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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings


The Autobiographical Book

A 1969 autobiography about the early years of American writer and poet Maya Angelou. It is a coming-of-age story that illustrates how strength of character and a love of literature can help overcome racism and trauma. The book begins when three-year-old Maya and her older brother are sent to Stamps, Arkansas, to live with their grandmother and ends when Maya becomes a mother at the age of 16. In the course of Caged Bird, Maya transforms from a victim of racism with an inferiority complex into a self-possessed, dignified young woman capable of responding to prejudice.
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Essential Questions

  • What causes social inequalities?
  • Do you think everyone should have the same opportunities in life? Why?
  • How do characters overcome adversity?
  • How do stories of others affect our perceptions of ourselves?
  • How do authors use language to communicate their emotions and experiences?
  • How do readers use inspiration from author’s experiences to forge an understanding of life?
  • What are the elements of the Bildungsroman (coming-of-age stories), and how does this novel reflect those elements?

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Blog

Individual Work

Quick Writes

Character Notebook

Literary Terms Activity

"Those Who Ban Books"

"The Flowers"

Coming of Age Project

Extended Definition Paragraph

Socratic Seminar Questions

Remember the Titans

Coming of Age Compare & Contrast paper

Coming of Age C&C rubric

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Team Work

Own Poem

Quotations

Literary Terms Activities

Resources

Study Guide Questions

Blog Expectations

Maya Angelou ppt

Compare & Contrast ppt


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The Coming of Age Unit Test - Bird
The Coming of Age Essay Test

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