Procedure:
Continue discussion of the film. The film deals with heavy issues as such the students may have needed a night to process the film and should now be ready to discuss.
Questions to pose to the class: The film presents you with small clips of the lives of many individuals who all disturb the Universe in some way. Was this intentionally done by all of the characters? In which cases was it intentional and it which cases was it just the result of a crash? Are the "crashes" Paul Haggis creates in the film similar to the "crashes" Langston Hughes creates in "Cora Unashamed"?
Assignment:
What happens to these characters after their crash? We are told what happens to Cora at the conclusion of the story but we do not know what will happen to the characters in the film beyond the course of the two days.
Select one character from the film and continue their story in the form of a short play, short story, or short graphic novel (bring in copies of graphic novels to show students). Has the crash changed his/her life forever? Will things go back to normal? Have things changed for the worse or have they gotten better?
Students may begin brainstorming and writing their assignments in class, students will be given this class period in addition to tomorrows class period to work on their assignments. (Students should also be working on their assignments at home.) Students should reflect back to their guiding questions before writing their assignment and pull out the dramatic elements and symbols found in the film to be incorporated into their piece.
This lesson will teach students how to adapt film to literature.
Note: Students will be assessed on all assignments included in the Unit Plan. Assessment will be done based on creativity, organization, development and understanding of task, and understanding of the process.
