Lesson Plan: Cellies

Subject/Course: US Law/US Government

Topic: Introduction to Mass Incarceration

Grade Level: 9-12

Common Core Standards:

1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.
2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
3. Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain.
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
5. Analyze in detail how a complex primary source is structured, including how key sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text contribute to the whole.
6. Evaluate authors’ differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by assessing the authors’ claims, reasoning, and evidence.
7. Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
8. Evaluate an author’s premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information.
9. Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.

Episode: “Cellies” (Season 1) Full audio | Transcript

Lesson Length/Time Needed: Two 90-minute class periods or three 55-minute class periods

Lesson Created by: A. Peters (Michigan)

 

Lesson Objectives

  • Students will be able to discuss the reasons for the growth of incarceration rates in the United States between the 1960s and the present.

  • Students will be able to analyze data regarding the intersection of race, gender, sexuality, poverty, literacy, and incarceration.

  • Students will be able to reflect on their perception of incarcerated people prior to and after listening to Ear Hustle.

 

Materials Needed

Audio

Videos

Graphs and Data

Other

  • Computer with speakers to play audio/video

  • Student journals/notebooks

  • Paper/printouts for gallery walk (if completing on paper) OR student one-to-one technology with ability to access Padlet and online learning platform

  • Optional: Coloring pages to use while listening to the podcast

 

Activities

Day 1

Intro (5-10 minutes):

  • Teacher will present the question: “What comes to mind when you hear the phrase ‘Mass Incarceration’?” Students will jot down their responses in their notebooks. Students will have the chance to share their responses with the class (optional).

Lesson:

Activity One (20-30 minutes)

  • Teacher will play the video The Road to Mass Incarceration from the Eastern State Penitentiary. Teacher will tell students to take notes on two things:

    • What events and policies caused the incarceration rate to skyrocket between the 1960s and the present in the United States?

    • What moment/detail/fact stood out to you the most? Why?

  • Students will “Turn & Talk” to their neighbors about the two questions. Teacher will then bring the class together for a full-class discussion regarding the video. The length of this conversation is at the teacher’s discretion.

Activity Two (45 minutes)

  • Teacher will transition into topics regarding the intersection of race, gender, sexuality, poverty, literacy, and incarceration.

  • Students will analyze the graphs. This can be done either on paper – as a gallery walk where the graphs are posted on the walls and students write their thoughts directly on them. Or as a Padlet, completed virtually. On each graph, students will answer:

    • What is each graph saying?

    • What is your reaction to the data?

    • Final Thoughts: What is your overall reaction to the data? What surprised you the most? What didn’t surprise you?

  • After students complete the gallery walk, the teacher can again conduct a “Turn and Talk” and a full-class discussion. The length of this conversation is at the teacher’s discretion.

Closing (5 minutes)

  • Students will complete an Exit Ticket. This can be done on paper or on an online learning platform (Schoology, Canvas, etc.) Students will briefly answer the following questions and submit them to the teacher by the end of class. This can be used as a quick formative assessment.

    • What is the reason for the rise of mass incarceration in the United States since the 1960s?

    • What information from today’s class surprised you or interested you the most?

    • What questions do you currently have?

Day 2

Intro (5-10 minutes):

  • Teacher will present the question: “What assumptions do you have about people who have been incarcerated?” Students will jot down their response in their notebooks. Students will have the chance to share their responses with the class (optional).

Lesson:

Activity One (20 minutes)

Activity Two (55 minutes)

  • The class will listen to the episode “Cellies” together. (Since the episode is only ~28 minutes, I would play the whole thing. However, it is up to the teacher’s discretion if they would rather play clips.)

  • While students are listening, they may take notes or draw to help keep themselves focused.

  • Potential “Turn & Talk” or full-class discussion questions:

    • How does Earlonne describe the prison cells?

    • What are some of the rules cellies make to try to get along in such a small space?

    • What surprised you or stood out to you the most from the episode?

    • Did listening to Episode 1 affect your perception of incarcerated people? If so, how?

Closing (5 minutes)

  • Students will complete an Exit Ticket. This can be done on paper or on an online learning platform (Schoology, Canvas, etc.) Students will briefly answer the following questions and submit them to the teacher by the end of class. This can be used as a quick formative assessment.

    • Did listening to Episode 1 change your perception of incarcerated people? If so, how?

    • What questions do you have?

    • If you could ask the host any question, what would you ask?

 

Additional Resources

Extensions:

  • Students choose one intersection (race, gender, sexuality, literacy rates, poverty rates, etc.) and find an Ear Hustle episode about that topic to listen to on their own. Students will then prepare short presentations where they will share the main stories from that episode and include audio clips.

  • Socratic Seminar: Ear Hustle

    • Think back to the episodes of Ear Hustle we’ve listened to. What moments stood out to you? What moment challenged your preconceived notions? Did the podcast change your perception of incarcerated people — if so, in what way?

    • Throughout this semester, we have learned about both the successes and the flaws of the justice system. In your opinion, what are the best aspects of the American justice system? What aspects need to be changed?

    • How can you (at 16, 17, or 18-years-old) create change in the justice system? What are specific ways that you could take action?

 

Content Warnings

  • Use of the word “shit,” “damn,” and “fuck” throughout the episode. I would recommend having parents/guardians sign a waiver before playing Ear Hustle.

  • I would give a general content warning before beginning the lesson on mass incarceration. I tell my students that the information we will study may be upsetting, but it is crucial that we learn these facts and hear these stories to better understand the world around us.

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