Prejudice in Tangerine

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SWBAT analyze how the author develops the concept of prejudice throughout the actions of the characters in the novel.

Big Idea

How can prejudice exist in an upstanding town?

Identifying Prejudice

10 minutes

As a class, we have been reading Tangerine, by Edward Bloor.  One of the topics that have recurred throughout the book is prejudice.   As a class we discussed the meaning of prejudice – pre – judging someone based upon appearance, economic status, religion, culture, etc.

Students reviewed their responses to prompts from the novel, to assist in gathering examples of prejudice that took place throughout the novel.  I wanted students to notice that it was a recurring topic, not just a one time occurrence.

 In small groups, students brainstormed incidents of prejudice that occurred throughout the novel.  We then shared as a whole class and students could add to their list of examples.

Illustration/Textual Evidence

35 minutes

Students were instructed that they were to illustrate four examples of prejudice occurring in Tangerine (the town) and use textual evidence to support their claim.

Prompt:  Review your examples of prejudice occurring in the novel, Tangerine.  Select four strong examples that demonstrate Prejudice.  Be sure that the textual evidence supports the example.  Your illustration should indicate four different events, be colorful, detailed, and neat.

 If students were not done, they finished the illustration for homework.  The next day, the warm-up was sharing their illustration in small groups.