A revolutionary work of literature requires a revolutionary assessment project. A series of activities on Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings includes discussion questions, a plot synopsis, and a selection of both short and long-term projects that appeal to the creative sides of language arts students.

Concepts

i know why the caged bird sings, maya angelou, black history month, literary analysis, the great depression

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Use in a unit on prominent 20th-century writers or during a focus on coming-of-age stories
• Show the video of Maya Angelou speaking at the 1993 inauguration of President Bill Clinton, or her 2008 acceptance speech for the Voice of Peace Award

Classroom Considerations

• Be sure that your class is mature enough for the sensitive subject matter in the novel, and for the writing assignments that rely on knowledge of those events
• Resource is a sample of a larger unit that is available for purchase at the publisher's website

Pros

• Projects include a Reader's Theatre, a series of drawings of important scenes from the book, and a talk-show interview with Maya and Scout from Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird
• Provides suggestions for assessing finished work and a blank rubric for teacher use
• Includes tips for adapting the assessments to various learning styles

Cons

• None

Common Core

RL.8.1 RL.8.2 RL.9-10.1 RL.9-10.2 RL.11-12.1 RL.11-12.2