Angelou, Maya: 1928 - 2014
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, 1969 - Week-by-Week Teaching Plan (8 weeks)
- Week 1 – Introduction & Context
Reading: Chapters 1–5 Focus: 
 - Historical context: racism, segregation, and 1930s–40s America.
 - Maya Angelou’s background and the memoir form
 - Childhood, displacement, and identity (Stamps, Arkansas; living with Momma)Activities: 
 - Timeline of Maya’s life & U.S. history events
 - Discussion: How does Maya present childhood memory?
 - Journal: What does “home” mean?
- Week 2 – Racism, Family, and Identity
Reading: Chapters 6–10 Focus: 
 - Encounters with racism and prejudice.
 - Maya’s relationship with Momma and Bailey.
 - The store as a cultural hub.Activities: 
 - Small group: Compare Momma’s strategies for survival with Bailey’s.
 - Close reading: The dentist scene (Chapter 24 foreshadowed in family/community protection themes).
 - Reflective writing: How does environment shape identity?
- Week 3 – Silence and Trauma
Reading: Chapters 11–15 Focus: 
 - Maya’s experience of sexual abuse and its aftermath.
 - Silence as both trauma and survival.
 - The role of literature and language in recovery.Activities: 
 - Careful, sensitive guided discussion of sexual violence & trauma representation.
 - Poetry connections: Paul Laurence Dunbar’s “Sympathy” (“I know why the caged bird sings”)
 - Journal: Why does Maya turn to silence? What role does Mrs. Bertha Flowers play in her reawakening?
- Week 4 – Resilience and Self-Discovery
Reading: Chapters 16–20 Focus: 
 - The power of literature and education.
 - Growing awareness of racism (Joe Louis fight, Mrs. Flowers’s influence)
 - Maya’s voice and self-worth returningActivities: 
 - Discussion: How does literature heal?
 - Group work: Identify moments where Maya reclaims her sense of self.
 - Creative response: Students write a letter to a mentor figure in their own life.
- Week 5 – Adolescence and Womanhood
Reading: Chapters 21–25 Focus: 
 - Puberty, self-image, and gender expectations.
 - Encounters with sexuality, fear, and shame.
 - Complex mother-daughter relationship with Vivian Baxter.Activities: 
 - Character analysis: Contrast Momma vs. Vivian as maternal figures.
 - Debate: Is Maya’s self-consciousness about her body cultural, personal, or imposed?
 - Journal: Defining beauty and confidence
- Week 6 – Independence and Responsibility
Reading: Chapters 26–30 Focus: 
 - Maya’s work experiences and independence.
 - Racism in employment opportunities.
 - Role of community in supporting resilience.Activities: 
 - Case study: Maya as the first Black female streetcar conductor.
 - Research: What jobs were open to African American women in the 1940s?
 - Group discussion: How does work shape identity?
- Week 7 – Coming of Age
Reading: Chapters 31–35 Focus: 
 - Maya’s teenage years, relationships, and mistakes.
 - Pregnancy and becoming a mother at 16.
 - Closing arc: From silence to self-expression and responsibility.Activities: 
 - Discussion: What does Maya learn about resilience through motherhood?
 - Compare: Maya’s journey to classic coming-of-age arcs.
 - Final journal: What does “freedom” mean for Maya?
- Week 8 – Synthesis and Reflection
Reading: Revisit key passages, poetry, and excerpts from Angelou’s later autobiographies Focus: 
 - Thematic synthesis: race, gender, trauma, resilience, identity, voice.
 - Evaluating the memoir as literature and testimony.Activities: 
 - Final essay workshop: Choose theme (identity, resilience, voice, family, race/gender) and trace its development across the memoir.
 - Creative project: Students create a “Caged Bird” metaphor that represents their own struggles/voices.
 - Class discussion: Why does this memoir remain powerful today?