Systemic Racism Themes

Overview

In this fifth lesson of the unit, students analyse how racism operates through systems, institutions and everyday practices in two paired novels. They compare ideas and points of view across texts, using evidence to explain how authors shape tone and meaning.

Learning intentions

WALT: Analyze themes of systemic racism in the novels.

• Identify how characters’ experiences reflect the values of individuals and groups within a wider social and historical context.
• Use comprehension strategies to monitor understanding and infer meaning from key passages.
• Analyse how authors organise ideas and use language to create tone and effect when describing racism.
• Compare quotes from both texts to explain similarities and differences in themes of systemic racism.

Success criteria

Students can:

• Compare two quotes (one from each text) that relate to systemic racism.
• Explain what the quote suggests about power, discrimination or institutional rules/behaviours.
• Use sentence patterns and/or imagery to describe how the author’s language creates tone.
• Justify their comparison using clear evidence and a logical explanation.

Curriculum links

• Literature — AC9E8LE01: Explain ways ideas and points of view represent values of individuals and groups in literary texts, drawn from historical, social and cultural contexts.
• Literature — AC9E8LE05: Analyse how language features and literary devices create tone, meaning and effect.
• Literacy — AC9E8LY04: Analyse how authors organise ideas to develop and shape meaning.
• Literacy — AC9E8LY05: Use comprehension strategies (visualising, predicting, connecting, summarising, monitoring, questioning, inferring) to interpret and evaluate ideas in texts.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Retrieval hook. Teacher displays two previously learnt “theme words” (e.g., power, fairness, exclusion) and asks students to turn-and-talk: “What is the difference between prejudice and systemic racism?” Students share one idea with a partner and then one student records a whole-class definition.

2. 5–12 min · Model comparison paragraph. Teacher briefly recaps the comparison structure: Quote → What it shows → How tone/language works → Link to systemic racism. Teacher models with a short teacher-chosen excerpt from Text A only, thinking aloud about inference and tone. Students annotate the model with three marks: highlight the claim, circle the language feature, underline the evidence.

3. 12–27 min · Guided reading groups (scaffolded quotes). Teacher assigns three groups: Group 1 (supported), Group 2 (on track), Group 3 (extension). Each group receives a small packet of scaffolded passages and a quote bank for Text A and Text B (same theme focus: systemic racism). Students in pairs select one quote from Text A and one from Text B, complete a two-column comparison table (What happens / What it reveals about the system / Tone or imagery).

4. 27–37 min · Whole-class evidence share. Teacher facilitates a structured discussion: “Which quote shows racism as a system (rules, institutions, normalised behaviour), not just an individual act?” Students present their pair of quotes and respond to a prompt: “How does the author’s language create tone—anger, fear, resignation, injustice, hope?”

5. 37–45 min · Exit ticket (comparison response). Teacher gives an exit ticket with one sentence frame and one planning line:

• “Both texts show systemic racism when…” Students write 4–6 sentences comparing the two quotes, including one comment about tone created by language.

Resources

• Two paired novels (Text A and Text B) used in the unit
• Quote bank cards for systemic racism passages from each text
• Two-column comparison table printable
• Sentence starters and paragraph frame (Quote → Meaning → Tone → System link)
• Highlighters (or digital annotation tool) and pencils
• Dyslexia-friendly reading options: audio recordings, text-to-speech access, and enlarged-print excerpts with line spacing
• Exit ticket slips (one per student)

Assessment

• Formative: teacher checks group tables for correct identification of systemic racism (system/rules/institutional behaviour).
• Formative: monitor annotations during the model and guided reading to see whether students can link evidence to tone.
• Exit ticket: short comparison response evaluated against the success criteria (quote comparison, explanation, tone/language comment, systemic link).

Differentiation

• Support: Guided reading groups with scaffolded passages; provide vocabulary supports (e.g., institution, policy, exclusion) and sentence starters for the comparison paragraph.
• Support for dyslexia: offer audio/text-to-speech versions of excerpts, enlarged print, reduced text per page, and allow verbal responses recorded by the student (then copied/typed).
• On track: provide a “quote bank + one required language feature” checklist (e.g., word choice, imagery, sentence structure).
• Extension: require an additional comparison of authors’ choices (e.g., how sentence patterns or imagery differ between Text A and Text B) and a brief “so what?” statement about how the author positions the reader.

Extension (optional)

• Create a thematic collage (materials or digital) using symbols, short quote snippets, and colour-coding to represent systemic racism themes in both texts; label each element with a 1-sentence explanation of tone and meaning.