The Man Who Was Almost A Man - by Richard Wright - A and J Bands

May 8, 2015
Watch and listen to the following New York Times Documentaries and write a reaction.

‘A Conversation About Growing Up Black’

‘A Conversation With My Black Son’

AIM: Where do you think Dave is headed and what's the first thing he will have to learn to do once he gets there?

May 7, 2015 - A Band and J Band
13 Silent Short Sweet Writing Minutes
Assignment #3 
Looking ahead to the year 2045.  

Write a letter to yourself that you will receive in 30 years.  In it, list, define, and explain four signs that will prove to you, (obviously when you are much older), that your life has had purpose.  What are those four things?  (possessions, events, adventures, accomplishments)  Why are they important?  

AIM: What, according to the people around Dave, is Dave's purpose in life?  What shows us that Dave is in rebellion against their sense of what his purpose is?

Film: Family Conversation scene.  
Text: Dave gets the gun.

May 6, 2015 A-Band
10 Silent Short Sweet Writing Minutes
Assignment #2

Is "The United States of America" a place or an idea of a way to live?

AIM: Why does Dave get his identity mixed up with Jenny's?  

Homework Writing Assignment: 
Read the following poem and listen to the song "America" by Simon & Garfunkel.

Explain what the song is trying to say about "looking for America."

"America" by   SIMON & GARFUNKEL

"Let us be lovers we'll marry our fortunes together"
"I've got some real estate here in my bag"
So we bought a pack of cigarettes and Mrs. Wagner pies
And we walked off to look for America

"Kathy," I said as we boarded a Greyhound in Pittsburgh
"Michigan seems like a dream to me now"
It took me four days to hitchhike from Saginaw
I've come to look for America

Laughing on the bus
Playing games with the faces
She said the man in the gabardine suit was a spy
I said "Be careful his bowtie is really a camera"

"Toss me a cigarette, I think there's one in my raincoat"
"We smoked the last one an hour ago"
So I looked at the scenery, she read her magazine
And the moon rose over an open field

"Kathy, I'm lost," I said, though I knew she was sleeping
I'm empty and aching and I don't know why
Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike
They've all gone to look for America
All gone to look for America
All gone to look for America

May 6, 2015 J-Band

Silent Short Sweet Writing Assignment #2
Is a gun in the hand of a bully more or less dangerous than a gun in the hand of someone who gets bullied?

AIM: How is Dave treated by his peers and his parents?
Film: A glimpse at Dave's world: hard work, little encouragement
http://www.amazon.com/Almos-Man-Henry-Fonda/dp/B00UZK4RPO/ref=sr_1_1?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1430909070&sr=1-1&keywords=almos+a+man

Extra Credit: How many different "Englishes" are there in the story and why does the author use more than one kind of English?

May 4, 2015 - Bands A and J

Silent Short Writing Assignment #1

Identify and write about one or more possessions that teenagers today view as symbols of power or prestige.  

AIM: Based on evidence, what are Dave's mother roles in the family?  


April 30, 2015 A-Band
Do Now: Do you think the Second Amendment should be changed?  

1. The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution reads: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

How would your life change if gangs of armed militias, authorized by Constitution took over society? 

AIM: How do Dave's parents treat him?  

• With love?
• Protection?
• Do they want him to love them or respect them?
• Is there evidence of kindness in their family life?
• Is there are reason that they are so harsh with him?

Does the film or the story best capture the feeling Dave has of being bullied by everybody?


April 29, 2015
A & J Bands






April 27, 2015 A & J Band
Do you agree with your parents?

• Always? Sometimes? Rarely? Never?
• What do you disagree over?
• Do you argue?
• Do you win?

Text: "The Man Who Was Almost A Man" - by Richard Wright and "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman


AIM: Why does Dave feel powerless?  Would having a gun help him to balance the inequality he experiences?

Focus: There are two different Englishes in the story: See if you can find them and describe the differences in experiences each one has of the same story.

For example, is one voice older or younger?  From the past or the present?  

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