Lessons

Grade 7

Lesson

1

:

Learning Humanity from Literature

Lesson
1
:

Learning Humanity from Literature

Grade

Grade 7

UNIT

9

•

Humanity

Last Updated:

June 10, 2025

In Unit 9, Lesson 1, “Learning Humanity from Literature,” students will learn examples of humanity from a contemporary work of young adult literature, Orange for the Sunsets by Tina Athaide. Students will develop their reading comprehension, critical thinking, and writing skills by answering questions about the text. Additionally, students will develop their academic dialogue skills by participating in class discussions.

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SUGGESTED TIME:

  • 1 class period to introduce the text; 1 class period to discuss the text; if desired, additional class periods can be devoted to in-class silent reading of the text 
  • Orange for the Sunsets by Tina Athaide is a total of 300 pages, divided into 59 short chapters.
  • The suggested reading assignment is 5 chapters per day for either in-class silent reading or homework. 
  • With this schedule, students will complete the book in 12 in-class reading sessions or 12 homework sessions.
  • Students should complete the short-answer questions on the worksheet as they read the book. 
  • Allow at least 50 minutes for in-class discussion of the short-answer questions on the worksheet.

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RELATED SUBJECT:

English Language Arts

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LEARNING OUTCOMES:

  • Read a contemporary work of young adult literature 
  • Identify and analyze the book’s genre, point of view, characters, setting, and plot 
  • Identify and analyze the book’s central ideas 
  • Write answers to questions about the book, demonstrating understanding of standard English sentence structure and grammar   
  • Engage effectively in collaborative discussions about the book 

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REQUIRED MATERIALS:

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ELA COMMON CORE STANDARDS MET

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.1

Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.2

Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.3

Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.4

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.10

By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1

Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1.A

Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1.B

Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1.C

Pose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others' questions and comments with relevant observations and ideas that bring the discussion back on topic as needed.

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.1.D

Acknowledge new information expressed by others and, when warranted, modify their own views.

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.6

Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.1

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

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CHARACTER AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL (CSED) NATIONAL STANDARDS MET

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Moral Character A2

Understand and explain why it’s important to do the right thing, even when no one is looking

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Moral Character A6

List and explain the reasons why people sometimes do not care or help others

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Social-Awareness A1

Experience and demonstrate empathy

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Social-Awareness A4

Analyze the impact of stereotyping, discrimination, and prejudice (at school, in the community and beyond)

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Social-Awareness A5

Practice “perspective taking” as a strategy to strengthen your acceptance of others

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Social-Awareness A6

Demonstrate awareness and understanding that despite differences, all people have similar needs, feelings and wants

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Responsible and Ethical Decision-Making A3

Write about and share a principle you want to live by that you learned from a family member, book, movie, or personal experience

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LESSON PROCEDURE

  1. Introduce the lesson by stating that the book we will be reading—Orange for the Sunsets by Tina Athaide—takes place in Uganda in 1972. Play the following videos, and have students take notes on the key facts in these videos: 
    1. Idi Amin: Violent Ugandan President - Fast Facts by History Channel (~4 min)
    2. Why former Uganda dictator Idi Amin expelled thousands of Ugandan Asians by BBC News (~4 min)
  2. Have students complete the book, Orange for the Sunsets by Tina Athaide, either through multiple in-class silent reading sessions or as homework.
  3. Students should complete the short-answer questions on the worksheet as they read the book. 
  4. Set aside a class session of at least 50 minutes for in-class discussion of the short-answer questions on the worksheet. Have students discuss their answers with a small group, then bring the students back together for a large group discussion.

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GRADE 7 UNIT 9 WORKSHEET 1: LEARNING HUMANITY FROM LITERATURE

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  • Vocabulary
  • Expulsion of Asians- In early August 1972, the President of Uganda Idi Amin ordered the expulsion of his country's Indian minority, giving them 90 days to leave the country.
  • Humanity- I see that every person is special. People are more alike than unalike. We all need to work together to make our lives better.
  • Idi Amin- The third president of Uganda from 1971 until his overthrow in 1979. He ruled as a military dictator and is considered one of the most brutal despots in modern world history.
  • Uganda- A landlocked country in east-central Africa. Its borders, drawn in an artificial and arbitrary manner in the late 19th century, encompassed two essentially different types of societies: the relatively centralized Bantu kingdoms of the south and the more decentralized Nilotic and Sudanic peoples to the north. Uganda gained independence from Britain in 1962. Uganda is populated by dozens of ethnic groups. The English language and Christianity help unite these diverse peoples. The Swahili language unites the country with its East African neighbours Kenya and Tanzania.

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QUESTIONS TO ANSWER WHILE READING Orange for the Sunsets by Tina Athaide:

  1. What is the setting of this novel? What is the issue that this novel focuses on? 

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  1. Who are the two main characters of this story? How are they alike? How are they different?

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  1. One of the characters, Neela, says, “Indian. African. We’re different, so what? If people stopped making such a big deal of it, then it wouldn’t matter so much” (pg. 28). To what extent do you agree with this statement? Give three reasons to support your answer. 
  2. In Chapter 10, what do Yesofu and Akello point out about the status of Ugandans compared to Indians? Read the Author’s Note. How did the history of Uganda impact the status of Ugandans and Indians?

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  1. In Chapter 16, Asha thinks, “There was that word again. Different. She’d never given much thought to it before—opposites. Boy-girl. Black-brown. Rich-poor. . . she wasn’t rich like those Indian families that lived on the hills in Kampala, but compared to Yesofu, yes. She’d never been to his place, but he talked about getting water from the well and having to share a room with Esi. Was she being foolish to think that those things didn’t matter?” (pg. 84) What is the conflict that Asha struggles with about differences? 

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  1. In Chapter 19, what is the conflict that Yesofu struggles with?

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  1. How does Yesofu stand up for Asha? How does this show the power of friendship?

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  1. In Chapter 33, Asha discovers that her father is giving out illegal passports to Indians who want to leave. Do you think this is wrong since Indians are being forced to leave?

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  1. Both Asha and Yesofu break promises to their parents by continuing to meet each other, putting their families in danger. To what extent do you understand why they continue to meet? 

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  1. In Chapter 47, Asha goes to Yesofu’s house for the first time. What does she realize? 

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  1. In Chapter 52, why does Yesofu say he told Akello about what Asha’s father is doing?

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  1. In Chapter 54, what does Asha realize she had never thought about? 

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  1. Must all citizens of a country share the same ethnic origin? What are two advantages of such a definition of citizenship? What are two disadvantages?

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  1. What is a principle about showing humanity that you learned from this book, and how can you show humanity in your life?

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Prohuman K-12 Curriculum © 2025 by Prohuman Foundation is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

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