1. Rights to the Streets of Memphis
Close Reading
Rights to the Streets of Memphis

2. Objective
I will analyze text to determine evidence of how an author connects with his audience, and I will explain my findings in writing.

3. Bell Work In 10 to 14 words, write a response to:
What was your immediate impression of “The Most Dangerous Game”?

4. What do authors do to connect with their audience and to make the audience think or feel?
What does your bell work show about your thoughts and/or feelings that came from reading “The Most Dangerous Game”?

5. Today’s Investigation
We are going to analyze a non-fiction work and decide how this author working to connect to us his audience.

6. Prompt
When this autobiography was published in 1945 a critic wrote, “It is not easy for those who have had happier childhoods, with little restraint or fear in them, to face up to the truth of this childhood of Richard Wright.” As you read this selection, analyze how the author connects his audience to the reality of his childhood. Give special focus on his use of dialogue.
Academic vocabulary of the prompt is underlined.

7. First Read Individually Read straight through – no annotation
Think about what the author is saying and how it makes you feel.

8. Quick write What feelings did the piece evoke?
As I read I felt___________ because
________________.

9. With your partner
Share your response
Discuss

10. Second Read Individually
Think about: What is the author is doing to make you think, feel and/or visualize?

11. While reading: Annotate
Underline phrases & mark
those that make you think
make you feel
those that create images in your mind

12. With your partner Share: What did you annotate and why?
Compare: Discuss the similarities and differences in your annotation decisions.
Decide: Together agree on a short summary of what the author did to connect with his audience.

13. With your partner
Discuss how dialogue was used by the author to connect with his audience.

14. With your partner Review what goes into a précis.
Discuss what to write to complete the précis for “Rights to the Streets of Memphis.”
Complete the précis.
Be prepare to explain what you and your partner decided and your reasoning.

15. Groups of Four
Share your précis and your reasoning with another partnership.
Compare and discuss the similarities and differences of your answers and your thinking.
Revise your response if you gain new insight from the group.

16. Whole Class
One person per group will be chosen randomly to share a précis and explain the group’s thinking.

17. Writing Prompt
When this autobiography was published in 1945 a critic wrote, “It is not easy for those who have had happier childhoods, with little restraint or fear in them, to face up to the truth of this childhood of Richard Wright.” Analyze how the author connects his audience to with the reality of his childhood with a focus on his use of dialogue.

18. Parse Prompt: What you will do.
Analyze: Break it down
Connect: Audience to his childhood
Focus: Dialogue
Break down what the author does to connect his audience to his childhood reality while giving extra attention on the use of dialogue.

19. As a group of four
Each person in turn will share one thing he/she thinks of doing to attack this writing prompt.
As a group, write a possible hook, thesis, three claims and three examples of evidence from the text.

20. Individually
You may use your annotated text and any notes you took for this lesson including your groups hook, thesis, claims and evidence.

21. Write your essay
When this autobiography was published in 1945 a critic wrote, “It is not easy for those who have had happier childhoods, with little restraint or fear in them, to face up to the truth of this childhood of Richard Wright.” Analyze how the author connects his audience to with the reality of his childhood with a focus on his use of dialogue.