Classroom Resource

Their Eyes Were Watching God: The Impact of Language | The Great American Read

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

11

Overview

How does language affect how we see each other? Does the language that characters use influence how we see them? In this lesson, work with students to investigate the preconceived notions people have about accents and dialects, and how Zora Neale Hurston uses language in Their Eyes Were Watching God. Students will engage in collaborative discourse with preconceived norms and utilize active listening skills. Students will explore the link between the cultural perspective and language the characters use and the implicit meaning of the text. This lesson also provides students with the opportunity to compare multiple formal and informal languages and draw inferences about the social implications of a specific accent or dialect in a work of literature. 

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.R3

Utilize active listening skills in formal and informal conversations, following predetermined norms.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.R3

Vocabulary

  • Active listening
  • Formal conversations
  • Informal conversations
  • Predetermined norms

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Active listening skills.
  • Strategies to identify formal and informal settings.
  • Engage in formal and informal conversations.
  • Predetermined norms for formal and informal discussions.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Demonstrate active listening skills during formal and informal discussions.
  • Practice predetermined norms for formal and informal discussions.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Conversations and discussions follow predetermined norms which help us actively listen and gain understanding.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.1

Read, analyze, and evaluate complex literary and informational texts written from various points of view and cultural perspectives, with an emphasis on works of American literature.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.1

Vocabulary

  • Analyze
  • Evaluate
  • Complex literary text
  • Complex informational texts
  • Points of view
  • Cultural perspectives
  • American literature

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Necessary skills to read, analyze, and evaluate complex literary and informational texts.
  • Strategies to identify and describe various points of view and cultural perspectives.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Read complex texts.
  • Analyze elements within complex texts.
  • Evaluate text based on specific criteria provided by teacher.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Texts written from various cultural perspectives and viewpoints can provide them with valuable information about the thoughts, opinions, and experiences of others.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.3

Analyze how an author explicitly exhibits his/her cultural perspective in developing style and meaning.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.3

Vocabulary

  • Analyze
  • Cultural perspective
  • Style
  • Meaning

Knowledge

Students know:
  • An author's cultural perspective influences the style and meaning of their work.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify the style and meaning of text.
  • Analyze how an author explicitly exhibits his/her cultural perspective in a text.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • An author's cultural perspective affects word choice, style, theme, and the overall meaning of a text.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.4

Analyze how an author uses characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view to create and convey meaning.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.4

Vocabulary

  • Analyze
  • Characterization
  • Figurative language
  • Literary elements
  • Point of view
  • Create
  • Convey

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Authors choose to write from a particular point of view and use specific literary elements and vocabulary words to convey their intended meaning.
  • Methods to analyze characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view in a variety of texts.
  • Analyze how characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view creates and conveys meaning in a variety of texts.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Authors select particular literary elements and devices to create and convey meaning within their written work.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.7

Compare and/or contrast the perspectives in a variety of fiction, nonfiction, informational, digital, and multimodal texts produced from diverse historical, cultural, and global viewpoints, not limited to the grade level literary focus.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.7

Vocabulary

  • Fiction texts
  • Nonfiction texts
  • Perspectives
  • Informational texts
  • Digital texts
  • Multimodal texts
  • Historical viewpoints
  • Cultural viewpoints
  • Global viewpoints

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Strategies to identify the perspective of fiction, nonfiction, informational, digital, and multimodal texts.
  • Strategies to identify the historical, cultural, and global viewpoints of a variety of texts.
  • Methods to compare and contrast texts.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Compare and contrast perspectives in fiction, nonfiction, informational, digital, and multimodal texts.
  • Compare and contrast diverse historical, cultural, and global viewpoints demonstrated in a variety of texts.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • The texts they read will have a variety of historical, cultural, and global viewpoints, which offer a multitude of perspectives on different topics.
  • Similar and different ideas and themes can be presented in a variety of textual formats.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.14

Participate in collaborative discussions involving multiple cultural and literary perspectives, responding to, contributing to, building upon, and questioning the ideas of others with relevant, appropriate evidence and commentary.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.14

Vocabulary

  • Collaborative discussions
  • Cultural perspectives
  • Literary perspectives
  • Relevant, appropriate evidence
  • Commentary

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The format and process for respectful, collaborative discussions.
  • Strategies to incorporate relevant evidence to support a perspective in a collaborative discussion.
  • Methods for responding, contributing to, building upon, and questioning the ideas of others with relevant, appropriate evidence and commentary.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Participate in a class discussion in a respectful and collaborative environment.
  • Respond to, contribute to, build upon, or question the ideas of others in a collaborative discussion.
  • Use relevant, appropriate evidence to support perspectives in a collaborative discussion.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Using evidence to support a perspective is necessary for a respectful, collaborative discussion.
  • There are multiple ways to respond to others in a collaborative discussion, including answering questions, asking questions, or adding to others' ideas.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.20

Analyze the formality of language in a variety of audible sources in order to comprehend, interpret, and respond appropriately.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.20

Vocabulary

  • Formal language
  • Audible sources
  • Comprehend
  • Interpret
  • Respond

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Strategies to identify and analyze the formality of language in a variety of audible sources.
  • Methods to comprehend, interpret, and respond to a variety of audible sources.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Listen to an audible source to determine and analyze the formality of language.
  • Listen to an audible source to comprehend the meaning.
  • Listen to an audible source to interpret meaning.
  • Listen to an audible source to respond to the message appropriately.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Listening is critical in determining the formality of language in an audible source.
  • They must actively listen to comprehend, interpret, and respond to the message of an audible source.
  • Formal and informal language each have their own characteristics and require different responses based on those characteristics.
Link to Resource
https://aptv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/theireyeswerewatchinggod-language/th…

CR Resource Type

Lesson/Unit Plan

Resource Provider

PBS
Accessibility
License

License Type

CUSTOM

Custom License Type (URL)

https://aptv.pbslearningmedia.org/help/terms-of-use/

Comments or Notes

This resource will take approximately 70 minutes to complete. 

Learning objectives:
Students will be able to discuss the impact of language on their perceptions of people and characters.

Prep for teachers:
- Teachers should read and annotate "Does Your Accent Make You Sound Smarter?" Identify questions from the text that can further enhance classroom discussion.
- This lesson will be most impactful for students who are just beginning to read Their Eyes Were Watching God as an anticipatory lesson.

Supplies
- electronic devices, speakers, and printed materials

Approved Date

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