Curriculum / ELA / 9th Grade / Unit 2: You Laugh But It’s True: Humor and Institutional Racism in Born a Crime / Lesson 20

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

Lesson 20

ELA

Unit 2

9th Grade

Lesson 20 of 26

Lesson Overview

Objective

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

Readings and Materials

Book: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah — full text

Lesson Notes

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Lesson Map

Lesson

Discussion

Build background on Trevor Noah and South Africa.

Standards

SL.9-10.1SL.9-10.1.cSL.9-10.1.d

Lesson

Discussion

Examine primary sources to develop knowledge about apartheid.

Materials

Bantustans, Republic of South Africa and South-West Africa
“Act Number 30 of 1950”
“'Where Shall I Go?'”
Mr. V. Quinta — (55:01–58:01)
Eddie Daniels — (01:38–23:00)
The Signs that Defined the Apartheid
“The 'Crime' of Martial Sex”
Scene of Alexandra Township (1)
Scene of Alexandra Township (2)
Umlazi Township crate housing
“Wathint' abafazi, wathint' imbokodo”
Police at Sharpeville Massacre
“This Photo Galvanized the World Against Apartheid. Here’s the Story Behind It”

Standards

RI.9-10.1RI.9-10.2RI.9-10.7

Lesson

Analyze how Noah develops the setting, establishes the tone, and introduces the characters in the first chapter of Born a Crime.

Materials

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood pp. 3–17 — Chapter 1: "Run"

Standards

RI.9-10.3RI.9-10.4RI.9-10.5

Lesson

Analyze how Noah develops his central idea that apartheid laws were unjust, unsustainable, and incoherent.

Materials

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood pp. 19–31 — Chapter 2: "Born a Crime"

Standards

RI.9-10.2

Lesson

Analyze how Noah develops the reader’s understanding of his unique experiences navigating life as a mixed-race person in South Africa.

Materials

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood — Chapters 3 ("Trevor, Pray") and 4 ("Chameleon")

Standards

RI.9-10.2RI.9-10.3

Lesson

Narrative Writing

Brainstorm and plan a mini-memoir that uses an informal and conversational tone as well as description and dialogue.

Materials

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood — Chapters 1–4

Standards

W.9-10.3W.9-10.3.bW.9-10.3.dW.9-10.4W.9-10.5

Lesson

Narrative Writing

Emulate Noah's tone in short narrative scenes using an informal and conversational tone as well as description and dialogue.

Materials

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood — Chapters 1–4

Standards

W.9-10.3W.9-10.3.bW.9-10.3.dW.9-10.4W.9-10.5

Lesson

Narrative Writing

Revise a mini-memoir using feedback from a peer review.

Materials

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood — Chapters 1–4

Standards

W.9-10.3W.9-10.3.bW.9-10.3.dW.9-10.4W.9-10.5

Lesson

Examine how apartheid policies, laws, and beliefs impacted character growth and development.

Materials

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood — Chapter 5: "The Second Girl"

Standards

RI.9-10.2RI.9-10.3RI.9-10.5

Lesson

Analyze how Noah characterizes his parents, their parenting, and his relationship with them.

Materials

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood — Chapters 6 ("Loopholes") and 8 ("Robert")

Standards

RI.9-10.2RI.9-10.3RI.9-10.5

Lesson

Analyze Mandela’s inaugural speech for diction, repetition, and imagery and how these contribute to his rhetorical purpose.

Materials

“Inaugural Speech”

Standards

L.9-10.5RI.9-10.2RI.9-10.4RI.9-10.6

Lesson

Identify similarities and differences in the portrayal of South Africa’s colored community in Born a Crime Chapter 9 and a news report.

Materials

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood pp. 115–126 — Chapter 9: "The Mulberry Tree"
“South Africa's coloured community: 'Still marginalised after apartheid'” — (00:00–04:00)

Standards

RI.9-10.5RI.9-10.7

Lesson

Analyze how a nonfiction article develops the idea that race is a social construct.

Materials

“Race and Racial Identity Are Social Constructs” — paragraph 1
“Tyla’s racial identity: South African singer sparks culture war”

Standards

RI.9-10.2

Lesson

Analyze how Noah develops the reader's understanding of his unique experiences navigating life as a mixed-race person in South Africa.

Materials

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood — Chapters 11 ("Outsider") and 13 ("Colorblind")

Standards

RI.9-10.2RI.9-10.3RI.9-10.5

Lesson

Analyze how Noah develops the reader’s understanding of life in Alex township and how his experience there shaped his perspective.

Materials

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood — Chapter 16: "The Cheese Boys"

Standards

RI.9-10.3RI.9-10.4RI.9-10.5W.9-10.3

Lesson

Analyze how Noah develops ideas about race and language and make connections between events in this chapter and those that have occurred previously in the text.

Materials

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood — Chapter 17: "The World Doesn't Love You"

Standards

RI.9-10.3RI.9-10.5

Lesson

Analyze how Abel’s presence impacts Trevor’s life.

Materials

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood pp. 247–272 — Chapter 18: "My Mother’s Life" (to "She said it totally . . . ")

Standards

RI.9-10.2RI.9-10.3

Lesson

Analyze how the structural choices at the end of the memoir connect to its opening.

Materials

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood pp. 272–285 — Chapter 18: "My Mother’s Life" (from "Eventually she did leave")

Standards

RI.9-10.2RI.9-10.3

Lesson

Assessment

Socratic Seminar

Prepare for a Socratic Seminar on overarching questions for Born a Crime.

Materials

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood — full text

Standards

RI.9-10.1RI.9-10.2RI.9-10.3W.9-10.1

Lesson

Assessment

Socratic Seminar

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

Materials