What Does Success Look Like?
Scholars discuss Lonnie’s relationship with his sister, Lili, and uncover Woodson’s message about the importance of relationships and family. Scholars also observe that sometimes Lonnie finds it challenging to express and share his feelings.
Seminar 4: Locomotion: Pages 42–61
Do Now — 10 minutes
- Show an exemplary Exit Ticket from the previous seminar. Have scholars discuss what makes it exemplary. Have scholars articulate the transferable takeaway from the work study that they will apply to their revisions.
- Scholars revise their Exit Tickets from the previous seminar based on the feedback you gave them.
Launch — 2 minutes
- Tell scholars that today’s reading will reveal more about Lonnie’s relationship with his little sister, Lili.
Read and Discuss 1 — 35 minutes
Read:
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- Play Audiobook (Sections 29–30, 00:00–04:37): Pages 42–48
Discuss:
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- Scholars discuss the following question in pairs: What do we learn about Lonnie and Lili in “Visiting”? Call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars back up their claims with evidence from the text.
- If scholars nailed the previous question, ask: How does the description of Lili’s “new mama” compare with Lonnie’s descriptions of Miss Edna (page 44)?
Read:
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- Play Audiobook (Section 31, 00:00–01:39): Pages 49–50
Discuss:
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- Scholars discuss the following question in pairs: Why does Lonnie write the “Just Nothing Poem”? Call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars back up their claims with evidence from the text.
- If scholars nailed the previous question, ask: How does the mood in “Just Nothing Poem” compare with the mood in “Visiting”?
Write — 10 minutes
Write an essay of no more than 200 words:
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- Why does Lonnie agree to “go looking for [God]” in the poem “Visiting” (page 48)? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from the text.
Wrap-up — 5 minutes
- Show an exemplar essay to scholars. Have scholars discuss what makes the claim clear and compelling. Have scholars articulate the transferable takeaway from the work study that they need to apply to their own work moving forward.
Read and Discuss 2 — 20 minutes
Independent Reading (10 minutes):
Discuss:
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- Scholars discuss the following question in pairs: What does Lonnie mean when he writes, “Some days I hate poetry” (page 54)? Call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars back up their claims with evidence from the text.
- If scholars nailed the previous question, ask: What is the mood of “Hey Dog”? How does Woodson create this mood? Call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars back up their claims with evidence from the text.
Exit Ticket — 8 minutes
Write an essay of no more than 200 words:
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- When Ms. Marcus wants to see Lonnie’s poems, why does he write: “No Way/ Some things just your own” (page 59)? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from the text.