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Wyatt Cenac, Writer

A Writer's Life (Season Two)

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Wyatt Cenac, Writer - A Writer's Life (Season Two) - Lessons - Life Stories Interviews

"I have the odd distinction of being the first Black writer in a few writer's rooms." - Wyatt Cenac, The Thread

Writer and comedian Wyatt Cenac, formerly a correspondent and writer on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, details the struggles of being a Black man in a virtually all-white professional situation. This episode of The Thread is a conversation with Wyatt Cenac whose story is one of frustration, introspection, and ultimately, a determination to help us all learn “to do better by one another.”

 

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Lesson Objectives

Social Studies

* Examine the influence of popular culture on identity formation

* Define diversity and discuss its role as a policy in the workplace

* Reflect on the choice of standing up for one’s moral principles

* Analyze Wyatt Cenac’s story to explore issues of representation, racial dynamics, and culture change

English Language Arts Focus

* Examine perspective taking from the point of view of one writer

* Explore the influence of popular culture and the media in a coming-of-age story

* Analyze the structure and purpose of a narrative, identify key themes in the episode, and synthesize information from a spoken text

* Discuss different perspectives on the title “A Writer’s Life”

* Use Wyatt Cenac’s episode to write a rhetorical essay or commentary on an assigned topic

Social Emotional Learning: By offering engaging personal narratives, students can discuss and strengthen the five SEL competencies - self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

Media Literacy: Students will practice media literacy skills by analyzing information, points of view, and claims made in The Thread and be able to translate these strategies with all forms of media to make more informed decisions.

Wyatt Cenac, Writer - A Writer's Life (Season Two) - Lessons - Life Stories Interviews

First Take >

The “First Take” activity is a warm-up writing or conversation exercise created uniquely for The Thread to strengthen media literacy skills. Like an opening song in a musical, the first stanza of a poem, or even the first impression one person makes on another, the “First Take” asks students to reflect and share their initial thoughts and feelings about the episode’s opening and why the filmmaker and editor made these choices.

Download Wyatt Cenac’s lesson to access the complete “First Take” activity.

Wyatt Cenac, Writer - A Writer's Life (Season Two) - Lessons - Life Stories Interviews

The Thread Up Close >

After watching the interview, students will debrief and discuss the life story and engage in a close read and analysis of his interview using "A Writer's Life” episode and transcript.

In this lesson, the suggested close read focuses on Wyatt Cenac's early recognition that he wanted to be a performer and comedian. Have students connect this passage with their own ideas of possible careers, passions, and ambitions.

Download the lesson to access “The Thread Up Close” activity.

Wyatt Cenac, Writer - A Writer's Life (Season Two) - Lessons - Life Stories Interviews

"A Writer's Life" >

In this activity students will analyze the meaning of the lesson’s title and spend time discussing and reflecting on Cenac's journey as a professional writer and comedian. Students will also have the opportunity to delve into the theme of moral principles as they relate to your chosen profession.

Download the lesson to access the entire “A Writer's Life” activity.

Resources

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