Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans

Lesson 1
icon/ela/white

ELA

Unit 6

4th Grade

Lesson 1 of 25

Objective


Explain who is speaking in the prologue and why the author would choose to write this way. 

Readings and Materials


  • Book: Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson  — Prologue (p. 7)

Fishtank Plus

Unlock features to optimize your prep time, plan engaging lessons, and monitor student progress.

Target Task


Writing Prompt

Who is speaking in the prologue, and who is the "honey" whom she is addressing?

Why did the author choose to tell the history through this voice?

Sample Response

Create a free account or sign in to view Sample Response

Key Questions


  • Read the sentence from page 7. "Most folks my age and complexion don't speak much about the past." What does the word "complexion" mean? How does the author explain why folks of her age and complexion do not speak of the past?

  • On page 7, the author writes, "You have to know where you come from so you can move forward." Why is this important? What lessons can be learned from studying the past?

Vocabulary


"swallow your pride"

phrase

(p. 7)

to decide to do something even though it will make you feel embarrassed or ashamed

cringe

v.

(p. 7)

to feel disgust or embarrassment, often by showing a movement of your face or body

Enhanced Lesson Plan

Fishtank Plus Content

Bring your most engaging lessons to life with comprehensive instructional guidance, detailed pacing, supports to meet every student's needs, and resources to strengthen your lesson planning and delivery.

Common Core Standards


  • RI.4.6 — Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic; describe the differences in focus and the information provided.
  • RI.4.8 — Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.

Supporting Standards

L.4.4
RF.4.3
RF.4.4
RI.4.1
RI.4.4
RI.4.10
SL.4.1
W.4.10
icon/arrow/right/large

Lesson 2

Lesson Map

A7CB09C2-D12F-4F55-80DB-37298FF0A765

Request a Demo

See all of the features of Fishtank in action and begin the conversation about adoption.

Learn more about Fishtank Learning School Adoption.

Contact Information

School Information

What courses are you interested in?

ELA

Math

Are you interested in onboarding professional learning for your teachers and instructional leaders?

Yes

No

Any other information you would like to provide about your school?

Effective Instruction Made Easy

Effective Instruction Made Easy

Access rigorous, relevant, and adaptable ELA lesson plans for free