Unit #8: Things Fall Apart (and I m not talking about your fourth-quarter grade!)

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1 Unit #8: Things Fall Apart (and I m not talking about your fourth-quarter grade!) Honors 10 Literature Mr. Coia Name: Date: Period: Tues 4/17 Book checkout/new unit guide Intro to Africa/Nigeria Things Fall Apart introductory reading Begin novel and character list HW: Read chapters 1-7; mark three powerful passages; pick three discussion starter questions to answer on paper. At least one must be challenging. Thurs 4/19 Reading Quiz 1-7 Read background info on chapters Discussion on chapters Complete Meet Okonkwo s Circle Literary Criticism discussion: biographical, historical, gender, and close reading Pick one lens with which to analyze the novel. Focus your powerful passages on this reading HW: Read chapters 8-13; three powerful passages with lit crit lens; three discussion starter questions Mon 4/23 Reading Quiz 8-13 Read background info on chapters Complete Proverbs sheet Chapter Titles for first half of book Lit Crit groups: sharing passages and paper prep Short film: Inja. What does this tell us about colonization? Any connections to the book? HW: Read chapters 14-19; powerful passages with lit crit lens; three discussion starter questions Wed 4/25 Reading Quiz Read background info on chapters Complete Conflict sheet in packet Lit Crit groups: sharing passages and paper prep Read Shooting an Elephant and mark text. What does this offer to our discussion about colonization? HW: Read chapters 20-end; powerful passages; three discussion starter questions; working on paper Fri 4/27 Reading Quiz Read background info on chapters Lecture: Irony Complete Anatomy of a Downfall and Irony sheets Discuss the ending: Is Okonkwo a hero? Explain your response. Philosophical Chairs: Colonization HW: Analysis paper due next class Tues 5/1 Anaysis Paper due Meeting in lit crit groups and paper sharing TFA test (no book=no test) Turn in novels Thurs 5/3 Power of One work Debate topics Mon 5/7 Power of One work Display board must be complete and ready for grading Wed 5/9 Power of One work 1

2 Assignment Descriptions Power of One Assignments Our Power of One presentation night is Wednesday, May 9 th, from 5:00-8:00 pm. You will arrive at 4:30 to prepare. You and at least one parent must attend, and there is no make-up. Notebook Check You ll need the following for our next notebook check. Remember, this was assigned back in August, and we have merely been adding to it. Therefore, you need ALL the pieces to receive credit. No partial credit offered on this. You need two tabs with the following: LA Handouts: Unit guide 8 (on top) Unit guide Trait Writing Model page (separate from unit 2 p. 13) Ideas-Organization-Word Choice-Conventions Rubric Class Rules (separate from unit guide 1 p. 4) How Do I Format My Paper? (unit guide 1 p. 5) Books We ll Read This Year (unit guide 1 p. 15) A Modest Proposal marked text (unit guide 4, p. 9-13) Readings Packet for Quarter 1 10 Integrated Honors Course Syllabus (Mr. Hogen gave this to you) LA Classwork: Notes from lectures, presentations, mini-lessons from the start of school. Remember you should be taking notes each class period. You will also have ample loose-leaf paper in your binder, and your pens, pencils, highlighter, etc. Literary Analysis Paper After choosing one of the literary criticisms forms, you will write a paper analyzing the novel through that specific lens. Keep these in mind: The 4 writing traits rubric Review Thesis Statements and Beyond sheet Have a powerful thesis that connects to paper Review How Do I Format My Paper? criteria words Include a minimum of three quotations that add to the power of your message Include a Works Cited page (use your text or EasyBib for help) Extension Activity Some students can choose to complete this extra assignment in lieu of the discussion starter questions. You will write a reaction paper ( words) comparing or contrasting the views of colonialism in Things Fall Apart, Inja, and Shooting an Elephant. Begin with a central idea and show how each illustrate it. If you are interested in this, please let me know immediately. Going Further: If this topic interests you, you may want to rent the movie Blood Diamond. This combines colonization, slavery, and Africa. It s an excellent movie, but it is rated R. Talk with your parents before watching. 2

3 Things Fall Apart Pronunciation Guide 1. Chinua Achebe CHIN-wa a-che-beh 2. Abame AH-bahm-eh 3. Agbala A-ba-lah 4. Akuke AH-koo-keh 5. Akunna ah-kou-n-nah 6. Amikwu ah-mee-kwou 7. Anene ah-neh-neh 8. Ani AHN-ee 9. Aninta ah-nin-tah 10. Chi CHEE 11. Chielo CHEE-el-o 12. Chukwu CHOU-kwou 13. Efulefu EFF-ou-LEFE-ou 14. Egwugwu EH-gwou-gwou 15. Ekwefi ek-weh-fee 16. Ezeani eh-za-nee 17. Ezenwa eh-zeng-wa 18. Ezeudu e-zeh-ou-doo 19. Ezinma eh-zee-mah 20. Ikemefuna ikeh-meh-fou-nah 21. Kiaga kee-ahg-ah 22. Machi MAH-chi 23. Maduka MA-doo-KAH 24. Mbaino M-ba-EE-no 25. Mbanta m-bahn-tah 26. Mgbogo m-bo-goh 27. Nneka n-neh-kah 28. Nwakibie ng-wa-ki-be-yeh 29. Nwayieke NGWAH-YEH-keh 30. Nwoye ng-woy-yeh 31. Obiageli O-bee-ki-GEL-ee 32. Obierika O-byeh-REE-kah 33. Odukwe O-douk-WEH 34. Ofoedu OFF-o-EH-dou 35. Ogbanje og-bahn-jeh 36. Ogbuefi Indigo o-bou-eh-fee Eedeego 37. Ogbuefi Ugonna o-bou-eh-fee ou-go-nnah 38. Ojiugo O-jee-OU-go 39. Okagbue Uyanwa oh-kae-bou-ou-yangwah 40. Okonkwo o-kon-kwo 41. Onwimbiko ong-woum-bee-koh 42. Uchendu ou-chen-doo 43. Umueru ou-mou-eh-rou 44. Umuike ou-mou-eh-keh 45. Umuofia ou-mwoff-yah 46. Umuru OU- mou-rou 47. Unoka OU-no-ka 48. Uzuwulu OU-zoh-WOU-lou 3

4 Modes Of Literary Criticism Literary Criticism is simply the approach one takes in interpreting a text, whether it be a play, a story, or a poem. There are many different ways to interpret a text, as there are many different perspectives that a reader could bring to this reading process. The following modes of criticism encompass the different ways one can analyze and find meaning in given work. 1. Biographical Criticism Examines the effect and influence of the writer s life on his or her work. The basic premise of this criticism is that knowing something about the writer's life helps us to fully understand the author s work and the intended meaning in the text. Example: How did Fitzgerald s immersion into the extravagant lifestyle of the roaring 20 s impact his portrayal of characters in The Great Gatsby? What was Mark Twain s involvement in the slavery controversy? Biographical Criticism Strategies: a. Research the author s life. b. Relate that information to the work. c: Research the author s beliefs. d. Relate those systems of belief to the work. 2. Historical Criticism Historical criticism explores the historical, social, political, and cultural contexts surrounding the creation and reception of a work of literature. We can hardly understand characters lives without some sense of the time and place in which they lived. The responses of the original audience are also of interest to the historical critic, as are the meanings and implications of specific words, symbols, images, and characters through time. Example: How does the historical context of The Great Gatsby (Jazz Age, roaring 20 s, New York) correspond to themes in the novel? Why were initial sales of the novel slow when published? Why is it now viewed as a classic? How was Huck Finn received when it was first published? Historical Reading Strategies: a. Research the author s time. b. Relate that information to the work. How was the work influenced by the time period? c. Look for changes in language connotations. d. Research the time in which the story takes place. 4

5 3. Gender Criticism Explores the effect of the writer s gender on his or her work. The basic premise of gender criticism is that men and women are different; they write differently and read differently, and these differences should be valued and interpreted accordingly. Example: Given the female characters in The Great Gatsby, what statements or judgments does Fitzgerald seem to be making about feminine roles and behavior? What does Salinger seem to say about female sexual innocence with the characters of Sunny and Jane? Strategies for Gender Criticism: a. Consider the gender of the writer. What role does the gender play in the work? b. Examine how the gender of the reader may affect the interpretation of the work. (How would a male read this different than a female? c. Observe how gender stereotypes might be reinforced or undetermined. d. Consider the gender of the characters, and what roles gender plays in this book. e. How is the relationship between men and women depicted? 4. Close Reading ( New Criticism ) Looks for meaning that resides only in the text. Reading closely means developing a deep understanding and a precise interpretation of a literary work that is based on the significance of each word in the text. Every element is essential, but special focus is played on figurative language, diction, imagery, reoccurring ideas, and structure. Example- How might the continual references to clothes in The Great Gatsby advance to the theme of artificiality? What are the different actions Holden does with his hat off and with his hat on? How is the topic of innocence symbolized in The Catcher in the Rye? Steps to close a reading: a. Assume the work is complex, and every word has a purpose. b. Assume that the work has a unifying theme. c. Look for significant words, sentences, symbols, characters, and plot. d. Examine the author s use of literary elements. e. Make observations as you go in the text. 5

6 Dale Tubat May 2, 2011 Things Fall Apart Lit. Crit. Essay Honors Lit. A1 Mr. Coia 1,012 Words Breadwinners and Babysitters Gender has always decided one s fate in society; sometimes, gender affects some more than others. In a modern day society, gender does not play a major role in deciding one s place in society; gender decides smaller fates, such as where people shop, what people wear, where people dorm, and even where people use the restroom. However, gender can play and has played a major part in deciding what happens or has happened in one s life; in certain places such as Asia and India, only males are allowed to go to school. With various gender roles, however, come opinions upon how it should be changed or made better. Chinua Achebe, the author of a revolutionary African book, Things Fall Apart, hides many of his opinions of gender roles in his text. Chinua Achebe portrays his various opinions of male and female roles of society in his story through the wisdom and opinions of various characters and through the relationships between men and women. Achebe uses the opinions of various characters from the Igbo tribe to suggest views about male and female roles in society. Achebe proposes the opinion as if being of the male gender is the key component to success in a community through Okonkwo s disappointment at his daughter, Ezinma. She should have been a boy, [Okonkwo] thought as he looked at his ten-year-old daughter (55). Although Ezinma has the greatest connection with her father compared to the rest of her siblings, the letdown of her gender suggests that being male is the greatest characteristic that gives one potential to become a fruitful clansmen. Even though Okonkwo sees Ezinma as an almost perfect child with the ability to understand his feelings easily, her sex still characterizes her as inferior, following suit with the stereotype. This criticism towards females shows how Achebe, as well as the Igbo tribe, sees women as inferior to men. However, the role of a wife and mother is praised through the wisdom of Uchendu, one of Okonkwo s relatives from his motherland. It s true that a child belongs to its father. But when a father beats its child, it seeks sympathy in its mother s hut. A man belongs to his fatherland when things are good and life is sweet. But when there is sorrow and bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland (116). Through the wisdom of Uchendu, Achebe suggests that a mother s duty is to ease and comfort her children when her husband scolds them. This idea of giving refuge to their offspring depicts the women, specifically mothers, in the tribe as affectionate and sympathetic to the children, giving them an important role in the structure of a family. However, Uchendu still sees women as physically weak beings, compared to men: It was not until the following day that Okonkwo told him the full story. The 6

7 old man listened silently to the end and then said with some relief: It is a female ochu [murder] (112). The way Uchenda addresses the accidental murder shows how women are seen as weak; because the murder was not intended and was not a strong attempt, the classification would not deserve a name such as a male ochu. Through this, Achebe suggests again that females are inferior to males. Achebe suggests various opinions of gender criticism through relationships between men and women. Through Okonkwo s relationship with Nwoye, Achebe criticizes how the abilities of males determine whether or not he is truly a man: [Okonkwo] wanted [Nwoye] to be a prosperous man And so he was always happy when he heard him grumbling about women. That showed that in time he would be able to control his women-folk. No matter how prosperous a man was, if he was unable to rule his women and children (and especially his women) he was not really a man (46). Okonkwo s expectations of his son create suggestions that a man is defined through his ability to rule his family. Achebe creates an opinion that a strict man is a successful man in the Igbo tribe, and will show his true manly potential. The passage also criticizes the role of women in the family; Achebe suggests that wives are merely animals to be tamed by their tamers, which are their husbands. The emphasis that men have to train their wives proposes that women are difficult to rule and could not be as intellectually equal to their insignificant other. The emphasis, however, can also be interpreted as to praise women; the passage could also suggest that a wife is necessary for a man to be truly successful. This shows how the role of a wife is important in the structure of a family, and how women are beneficial to a family. However, through the relationship between Okonkwo and his wives, women are sometimes depicted as slaves, working for their husbands and getting punishment for every mistake: Without further argument, Okonkwo gave [Ekwefi] a sound beating and left her and her only daughter weeping. Okonkwo heard it and ran madly into his room for the loaded gun, ran out again and aimed at her He pressed the trigger and there was a loud report accompanied by the wail of his wives and children (33). This vicious abuse suggests that women in the Ibo tribe are not always treated as a civilized human being, such as the men of the tribe. Violent acts towards women also portray men as violent beings, beating their wives because of the smallest things, such as Okonkwo s case with the leaves being pulled off of the banana tree. Not only does this suggest that they are violent, but this also portrays their strength and cold-heartedness. Hidden in his text and dialogue, Chinua Achebe s views on gender roles are portrayed through characters and relationships. Just like in other novels, opinions are masked in words and phrases that describe how one views something that controls one s life, such as gender. Although gender does not decide the fate every day of our lives now, it has and can continue to affect someone much more than it will ever affect us. 7

8 Power of One Presentation Night Wednesday, May 9, 2012 Student Name: Power of One Character: Category: Task Points Description Display Board Media presentation that portrays the achievements, influence, history, or impact of subject on the world with explanation Includes a variety of pieces completed in and out of class. (See assignment listing) Includes a variety of pictures, maps, graphs, diagrams, etc. Be sure they are non-pixelated Give-away items Props Costume Discussion Forum Name Card for discussion forum Additional Effort Award Winner Earn extra credit if you win one of the best categories /60 /20 /20 /30 /50 /20 Up to +20 extra credit points Required Items included: 30 pts for items (all pics count as one item only) 20 pts for 8-11 items 10 pts for 6-7 items 5 pts for 1-5 items Appearance (neatness, layout, detail) 30 points for highest quality 20 points for satisfactory quality 10 pts for mediocre quality 5 pts for poor quality Symbolic items that connect to your character that visitors can take (bring 50). Two different objects that represent your character and makes your exhibit unique and interesting. You are dressed to look like your character. Each individual will answer discussion questions at conference. Grade will be determined by group's moderator. Creative design, clearly printed name, easily read from a distance. It must be able to stand upright on a table. Want to do more? Add to this list to make your presentation even better. Find something that makes your display unique Best Costume Best Display Best Give-away item Total: /200 (Semester Exam grade) 8

9 Power of One Assignment Listing Design elements o Pictures of the character and other important people in his/her life o Maps & Graphs o Clear labels throughout Possible Creative Writing Assignments o Where I m From poem o What s in My Pockets? o ipod Playlist o Seven important dates o Six-word memoirs (3-5) o Inspiration o Essays written about the person o Soundtrack of my Life: Album name and modern songs that connect to this life o Wordle.net of your character o Comic strip/panel and original caption (New Yorker contest or white-out words in your favorite strip) o Twitter or Facebook feed (write 10 tweets or FB status updates from your character) o Obituary told by friend and enemy (research how obituaries are written) o Bumper sticker (what would it say?) o My favorite book from this course because o My modern day equivalent and why (think about who is most like your person today) o Why I Matter in 2011 short writing o A bucket list of ten things he/she would want to accomplish during life o Design an advertisement to reflect something in the time period o Acrostic poem o Annotated Bibliography about me (books, films, articles; include a minimum of 5 with photo) You are not limited to these. Look for other ways to show what you know about your character 9