Creating Questions for a Harkness Discussion (Literature Based)

Sean Maseng, P-6

Ask three questions about the text (three per level). These need to be questions that you want to discuss or hear your classmates
discuss. Do not ask questions that you know the answer to just to have something down on paper to turn in.
Level One Question: 1. What is the scene of the interview described
For the seminar student, these are not mere recall questions;
in Between the World and me?
rather, they establish evidence of basic facts presented in the 2. Who is James Baldwin's writing to?
author’s proof paragraph. 3. From whose point of view is James Baldwin
writing from?
Examples:
● What evidence does the author use to support his argument
that it is man’s responsibility to care for the land?
● To what does the author compare his boyhood experience
on the family farm in order to further his argument that
man is forever attached to the land?
Level Two Question: 1. Why did the author fail during the TV
These questions are textually implicit, requiring analysis and
interview?
interpretation of specific parts of the text, pointing out what a 2. How does Huck Finn see systemic racism?
specific part of the text actually means, or what language was 3. What was the author's purpose for writing in
used to create the meaning. It’s not about what happened on page the point of view of his aunt?
47 of the novel; it’s more like, “How does the author’s
description of the dying horse on page 47 of the novel create a
tone?”

Examples:
● Why do you think the author relies heavily upon visual
imagery in this passage to convey his love of the land?
● How does the heavy use of repetition contribute to the
effectiveness of the author’s argument that ___________?
● What do you think the author means when he says: _____?
Level Three Question: 1. How do all three authors address systemic
These questions are more open-ended and go beyond the text.
racism and how it is applicable today?
They are intended to provoke a discussion of an abstract idea or 2. Why is it hard for certain people to see
issue, to connect events/themes in the anchor text to other texts, racism?
other arguments, or to universal issues of life/society/mankind 3. How has the perception of systemic racism
itself.
changed recently, with an emphasis placed
Examples: on recent police shootings?
● How has man’s attitude toward nature changed over the
last 100 years?
● How has society’s changing perception toward nature been
advantageous? Detrimental?
In one complete sentence, write what the text is about (a summary James Baldwin's story about is a three person letter
of the purpose, message, plot, theme, etc.).
written by him but in the point of view of his aunt
is about how the world has stacked the deck against
him.
Create a textual analysis. This analysis should take into account
your previous questions and explore possible answers of your
Between the world in be is a compilation of events
level two and three questions. (500 words or more) and reasonings told on a TV interview to ultimately
explain the problems with race.

Huck Finn is a book about a boy from the south

who runs away with a runaway slave and the
adventures they have on their journey.

Unfortunately we live in a world today not

governed by sound mind and logic, but by
unreasonable rationalitions that serve to fit a
specific narrative. Our world is facing a problem in
that we are unable to move forward as a society in a
political, cultural, or normal interactional realm
when we are unable to agree on the facts on a
situation. This statement could not be more true
than with the situation of systemic racism within
our world. Just to set the record straight, systemic
racism is real and is a clear and present danger to
our society as a whole.

One of the best pieces of evidence to back this

claim up come from Between the World because
throughout the piece it not only describes racism
today but its historical foundations and the
reasoning of how people choose to ignore it. He
provides this level of detail through the lense of a
TV interview where he is trying to explain what it
is like to be black. The overall message that he tries
to impress on the reader is that there is no way to
know how to be a free person or know how to live
free. But by recognizing that fact of life you can
inevitable move forward, striving to find the
answer. Once this message is brought across
though, it is utterly disregarded as the news host
shows a picture of a black boy and officer and asks
the question of hope. There is no true
understanding or recognition of the life that he must
live in the eyes of the host.

In a more broad context, systemic racism is found

in almost every corner of our society, you just have
to be willing to look for the injustice. One example
of this, is that from child birth, a white family has a
high chance of a higher social class than those of
black or hispanic ones. For example, the median
household income for a white family is four times
higher than that of a black family and three times
higher than a hispanic family. Not only are white
people given the distinct advantage in making more
money, but also is loaning money as well. For a
black person the denial rate for a loan is about one
third, for hispanics one fifth, but for white people
about one tenth. So, there is obvert racism in the
way we address economic issues in this country.
 With all of these sources and facts screaming one
thing, it fairly hard to ignore the fact that it exists.
This system is designed suppress a large portion of
our citizens in order to ensure an arcane social
hierarchy that threatened the this countries very
soul only 150 years ago. Even the whole construct
of race is something that we as human beings
created to oppress others. Biologically we are not
different, only this social construct that separates
us. If you remember anything, please let it be this,
“But race is the child of racism, not the father.”
Remember: This assignment is due at the beginning of the period in which we will discuss a text —not mid-way through. These
responses will serve as the basis for our class discussion.