Voices of the Youngers

This quotation analysis worksheet is designed for students in Grades 8 and 9 to deepen comprehension, interpretation, and evidence-based writing through Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun. Learners examine five significant quotes from the play, identify the speaker, explain each quote’s meaning in 2-3 sentences, and connect it to a central theme-Dreams, Race, or Family-strengthening understanding of how dialogue reveals character motivation and thematic depth.

Learning Goals

• Analyzing Quotes & Dialogue (Grades 8-9)
  Students interpret the meaning and importance of key lines from the play.
• Character Motivation & Voice
  Learners identify speakers and explain how words reflect desires, conflicts, and values.
• Theme Connections
  Activities link dialogue to major themes, showing how language conveys larger ideas.
• Evidence-Based Explanations
  Students support interpretations with clear reasoning grounded in the text.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource
  Designed by educators to align with middle school and early high school ELA standards.
• Structured, Focused Responses
  Short-answer format promotes clarity, precision, and depth without overwhelming students.
• Builds Close Reading Skills
  Encourages careful attention to word choice, context, and speaker intent.
• Discussion & Writing Ready
  Responses can launch class discussions or serve as scaffolding for analytical paragraphs.
• Printable & No-Prep
  Easy to implement in classroom or homeschool settings.

This Voices of the Youngers worksheet helps students connect dialogue to character and theme in A Raisin in the Sun. By identifying speakers, interpreting meaning, and linking quotes to central ideas, learners strengthen literary analysis, textual reasoning, and confident, evidence-based writing.

This worksheet is part of our A Raisin in the Sun collection.