Brown Girl Dreaming: A Memoir in Verse Project
Inquiry Framework
Question Framework
Driving Question
The overarching question that guides the entire project.How does Jacqueline Woodson use poems and her own life story in "Brown Girl Dreaming" to show us how she figured out who she is, where she belongs, and what family means to her as the world around her changes?Essential Questions
Supporting questions that break down major concepts.- How does Woodson's life story help us understand what identity means in "Brown Girl Dreaming"?
- How did the places where Woodson lived affect how she saw herself and the world?
- How do the different types of poems in "Brown Girl Dreaming" make the story more powerful and meaningful?
- How do Woodson's family and community help her feel like she belongs and help her learn about herself?
- What's the big idea or main message of the memoir?
Standards & Learning Goals
Learning Goals
By the end of this project, students will be able to:- Analyze the use of poetry in "Brown Girl Dreaming" to convey themes of identity, family, and belonging.
- Examine how setting influences Woodson's understanding of herself and the world.
- Evaluate Woodson's personal experiences in developing the theme of identity.
- Summarize the memoir objectively, identifying the central idea or theme.
- Investigate how family and community shape Woodson's sense of belonging and self-discovery.
Common Core Standards
Entry Events
Events that will be used to introduce the project to studentsPoetry Slam Remix
**Poetry Slam Remix:** Play audio clips of modern-day spoken word poetry addressing identity, family, and belonging. Challenge students to create their own short poems reflecting on similar themes in their own lives. This event will allow students to connect with the genre of the book on a personal level and begin to analyze the purpose and themes within the text.Six-Word Memoir Challenge
**'My Life in Six Words' Challenge:** Inspired by the famous 'six-word memoir,' students brainstorm and share six-word summaries of their own lives, focusing on pivotal moments and identities. Then, introduce excerpts from Woodson's memoir and ask students to consider how she might summarize parts of her life in a similar format. This activity encourages them to think about summarizing complex narratives and identifying central themes.Dreaming Tree Visualization
**'Dreaming Tree' Visualization:** Have students use a large blank tree graphic. Ask students to write down their dreams, hopes, and fears on colorful paper leaves. Attach the leaves to the branches, creating a visual representation of their collective aspirations. Explain that, like them, Woodson had dreams and aspirations, which will be explored throughout the novel.Portfolio Activities
Portfolio Activities
These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.Theme Tracker: Visualizing Woodson's World
Students will select a theme from "Brown Girl Dreaming" (e.g., identity, belonging, family, dreams) and create a visual representation of its presence within the first section of the memoir. This involves identifying key poems and lines that illustrate the theme.Steps
Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.Final Product
What students will submit as the final product of the activityA decorated theme tracker that visually represents the theme's development, including annotated excerpts from the text.Alignment
How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsRL.7.2 - Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text.Symbol Decoder: Unpacking Woodson's Motifs
Students will select a recurring symbol or motif in "Brown Girl Dreaming" (e.g., names, places, colors) and analyze its significance in conveying deeper meanings and themes. Students will write a short essay explaining how the symbol evolves and what it reveals about Woodson's journey.Steps
Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.Final Product
What students will submit as the final product of the activityA written essay analyzing the development and significance of a chosen symbol or motif in conveying the memoir's themes.Alignment
How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsRL.7.2 - Analyze in detail its development over the course of the text; Determine a theme or central idea of a text.Rubric & Reflection
Portfolio Rubric
Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolioBrown Girl Dreaming Portfolio Rubric
Analysis and Understanding
Focuses on how well you understand the book and can explain your ideas about it.Theme/Symbol Identification and Explanation
Accuracy and depth of theme/symbol identification and explanation.
Exemplary
4 PointsWow! You totally get the theme/symbol and explain it in a super insightful way, connecting it to the big ideas in the book.
Proficient
3 PointsGreat job! You understand the theme/symbol and clearly explain how it connects to the book's main ideas.
Developing
2 PointsYou're starting to get the theme/symbol, but your explanations could use a little more detail.
Beginning
1 PointsYou're just beginning to understand the theme/symbol, and your explanations are pretty basic.
Textual Evidence and Support
Quality and relevance of textual evidence used to support analysis.
Exemplary
4 PointsYou use tons of awesome quotes from the book to back up your ideas, showing you really paid attention to the details!
Proficient
3 PointsYou use enough good quotes from the book to support your ideas and make your explanations clear.
Developing
2 PointsYou use some quotes from the book, but they could be better connected to your ideas, or you could explain them more.
Beginning
1 PointsYou don't use many quotes from the book, or the quotes you use don't really support your ideas.
Presentation Quality
Clarity, organization, and coherence of presentation (visual or written).
Exemplary
4 PointsYour work is super organized, looks great, and is easy to understand. It really grabs my attention!
Proficient
3 PointsYour work is clear, organized, and easy to understand.
Developing
2 PointsYour work has some organization, but it could be clearer and easier to follow.
Beginning
1 PointsYour work is disorganized and hard to understand.
Growth and Reflection
Focuses on how creative you are and how well you think about your own learning.Originality and Creativity
Demonstrates originality and creativity in approaching the activity. Goes beyond basic requirements to offer a unique perspective or insight.
Exemplary
4 PointsWow! Your work is incredibly creative and original. You came up with a totally unique way to look at things!
Proficient
3 PointsYour work is creative and original, and you offer some thoughtful ideas.
Developing
2 PointsYour work shows some creativity, but it's mostly pretty standard.
Beginning
1 PointsYour work isn't very creative or original. It's pretty basic.
Reflection and Metacognition
Reflects on the learning process, demonstrating self-awareness and metacognitive skills.
Exemplary
4 PointsYou really thought about how you learned, you know yourself well as a learner, and you have a clear plan for how to get even better in the future.
Proficient
3 PointsYou thought carefully about how you learned, you know your strengths and weaknesses, and you have some ideas for how to improve.
Developing
2 PointsYou thought a little bit about how you learned, but you could be more aware of your strengths and weaknesses.
Beginning
1 PointsYou didn't really think about how you learned.