Lesson 5: A Raisin in the Sun, Act I, Scene 1, Part 1

Turn-and-Talk

Directions: Today, you are opening A Raisin in the Sun and looking at how Hansberry sets up the family’s world from the very first pages. Take a moment to think about the following prompt, turn to a partner and share one prediction you made from the dedication. Partner A, share first. Partner B, listen for one word or phrase that connects to dreams, family, or struggle. Then switch.

• Based on the dedication, “To Mama: in gratitude for the dream,” what do you predict might matter in this play?

Morphology / Vocabulary

Target word: gratitude

Directions: When readers open a play, even one short dedication can hold a big clue. Today you are going to unlock the word gratitude by studying its parts, and then you are going to connect that meaning back to why Hansberry begins the play this way. Begin by reading the following dedication sentence:

To Mama: in gratitude for the dream

Learn gratitude through its word family:

grat- stands for grateful, gratitude, gratify, congratulate, ingrate

-itude is a state or condition of

Directions: In your Personal Dictionary, write gratitude. Underline grat- and circle -itude. On the next line, write ingrate and circle in- and underline grat.

• If grat means thankful and -itude means a state of being, what does gratitude literally mean?

• What does the prefix in- do to the meaning of ingrate?

Directions: Check your definition using a dictionary or other reference material. Does the definition match what we figured out? Revise as needed. Circle the suffix, underline the root, and label each part.

• Which part of the word helped you remember how to spell it?

• In the dedication, who is Hansberry expressing gratitude toward, and why might that be significant? How is “gratitude” different from simply saying “thanks”?

Part A: Reading the Opening of a Play

Genre Study: Reading a Play

Concept and features of drama:

act: a major division of a play

scene: a smaller section within an act

cast: the list of characters

dialogue: the words characters speak

stage directions: the playwright’s notes about setting, movement, and tone

Genre Study: Modeling

Directions: Read the act and scene overview first. Then read the opening stage directions. As you read, underline details that show how Hansberry wants readers to picture the Younger home before the action begins. Ask yourself and your partner: Why do you think Hansberry shows us this before anyone speaks?

• In the opening description of the living room, what details show both care and wear? What details show that the family once cared deeply for this apartment? What details show wear, crowding, or pressure?

• How does the opening structure of the play help introduce a central idea before any dialogue begins?

Part B: Sketch, Infer, Predict

Quick Write

From Stage Directions to Prediction

Directions: On journal paper, sketch the Younger apartment using the opening stage directions. Label at least four details directly from the text. Then use your sketch to write a short paragraph answering the prompt.

• What details did you include in your sketch?

• Look at your sketch of the set. Using details from the stage directions, explain what the setting tells you about the Younger family’s life. What do you predict will be a central idea of this play, and what evidence from the dedication or stage directions supports that prediction?

Quick Write

Directions: Using details from your sketch and the opening pages, predict one central theme or idea of the play. Support your prediction with evidence from the dedication or stage directions.

• Which opening text feature most shaped your prediction about the play? Explain using at least two specific details.