The New Monsters in Town: Bias and Inequity Scrutinizing narrative bias as a sustaining force of inequity in American society.

K&EPublications December11th,2014

UnitRationale

The unique narrative perspective in Monster brings to light a different side of a common crime archetype prevalent in news and media. The personal insight to the main character will hopefully engage students by way of journal formatting and conversational language throughout this narrative. By pairing this text with relevant media, students will be exposed to multiple perspectives and the inequities that occur in our society based on the narrative perspective and the culmination of the multiple themes across our prior units. This skillset will be applicable to taking a stance on what it means to be an American citizen.

LabelleHighSchool

Approximately1,500students.67%

ofthestudentpopulationisHispanic,withahighnumberofELL

students.(~29%Caucasian,4%African

American)

UnitGoal:

StudentswillbeabletoanalyzethestructureofMonstertobetterunderstandhowbiasoperatesto

sustaininequitiesinsociety.

LessonPlansOur lessons begin with analysis of the

image and structure specific to Monster. Narrative perspective and audience are taken into account using journaling activities similar to Steves journal format. We move from framework of the text towards potential bias with a courtroom reenactment and indepth look at current media representations of cases. This shift to real world supplementary texts leads to the culmination of the unit where students will create their own representation of currenttopicorevent.

UnitAssessment

Students will choose a current topic or event and do further research including interviews, online content, press releases, media portrayal and accounts that will further complicate or complete a perspective on the topic. With this research, students will create a front page of a newspaper representing their findings to form a specific stance (or viewpoint) of their chosen topic. In addition to the front page project, students will provide a rationale for their position while thinking critically about the biases present within their own work. The rationale must also explain the inequities present in their research, and articulate how their project as a whole expands upon, or eliminates, the perception ofinequity.

Thefilmwillbethestoryofmylife.No,not

mylife,butofthisexperience.I'llcallit

whattheladywhoistheprosecutorcalledme.

MONSTER.