Interdisciplinary Unit Plan
Unit: Under the Blood Red Sun
Theme: Overcoming Challenges that Minorities Face
Group A
Teacher: Mr. David Macaluso
Grade: 9
Subject: Language Arts
Activity 1
Description
Students will analyze, identify and write a 3-5 page paper about each section of the novel, Under a Blood Red Sun, that deals with racism or bullying.
Common Core State Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.4:Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1-3 up to and including grades 9-10
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology's capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
Lesson Objectives
The students will breakdown of all the characters from Under a Blood Red Sun describing their traits, personalities and hobbies. Through scaffolding, the students will review the book, conduct research, and organize their information. The students will site every section in the book that deals with racism or with bullies.
Following the Rubric, the students may need to do additional research, analysis information, review methodology for original draft, and include references. Students will then have peer assessment of the papers before the final draft is completed.
Materials Needed
Laptop or PC, the novel Under The Blood Red Sun, and Internet for further research
Activity 2
Description
Students will write a research paper about about historical and or fictional people who had to try to overcome the odds and deal with racism.
Common Core State Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.4:Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1-3 up to and including grades 9-10
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology's capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
Lesson Objectives
The book Under a Blood Red Sun, the main character Tomi had to dealt with racism and bullies on a number of the different levels. In this activity, the students will research and write about historical and fictional people who had to try to overcome the odds and deal with racism. Some key figures the students could concentrate on might be the Brooklyn Dodgers Jackie Robinson who broke the color barrier in 1947 to become the first African Americanto play in Major League Baseball.
Link: http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/robinson.htm
Other options can be about Hollywood filmmakers and actors who were blacklisted from 1940-1950, whichincluded the Hollywood Ten, who were jailed for refusing to answer questions from the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). In addition Studentscan investigate over 300 other individuals that were placed on the black listand were not allowed to work
Link: http://www.classicmovies.org/hollywood-blacklist/
Materials Needed
Laptop or PC and Internet for further research
Activity 3
Description
Students will research and create a front page of a newspaper that will contain
headlines and stories from December 7, 1941.
Common Core State Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.4:Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising,
editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant
for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of
Language standards 1-3 up to and including grades 9-10
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and
update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology's capacity to
link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
Lesson Objectives
The students will use the information they gathered from research from the Internet, from reading the story Under a Blood Red Sun and then they will construct their own front page to a newspaper which will date December 7th 1941. The students will work in groups of four and they will be responsible for researching, writing, adding pictures either drawing them theirselves or by searching for them on the Internet and then they will be constructing a front page of the newspaper. These assignments will be displayed during the schools activity day. The image displayed above is an example of what they would look like.
Materials Needed
2 feet x 3 feet poster paper, markers, Laptop, internet for research and pictures
Supplemental Materials
Novels
Silver Like Dust by Kimi Cunningham Grant
This story is about an American Japanese family who is brought to an Internment on US soil during WWII.
Looking LIke the Enemy by Mary Matsuda Gruenewald
This novel is about the imprisonment in Japanese-American Internment Camps.
Jim Thorpe, Original All-American by Joseph Bruhac
A story about one of the greatest athletes who ever lived. Thorpe was a Native American who fought against all odds and ended up playing professional football and Major League baseball, and won Olympic gold medals in track and field.
I Never Had It Made: An Autobiography of Jackie Robinson by Jackie Robinson
The Autobiography about the first black man in history to play in the major leagues.
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler's Olympics by Jeremy Schaap
Videos
Japanese Relocation During World War II (video from the History Channel)
It's a story about the relocation of approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans (American citizens) that were sent to one of 10 internment camps located across the country.
A film that was made in 1951 starring Van Johnson. Its takes place during World War II. Johnson is a newly commissioned American Army officer who looks forward to being assigned to the 36th Texas Division. But Instead he is put in charge of Japanese-American soldiers which forms the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Grayson is racist and doesn’t like his assignment. But he changes his mind when he sees his men fight during combat in Italy. He learns to appreciate them and admires what they are going through as they display the same love for the US as he does. It turns out later that the 442nd becomes one of the most decorated units in the U.S. Army.