ELA 10B Equality Mr. Germann

from Black BoyBy Richard Wright

1. Read the essay aloud in small groups.a. These groups will be chosen by the teacher.

2. Discuss the essay, using the following questions as starting points.Have a written response for each question for marking.

a. Explain how the author’s hunger has changed?

b. Why isn’t there any food in the Wright household?

c. How does Mrs. Wright’s attitude toward her situation change?

d. How does Richard first feel about being given the responsibility of shopping? How does this feeling change? Why?

e. Why does Mrs. Wright send Richard out to fight?

f. What does Richard do to the gang?g. Do you approve of Mrs. Wright’s forcing

Richard out to face the gang with a stick? Why or why not?

h. Do you think Richard’s life will be different after he wins the fight?

i. Think about1. possible changes in his relationship

with his mother2. possible changes in his relationship

with neighbors3. possible changes in feeling about

himself

Response Journal

ELA 10B Equality Mr. Germann

1) The event in the selection occurred around 1913. Could the same thing happen today? If it did, what would be the same and what would be different? If not, why not?

Day WorkBy James P. Comer

Pre-Reading

Prepare yourself to discuss the situations many blacks faced in the past.

ReadRead the excerpt silently.

Post-Reading

A large group discussion will take place using the following questions as starting points.

1. What is day work?

2. Why was day work like “going to school” for Maggie Comer?

3. When the guest (p. 523) refers to Maggie’s daughter as “nigger girl”, what does this suggest about her?

4. When Maggie pretends not to hear the offensive remarks about her daughter, she is demonstrating “grace under pressure”. What does this mean?

ELA 10B Equality Mr. Germann

5. What single word would you use to describe Maggie?