Emily Hales, BYU, 2009

BioPoem Multicultural Activity For A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

Random House Edition (New York: 1959) Context

This strategy can be used anytime during reading, most likely towards the end of the play to help students gain a better sense of a character and their role and purpose in the text. It asks students to evaluate and interpret characters actions and emotions within the text. This activity is geared for multicultural or ESL populations who may struggle with the structure of a poem written in the English language or how to adequately describe or identify traits of characters in the play. Purpose The purpose of a Biopoem is to help writing synthesize their learning about a subject be it a person, place, thing, concept or event. It follows a pattern that makes it easier for beginning writers to complete as they play with ideas. Directions Ask students to write a poem about one of the characters in the text with the help of these directions (separate handout below). This can be an in-class assignment or homework. : Line 1. First Name

Line 2. Four traits that describe character

Line 3. Relative (brother, sister, daughter, etc.) of ______

Line 4. Lover of _______ (list three things or people)

Line 5. Who feels _______ (list three items)

Line 6. Who needs _______ (list three items)

Line 7. Who fears _______ (list three items)

Line 8. Who gives_______ (list three items)

Line 9. Who would like to see _______ (list three items)

Line 10. Resident of ______

Line 11. Last name

A Note to Teacher It may be necessary to review characters and discuss emotions or desires if these have not already been discussed. It also may require you going through

Emily Hales, BYU, 2009

one as a model for students. It’s important that they be creative, and make sure all characters are covered. Assessment: This should be about a level 2. Check for character traits and deeper understanding of a character. Students should be able to verbally discuss their poems once they are done. Examples:

Beneatha Smart, independent, fierce, dreamer Daughter of Lena, sister of Walter

Lover of school, freedom, womanhood, being right Who feels passion, suffocated, African

Who needs her liberty, education, and identity Who fears poverty, losing herself and her purpose Who gives love, support, strength to her mother

Who would like to see herself become a doctor, to help African women and the people of her race

Resident of Chicago Younger

OR

Lena

Caring, hopeful, wise, moral Mother to Walter and Beneatha

Lover of family, sunshine, God, her dreams Who feels old, obligated to teacher her children morals, hopeful, proud

Who needs her plants, religion, and family Who fears loss, poverty, and at times Walter

Who gives love, life, and insurance money to her family Who would like to see Travis have enough money to buy what he wants, her

family live in a house, her garden blossom with many plants and flowers, Resident of Chicago

Younger

Emily Hales, BYU, 2009

Name: _________________

Biopoem A Raisin in the Sun

Directions: Write a poem about a character in the play according to the instructions. Try to have each line follow the models that I have given below. will be exactly as the directions say. Use your creativity and include all you know about this character from what you’ve read.

Line 1. First Name

Line 2. Four traits that describe character

Line 3. Relative (brother, sister, daughter, etc.) of ______

Line 4. Lover of _______ (list three things or people)

Line 5. Who feels _______ (list three items)

Line 6. Who needs _______ (list three items)

Line 7. Who fears _______ (list three items)

Line 8. Who gives_______ (list three items)

Line 9. Who would like to see _______ (list three items)

Line 10. Resident of ______

Line 11. Last name