You Laugh But It’s True: Humor and Institutional Racism in Born a Crime

Lesson 19
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ELA

Unit 2

9th Grade

Lesson 19 of 25

Objective


Analyze how Abel’s presence impacts Trevor’s life and how the structural choices at the end of the memoir connect to its opening.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah  — Chapter 18: "My Mother’s Life"

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Target Task


Discussion & Writing Prompt

How does Patricia Noah’s marriage to Abel impact Trevor’s relationship with his mom?

Sample Response

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Key Questions


Close Read Questions

  • How does Abel’s presence in the family impact Trevor’s life and understanding of the world?

  • What does Trevor understand about his mother’s marriage as an adult that he didn’t understand as a boy?

  • Consider the opening and closing of this chapter in particular and the memoir in general, including the final conversation between Trevor and his mother in the epilogue on page 285? What is the significance of the structural choices Noah makes?

Vocabulary


Text-based

sinister

adj.

(p. 249)

giving the impression that something harmful or evil is happening or will happen

Homework


Prepare for the Socratic seminar by using the graphic organizers found in the Socratic Seminar Assessment PDF.

 

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Standards


  • RI.9-10.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper).
  • RI.9-10.5 — Analyze in detail how an author's ideas or claims are developed and refined by particular sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of a text (e.g., a section or chapter).

Supporting Standards

L.9-10.1
L.9-10.6
RI.9-10.1
RI.9-10.2
RI.9-10.3
SL.9-10.1
SL.9-10.6
W.9-10.1
W.9-10.4
W.9-10.9
W.9-10.10

Next

Engage in a summative Socratic seminar about the larger themes and ideas of Born a Crime, supporting arguments with strong and thorough textual evidence.

Lesson 20
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Lesson Map

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