Page 47 - Point 5 Literature Program Option 1 Teachers Guide (2) (1)

Working Through the Unit

Pre-Reading Activity
students are asked to ‘predict’ the future by recording five dreams they have for when they grow older.

Basic Understanding

This section offers a Key Vocabulary list, followed by Vocabulary Practice. Questions test the
students’ comprehension of the literal meaning of the poem.

Key Vocabulary
students may refer to the Key Vocabulary list when they do the Vocabulary Practice exercise.

Vocabulary Practice
Answers:
1. b 2. a 3. a 4. a 5. b 6. b

Questions
Answers might include:

1. The speaker in the poem is a black man. He could also represent all ordinary black people.
2. a. The time frames are:
– the past
– the present
– the future

b. – In the past, the speaker was a young person who had dreams for his future, but he found there was a big
obstacle to his dream, a wall.
– His present situation is life in the dark shadow of the thick wall. All he is able to do is lie down, as he is
blocked off from the light and from reaching his dream.
– His future plan is to fight against the wall and do everything he can to break it down and fulfill not only his
first dream but also many others (a thousand lights of sun).

as I grew older 47