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

Lesson 21
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ELA

Unit 2

9th Grade

Lesson 21 of 25

Objective


Analyze a central theme developed over the course of Born a Crime, sharing one’s understanding in a final product.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah 

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Target Task


Writing Prompt

Trevor Noah explores many important topics in Born a Crime about growing up in apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa. Choose one topic, identify a related theme, and explain how Noah develops that theme over the course of the text. Share your ideas in a final product of your choice.

Topics:

  • Institutional racism and the cycle of poverty
  • Search for identity, belonging, community
  • Courage and resilience 
  • The power of language
  • The power of love and faith

Product:

  • One-Pager 
  • Multi-paragraph response
  • Podcast episode
  • Multimedia presentation

Homework


Complete the free response question.

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Standards


  • RI.9-10.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
  • RI.9-10.2 — Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
  • RI.9-10.3 — Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them.
  • 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).
  • W.9-10.2 — Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
  • W.9-10.9 — Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Supporting Standards

L.9-10.3
L.9-10.6
W.9-10.4
W.9-10.5
W.9-10.10

Next

Apply the structural parts of a personal narrative to an excerpt from Born a Crime and brainstorm a personal narrative that explores identity development.

Lesson 22
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