What to do:

Begin the class by pointing out the richness of Chris Abani’s use of language in the novel and tell students that today we will be exploring how his use of descriptive novel works to enhance the reader’s sensory experience of the novel through a number of language exercises.  The first exercise will require students to strip down sentences to their bare essentials starting with some of the less complicated sentences and then continuing to more complicated sentences.  This will require that students are able to properly identify the subject and verb of each sentence.  You will hand out the Stripping Down the Language worksheet to structure this exercise.  In order to make sure that the students understand what is expected of them you will first model one or two of the easier sentences and one or two of the more difficult sentences.  Then they will work quietly on the rest of the worksheet.

After they have completed the worksheet it is important to go over the answers together to make sure that all of the students have been able to properly identify the correct subject/verb sentence which captures the core of the sentence.  Once you have gone over the answers, or even while you are going over the answers ask questions to get students thinking about how the stripped down version of the sentences is both the same sentence and a different sentence from the original.  What is the same?  What is lost in the stripping down?  What might be the importance of adding these extra words into the sentence?  How do they affect you as a reader?  Is one more interesting than the other?  What types of words are left out in the stripped down sentences? Adjectives? Adverbs?  What types of descriptive phrases are left out – metaphors? Similes?

Next pass out the Writing Your Own Descriptive Sentences worksheet.  Now ask the students to work on this sheet for a few minutes.  Once they are mostly finished, at least 10 minutes before the end of the period, ask for volunteers to write their creative sentences on the board and then read some of the creative responses together as a class.

As closure to the lesson point out that they have all just written sentences as full of descriptive language as Chris Abani’s own sentences.

How did it go?

Were they able to properly identify the subject/verb roots of each sentence?  Did they remark on the differences between the stripped down sentences and the originals?   Were they able to come up with their own creative sentences full of descriptive language and imagery?

Day 6                                                                                                                                                                      __Lesson 5: Opposing Pairs

What’s on for today and why?

“Half of the town was built of a confused mix of clapboard, wood, cement and zinc sheets, raised above a swamp by means of stilts and wooden walkways.  The other half, built on solid ground reclaimed from the sea, seemed to be clawing its way out of the primordial swamp, attempting to become something else.” (p 48)

This is a novel which is filled with sets of opposing pairs.  Today the students will be using images to examine some of these oppositions so that they may be better able to make meaning as they continue their reading.  Through the constructing of these images students will have to interpret what each of these elements looks like based on the information in the text whether they are depicting a place or character. 

What to do:

When the students come in to the class they are to be divided into groups of four.  Each group will be given one of the opposing pairs from the following list:

Redemption and Elvis

Beatrice and Sunday

Beatrice and Comfort

Oye and Comfort

Bar Beach and Maroko

The Kola Nut and Cocoa Cola

These are just a few suggestions; if you look through the text there are many other pairs that you could come up with.  Hand out paper and colored pencils to each group.  For the first 5-7 minutes students are to work quietly sketching out their assigned pair on a single sketch.  Remind them to think back to the text while coming up with their sketches.  This exercise isn’t about the artwork so much as the ideas that go into these depictions so their sketches could be a symbol or metaphor rather than a literal sketch of what is being depicting.

Next they should take about 7-10 minutes to share their drawings within the group and decide on one representative to present their sketches and explain the thought process behind their artistic choices. 

After the groups decide on their representatives go around the room and have the representative from each group share their sketch with their classmates and explain their reasoning behind the sketch.  Encourage the students to ask each other questions about particular details in the sketches.

Now ask everyone to sketch the differences between Afikpo and Lagos.  Remind them that their sketches should take into account everything they have read in the text as well as the documents and images that they have encountered on the WebQuest.  Give them approximately 10 minutes depending on how much time you have left.  Below the sketches they are to write 2-3 senteces explaining why they chose to depict each location in a specific way. These sketches will be collected for a classwork grade.  As closure to the class, make sure that you have time to get a couple of volunteers to share their sketches before the end of class so that you can close with the students thinking about the opposition between the two settings for the novel.

How did it go?

Did the sketches show that students are engaging in higher thinking to analyze how they should depict each opposition?  Did any of them use symbolism or metaphor in their sketches?  Were they able to articulate the thought processes behind their artistic choices?  While sketching Afikpo and Lagos did they capture the striking difference between the traditional and artistic nature of life in Afikpo and the demoralizing capitalist world of Lagos?  If so, this is an indicator that they are beginning to really engage with the text and form their own interpretations.

Day 7______________                                                                                                                          _  __Lesson 6: Image and Identity

What’s on for today and why?

It seemed almost incidental that he was African.

So vast had his inner perceptions grown over the years….

–Bessie Head

A Question of Power

The relationship between image and identity is a recurring theme within this novel.  Sunday in particular is constantly scolding Elvis for acting in ways which present an image that has a less than flattering reflection on his father.  Elvis has internalized a particular inner perception of himself as a dancer which is at odds with the internalized image Sunday has of the son he wants.  In this lesson we will be looking at a scene where Elvis carefully constructs an image of himself as the performer Elvis. We will compare this scene to the opening of the movie Midnight Cowboy.  Like Elvis Joe Buck consciously models himself after an image.  Instead of Elvis he makes himself into a cowboy so perfectly stereotypical that he doesn’t even fit in with the people in his home town in Texas.  By looking at the film as well as the text students will be examining two characters who carefully construct an image of themselves and then have an emotional moment where they break down and weep after confronting the image of themselves they have constructed.

What to do:

Start the class by playing the opening sequence of the movie Midnight Cowboy up until the shot of him walking down the streets of New York City with his head above the crowds (16 minutes). While they are watching the film instruct the students to pay attention to specific details used to characterize Joe Buck.  What does he wear?  How does he talk?  Does he have any mannerisms?  How do the people around him react to him?  What do these clues tell you about his character?

After the film ask the students to take a few minutes to think about the scene on pages 76-78 where Elvis carefully makes himself up in the image of the performer Elvis, dances, and then cries at his image in the mirror.  Once they have gathered their thoughts ask them to write a reaction paper to the film and the novel in which they react to the moment of truth that each character experiences.  This will be collected at the end of the class period.

How did it go?

Were students attentive during the film?  Did they take notes on what they saw?  Were they busy writing away after you gave out the writing assignment? Most importantly, were they able to make connections between the novel and the film and comment on the moment of realization each character comes to in the selected scene?  If so then your unit is progressing as planned.

Day 8                                                                                                                                                                      Lesson 7: Creative Writing

What’s on for today and why?

Today we will be looking at Elvis’s discovery of his ability to create new worlds through writing and then writing a creative passage.  Through this activity the students will both be discussing the power of the imagination to create as well as partaking in the activity of creative writing.  This will build on our earlier lesson on descriptive writing since descriptive sentences are a key component of creative writing.

What to do:

First ask students to get into small groups of four to discuss the quote from p. 96 that they responded to in their online blogs for homework.  Give them about five minutes to share their ideas so that they will still be thinking about Okon’s words while we turn our attention to the segment of the text we will be examining today.

Next have the students to turn to the passage at the beginning of chapter 10 from pages 98-101.  Lead the class in a discussion of the events and their ramifications.  What happens here?  What is Elvis’s plan?  How does he justify it?  Why are the movies so important?  Then start asking questions about Elvis’s discovery of the depths of his own imagination.  How does Elvis’s own imagination compare to the stories from the movies?  What is Oye’s response these letters from her “pen pals”?  How does Elvis feel about tricking Oye?  Is his Oye really fooled?  Then ask them to consider Okon’s words “The straight road is a liar.” and ask them if and how his words relate to Oye’s reaction to the made up stories verses the authentic letters she used to get from her pen pals.

After discussing the passage the students will be spending the rest of the class writing their own creative pen pal letter.  Just like Elvis they will have to create the rhetorical situation of who the imaginary pen pal is and write Oye a letter about that person’s highly fantastical exploits.  While presenting the assignment remind the students that creative writing is filled with descriptive sentences just like the ones we worked on in our lesson on language.  This is their chance to show how much they learned about using adjectives, adverbs, similes, metaphors, and complex sentences through stripping down sentences and then writing their own descriptive sentences. 

For homework they will be revising their letters and then posting the completed copy on the class Graceland Wiki before class on Wednesday Day 13.  While they are reading the next two chapters they are to pay special attention to the conversation on p 96.  The King tells Elvis “...de straight road is a liar” (96).  Assign students to write an online blog where they discuss what the King means by this statement in light of the passage, Oye’s response to Elvis’s made up letters, and the novel in general.  Their responses should be posted on their blogs by Friday Day 10.

How did it go?

Did they come to class prepared to talk about the value of a story verses the straight facts?  Were they able to relate Okon’s statement to Oye’s response to Elvis’s made up letters?  Did they make insightful comments about Elvis’s discovery of the power of his own imagination through creative writing?  Did they manage not to grumble when you asked them to embark on writing a creative letter of their own?

Day 9____     __                                                                                                                             ___Lesson 8: The Significance of Names

“In dis place, it used to be dat all you had was your name – before dis new madness with money started.  De measure of a man was his name.  It will be again.  It took me years of pain, suffering and hard work to build a name people could respect. My father was a houseboy to the white priests.  We were nobody.  To de whites we were their servant’s children, mini-servants.  To de traditional world, we were white people’s slaves, a curse, so we were disinherited of land, clan, everything.  I built our name up with honor until it became a force to be reckoned with.  I had never had much money, but I had a name that opened doors.  A name people spoke with respect.” Sunday p 187

What’s on for today and why?

Today we will be exploring the significance of names within the novel.  Names have more than one type of significance within the novel.  On one level the meaning of the names that Abani chooses for characters as well as place names is significant in relation to that place’s or character’s identity.  The quote above captures the second layer of significance.  Within the novel a person’s name is an indicator of their identity and the honor they are accorded within society.  Students will first be examining the significance of names within the novel and then as closure they will be exploring the significance of their own names.  I will also be introducing a little bit of gender politics by having them read an article about the ways that gender rights play a role in Igbo names and then having them relate what they read to Oye’s name which is technically a masculine name.  By drawing on a little theory they will be thinking more critically about how this choice for her name says something about her character.

What to do:

Start the lesson by passing out a worksheet with the meanings of some of the more unusual names from the novel.  Give the students 3-5 minutes to look over some of the name meanings.  Ask for any comments or observations they might have.  Some good examples to point out are:

Aje -  A Nigerian goddess of wealth.

In the novel Aje is one of Lagos’s oldest and poorest ghettos: “It had no streets running through it, just a mess of narrow alleys that wound up squat, ugly bungalows and shacks.  It occupied an area the size of several city blocks, and the main road ran to a halt at either side, ending in concrete walls decorated with graffiti.” P 51

Felicia – means lucky, fortunate, happy

In the novel Aunt Felicia is one of the members of his family with which Elvis has a good relationship and  with whom his future will reside. 

Next pass out the article “The Mythology of Igbo Names” by Uche Norwah and give them about 5-10 minutes to read over the article.  When it appears that most of the students have finished reading the article ask the students to consider Oye’s name in consideration of this concept of gender rights, femininity, and masculinity.  Her name is a derivative of a masculine name, Wole, which is significant since Wole Soyinka was a famous Nigerian writer.  What is the effect of having a woman with a man’s name?  How does this relate to the relationship between Oye and Sunday in the novel?

After discussing Sunday and Oye read the quote from Sunday listed above.  Ask the students to come up with instances in the text where we have encountered scenes that deal with how one’s image and one’s name are related. 

As closure to the lesson ask students to research their own names for homework.  They can consult baby name and genealogy websites or their family members and then reflect on the significance of their own name to their family in their online blogs. This should be completed by class on Monday Day 11.

 How did it go?

Were they interested in the topic of discussion?  Did they make any interesting comments about the implications of Oye’s name?  At the end of class were they looking forward to exploring the significance of their own names?

Day 10                                                                                                                                                      Lesson 9: Dialogue and Identity

What’s on for today and why?

In Graceland Abani uses dialogue to show the differences in education amongst the characters.  Many of the characters in the book speak a pidgin of English characterized by such words as "dey", "O!", "deir, and "dis".  In contrast Elvis generally speaks in more proper English.  In this lesson students will look two passages which lend themselves to a discussion of the use of dialogue in the novel in order to explore the relationship between how one speak’s and the perception of one’s identity that is constructed through a person’s manner of speaking.

What to do:

Start the lesson off by having the students break up into partners.  For the first 5 minutes of class they will be conducting a silent conversation by passing a sheet of paper back and forth and writing to one another.  There is no restriction on what they have to write about so long as they are writing and not talking.

After 5 minutes have passed ask the students to stop and hold onto the conversation.  Remaining in partners, have the students open their texts to the conversation between Able to Do and Confusion on pages 146-148 and hand out the Dialogue and Identity worksheet.  For the next 10 minutes they will continue to work in pairs as they answer questions about the characters names, professions, and the way they speak.

Once everyone has finished their discussion of Able to Do and Confusion elicit responses to the questions on the worksheet from the class.  They should be able to come up with accurate observations about these two characters.  Able to do is “an apprentice car mechanic and part-time muralist” and speaks in proper English which marks him as the more educated, artistic type.  His name suggests his ability to accomplish what he puts his mind to and as a result he is able to wield his hands equally as an artist and a mechanic.  Confusion is “a sprinter, who made a living playing football for the town’s team” as well as a motorpark thug.  Unlike Able he speaks in the pidgin form of English characteristic of most of the characters’ dialogue.  Ask them to come up with specific words that characterize Confusion’s dialect of English as being different from Able’s traditional speech and write the words (a number of suggestions are listed above) on the board.

Next have them turn to p.139 where Redemption says to Elvis, "Every time you speak too much grammar, I know you dey lie."  Read the conversation between Elvis and Redemtion from pages 138-140.  Ask for volunteers to speculate on why Redemption says this to Elvis and urge them to consider both the language that is used by each character as well as the content of the conversation they are having.  How does the way each of these characters speaks reveal something about their character?  Also consider the importance of speaking appropriately in a specific context.  Do you speak the same way when you are talking to your friends as when you talk to your parent?  Or in class?  Why?

Homework:

At the end of class have students exchange IM names and for homework they will be either taking the roles of Able and Confusion or Elvis and Redemption and they will reenact their written conversation via IM.  If anyone does not have an IM identity then the conversation can be carried out over email or written, however the purpose of using the IM format is to get students to think on their feet as they type out their responses in character.  Once the conversation is finished at least one of the partners must save and print it out.  The next day we have class they are to turn in the original conversation and the conversation in character with both names on the documents.  If this class starts on a Monday as scheduled this will give student’s a weekend to gain access to IM.

How did it go?

Were they able to distinguish between each character’s use of language?  Did they draw on our previous lesson about names while discussing Able and Confusion?  Were they able to provide insights about Redemption’s words to Elvis and how the way you speak can identify you as belonging to one group or another? 

Day 11                                                                                                                                                                     Lesson 10: The Campaign

What’s on for today and why?

Today we will be looking at the scenes that deal with the political campaign.  We will be using a combination of close textual reading and performance to explore the two campaign parties.  What are their approaches to gaining supporters?  What values do they base their campaigns on?  What does this campaign reveal about Sunday’s character?  These questions are connected to the opposition that rests at the core of the novel and will be further developed in Part II of the novel.

What to do:

Divide the class into two parties.  One side will be Chief Okonkwo’s campaign staff and the other side will be Sunday Oke’s campaign staff.  Hand out this list of debate questions and ask each group to research their candidate’s character in the book and come up with answers to the questions in keeping with that candidate’s character within the text.  This means that they will have to pay attention to how that person speaks as well as the content of what they say.  They will have 20 minutes to prepare for the debate and choose a representative to speak for the group.

Then for the rest of the class I will ask the questions and each candidate will have a chance to answer in character.

After the debate bring closure by going around the room and having each student reflect on what they learned during the lesson.

How did it go?

Did the students work together to accomplish the task?  Did the candidates answer the questions in accordance with the textual evidence about that character?  Was every student able to think of at least one new thing that they learned or observed during the lesson?

Day 12                                                                                                                                                                    Lesson 11: Speaking Out

What’s on for today and why?

Sexual violence, especially rape, is undeniably present in this text and must be properly addressed and contextualized.  Today students will be talking about the psychological symptoms exhibited by victims of rape as well as the importance of speaking out.  Students will read an article about rape trauma syndrome put out by the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network and an excerpt from the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson about the importance of speaking out and then apply what they learn from these texts to Elvis’s character.  This approach helps to talk about the rape and why it is in the novel without talking about a graphic depiction of the scene.

What to do:

Start the lesson by briefly talking about the book Speak, a novel about the freshman year of a girl who is raped at an end of summer party and withdraws into herself.  Throughout the novel she is marginalized by her friends, who are unaware of what she has been through, her parents and teachers who don’t take the time to understand her, and her self as she becomes progressively more withdrawn in her own pain and confusion until finally she is able to speak out, name her attacker, confront him, and move on with her life. 

Continue the lesson by handing the photocopies of the following excerpts from Speak :

1)pp 156-159 – Melinda protests through silence, her friend tells her protestors speak out

2)pp 164-165 – Melinda realizes that what happened to her was rape

3)pp 196-198 – Melinda finally is ready to tell her story

 Give the students a few minutes to read the passages and then ask them questions about the importance of speaking out.  What are the two methods for dealing with an issue presented here?  Which one is more effective?  Why?  As usual students should refer to the text to support their answers.

This will lead into handing out a printout of this article put out by the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network. Give the students a few minutes to read over this document and hand out this graphic organizer.  After they finish the article students are to list some of the symptoms from the list under the Outward Adjustment Phase and indicate places in the text where Elvis exhibits behaviors that fall under that symptom.  They can work in pairs for this if the person next to them is finished reading.

As closure to this lesson ask the students to write a short reflection, no more than a page, on whether or not they found looking at Elvis as a victim of rape trauma syndrome illuminated any aspects of his character for them.  They should refer to the symptoms and phases from the article as well as passages in the text to explain their response.  This should be posted to their blog by Friday Day 15.

How did it go?

While this may be sensitive subject matter it is also extremely important that students deal with the issue of rape both as it is presented in the novel as well as in their lives.  This approach should help to minimize the pressure of asking students to talk openly about rape or the scenes depicted in the book while focusing on the effects of rape, Elvis’s in particular, and then contextualizing the rape within the novel by focusing on how an understanding of rape trauma syndrome can help to explain aspects of Elvis’s character.  Some self assessment questions to ask are:  Were students able to understand the importance of speaking out?  Were they able to identify places in the text where Elvis exhibits possible symptoms of rape trauma syndrome?  Do the response papers reflect that students really thought about analyzing Elvis in this light and evaluated whether or not this had an effect on their understanding of his character?

Day 13                                                                                                                                                             Lesson 12: Fathers and Sons

What’s on for today and why?

Today the focus will be on the relationship between Sunday and Elvis in Part I of the novel.  For the purposes of this lesson I have adapted three short scenes which show the growth of the relationship between Elvis and his father throughout this segment of the novel.  Through their performance of these scenes the students will be critically examining how each of these characters feels during a given scene, how they perceive each other, and how those feelings and perceptions change from scene to scene.  Rather than sit and go through the text with a fine toothed comb they will be thinking on their feet as they interact with the text to make meanings.  The adapted scenes that I made for this lesson will also lend themselves to an introduction to the final project for this unit where the students will be working in groups to come up with their own performances based on the novel.  The scenes I have adapted for this lesson are an example of how one can use a few scenes to illustrate a particular theme in a novel, in this case the relationship between Elvis and Sunday.

What to do:

First introduce today’s topic by asking students to take 5 minutes to free write in their notebooks about a time when they had a misunderstanding with their mother or father where it seemed the parent was simply trying to make your life miserable, but later turned out to be something they were doing for your benefit.   This will help them to look at Elvis as a typical teenager while we examine the scenes between Elvis and his father.

Next hand out a copy of the Fathers and Sons handout with the adaptations of the three scenes to the students and give them a moment to look over the scenes.  Then proceed to a performance of the first scene.  You will need two students to play the roles of Elvis and Sunday.  They will come to the front of the room, read the lines, and act out the scene.  The rest of the class will be acting as directors.  This means they will be responsible for blocking out where actors should be located, should they sit or stand, walk or be still, how to hold their head, arms, what facial expressions they should make, etc.  Let them take some time getting the scene right even if it means going through it two or three times.  For the first two scenes you can play a little more active role guiding them through the process by asking questions about why they are making a particular directing decision.  Also use this opportunity to introduce the students to the concept of a promptbook.  As they are directing the scene have them write notes in the margins of the script and explain that a promptbook is a script with stage, sound, and lighting directions written in the margins.

Once they have gotten a handle on the meanings they want to convey through this short scene, move on to the second scene and follow the same procedure.  Out of fairness to the class either choose two new actors or ask for new volunteers.  Once again keep an eye on their progress and question their decision making process.  Don’t grill them over every little detail, but keep a lookout for decisions which suggest either an astute reading of the text or a complete misreading of the text.  By requiring students to articulate their reasoning behind their directing choices you will be making the thought processes that go into analyzing the text more visible.  After they have gone through the scene twice, once to block it out and once to perform it, ask them questions designed to compare and contrast the two scenes.  How did Elvis feel towards his father in the first scene and in the second scene?  How did Sunday feel toward Elvis in each scene?  What are some clues from the text to support your answer?  How did your performance of the scene capture these changes?

Follow the same procedure for the third scene, but give the students a little more freedom during the process.  This will prepare them for the next lesson where they will be interpreting a scene and adapting it directly from the text to a performance.  At the end ask them similar questions to the earlier questions about Sunday and Elvis.  What did they feel towards each other in this scene?  What are the clues from the text that suggest this change in views?  How did they use performance to illustrate this?

As a closure to the class ask for feedback about using performance.  Did they find that performing the text gave them a better understanding of the text?  Why or why not?  Then briefly point out the difference between the actual text of Graceland and my adaptation of the text into a script.  Use this as an occasion to tell the class that their final project for the unit will involve creating an adaptation of the book first as a script and eventually as a performance.

How did it go?

Did all of the students participate in directing the performance?  Were they able to articulate the reason they made specific directorial decisions by relating to the text?  Did they give insightful answers to the questions you asked in between performances?

Day 14                                                                                                                                                                 Lesson 13: Terrible Beauty

What’s on for today and why?

Today we will look at a scene which combines biblical allusions, brutality, and poetic language.  First I will warm students up with a mini lesson on juxtaposition and poetic language in order to bring up the idea that opposing words and ideas can become fused to create a new meaning.  Next we will use performance to get into the mindset of the mob attacking the thief.  Finally we will turn our attention a discussion of Elvis’s response to the scene in the novel and how the students felt enacting the scene in class.  This is a very powerful scene and it is important to see the affect that it has on Elvis since this marks his awakening from jaded observer of violence to the artist who cries out against injustice.

What to do:

As a warm-up I will teach a mini-lesson about how poetry operates when two words which you would never put together are juxtaposed and suddenly you cannot imagine not seeing them together.  Hand out copies of Blake’s poem London.  Read the poem aloud and ask them to circle  any phrases where there are two words which you wouldn’t ordinarily put together paired in such a way that the pairing all of a sudden makes an unexpected meaning.  They should be point out “marriage hearse” and possibly “mind forged manacles”.  Then point to the line from p 49 “She and Sunday lived in a solid impermanence that was confusing for him.”  Do solid and impermanence go together?  No.  In the context of this sentence does it make sense to describe the relationship between Sunday and Comfort as solid impermanence? Yes.

Next read Elvis’s lines on p 228:

“As he climbed into the truck, Elvis was shaking.  This scene had affected him more than anything else he had seen, though he wasn’t sure why.  Maybe it was the cumulative effect of all the horror he had witnessed; there was only so much a soul could take.  As they drove off, Elvis watched the spreading fire through the tinted glass.  It was horrifying, yet strangely beautiful.”

What is Elvis talking about?  What did he just witness?  How could that be beautiful?  Yes…poetic language, the artist’s vision.

Next draft a number of volunteers to act out the scene starting on p 224 through the end of the chapter on p 228.  You will need the following cast members:

Elvis

Redemption

Jeremiah, the thief/carpenter

Peter

The young girl

Buka Owner

Man with petrol Can

A number of onlookers to form the crowd

The rest of the class will act as the directors; they will be responsible for guiding the actors as far as how to speak, where to stand, etc

In order to get the scene down they will need to spend at least 15 minutes rehearsing before really putting on the performance.  As the teacher it is important that you stay out of the directing and rehearsing process.  They need to take ownership of the text for themselves rather than follow your lead. 

Next they will perform their interpretation of the scene.

 After the performance ask the students questions about the experience.  What did it feel like to be in the crowd?  To cast the first stone?  To be Peter denying Jeremiah? To be Elvis observing?  To be Jeremiah, the victim?  What about the buka owner, how did you feel going back to grab your money after having the man burned?  Let them talk and follow the flow of conversation.  They may wish to stay focused on the emotions involved or they may want to talk about the biblical allusions in the text.  If the allusions come up flow with them but I think that they are so raw on the surface that you won’t even have to explicitly direct their attention to it.

As closure to the lesson assign the students to look at current news stories from around the world for homework.  Living in modern society we often become distanced from the violence which still persists in many parts of the world, even parts of this country.  Their task will be to choose one article and write a short reaction to be posted on their blogs by Tuesday Day 17.

How did it go?

This was a very emotional activity.  If you don’t get reactions from the class then something is wrong; they should all have something to say about the brutality of the scene and Elvis’s response.

Days 15 ,16 &17                                                                                                                                                          Lesson 14: Marxism

What’s on for today and why?

The next three days will be spent studying Marxist theory and then applying Marxist literary theory to the text.  Since this is a class of seniors who will be going off to college the following year learning how to use a critical theory to discuss a text will better prepare them for the types of higher level thinking that will be expected of them in college level literature classes.  More importantly an application of the Marxist lens to the segments of the novel being discussed over these two days is particularly important in light of the power struggles depicted in these scenes.  The first day will be devoted to going over Marxist theory and how it can be used as a literary theory, the second day will involve a jigsaw reading approach where small groups work together to apply the theory to the text and then share their findings with another smaller group, and then finally on the third day we will have a large student led group discussion modeled on the Socratic Seminar discussion model.  This progression of activities allows for students to gain increasing ownership of the discussion in a non-threatening manner.

What to do:

Day 1:

Start the first day by asking students if they have ever heard of Karl Marx in their history classes?  What do they know about him?  What did he write?  When did he live?  What did he advocate?  The purpose of these questions is to activate any prior knowledge they might have about Marx before starting a lesson on his theory.

Next pass out a Marxist Theory handout which explains the basics of Marxist Theory and how it can be applied to literary theory.  In order to ensure that they understand the theory put a copy of the document on an overhead and go over it with the class. 

Day 2:

Divide the class up into four groups and have each group look through one of the four chapters they read over the past two days: 23, 24, 25, 26.  Pass out the Marxism in the Novel Worksheet and give the class about 20 minutes to go through their chapter, make notes, and answer the questions.

For the second half of the class, regroup the students so each group has one representative from each group.  For the next 20 minutes students will take turns presenting the chapter they studied to the other members of their group.

For homework each student must prepare at least two questions that deal with a Marxist interpretation of the Novel for our discussion on the following day.  These questions could either be general questions or questions which focus our attention on a specific passage from the novel.  In order to ensure that we get a variety of questions they will be required to post their questions to the Class Wiki by 6 am the next morning.  This way the questions can be printed from the Wiki and brought to class for discussion.

Day 3:

Today the class will be conducting a Socratic discussion to discuss applications of Marxist theory to the novel.  Pass out the Rules for Participating in a Socratic Discussion handout and briefly go over the rules.  Ask for one volunteer to be the discussion leader and hand them the list of questions generated by the class.  The discussion leader will facilitate the discussion by asking questions whenever the class seems to get quiet.  A typical Socratic discussion would have a smaller circle of speakers in a central circle and then a larger outer circle of students who could observe and comment.  At all times there would be a single empty seat in the middle circle for those from the outer circle to sit in if they should wish to join in on the discussion.  Since the class spent the previous day in small group discussions, today’s Socratic discussion will be a full class discussion rather than a traditional discussion with two groups of students.  As the teacher it is important that you try to keep out of this discussion as much as possible.  At this point they have already learned the theory, applied it to the text, and wrote questions using Marxist theory so now it is up to them to show their mastery and take ownership of the theory through an autonomous class discussion.

As closure to this lesson take the last few minutes of class to briefly go around the room and have each student answer the questions: Did you find Marxist literary theory a helpful way of discussing this text?  Why or why not?

How did it go?

These will be a challenging couple of days both because of the controversial theory being introduced to the class as well as the complex part of the text with which they will be dealing.  These six chapters capture the climactic moments of the novel and if this lesson is a success they will be able to talk about the class struggles depicted in the novel in terms of Marxist literary theory. Some questions to ask yourself are:  Were they able to understand the value of using Marxism as a literary theory as separate from the notion of Communism as it was known in the latter half of the 20^th century?  Were they able to apply the theory to the text?  Were they able to write interesting questions which encouraged a Marxist interpretation of various aspects/passages of the text?  Did all of the students participate in the Socratic discussion on the third day?  Did the comments made during the discussion reveal an understanding of the basics of Marxist theory?

Day 18                                                                                                                                                                        Lesson 15: Redemption

What’s on for today and why?

Today we will be looking at the ending of the novel and discussing Redemption the character as well as the theme of redemption within the novel.  At the end of the novel Elvis both finds and becomes Redemption when he leaves Nigeria with Redemption’s passport.  One of the important topics of discussion will be to explore the idea that Redemption is Elvis’s conscience.   In order to fully delve into these ideas the class will be looking back at several passages throughout the novel through a combination of discussion, film, and performance designed to engage students with the text in such a way that it comes alive with emotion and meaning while challenging them to read closely and think independently.

What to do:

Start the lesson by playing a short clip from the movie Clerks when Randall puts Dante in his place by pointing out the nature of his self centered pessimism.  The section you want to play is chapter 17: Catharsis.  The entire chapter is only 4 minutes long and you could even get away with showing the last 2 minutes and skipping the other two. Since the novel begins with the quote “It seemed almost incidental he was
African.  So vast had his inner perceptions grown over the years..” (1) I wanted to show this clip as a way of helping students conceptualize Elvis and Repemption as people just like them apart from their being African.  In that vein of thought how much further can you get from two boys living in Nigerian slums to two guys working at a convenience store in New Jersey.  This scene has some objectionable language so you may want to make sure that you have permission from your school before playing the clip.  Before playing the clip ask students to think about the characters in the novel and who these two characters would be as they watch the clip.  After the clip ends give them 3-5 minutes to write down who would be Randall and Dante’s equivalents in the text and support their answers with references from the novel.

Ask for a few volunteers to share their responses and use their comments as a way of shifting the conversation to a discussion of Elvis and Redemption.  Have the students turn to p 246-247 and look at the scene where Redemption puts Elvis in his place.  First go around the room and have each student speak one line of the dialogue stopping at the first punctuation mark.  Then divide the class into two sections and have one side of the room read Elvis’s lines and one half read Redemption’s lines.  The idea is for them to stop and feel the emotions in the dialogue.  By starting with the film clip, which captures the powerful emotion that is felt in this exchange, then breaking the text down so that each segment of language is articulated, and then organizing the dialogue into two strong voices students will be examining the language and emotion of the scene in such a way that they will better be able to understand the relationship between these two characters.

Use this exercise to lead into a discussion of the relationship between Elvis and Redemption in the novel.  Direct the class to look at the following passages and pose questions along these lines to stimulate class discussion.

Passages from the text to consider:

P.25 – Elvis describes how he first met Redemption and thinks of him as “the elder brother he never had”

P. 192-194 – Redemption crashes the motorcycle

P. 226 – Last paragraph where Elvis observes Redemption as the scene where the thief is burned begins to unfold

P. 315- Redemption returns to Lagos and visits Elvis in Bridge City

Questions to pose:

Welcome students to suggest additional passages or to pose questions.

Through a teacher led discussion format introduce the idea of Redemption as a theme.  Read the class the following quote from The Divine Comedy by Dante:

Poi s'ascose nel foco che li affina. 

Then, in the fire that refines, he hid.

Explain that this was spoken by one of the sinners that the speaker of the poem meets in purgatory, a place where souls who have sinned in life are given a chance to be redeemed through suffering penance.  The speaker is anxious to get back into the fire so that he can cleanse his soul and enter heaven.  In other words he is seeking Redemption.

Ask for students to comment on the ways that Elvis seeks redemption in the novel as well as for what he might be seeking Redemption.  Also ask them if his suffering in the novel could be seen as acts of atonement.

Next read the final passage.  Ask questions about the transformation from Elvis to Redemption.  Is he really Redemption, Elvis, or has this new identity made him into something else?  Or is he able to assume this new identity because he has changed?  Does his change in identity signify that he has in some way been redeemed for the past?  Urge them to consider the issues that he has had to come to terms with in the novel: his rape, his relationship with his father, the poverty and violence all around him, and his identity as a human being. 

How did it go?

There is more to talk about in terms of this theme in the novel than could possibly be fit into a single class period so its okay if you feel like you barely covered the tip of the iceberg in this discussion.  What is important is that the students were engaged in the discussion, made insightful comments, asked provocative questions, participated in the dramatic activities, and showed signs that they understood the idea of redemption as a theme and the character Redemption in the novel.  Its okay if they don’t all have the same understanding so long as they are employing close reading skills to use the text as the basis to support their opinions.  If they were really engaged in this lesson you might want to take an extra day to discuss this theme, although part of the beauty of engaging them and then leaving them thirsting for more is that they will have the opportunity to use their final performances to focus on the elements of the text that they feel are really important and bring them to life in a meaningful way.

Day 19 &20                                                                                                                                                      Lesson 16: Women in the Novel

What’s on for today and why?

This lesson will explore the role of women in the novel.  This lesson uses a number of strategies including looking at advertisements, examining a concrete poem, small group discussions, and written response to examine women in the novel from several angles.  Towards the end we will also be discussing how Elvis does or does not fit in with the assumptions about gender encapsulated by the novel.

What to do:

Day 1:

At the beginning of the class write the concrete poem She on the board and ask the students to take 5 minutes to write about the poem in their notebooks.  They should write down any ideas that come to mind when they see the image as well as think about what might be some possible interpretations of the image.

Next ask for volunteers to share some of their thoughts in a teacher led discussion.  What should emerge is that there is no one answer. but rather number of valid interpretations that can be made based on this simple poem. 

After discussing the poem remind them of our discussion of Oye during the lesson on naming and continue the teacher led discussion.  First share with them the passage on p. 80 where Elvis describes the men and women on the veranda.  According to this passage what are the respective roles of men and women in this society? Would you say she is a typical woman?  Would you say she is a strong woman or a submissive woman? What are her defining characteristics?  Ask students to refer to the text to back up all of their answers. 

Next divide the class into groups and give them the rest of class to look at several of the women in the novel.  Pass out the Women in the Novel handout as a general guide to help them find places in the text which discuss their character. 

Day 2:

Today’s class will open with a warm up activity where they will be looking at two advertisements, one at a time, and picking out some of the cultural assumptions portrayed in the image.  First give the class a few minutes to look at the image and jot down notes on anything that comes to their mind.  Then ask them questions.  Who is the intended audience of this ad? What is going on in this ad?  What are some cultural assumptions behind the image in the ad?  What message is this ad trying to send?  What significant details draw your attention?  Why?  What is the effect that specific detail creates?  Two ads that would work well are this one for lean cusine and this one for makeup products.

Now bring the class back to the novel by going around the room and asking for a volunteer from each group to present their findings on the woman they looked at in depth the previous day.  In order that this information is preserved and made available to the whole class for homework one member in the group will be responsible for logging on to the Class Wiki and posting their information on the page for women in the novel.

Next read them the passage on p 315 “…he wondered why all the women in his life had to take care of him- even those he should have been taking care of.”  As the students to individually react to this statement based on our class discussion.  What cultural assumptions are built into his statement?  Specifically, what is the role of women as assumed by that statement?  How do the women in the novel fit or not fit with this role?  Also, by implication what is the male’s role in society?  How does Elvis fit or not fit into that role?  Their reactions should be at least two paragraphs long: one paragraph to consider the women and a second to consider Elvis.  These will be collected and graded.

How did it go?

Were they able to come up with insightful comments on the concrete poem and the ad?  Did they remember the discussion of Oye and build on that discussion in light of their interpretations of the poem?  Did they understand how Oye’s character had a fluidity of gender in so far as she was able to embody characteristics from both genders?  Did they come up with insightful profiles of the women based on the worksheet questions?  Did their essays show an understanding of the way that gender worked within the novel?

Day 21                                                                                                                                                      Lesson 17: The Artist and the Novel

What’s on for today and why?

Since this is the last day we will be discussing the novel as a class we will bring the unit full circle by returning to the topic we discussed the first two days of the unit when we performed excerpts from the play The King’s Threshold.  This will involve a sophisticated look at layers of meaning including Abani’s identity as an artist who had to flee Nigeria after invoking the anger of the Nigerian government, Elvis as a sage who cannot exist in a political regime which silences the artist, and finally I want to take some time to compare The King of the Beggars with Seanahan and talk about how each one of these men used their status as an artist to challenge political authority. 

What to do:

Start the class by asking questions to help activate their prior knowledge about the play The King’s Threshold and the discussions we had about the artist/ writer and society concerning the play.  Who can tell me about the play we read a few weeks ago?  What happened?  What was it about?  What did we discuss about the nature of the artist/ and society?  What about their legacy?  Their power verses political power? 

Since this lesson will be looking at the layers of meaning in this text divide the class into three groups.  One group will be looking at Chris Abani’s website www.chrisabani.com, ideally there would be a computer in the room, and reading biographical information about his struggles with the political regime over his status as a writer.  They should already be familiar with this information since they should have completed Task 3 on the WebQuest at this point and Abani’s personal history would most likely have come up in the course of the class discussions as a tangent even if it was not specified as a topic of discussion.  The second group will be looking at the King of the Beggars and how he uses his art as a means of challenging the political regime.  Finally the third group will be looking at Elvis as a sage or artist who is unable to live in a violent world where he sees too much.  If the class is over 20 people it would probably be best to divide the class into six groups and have two groups working on each level of the theme.  Their task will be to come up with at least three discussion questions based on their small group exploration.  Their questions could be about both of the texts or Graceland alone.

Next bring the group together and collect the questions.  The rest of the class will be devoted to a traditional Socratic Seminar discussion. Ask for six to 12 volunteers, depending on the size of the group, to bring their seats into the middle of the circle.  Make sure that this circle contains at least one empty seat so that students in the outer circle can join the conversation.  One student from the inner circle should take on the role of facilitator and will be responsible for posing the questions that the groups came up with.  While the students in the middle are talking, the students in the outer ring should be taking notes, coming up with new questions, and taking turns in the free seat so that they can contribute to the discussion.  Since this is a Socratic Seminar it is up to the students to control the discussion.  Listen and be attentive to make sure that they are referring to the text and not going too far off course.  Other than that your job is to maintain your distance and give the students ownership over the discussion.  Since they have had time to collect their thoughts and came up with the questions themselves, they should have plenty to say without need for you to lecture to them.

How did it go?

Were the students able to take ownership of the discussion?  Did they remember the discussions we had about The King’s Threshold?  Were they able to apply ideas about the artist and their relationship to society to Graceland?  Did the groups come up with interesting questions?  Did their answers or rather the discussions generated by these questions engage the class?  Was the outer ring attentive?  Even better, was there significant interest from students in the outer ring to join the central discussion?

Days 22&23                                                                                                                   Lesson 18: Performing the Novel I: Promptbooks

What’s on for today and why?

These two days will be spent introducing the final project and giving students time in class to work on the first phase of the project.  Since they will need to hand in typed copies of their promptbooks it would be helpful if you could gain access to a computer lab for the second day so that they can utilize class time to type up the project.

What to do:

Day 1:

Introduce the final project, pass out the Graceland Final Project sheet and go over what will be expected of them for each stage of the project. 

Next break the class up into the groups that they will be working on the project with and give them the rest of the class period to begin working on the project.

Day 2:

This entire day will be devoted to letting students continue working on their promptbooks.  Ideally today’s class will be held in a computer lab so that students will be able to use the class time to type up their promptbooks during class time.  If they need more time they could either complete this at home or use the free day at the end of the week.

How did it go?

Did all of the groups manage to decide on which option they wanted to use, select appropriate parts of the text to fit their ideas, and adapt those portions to a screenplay? 

Days 24&25                                                                                                                    Lesson 19: Performing the Novel II: Rehearsals

What’s on for today and why?

These two days will be devoted to rehearsing their performances.  Students who are making a film can use this time for shooting the film and those who will be giving a live performance can use this time to practice their performances.

What to do:

Since this is time for students to practice for their final performances you can relax and let them work on their performances, however make yourself available to help should any groups have any questions.

How did it go?

Were all of the groups busy working on their performances?  Did you see students come to class with various props and costumes to enhance their performance?  Were their signs of creative thinking going on?  If so things are shaping up for an enjoyable two days of entertainments.

Days 26&27                                                                                                   Lesson 20: Performing the Novel III: Final Performances

What’s on for today and why?

The next two days will be devoted to watching Final Performances.

What to do:

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!  These two days you will be watching each group’s final performance.  Since the performances are 10-15 minutes each you will be viewing 3 groups on each day.  Since this is a final project you will need to evaluate the performances based on the following questions. 

How did it go?

Does their performance show an understanding of the text? Were the performances creative?  Did they show thoughtful interpretations of the text?  Was it evident that all of the students participated in the production process?  Did they pay attention to details including costumes, props, lighting, and sound? Were they taking each other’s performances seriously?  Did it look like everyone was enjoying themselves?