BE A MAN. Lesson Plan for Grade 12,

 BE A MAN. 

Lesson Plan for Grade 12,

Prepared by Ja’kobe LaCour 

OVERVIEW & PURPOSE

This course explores how societal expectations of masculinity in Black communities encourage emotional suppression, unresolved trauma, and disconnection. Through reading bell hooks’ Salvation,  short films , and personal reflection, students will unpack the beliefs around manhood and investigate what healing and emotional freedom look like for Black men.

OBJECTIVES

By the end of this unit students will be able to:

  1. Analyze the relationship between toxic masculinity and emotional suppression 

  2. Identify ways trauma affects emotional suppression in black men 

  3. Examine bell hooks arguments around love healing and vulnerability 


MATERIALS NEEDED

  1. Note taking materials 

  2. Notebook / journals

  3. Book: Salvation Black People and Love by bell hooks 

  4. Access to internet 


VERIFICATION

Steps to check for student understanding

  1. Bell ringer activities 

  2. In class assignments 

  3. Homework 

  4. Participation grade 

  5. End of week Essay 


ACTIVITY

  • Day 1 

. Focus: Introduction to Gender roles and expectations       

  • Bell ringer activity- General knowledge test on What does it mean to be a man in today's society. Everybody will write the answer to this prompt and turn it in. 

  • Class discussion: Group Brainstorm on gender expectations 

  • Watch clips from the film  “The Mask You Live In” (film from netflix about how culture narrowing the definition of masculinity.)


Homework: Read and annotate an excerpt from Salvation. Write a paragraph on how hooks explains lack of love, male silence and emotional repression. And bring a quote that stood out to you on that topic. 


  • Day 2 

Focus: Close reading and textual analysis

  • Turn in homework and discuss some of the answers to the prompt to get the class started. 

  • Guided reading: Read and Identify key quotes around emotion suppression and love from the book Salvation. My quote that I will bring is “For black men of all ages it is more acceptable to express rage than to give voice to emotional needs.”

  • Debrief today's reading for the end of class. 


  • Day 3

Focus: Connect the theories to real life. 

  • Define “toxic masculinity” and explore examples from personal experiences 

  • Group discussion on reasons why men feel they have to suppress their emotions. (ex. Upbringing, emotional trauma) 

  • Start reading the chapter “Loving Black Masculinity”  where hooks discuss emotional withdrawal and lack of love to read. To give examples 

Introducing the essay that will be due on Friday : 2 page essay on paper on black male expectation and emotional suppression in Today’s society can use references from the book Salvation and the internet. 

Homework: Interview a male figure in their life, ask: “what were you taught about growing up?”

Bring back insights to share with the class. 


  • Day 4 

Focus : Guest speaker 

  • Invite a local black therapist to speak on How emotional suppression shows up in young black men, their own journey on expressing and healing, and strategies on coping with emotional trauma in healthy ways. 

  • Q&A / reflection (In order to get participation credit students must ask a question if not the alternative option and write 3-5 sentences on reflection the guest speaker’s message)


  • Day 5  

Focus: Comprehension 

  • Students return to class with essay 

  • Exchange essay with a classmate for peer reviews 

  • For a grade students will write a review on other students 3-5 sentences. 

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