LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Read about a teen who is using theater to inspire audiences to reject racism and prejudice; identify and describe social issues facing Asian Americans since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

HEALTH ED STANDARDS

NHES 8: Demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health. 

 

CASEL: Social awareness

KEY VOCAB

contagion

reconcile

debut 

Lesson Plan: Using Theater to Fight Hate

Katie Lu hopes to inspire audiences to reject anti-Asian prejudice. 

Table of Contents:

1. Preparing to Read

2. Reading and Discussing

3. Building Comprehension and Vocabulary

4. Expanding SEL Opportunities

1. Preparing to Read

Before you read the article “Using Theater to Fight Hate,” ask your students the following pre-reading question:

What challenges related to discrimination do Asian Americans face, and how can we solve these challenges? 

2. Reading and Discussing

  • Have your students read the article “Using Theater to Fight Hate ” independently; read the article out loud to them; or have students take turns reading the three sections out loud (The Inspiration, The Action, The Outcome). 
  • After they’ve read the article, revisit the pre-reading question. Have their answers changed?
  • Next, have your students answer the Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking questions, either working in small groups or independently.


Close-Reading Questions
The following questions can be shared in printable or interactive form from the Resources tab. 

  1. What problem made Katie feel frustrated and angry in the summer of 2020? 
  2. The title of Katie’s play, Pandemic, has two meanings. Briefly explain each of these meanings below. 


Critical-Thinking Questions

  1. Have you ever created something when feeling frustrated or angry about something you couldn’t control? Explain. 

  2. Do you think that creative works such as plays, poems, and stories have the power to change people’s mindsets? Why or why not? 

3. Building Comprehension and Vocab

Check students’ comprehension of and engagement with the story with the following assessment tools:

  • Quiz

  • Vocab Builder

4. Expanding SEL Opportunities

Continue the learning journey with the following extension activity:

Writers and creators throughout history have used their talents to spread messages to help solve issues related to racial discrimination or injustice. In STOP HATE—CREATE, have students choose one of two options. They can either write and share a short scene, story, or poem to help others better understand an issue related to racial discrimination, or they can research and present about a famous work of fiction that helped people in America better understand such social issues. 

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