Objectives

• Analyse how Betty Smith uses the ailanthus tree and the Williamsburg tenement setting in Chapters 1–3 as symbols of survival and aspiration.
• Explain how Smith constructs Katie and Johnny Nolan as contrasting parental figures through dialogue, free indirect discourse, and narrative comment in Chapters 4–7.
• Trace how the structural shift at Johnny's death in Chapter 10 reframes the novel's treatment of loss and resilience.
• Write an evidenced analytical paragraph using the Point–Evidence–Analysis method on a named passage from the novel.
• Construct a multi-paragraph essay arguing how Smith presents the American Dream as both promise and illusion across the novel's five books.
• Evaluate how Francie's narrative voice develops from the child observer of Chapter 2 to the self-aware young woman of Chapter 17.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: The Tree, the Tenement, and the World Francie Sees — Chapters 1–3

   55 min · ch. 1, 2, 3

   Do now

   Look at the sentence "There's a tree that grows in Brooklyn. Some people call it the Tree of Heaven; no matter where it grows, it wants to be the sky." (Chapter 1). Write two observations about what this sentence suggests regarding the novel's central themes. You don't need to have read the book yet—just focus on what the sentence conveys.

   Teacher input

   Using the passage in Chapter 2 where Francie looks out over the neighborhood from the fire escape—starting with "Francie loved the smell of the neighborhood"—demonstrate how Smith layers sensory details (the smell of the brewery, the sight of the 'slatternly' women, and the sound of the El) to craft a setting that feels both degraded and cherished. Illustrate to students how free indirect discourse blurs the boundary between the narrator and Francie's thoughts, so that the neighborhood's beauty is always seen through a child's deep loyalty. Annotate live on the board: diction ('slatternly' vs. 'beloved'), syntactic rhythm (the accumulation of short declarative sentences), and how the fire escape positions Francie as both inside and outside her world.

   Independent task

   Students should revisit the first three paragraphs of Chapter 3, where Francie and Neeley spend Saturday morning gathering junk and Francie counts the pennies they expect to earn. They will then write a single analytical paragraph, at least 120 words long, arguing what this routine of junk collection indicates about the Nolan family's relationship with poverty. The paragraph must include at least two quotes from Chapter 3, identify a specific literary technique that Smith employs in each quote, and conclude with a sentence that links these details to the overarching theme of the American Dream in the novel.

   Exit ticket

   In one or two sentences, explain why Smith chooses to open the novel with the ailanthus tree rather than with Francie herself, and what effect that structural choice has on how we read Francie when she does appear.

2. Lesson 2: Two Parents, Two Visions — Katie and Johnny in Chapters 4–7

   55 min · ch. 4, 5, 6, 7

   Do now

   Read the following two short quotations without looking them up: (A) 'Johnny Nolan had a way with words and a wonderful singing voice.' (B) 'Katie wanted her children to achieve more than she ever did.' Write one sentence on what each quotation suggests about the character, then write one sentence on what the contrast between them might mean for the family.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the scene in Chapter 7 where Johnny comes home drunk after missing out on a singing gig, and Katie sits at the kitchen table, pretending to sew. Pay attention to Smith's use of dialogue and silence: Katie speaks very little, but the narrative detail — 'She did not look up' — carries significant weight. Teach students to interpret what’s missing from the dialogue (what Katie refrains from saying, what Johnny struggles to acknowledge) as a means of revealing character under stress. Analyze the rhythm of their exchange: Johnny's lengthy, self-justifying monologues compared to Katie's brief responses, and what this imbalance reveals about power dynamics and love in the Nolan marriage.

   Independent task

   Students should craft a comparative analytical paragraph (at least 130 words) discussing how Smith portrays Katie and Johnny as differing reactions to poverty. Focus on one moment from Chapter 4 (Katie's origin story, particularly the section where she decides to marry Johnny despite her mother Mary Rommely's warnings) and one moment from Chapter 7 (Johnny's return home intoxicated). The paragraph needs to pinpoint a technique used in each passage, explain the impact of that technique, and conclude with a sentence arguing which parent Smith presents in a more sympathetic light at this point in the novel — while also addressing why this conclusion is complex.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence identifying the single most important thing Mary Rommely's advice to Katie in Chapter 4 — that a child must be taught to read and to believe in God — tells us about the novel's attitude to education as a route out of poverty.

3. Lesson 3: The Death of Johnny Nolan and the Structural Hinge — Chapters 8–10

   55 min · ch. 8, 9, 10

   Do now

   Before diving into the text, jot down everything you know about Johnny Nolan as a character—his habits, his relationship with Francie, and his weaknesses. After that, make a prediction: how do you think Francie will react if Johnny dies, and what leads you to that conclusion?

   Teacher input

   Read aloud the passage in Chapter 10 where Francie learns about Johnny's death, especially the paragraph that starts with 'She did not cry.' Highlight how Smith uses the lack of a typical emotional reaction — no tears, no collapse, no outburst — to convey the depth of Francie's shock and the start of her forced maturity. Demonstrate how the short, straightforward sentences ('She went to school. She came home. She ate supper.') create a dissociative rhythm that reflects trauma. Then, contrast this with the lyrical, sensory writing of Chapter 2: this change in style serves as a commentary on how loss alters a child's view of the world.

   Independent task

   Students are required to write two connected analytical paragraphs, totaling at least 150 words, arguing that Chapter 10 serves as the structural and thematic turning point of the novel. In the first paragraph, students should analyze Smith's prose style in the 'She did not cry' passage from Chapter 10. They must identify at least one specific literary technique and discuss how it influences the reader's understanding of Francie's character. The second paragraph should relate this moment to an earlier scene from Chapters 8 or 9—students can refer to the Christmas scene in Chapter 9, where Johnny buys presents he cannot afford—to illustrate what has been lost. Each paragraph should include at least one direct quotation from the text.

   Exit ticket

   In two or three sentences, explain how the structural placement of Johnny's death at the end of Book Three — rather than at the end of the novel — shapes the reader's understanding of what the novel is really about.

4. Lesson 4: Survival, Work, and First Love — Chapters 11–14

   55 min · ch. 11, 12, 13, 14

   Do now

   In Chapter 13, the sentence 'Francie worked and she did not complain' suggests that Francie is resilient and hardworking. By this point in the novel, it implies that she has developed a strong character that endures hardships without voicing her struggles. I believe Smith aims for us to feel both admiration and pity for Francie; we respect her perseverance but also recognize the weight of her circumstances that necessitate such silence. This duality deepens our understanding of her character and the challenges she faces.

   Teacher input

   Model a reading of the scene in Chapter 14 where Lee Rhynor, Francie's first love, writes to inform her that he has married someone else. Pay close attention to how Smith uses the letter as a narrative device: the letter is quoted in full, featuring formal and somewhat stiff language — 'I hope you will understand and wish me well' — contrasting with Francie's internal reaction, which Smith conveys through free indirect discourse. Highlight how the disparity between the letter's public tone and Francie's private heartbreak is where the deeper meaning lies. Note that Smith does not portray Francie merely as a victim; the paragraph immediately following her reading of the letter depicts her returning to her work, reflecting Smith's message about resilience as a deliberate and active choice.

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with writing a single analytical paragraph (at least 130 words) on how Smith portrays Francie's experience of first love and heartbreak in Chapter 14 to explore the novel's theme of growing up. The paragraph must include a direct quote from the scene where Francie reads Lee Rhynor's letter, identify the technique Smith employs to depict Francie's emotional response, and conclude with an argument — in one final sentence — about whether Francie's reaction to the letter shows growth, loss, or a combination of both, supported by a reason from the text.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence explaining how Katie's announcement of her pregnancy in Chapter 12 changes the stakes of Francie and Neeley's work in Chapter 13, and what this shift reveals about Smith's presentation of family as both burden and motivation.

5. Lesson 5: Leaving Brooklyn — The American Dream, Identity, and Francie's Final Journey, Chapters 15–17

   60 min · ch. 15, 16, 17

   Do now

   Revisit the closing paragraph of Chapter 17, where Francie takes one last look at the tenement from the street before she leaves Brooklyn for good, and the ailanthus tree appears for the final time. Write two sentences: one about the tree's significance now versus Chapter 1, and another about what Francie's decision to look back instead of just walking away reveals about her connection to her past.

   Teacher input

   Model a reading of the passage in Chapter 17 where Francie reflects on Ben Blake's steadiness and Officer McShane's proposal to Katie. Focus on how Smith uses these two male figures to represent two different futures — a romantic partnership based on intellectual equality versus one rooted in pragmatic security. Explore how Francie's insights on both men highlight her growth in self-awareness since Chapter 2. Illustrate how Smith employs Francie's evaluative voice, allowing her to assess both men objectively, without sentimentality, as evidence that the novel's central theme is about developing a self that can make independent choices rather than merely escaping poverty.

   Independent task

   Write a comprehensive analytical essay consisting of four to six paragraphs (about 500–700 words) that addresses the following question: 'How does Betty Smith portray the American Dream as both a source of hope and a source of disappointment in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn?' Your essay should: start with a definitive argument in your introduction that articulates the novel's stance on the American Dream; include a paragraph discussing the ailanthus tree as a symbol of aspiration in Chapters 1–2, quoting the section where Smith first depicts it growing through concrete; present a paragraph on Johnny Nolan's struggle to attain economic stability, quoting the scene in Chapter 7 where he returns home intoxicated and the account of his death in Chapter 10; include a paragraph on Francie's educational journey and her reading in Chapter 6, quoting the part where she decides to read every book in the library alphabetically, illustrating that knowledge serves as the novel's alternative path to the Dream; and conclude with a paragraph on Francie's departure in Chapter 17, debating whether Smith ultimately views the Dream as achievable, illusory, or something more nuanced than either. Ensure you incorporate at least five direct quotations from throughout the novel, with each quotation followed by a sentence of analysis identifying a technique and discussing its impact.

   Exit ticket

   Write two or three sentences answering this question: having read and written about the whole novel, do you think Smith presents Francie's departure from Brooklyn in Chapter 17 as a triumph, a loss, or an act that contains both — and what single moment from the text is the strongest evidence for your view?

Activities

Assessment

• Lesson 1 exit ticket: checks whether students can articulate the structural effect of opening with the tree symbol rather than the protagonist — looking for awareness of how Smith frames Francie before she appears.
• Lesson 1 independent paragraph: checks whether students can identify a named technique in Chapter 3 and connect a local detail to the novel's broader thematic concern with poverty and aspiration.
• Lesson 2 exit ticket: checks whether students can read Mary Rommely's advice in Chapter 4 as a thematic statement about education — looking for a sentence that moves beyond plot summary to interpretive claim.
• Lesson 3 independent paragraphs: checks whether students can identify stylistic contrast between Chapters 2 and 10 and articulate what the shift in prose register reveals about Francie's psychological state after Johnny's death.
• Lesson 4 exit ticket: checks whether students can connect two plot events — Katie's pregnancy in Chapter 12 and the children's work in Chapter 13 — into a single interpretive claim about family as motivation, not merely obstacle.
• Lesson 5 exit ticket: checks whether students can form a personal, evidenced evaluative judgement about the novel's ending — looking for a specific textual moment, not a general impression.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.11-12.3 — Analyse the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama.
• RL.11-12.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyse the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
• RL.11-12.5 — Analyse how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning.
• W.11-12.1 — Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Develop a thesis that interprets a literary text and defend it with relevant evidence.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Explain the function of specific words and phrases, including extended metaphor and symbol, in a literary text.
• Narration (NAR-1) — Explain the function of point of view, including free indirect discourse, and its effect on the reader's understanding of character.
• Structure (STR-1) — Explain how the author's structural choices, including the five-book division and the placement of Johnny's death, contribute to the text's meaning.
• Character (CHR-1) — Analyse how complex characters develop over the course of a text and interact with other characters to advance the plot or develop a theme.

AQA

• AO1 — Read, understand and respond to texts; maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response; use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.
• AO2 — Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.
• AO3 — Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written and received.
• AO4 — Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, with particular attention to diction, narrative voice, and structural choices.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received, including early twentieth-century immigrant and working-class experience in New York.

IB Lit

• Criterion A — Knowledge, understanding and interpretation: demonstrate detailed knowledge of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and construct supported interpretations of its themes and characters.
• Criterion B — Analysis and evaluation: analyse the effects of Smith's stylistic choices — including free indirect discourse, symbol, and structural division — and evaluate their contribution to meaning.
• Criterion C — Focus and organisation: develop a sustained, organised argument across a multi-paragraph essay response.