Exploring Elizabeth Keckley

Grade Level: 7th Grade

Subject: English Language Arts

Lesson Length: 90 Minutes

Focus Standards:

• RI.7.1: Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of text.
• RI.7.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text.
• RI.7.7: Compare and contrast a text to its multimedia counterpart to analyze impact and relation.

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Objective

By the end of this lesson, students will:

1. Analyze and cite text-based evidence from Chapter 1 of Behind the Scenes by Elizabeth Keckley.
2. Determine and explore the meaning of challenging vocabulary and phrases found in the chapter.
3. Compare Keckley’s personal account in the text to a short multimedia interpretation of her life’s context.

Materials Needed

1. Copies of Chapter 1 of Behind the Scenes (digital or print).
2. Whiteboard, dry-erase markers, and sticky notes.
3. Projector and speakers for multimedia element.
4. Vocabulary chart handouts.
5. Student notebooks or journals.
6. “Turn and Talk” sentence-starter handouts.

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Lesson Agenda

1. Warm-Up (10 Minutes)

Engage with a Thought-Provoking Essential Question

• Write this question on the board: “What defines courage during a difficult time?”
• Ask students to spend 3 minutes writing their answer in their journals.
• Facilitate a brief 2-minute share-out session where a few students read their responses.

Set Student Purpose

Explain:
“Today, we’re starting Chapter 1 of Behind the Scenes by Elizabeth Keckley. As we dive into her extraordinary life, keep this essential question in mind. Your challenge is to find key moments and words from the chapter that reflect Keckley’s courage.”

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2. Reading and Vocabulary Exploration (25 Minutes)

Guided Reading of Chapter 1 (20 Minutes)

1. Pre-reading Vocabulary (5 Minutes): Build background knowledge.

   • Write three challenging words/phrases from Chapter 1 on the whiteboard: fortitude, servitude, resilience.
   • Discuss each one’s meaning using context clues from example sentences.
   • Provide a vocabulary chart for students to complete as they encounter more difficult words during the reading.

2. Shared Reading (15 Minutes):

   • Read the first few pages of Chapter 1 as a whole group.
   • Pause periodically to ask students to make predictions or identify emotions Keckley may have felt.
   • Choose 2-3 key passages where students can practice citing textual evidence. (Example prompt: “What specific sentence shows Keckley’s resilience in this situation?”)

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3. Text Analysis (20 Minutes)

Group Activity: Text-Evidence Scavenger Hunt

• Divide class of 73 into groups of 5-6 (about 12 groups).
  • Distribute sticky notes to each group.
  • Assign each group ONE key idea or theme from Chapter 1 (e.g., Courage, Hard Work, Overcoming Obstacles).
  • Task:
    1. As they reread specific portions of the chapter, find 2-3 sentences supporting their assigned theme.
    2. Write citations on sticky notes and stick them to the board.

Gallery Walk Discussion (5 Minutes)

• Once sticky notes are on display, allow groups to walk around the room and read others’ findings.
• Ask: “Are there similarities between themes? Why might that be?”

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4. Multimedia Comparison: Finding Impact (20 Minutes)

Watch a Short Video Clip (10 Minutes)

• Play a short 5-minute documentary clip or narrated slideshow summarizing Elizabeth Keckley’s life during the era of slavery (adapted for age-appropriateness).

Whole-Class Discussion (5 Minutes)

• Use guiding questions to help bridge the text and the video:
  1. “How did seeing the visuals impact your understanding of Keckley’s struggles?”
  2. “What was one similarity between the video and Chapter 1?”
  3. “Did the video help you understand any of the text’s more difficult parts? Explain.”

Group Reflection/Comparison (5 Minutes)

• Have students respond in their notebooks:
  • “What is a strength of the written text that the video didn’t show as clearly?”

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5. Independent Reflection (10 Minutes)

Response to Essential Question

• Revisit the essential question: "What defines courage during a difficult time?"
• Direct students to write a 1-paragraph response, citing at least one piece of evidence from the text and one observation from the video.

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6. Wrap-Up and Exit Ticket (5 Minutes)

• Hand out an Exit Ticket Prompt:
  1. What was the most surprising or impactful part of Elizabeth Keckley’s story today?
  2. Rate your understanding of today's lesson on a scale of 1–5 (1: Very Confusing, 5: Highly Clear).

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Assessment Metrics

• Formative Assessment: Responses during group activities, completed vocabulary charts, and Gallery Walk participation.
• Summative Assessment: Written paragraph (independent reflection) and Exit Tickets.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For Advanced Learners:

  • Challenge students to make connections between Keckley’s themes of courage and modern-day examples of perseverance.
  • Ask them to prepare a quick oral presentation analyzing a specific passage.

• For Struggling Readers:

  • Provide simplified definitions and sentence starters for citing textual evidence.
  • Pair weaker readers with a peer mentor during shared reading.

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Teacher Reflection Post-Lesson

• What passages from Chapter 1 resonated the most with students?
• Did all students successfully grasp the connection between the text and the video?
• Was the essential question effective in engaging critical thinking?