Academic Subject
English
Lesson Length
30 Minutes
Target Grade
Grade 11
Topic
Dead Man Walking
Objectives
- To understand the author's purpose and message in Dead Man Walking
- To analyze the characters and their relationships in Dead Man Walking
- To identify themes and motifs in Dead Man Walking
Materials Needed
- Copies of Dead Man Walking by Sister Helen Prejean
- Whiteboard and markers
- Handouts for discussion questions
- Optional: projector and screen
Procedure
- Introduction (5 minutes)
- Greet students and introduce the topic of Dead Man Walking
- Ask students if they have heard of the book or have any prior knowledge
- Background Information (5 minutes)
- Briefly explain who Sister Helen Prejean is and her purpose in writing the book
- Provide context about the death penalty and its practice in the United States
- Character Analysis (10 minutes)
- Divide students into small groups
- Assign each group a character from the book
- In their groups, students should discuss the character's personality, relationship with other characters, and their role in the story
- Groups will then present their findings to the class
- Discussion Questions (10 minutes)
- Distribute handouts with discussion questions to each student
- Instruct students to work independently to answer the questions
- Once completed, have students share their answers with a partner
- Finally, hold a class discussion to go over the questions and their answers
- Conclusion and Homework (5 minutes)
- Go over the key themes and motifs in Dead Man Walking
- Assign homework that requires students to write a short essay about their opinion of the death penalty
- Provide resources to help students with their essay
Homework
Answer the following question in a short essay:
What is your opinion of the death penalty? Provide at least three reasons for your stance, citing evidence from Dead Man Walking and/or external sources.
Answer Key
There is no answer key for the homework question as it is subjective. However, make sure to provide resources and criteria for grading.