Introduction to Our America

Aim:
IWBAT evaluate whether gentrifying the Ida B. Wells housing projects in Chicago was worthwhile.

Key Points:

1. Gentrification (a noun) is the buying and renovation of houses and stores in deteriorated urban neighborhoods by upper- or middle- income families or individuals, thus improving property vales but often displacing low income families and small businesses.

2. Our America is a nonfiction text written by two young black men who grew up in the Ida B. Wells housing projects in Chicago. In their book, LeAlan Jones and Lloyd Newman recount their experiences documenting their daily lives through two radio documentaries.

3. Nonfiction is not fake. Everything in Our America is factual (true).



Tasks:

1. Take a short vocabulary assessment to see how your reading level has improved:

• Go the AR system website.
• Click Student. Enter your username and password. Click Log In.
• Under STAR Reading, click Take a Test (the very last link on the page).
• Click the top link, STAR Test 6, 6th Grade, 2012-2013.
• Click Start. A new window should open. Take the 25-question assessment.

2. Preview a copy of the text, Our America. Examine both the front and back covers. Skim through the Introduction on pages 17-22.

3. Respond to the first page of classwork questions here.

4. Read this article, "After the Demolition: a Housing Project Gone Bad."

5. Respond to the second page of classwork questions on the online form (link in Task #3). Click Submit when you finish or if you run out of time.

6. If you finish early:

• read about who Ida B. Wells was: click here
• read more about the Ida B. Wells housing development: click here
• watch a video about a teenager's opinion on the demolition of the Ida B. Wells projects: click here
• watch a video about a man who lived in the Ida B. Wells projects for nearly 50 years: click here

Homework: Night Review