Jabari Unmasked, Nikki Grimes

Part A: In the first stanza, what mood is suggested through the speaker’s point of view? (RL.2.6)

• The speaker is angry that people judge teenagers for their clothes and hair.

• The speaker is anxious that others are judging the students for not being good enough.

• The speaker is excited about her disguise and the opportunity to be something different, to try on new things.

• The speaker is confident about her future and what she will become.

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.6

Part B: Select a line or phrase that supports your answer to Part A.

• [...] scowl on cue to convince the world we’re fearless (lines 3-4)

• we all understand the rules (lines 1-2)

• [. . .]anything to mask the million insecurities that pockmark our skin like acne (lines 4-5)

• when we strut down the hall. We talk tough and [....]

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.W.8.9A

Part A: Which of the following best identifies a theme of the poem?

• Children are often shamed for characteristics that make them unique or stand out.

• People of color often hide their identity due to the negative expectations of society.

• Society often judges a person’s worth and promise by the color of their skin.

• People often don’t contribute their ideas because they’re too afraid to speak up.

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.8.2

Part B: Which quote from the poem best supports the answer to Part A?

• “anything to mask / the million insecurities that / pockmark our skin like acne.” (Lines 4-6)

• “we’d shrink our own hearts / down to nothing, and that we / would regret. Better to let our anger go, and smile.” (Lines 28-30)

• One look, and we are neatly judged this / gang, these thugs, these dark delinquents” (Lines 17-18)

• “agile minds, the wit that sits behind our cheeks — / who’d guess that some of us are geeks” (Lines 12-13)

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.W.8.9A

What does the phrase “our color works to camouflage our / character and promise —at least, in certain eyes” mean as it is used in the poem (Lines 15-16)?

• People judge the speaker, and people like them, because of the color of their skin.

• The speaker and their peers wear dark colors in hopes of blending him.

• People don’t expect as much from the kids because of their young age.

• The kids hide their capabilities out of fear of what others will think of them.

Part A: How does the word choice in the last two stanzas of the poem contribute to the tone (Lines 24-35)?

• It portrays the speaker’s approach to the future as pessimistic.

• It emphasizes the speaker's hope that things will improve.

• It conveys the speaker’s frustration at the injustice they experience.

• It stresses the speaker’s resigned tone towards the injustices described.

Part B: Which quote from the text best supports the answer to Part A? (It conveys the speaker’s frustration at the injustice they experience.)

• “Is such unfairness what the world is filled with? / The evidence is seen in spirits ripped and torn.” (Lines 24-25)

• “Still, the world needs the dreams we offer, and / should we leave those dreams bleeding” (Lines 26-27)

• “in the end, mask aside, freshen your mouth / with ferocious lines of potent poetry” (Lines 32-33)

• “we’d shrink our own hearts / down to nothing, and that we / would regret.” (Lines 28-30)

How is emphasis created in line 9? (RL.2.5). Explain your answer.

9 We despise the masquerade. It

• The author uses repetition to show how significant line 9 is.

• The author writes a simple sentence to display the importance of the line.

• The author writes about a masquerade, making it relatable to the readers who have been to that type of party.

• The author’s word choice shows how much hatred he has for the mask that he wears.

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.4

Read the excerpt below:

Is such unfairness what the world is filled with?

The evidence is seen in spirits ripped and torn.

Still, the world needs the dreams we offer,

What do these lines reveal about the speaker? (RL.2.6)

• The speaker knows that he needs to set aside his anger in order to move forward.

• The speaker knows that everyone experiences unfairness, and he thinks they need to stop complaining and persevere.

• The speaker feels that people are giving up on their passions because they feel discouraged by the way society treats them.

• The speaker feels that he will make a difference by lifting people’s spirits.

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.8.4

How do the bold words at the end of each line contribute to the meaning of the poem?

• The bold words are emphasized to show their importance.

• The bold words provide a personal story about the author.

• he bold words are there to emphasize that each line is important.

• The bold words provide a poem within the poem which gives the central idea.

Tags

CCSS.RL.8.4