Lesson Overview 

In this lesson we read two poems by John Milton, an excerpt from Lorraine Hansberry, and listen to a song by Nina Simone.  I want to once again reinforce that idea that Great Literature is timeless - and it can speak to us as much as anything written today (actually, more).  For more on this idea, see Jame Baldwin's "How I Learned to Stop Hating Shakespeare" and Toni Morrison's "Grendel's Mother"

Quiz

No quiz.  In fact, this lesson is genrally used a "breathing space" to give students time to read Milton's Paradise Lost - and for that - therer will be a quiz (a test actually).  That reading is quite long so it makes sense to give the students more time - and this is something that we do (that requires no homework) to give the students that time.

Biographical Material

Same as the quiz - you don't have a lot of time.  The Handout & the accompanying Power Point have the biographical material that the students have in their text book.  In this lesson, the bio is very important.  For once, we have a writer whose parents did everything they could to encourage his creativity and supported him all the way.  It's not only great to have that contrast with so many other writers who were forced to find their voice on their own - but it also gets to the theme of this lesson: using the talents that you have been blessed with.

Students write down one thing they are good at.

My favorite thing to do as a teacher is to have students put parts of a critical thinking equation together - for themselves.  Give them the parts and let them assemble it.  Before we begin the lesson proper - but after having read the biographical material - the students are asked (on slide #8 on the Power Point) to write down one thing  that they are good at.  That should stay in front of them (literally and figuratively) thoughout this lesson.

Reading an excerpt from Lorraine Hansberry's "To Be Young, Gifted and Black

Next, the class will read aloud (students will do the reading) an excerpt from Lorraine Hansberry's "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" (Slide #9) and on their handouts.  The sentiments she expresses will be echoed in the parable and the poem (by Milton) that we are about to read.  Again - Great Literature speaks to us now as much as the day it was written - even if that was hundreds of years ago.

John Milton's desire to be a poet

Slide #10: John Milton wrote that he wanted to be a poet so that he “might perhaps leave something so written to aftertimes as  they should not willingly let it die.”

Ah - see how each of these parts is intertwined?  

The definition of "talent"

Before the students act out "The Parable of the Talents" it's important for them to know that the word "talent" originally referred to a coin that was used by the Greeks and Romans.

Acting out "The Parable of the Talents"

On their handout, the students have "The Parable of the Talents" taken from the Bible (and that Milton will reference in his poem).  The parable is divided into four parts: A,B,C,D.  The handout also has very general directions for the students.  Divide your class up into 4 or have them count off (A,B,C,D) and give them about 5-10 to prepare their part.  Here are their instructions from the handout: How you act this out is up to you  - be creative, group members can play characters, a crowd, be a road, be coins (talents), whatever you want to help make it clear what is happening in your section.  You need to read it aloud – and can have one or more narrators.

When they are ready, have them perform their scene in front of the class.  It always helps with continuity to have the next group ready to go after the first one finishes.  For this text - the performance shouldn't take more than 5 minutes.

Going over Sonnet 19: When I consider how my light is spent

Now that the students have the necessary background - it's time to get to Milton's poem - I have put the notes that I have for the poem on the Power Point (see below) in both pptx and PDF format.  Use the Power Point to go over these points - and of course, stop anytime that students  have a question or observation.

Remote Enhancements 

Interestingly, this lesson was one of the last before we went into isolation and remote teaching.  I believe I've always taken it's message very strongly and tried to do the best with what we had for that time period.