Visibility & Invisibility in Short Texts

Lesson 3
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ELA

Unit 13

9th Grade

Lesson 3 of 15

Objective


Analyze how Emily Dickinson uses literary devices to convey meaning in “I’m Nobody! Who are you?”

Readings and Materials


  • Poem: “I'm Nobody! Who are you? (260)” by Emily Dickinson 

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Target Task


Writing Prompt

In two to three paragraphs, comparing and contrasting the “Preface” of Nobody and “I’m Nobody! Who Are You?” analyze the techniques, such as diction and structure, that each writer uses to make a point about being a nobody.

Sample Response

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Key Thinking


Annotation Focus

What jumps out to you, confuses you, or intrigues you? Where do Dickinson’s choices around language seem most revealing and important?

Scaffolding Questions

According to the poem, what does it mean to be “somebody?” What does it mean to be “nobody?”

What is the speaker’s perspective towards being a “nobody?” What is the speaker’s perspective towards being a “somebody?” What does the speaker prefer?

Discourse Questions

How does Marc Lamont Hill’s perspective on being a nobody compare with the speaker’s perspective on being a nobody in Emily Dickinson’s poem?

Which perspective of being a nobody resonates more with you and why?

Homework


  • Read and annotate “How to Date a Brown Girl...” by the next class.
    • Annotation Focus: To what extent is Yunior invisible?

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Standards


  • LO 1.3B — Analyze how the writer's use of stylistic elements contributes to a work of literature's effects and meaning.
  • RL.9-10.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).

Supporting Standards

LO 1.4B
LO 5.1A
LO 5.1B
RL.9-10.1
RL.9-10.2
SL.9-10.1
W.9-10.2

Next

Analyze the techniques Junot Diaz uses to characterize Yunior, the narrator.

Lesson 4
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Lesson Map

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