Love and Liberation in Salvation - Lesson plan

 

🗓️ Week-Long Lesson Plan

Unit Title: Love and Liberation in Salvation by bell hooks

Grade Level: 9th Grade
 Subject: English Language Arts / Social Justice
 Duration: 5 Days (45–60 minutes/day)


🧠 Learning Objectives

By the end of the week, students will:

  • Define and explore bell hooks’ concepts of love and liberation.

  • Analyze and annotate nonfiction texts for theme, tone, and purpose.

  • Engage in collaborative discussions and connect text to lived experiences.

  • Develop a personal or analytical response that reflects critical engagement with the text.


📚 Materials

  • Selected excerpts from Salvation: Black People and Love by bell hooks

  • Student journals or notebooks

  • Highlighters and annotation tools

  • Chart paper and markers

  • Sticky notes

  • Rubric for final writing/creative assignment


📅 Weekly Breakdown

Day 1: Introduction to bell hooks & Love as Action

  • Warm-Up: Journal – "What is love? Can love lead to freedom?"

  • Mini-Lesson: Introduce bell hooks and her definition of love:

“Love is an action, never simply a feeling.”

  • Read Aloud: Selected excerpt from Salvation (e.g., Introduction or Chapter 1)

  • Discussion: How does hooks' view of love differ from what we see in media or culture?

  • Assessment: Journal response + partner/group discussion


Day 2: Love and Liberation in the Text

  • Warm-Up: Quick reflection – “What does it mean to be free?”

  • Close Reading: Re-read previous excerpt

  • Annotation Activity: Highlight themes – love, healing, liberation, resistance

  • Group Work: Create a T-chart:

    • Love as Healing

    • Love as Liberation

  • Discussion: How are the two connected in the text?

  • Assessment: Annotated text + group T-chart


Day 3: Real-World Connections

  • Warm-Up: "Who in your life or in history models liberating love?"

  • New Reading: Second excerpt (e.g., family, healing, or community chapter)

  • Mini-Case Studies: Examples like MLK Jr., Audre Lorde, Black families, community resistance

  • Group Discussion: Compare real-life love with hooks’ ideas

  • Exit Ticket: “What does liberating love look like in real life?”

  • Assessment: Exit slip + group conversation


Day 4: Drafting Reflective or Analytical Writing

  • Warm-Up: Review key takeaways from the week

  • Mini-Lesson: How to write a reflective or analytical paragraph

  • Writing Prompt Options:

    • Analytical: “How does bell hooks argue that love is essential to liberation?”

    • Personal: “What does liberating love mean to me?”

  • Writing Time: Drafting in class with peer or teacher feedback

  • Assessment: Rough draft submission or progress check


Day 5: Final Reflection & Sharing

  • Warm-Up: Share one key insight from your writing

  • Writing Time: Final revisions and polishing

  • Sharing (Optional): Read aloud, gallery walk, or post writing

  • Final Wrap-Up Discussion: What did we learn about love, freedom, and ourselves?

  • Assessment: Final writing or creative product + participation


📌 Final Project Options

Choose one:

  • Analytical Essay/Paragraph: Using evidence from bell hooks’ Salvation, analyze her definition of love and its connection to liberation.

  • Creative Letter or Poem: Write to someone (real or imagined) explaining what liberating love means to you.

  • Multimodal Option: Create a visual, collage, or spoken word piece inspired by hooks’ ideas.


🧾 Assessment Tools

  • Daily participation (discussions, journals)

  • Annotations and group work (charts, case studies)

  • Final writing or creative submission (rubric-based)

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