Sonny's Blues Lesson Plan

If all of the elements of this lesson plan are employed, students will develop the following powers, skills, and understanding:

1. 1

   Students will analyze character development in the story.

2. 2

   Students will be able to connect their own practices of artmaking and athletics with Sonny's practice and the way his brother sees it.

3. 3

   Students will be able to connect the context and experiences of James Baldwin's life with the narrative of "Sonny's Blues"—and analyze the differences between Baldwin's life and his character's.

4. 4

   Students will be able to describe the history of jazz music in the twentieth century, particularly in New York City, to better understand the historical...