{"id":5497,"date":"2025-07-06T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-06T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itslitteaching.com\/?p=5497"},"modified":"2025-04-23T19:42:51","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T23:42:51","slug":"born-a-crime-unit-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itslitteaching.com\/born-a-crime-unit-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"A Born a Crime Unit Plan Your Students Will Actually Love"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Trevor Noah’s memoir Born a Crime<\/em> is hands-down one of my favorite modern books to incorporate into a high school curriculum. Between its laugh-out-loud moments and heartbreaking truths, Born a Crime<\/em> gives young readers a deeply personal window into apartheid South Africa—and makes them think about the world today in entirely new ways. If you’re planning to teach this memoir and have no idea how to start putting together your Born a Crime<\/em> unit plan, you’re in the right place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this blog post, I’m going to share some ideas and resources you can use to put together your unit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want to skip the prep work of creating your Born a Crime<\/em> unit plan from scratch? Grab my complete Born a Crime<\/em> by Trevor Noah Unit Bundle here!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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Pinterest Pin that reads, \"A Born a Crime Unit Plan Your Students Will Love\" over the image of a Black teen girl smiling in front of a computer while writing in a notebook<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What Is Born a Crime<\/em> About?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood<\/em> is Trevor Noah’s first book—and it’s just as sharp, funny, and powerful as his comedy. The memoir follows Noah’s life growing up as a mixed-race person during and after apartheid in South Africa, a time when his very existence was considered illegal under the law.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through short narrative scenes and vivid storytelling, Noah reflects on his childhood with his fiercely independent black Xhosa mother, his struggles with identity, and his experiences navigating white areas, black neighborhoods, and everything in between. During this exploration, he examines themes like institutional racism, poverty, language, and unconditional love—with plenty of humor and heart woven throughout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the book covers serious topics like the Immorality Act, apartheid South Africa, and the legacy of colonialism, it also highlights moments of resilience, family bonds, and the importance of laughter in the face of injustice. It’s a perfect text for high school and advanced middle school students looking to understand history through a personal lens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s important to note that there are two <\/em>versions of this book. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is the original, unabridged version. And there is a young reader’s version. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The young reader’s version is censored (no swearing!) and has been condensed. Some sections are shortened, and an entire chapter was removed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re teaching students in a more conservative district, or have struggling students, or just don’t have much time for this unit, the young adult version may work better for you. <\/strong>(My Born a Crime<\/em> Unit<\/a> includes versions for both book formats.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information about why you should teach Born a Crime<\/em>​, check out this blog post.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n