ARTIFACT SHEET
A Raisin in the Sun / Drama
Name:______/ Period:______/ Artifact Due Date:______ARTIFACT ONE: Comprehension of A Raisin in the Sun
Purpose: With this artifact, you will show that you comprehend the play A Raisin in the Sun
Correlation:
Informative communication:
CI 3. The student will demonstrate the ability to read, to listen, and to view a variety of
increasingly complex informative print[…] by :
d. Demonstrating comprehension of main ideas and supporting details
e. Summarizing key events and/or points from text
f. Making inferences based on text
g. Analyzing and evaluating the connections or relationships between and among ideas, concepts, characters, and/or experiences
Expressive Communication:
CI 3. The student will demonstrate the ability to read, to listen, and to view a variety of
increasingly complex informative print[…] by :
c. Making inferences based on text
d. Making connections text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to-world
Artifact Options
Ways in which you can prove your comprehension
Option 1: Comprehension test
Description: You will take a standard comprehension test over A Raisin in the Sun. The test will feature true/false, multiple choice, matching, & short answer questions to gage your understanding of the text.
Details:
1. Your test will be given on the date the artifact is due.
2. In the days leading up until the test you will be required to complete a pretest packet to help you prepare for the test.
3. Both your pretest packet and your comprehension test will be graded.
4. You will be REQUIRED to turn in your completed practice test BEFORE you are permitted to take your comprehension test.
5. If your pretest packet is not submitted by the artifact due date, you will be docked 5 points per day on both your pretest packet score and your comprehension test score until the pretest packet is turned in and you are able to take the comprehension test.
Option 2: PowerPoint Presentation
Description: You will create a Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation throughout which you will demonstrate your understanding of the text through timelines, character profiles, summaries, theme analysis, quote interpretations, and text references.
Details:
Before you begin you should:
1. Check out the “Bad PowerPoint” Presentation document under Important Docs in the course folder. This will tell you what a good PowerPoint looks like and what a bad PowerPoint looks like and how to create a good one. This is important, as you will be graded on the quality of your PowerPoint as well.
2. Check out the “Comprehension PowerPoint” in the Important Docs folder for an example of a completed PowerPoint for this assignment.
3. Check the “ARITS PowerPoint Rubric” so you know exactly how you’ll be graded.
Here are the requirements for your PowerPoint:
Your PowerPoint presentation MUST include…
1. A title slide with the title “A Raisin in the Sun Comprehension PowerPoint” and your name.
2. A summary of what The A Raisin in the Sun is about. The summary should be 5-8 sentences.
3. A timeline containing at least 10 events from the A Raisin in the Sun and 3 events from the. The timeline can be on a single slide or continue through multiple slides, but it MUST cover the entire story (i.e. you can’t just suddenly stop and not finish the story just because you’ve reached 10 events)
4. A DETAILED account of at least 3 events from your timeline which you believe are important in the story. This account should include
- The name of the event
- A summary of what happens during the event
- Who is involved
- How it turns out
- Why it is important to the story
- A visual aid (picture) for the event
5. A summary of AT LEAST 3 main characters within the text. The summary should include:
- The character’s name
- Their relation to other characters in the text
- A short summary of their actions throughout the story.
- How they change from the beginning of the story to the end of the story.
- A visual aid (picture) of the character.
6. Two themes which you believe are main themes of the text and some reference from the text to support your opinion about these themes. Acceptable references quotes from the characters, actions of the characters, or quotes from the author.
7. An analysis of at least three quotes from characters in the text. The analysis should include:
- Who you are quoting
- When and in what circumstance they said the quote
- What you believe the quote means
- How the quote relates to a major theme in the text
- How the quote shows the character of the speaker.
For example, you might use Mama’s quote on page 55 to discuss the theme of different beliefs between parents and their children
Mama: “No…something has changed (she looks at him.) You something new, boy. In my time we was worried about not being lynched and getting North if we could and how to stay and live and still have a pinch of dignity too…”
Option 3: Essay
Description: You will choose to answer a series of essay prompts, and, in doing so, demonstrate your understanding of A Raisin in the Sun.
Details: Choose at least 4 of the essay prompts below and write a formal essay to answer the questions. Your essays MUST…
1. Be AT LEAST 1 page in length. Essay’s which are less than a page will be returned to you and you will be asked to redo them. Your grade will then be docked 5% each day from the due date until the essay is resubmitted to satisfactory length.
2. Contain FULL SENTENCES. Essays which contain multiple sentences which are made up of only a few words and/or are not full sentences will be returned to you and you will be asked to redo them. Your grade will then be docked 5% each day from the due date until the essay is resubmitted with satisfactory sentence structure.
3. Be typed. See your syllabus for acceptable formatting options. Essay which are not typed and/or are incorrectly formatted will be returned to you and you will be asked to redo them. Your grade will then be docked 5% each day from the due date until the essay is resubmitted with satisfactory formatting.
4. Include the original prompt which you are answering BEFORE your answer.
5. Use evidence from the text to support your answer. Acceptable forms of evidence include character quotes, character actions, anecdotes, and author quotes, descriptions, and details.
6. See the “Essay Organizer” and “writing an essay” files under Important Docs on the classroom website for an example of an essay.
Essay prompts:
1. The American dream means something different to each character in A Raisin in the Sun. Discuss these differences and how they conflict with one another.
2. Within the Younger household, there are three generations of women. Compare and contrast how the characters each form their unique identities.
3. Critical reception to A Raisin in the Sun was not all positive when the play first came out. One of the major points of contention was that the play was pro-integration. Some segments of the African-American community felt that integration actually was not the end-all answer to America's race problem. Discuss the ways in which the idea of integration is presented throughout the play. Is Hansberry's presentation one-sided, or does she raise issues relevant to both viewpoints?
4. Even though Walter Sr. never appears in the play, he is an important character. Discuss his significance.
5. What does Mama's insurance check mean for each member of the Younger family? Mama? Walter? Ruth? Beneatha? Travis? Write five complete paragraphs--one for each member of the family.
6. When Walter answers his mother’s question, “Son—how come you talk so much ‘bout money?” with “Because it is life, Mama!”, what tragic flaw in Walter do we see? What is his attitude towards life, and how is it hurting him, although he may not be able to see it?
7. Reread Langston Hughes’ poem Harlem. What do you think the various metaphorical descriptions of the raisin translate to real life? Compare the characters’ deferred dreams in A Raisin in the Sun to the descriptions of what happens to deferred dreams in Harlem. Discuss how each character’s deferred dreams might match one of the descriptions in the poem Harlem.
8. Write and answer your own essay prompt. You will first need to get the prompt approved by the teacher.
9. Read Mama’s speech on the bottom of page 118. Explain the significance of what she says. What is her view point of view and what does she want for Beneatha? Explain the significance of what she says in your own life or the real world in general.
10.
Option 4: Create Your Own
Description: Create your own, teacher approved, artifact idea and submit it as your artifact.
Details: If you feel you have an idea for an artifact that you feel would meet the competency requirements for this artifact, come see me and we’ll talk about your idea and see if we can get it to work. We’ll then create a rubric for the project so we know exactly how you’ll be graded. You’ll submit the project on the due date.