Lesson Plan

Andrew Dombrowski
Title: Protests over Democracy in Hong Kong
Time: 10:30-11:15 (45 minutes)
Objectives
1. SWBAT summarize content and extract main ideas from a non-fiction text.
2. SWBAT formulate their own opinions on the effectiveness of protesting.
3. SWBAT use quotes to defend their position on an issue.
4. SWBAT analyze bias in an article.
Standards
1. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
2. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.2
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate
summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
3. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.6
Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author's point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language,
inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).
Materials
1. PowerPoint
2. Hong Kong Democracy Protests Article
3. Worksheet based on the Article
Activities
(10:30-10:40) Introduction
Students will be asked what a democracy is.
Students will be asked to list off advantages and disadvantages of democracy.
Students will be briefly introduced to the history of democracy and democracy around
the world.
(10:40-11:00) Students will be given the Hong Kong article to read/work on worksheet
They will read the article silently to themselves.
Once finished reading, they will pick groups of 2 or 3 and work on the accompanying
worksheet.

Class-wide discussion of article and worksheet

Students will return to their original seats
Teacher will ask one or two students for a summary on what they have learned
the article.

from

(11:00-11:05)Teacher will show students quotes (Slide 7 on the PowerPoint) from Hong
Kong citizens about their beliefs in relation to these ongoing protests.
This will give students perspective of how passionate Hong Kong citizens are
about this issue.
(11:05-11:15) Closing Activity: Class-wide discussion
Students will take what they have learned from the article and apply it to answering
these open-ended discussion questions:
o Would you personally risk being exposed to tear gas, pepper spray and other
threats in order to stand up for what you believe in?
o How do the Hong Kong protests compare and contrast to the protests in
Ferguson, Missouri?
o Is protesting in itself a sign of democracy?
o Does protesting strengthen a democracy or hurt it? Why?

Differentiation
Lower level readers will be given an easier version of the same article. The website,
Newsela.com, generates different wording depending on the selected level of difficulty. Any
advanced readers can also receive an article more challenging than the other students. The
structure will be different, but the information and main points in all the articles will be the same.