diplomats and Government Officials
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Question 2

  • In the first paragraph, what does the author mean by this sentence? “The official purpose of the Berlin Wall was to separate the Western democracy from communist East Germany, but its practical purpose was to deter violence between East and West Berlin.”

    a.   The Berlin Wall was built in order to keep East and West Berlin separate because they had separate forms of government.
    b.   The purpose of the Berlin Wall was to keep East and West Berlin from fighting, and to keep the different types of government separate.
    c.   They pretended to build the wall to separate East and West Berlin, but the real reason was to prevent violence.
    d.   They pretended to build the wall to prevent violence, but the real reason was the separate East and West Berlin.
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Notes


The lesson connects to an assessment question.

Common Core Standards


  • RI.8.2 — Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.
  • RL.8.2 — Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.

Next

Explain August Wilson’s portrayal of father-son relationships.

Explain Troy's belief about his role as a father.

Lesson 9
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