Unit: Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, Creole Society, and Gender Literary Analysis
Lesson: Introduction to Kate Chopin & Creole Society
Grade Level/Subject: 11th grade/American Literature
Time: 40 minute period
Materials:
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SmartBoard
Computer Lab
Pens/Notebooks
WebQuest – “Kate Chopin and Creole Society”
Anticipatory Set:
Do Now: “Nonstop Writing!” – Create a list of characteristics to describe Creole Society. If you
are unsure of aspects of Creole society, list characteristics of women’s rights during the late
1800s. (5 minutes)
Guided Practice: Review of “Nonstop Writing!” – list characteristics on a chart using the
SmartBoard (activate prior knowledge)
Creole Society
Women’s Rights – 1800s
Independent Practice: Distribute handout and review directions. Students are then directed to
the computer lab (one computer per student).
Assessment: Students’ progress and ability to review material on the website is assessed for
completeness and accuracy.
Closure: If students are not finished reviewing the websites and questions, it can be completed
for homework. The WebQuest will be reviewed during the next class.
Name: _______________________________________
Date: ____________
Web Quest: Kate Chopin (1850-1904) and Creole Society
Part I. Website: www.katechopin.org
Directions: Answer the following questions based upon her life and novel, The Awakening.
1.
In general, where is the setting and what is the subject of her most famous works?
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2.
When was The Awakening published, and how did the critics perceive it?
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3.
How did the attitude towards Chopin’s The Awakening change throughout the 1900s?
Why do you think this change occurred?
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4.
When and where (various locations) was the setting of The Awakening?
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5.
Why are there so many French expressions in Chopin’s novels and short stories?
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6.
When did Chopin write The Awakening, and when was it published? Who published it?
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7.
Some readers find it hard to pinpoint Kate Chopin's style, which has some romantic
elements but also some realistic ones. In what ways was Chopin influenced by
other writers?
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Part II. Website: http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Bu-Dr/Creoles.html
Directions: Answer the following questions based upon the essay on Creole society.
8.
In Louisiana, what does the term “Creole” refer to?
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9.
What were some of the traditions, customs, and beliefs of the Creoles in the late
1800s/early 1900s? What type of relationship existed between the Creoles and AngloAmericans?
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10.
What were some of the family and community dynamics?
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