Lesson:ModernTragedy:FencesbyAugustWilson

Grade:12
Subject:English+LanguageArts
July14,2012

AspartofasemesterofstudyingtragedyfromtheGreekstotheModerns,twelfthgradeAPEnglishLiterature
andCompositionstudentswillreadAugustWilsonsFences.ResourcesfromtheLibraryofCongresswillhelp
thestudentsdiscoverthemeaningofWilsonstext.Uponcompletionoftheplaythestudentswillhavea
greaterunderstandingoftragedyandthecommonman,asArthurMillersoeloquentlydescribesinanessay
ofthatname,andmakedirectcomparisonsofWilsonsFencestoMillersDeathofaSalesman.

Overview
StudentObjectives
Listthebulletedgoals/objectives
behindyourlessonplan

Studentswill:

Gradelevel
Curriculumarea
Example:LanguageArts

Materials

Useprimarysourcestobecomeacquaintedwiththecolorbarrierin
baseball
Beabletoappreciatetheinternalconflictsfacingthemaincharacter
TroyMaxson
IdentifytheclassictragicelementsinthisTwentiethCenturyplay
Identifyissuesthatareuniversallytragic,notjustonesrelatedtorace
ExplainthebaseballmetaphorsWilsonincorporatesinthedialogue
Understandtheatreartistsuseprimarysourcestorealizeconceptual
interpretationsofdramatictext

12thGradeAdvancedPlacementEnglishLiteratureandComposition

English/LanguageArts

1.AugustWilson.Fences.

2.SourceslistedonLibraryofCongressbibliographyendofthisdocument
3.NegroLeaguesBaseballMuseum,KansasCity,MO
webmuseumvisitathttp://www.nlbm.com/s/index.cfm

4.NYTimesarticleDodgersPurchaseRobinson,FirstNegroinModernMajor
LeagueBaseball,Friday,April16,1947
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0410.html#article

K.Pearsall/Theater:BringingPrimarySourcestoLifeThroughDrama

5.TranscriptofLibraryofCongressinterviewwithBranchRickywhyandhow
Rickeybrokethecolorlineinbaseball
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/robinson/davis.html
6.SpeechbyBranchRickeyforthe"OneHundredPercentWrongClub"
banquet,
Atlanta,Georgia,January20,1956.BroadcastonWERD860AMradio.
describestheproblemshefelthefacedinthe1940s,whenhedecidedto
integratemajorleaguebaseball.Healsodiscusseseventsthatinfluencedhis
decisionandfactorsthathethinkswillreduceracialprejudice
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/robinson/branch.html

K.Pearsall/Theater:BringingPrimarySourcestoLifeThroughDrama


Standards

LearningStandardsbyState
Explaininbulletpointshoweachofthe
Objectivesalignwithstatelearning
standards

Common Core Standards for Reading Literature, Reading Informational

Text, Writing, Speaking and Listening Grades 11,12:

Integrateandevaluatemultiplesourcesofinformationpresentedin
differentmediaorformats(e.g.,visually,quantitatively)aswellasin
wordsinordertoaddressaquestionorsolveaproblem.Objective
usingprimarysources

Initiateandparticipateeffectivelyinarangeofcollaborativediscussions
(oneonone,ingroups,andteacherled)withdiversepartnersongrades
1112topics,texts,andissues,buildingonothersideasandexpressing
theirownclearlyandpersuasively.Objectiveclassdiscussionsabout
howprimarysourcesinformunderstandingoftheplay

Analyzemultipleinterpretationsofastory,drama,orpoem(e.g.,
recordedorliveproductionofaplayorrecordednovelorpoetry),
evaluatinghoweachversioninterpretsthesourcetext.Objective
analyzing/comparingtheYouTubeactingdemonstrationsoftheplay

Analyzetheimpactoftheauthorschoicesregardinghowtodevelopand
relateelementsofastoryordrama(e.g.,whereastoryisset,howthe
actionisordered,howthecharactersareintroducedanddeveloped).
Objectivestudentscreatetheirowninterpretationsofauthors
charactersandthemes

Determinetwoormorethemesorcentralideasofatextandanalyze
their
developmentoverthecourseofthetext,includinghowtheyinteractand
buildononeanothertoproduceacomplexaccount;provideanobjective
summaryofthetext.Objectivecompletedwhenreadingindependently
theremainderoftheplay

Writeinformative/explanatorytextstoexamineandconveycomplex
ideas,concepts,andinformationclearlyandaccuratelythroughthe
effectiveselection,organization,andanalysisofcontent.Objective
completingwrittenassessment

K.Pearsall/Theater:BringingPrimarySourcestoLifeThroughDrama

Procedures/Resources
Recommendedtimeframe
overview

Fortyfiveminuteinclasssessions

Example:6sessions:130mingroup
intro/530mincomputerbased
activitysessions/130mingroupwrap
up

Listtheprocedureandresourcesfor
bulletpointswithresourcelinksforeach
sessions:

SessionOne:

BackgroundonAugustWilsonandhisplays McCarterTheatreteaching
resourcehandouts
AboutAugustWilson
http://www.mccarter.org/Education/gemoftheocean/12.html

AugustWilsonsCycleAfricanAmericansinthe20thCentury
http://www.mccarter.org/Education/gemoftheocean/14.html

DVDfromschoollibrary

EssentialQuestion toOpenUnit:
Whataretheissuesofracialsegregationinbaseball?
whatweretheNegroLeagues?
whowasBranchRickey?
whatcanwegleanfromoursourcesaboutthesignificanceofthese
issues?
Teachingobjective:Studentswillanalyzeprimarysourcesinorderto
understandthebackgroundofTroysconflict.

Procedure:Passoutlaptops.Studentsworkinpairstoreviewallprimary
sources(photosandmanuscripts)listedundermaterialsinthelessonplan.
Thetextoftheplaywillbereadaftersessionstwoandthree.
Togetherstudentswillmakenotesinresponsetotheprimarysources:
Guidingquestionsforphotonotes:
Describewhatyousee.Whatshappening?Whatisthecontextand
audienceofthephoto?Whatdoyouwonderabout?Conclusions?

Guidingquestionsformanuscripts,articles,andwebmuseumvisit:
Whatdoesthetextsay?Whoistheintendedaudience?Whatdowe
learnandwonderabout?

SessionTwo:

K.Pearsall/Theater:BringingPrimarySourcestoLifeThroughDrama

SessionThree:

SessionFour:

SessionFive:

LibraryofCongressresourceforanalyzingprimarysources:
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/resources/Analyzing_Phot
ographs_and_Prints.pdf

Objective:Studentsbegintounderstandthesignificanceofthecolorbarrier
inbaseball.

Studentsdiscussfindingsfromtheprimarysourcesclassroomsharing
Handinnotesforaclassworkgradejustacheckforcompletion.

Objective:StudentswillobserveanactorsinterpretationofTroysconflict
withhissonandassessitsrelationshiptotheprimarysourcematerialthey
examined.(Watchyoutubevideoclips)

1. HowComeYouAintNeverLikedMe?(fathersonconflictDenzel
Washington2010)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBTXS42dj40

YouAintNeverLikedMe(samesceneJamesEarlJones1987)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_kGtQmvrVI&feature=related

**Discussionofbothactorscreationofthecharacter,noting
similaritiesanddifferencesandaudiencesreaction.

2.FightingDeathDenzelWashington2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v4l36NTrsA

3. IDontWantHimtoBeLikeMeDenzelWashington2010(Troys
bitternessaboutpastdiscrimination)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqIHzuBm2Gk

Objective:Studentswillcreatetheirown interpretationsaboutTroys
characterasinformedbytheirprimarysourceresearch.

BeginreadingFencesaloudinclass.Studentstakeroles.Theydiscover
complexityofTroysconflictbyreferringtowhattheyhavelearnedintheir
reviewoftheprimarysources.

Homework:Readrestofplayathomesuggestreadingaloudtoselfor
readingwithsiblingorparents.

K.Pearsall/Theater:BringingPrimarySourcestoLifeThroughDrama

Objective:Studentsdemonstrateunderstandingofboththethemesofthe
playandtheplaywrightscraftbyrespondingtoaninclassessay.

Givenasetofquotationsbyfamoushistoriansandwriters,studentsselect
oneandapplyittotheplayintermsofeither/boththeAfricanAmerican
conditionor/andtheuniversalhumancondition.

SessionSix:

Evaluation

Notetherubricwhichwillhelpyou
evaluate/gradeyourstudents

StudentswillbeevaluatedusingtherubricforgradingAPEnglish
LiteratureandCompositionessays.

AdditionalResources
Listanyadditionalresources(example:
1. AugustWilsonhomepage
websitesrelatedtolessonplantopic)
http://www.augustwilson.net/
thatstudentscanuseforadditional
2. AugustWilsonCenterforAfricanCulture
informationand/orafterclass
exploration
http://www.augustwilsoncenter.org/

3. TheatreReviewofDenzelWashingtonandViolaDavisin

Fences2010

http://theater.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/theater/reviews/27fences

.html

4. TheatreReviewof1987productionwithJamesEarlJones

http://theater.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9b0de

7de1f3df934a15750c0a961948260

Accommodations
Noteanyaccessibilityoptionsthat
Usuallynotnecessaryforthisclasslevel
mightbeappliedtoaddressstudent
need

K.Pearsall/Theater:BringingPrimarySourcestoLifeThroughDrama

Primary Sources from the Library of Congress

ImageThumbnail

Description
SatchelPaige,headand
shouldersportrait,seatedin
frontofaportraitofhimself
inabaseballuniform

Citation
Gotfryd,Bernard.Satchel
Paige.1970.Libraryof
CongressPrintsand
PhotogtraphsDivision
WashingtonD.C.20540
<http://www.loc.gov/pictu
res/item/2006689909/>

URL
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item
/2006689909/

AfricanAmericanBaseball
PlayersfromMorris
College.Libraryof
CongressPrintsand
PhotographsDivision
WashingtonD.C.20540
http://www.loc.pnp.pp
printpublishedinBaseball
Americana:Treasuresfrom
TheLibraryof
Congress/HarryKatz,et.al.
NewYork:Smithsonian
Books,2009
<http://www.loc.gov/pictu
res/item/95597100/
Smith,Roger.Negro
NegroMarinespreparefor
action.Breakingatradition
MarinesareTeammates.
of167years,theU.S.Marine 1943.LibraryofCongress
Corpsstartedenlisting
PrintsandPhotographs
NegroesonJune1,1942.The DivisionWashington,D.C.
firstclassof1,200Negro
20540
volunteersbegantheir
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/
trainingthreemonthslater
pp.print
asmembersofthe51st
<http://www.loc.gov/pictu
CompositeDefenseBattalion res/item/owi20001024282
atMontfordPoint,asection /PP>

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item
/95507100/

AfricanAmericanbaseball
playersfromMorrisBrown
College,withboyand
anothermanstandingat
door,Atlanta,Georgia

K.Pearsall/Theater:BringingPrimarySourcestoLifeThroughDrama

URLLink:
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item
/owi2001024282/PP/

LCUSW3022973C(b&wfilm
neg.)

ofthe200squaremile
MarineBase,CampLejeune,
atNewRiver,NorthCarolina.
Evidenceofthelackofracial
frictionmaybeseeninthe
sportsprogramatthecamp.
OnthebaseballteamNegro
enlisteesandwhitenoncom
officersareteammates.

K.Pearsall/Theater:BringingPrimarySourcestoLifeThroughDrama