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Paired Texts > False Accusation

by Regina Quartey 2013

We've identified these texts as great options for text pairings based on similar themes, literary devices, topic, or writing style. Supplement your lesson with one or more of these options and challenge students to compare and contrast the texts. To assign a paired text, click on the text to go to its page and click the "Assign Text" button there.

The Scottsboro Boys
The Scottsboro Boys
Jessica McBirney

In "The Scottsboro Boys," Jessica McBirney discusses the historic event in which nine black boys were wrongfully accused and convicted of assault.

Pair “The Scottsboro Boys” with “False Accusation” and ask students to discuss the consequences of false accusations in society. According to “The Scottsboro Boys,” how did a false accusation in the Jim Crow South harm nine Black youths? According to “False Accusation,” how did a false accusation harm the speaker? How do the texts offer different perspectives on the personal and societal impacts of a false accusation?

8th Grade Informational Text 1190L
God Sees the Truth, But Waits
God Sees the Truth, But Waits
Leo Tolstoy translated by Aylmer Maude

In Leo Tolstoy's short story, "God Sees the Truth, But Waits", a man is convicted of a crime that he didn't commit.

Pair “God Sees the Truth, But Waits” with “False Accusation” and ask students to compare the themes of the two texts. What theme does Tolstoy convey through the experiences of Ivan Aksionov in “God Sees the Truth, But Waits”? What theme does Quartey convey through the speaker’s words in “False Accusation”? What do you think these two writers might say to each other if they had a conversation about the truth and justice?

10th Grade Short Story 790L
A Poison Tree
A Poison Tree
William Blake

In "A Poison Tree," a speaker allows their hatred and anger to grow, like a poisonous tree.

Pair “A Poison Tree” with “False Accusation” and ask students to compare the speaker’s perspectives on anger. What does the speaker believe will be the final result of their anger in “A Poison Tree”? What does the speaker believe will be the final result of their anger in “False Accusation”? How do the two texts present different perspectives on the consequences of anger? Which of the two perspectives align most with your beliefs about anger? Why?

10th Grade Poem
The Law of Students' Rights to Online Speech: The Impact of Students' Ability to Openly Discuss Public Issues
The Law of Students' Rights to Online Speech: The Impact of Students' Ability to Openly Discuss Public Issues
Beth A. Norrow and Sommer Ingram Dean

In "The Law of Students' Rights to Online Speech: The Impact of Students' Ability to Openly Discuss Public Issues," lawyers Beth A. Narrow and Sommer Ingram Dean explore the role that the First Amendment plays in protecting students' right to public speech. Pair “False Accusation” with “The Law of Students’ Rights to Online Speech: The Impact of Students’ Ability to Openly Discuss Public Issues” and ask students to discuss the common themes in each text. In “False Accusation,” what are the consequences of falsely accusing someone of a crime or misstep? How does the speaker of the poem respond to the false accusation? How does this mirror Levy’s response to the school’s decision as described in “The Law of Students’ Rights to Online Speech: The Impact of Students’ Ability to Openly Discuss Public Issues?” In the poem, the speaker states, “Just wait for some time, the truth will surely come to light.” According to the author of the article, can the consequences of a false accusation be fully remedied by the truth coming out?

11th Grade Informational Text 1440L