Things Fall Apart /Sold
UbD Lesson Plan
Things Fall Apart and Sold
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Themes: Acceptance, Cultural Identities
Concepts: cultural norms, expected behaviors, gender inequality
Issues or Debates: Tradition vs. Change, Father vs. Child, Religion vs. Supernatural,
Problems or Challenges: self-awareness, accepting tradition
Enduring Understandings:
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Students will understand the challenges of maintaining self-awareness in the face of expected
behaviors.
Students will understand the importance traditions play in forming cultural identity.
Essential Questions:
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What is the importance in remaining true to yourself?
Can cultural traditions fit in to your life?
Students will know…
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The historical and ongoing problem of exploitation: child, religious, sexual, etc.
How to recognize and identify the cultural traditions surrounding them.
Students will be able to:
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Appreciate the significance of other culture’s traditions, as well as their own; and approach
differences with an open mind.
Identify how their cultural traditions have helped to shape their unique cultural identity.
Performance Tasks:
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Writing as a main character, send a postcard to a family member or friend letting them know
what has happened to them on their journey.
Craigslist Ad: Write an ad for a savior from your current situation, or for someone you would
want in your life at this moment.
Summative Tasks:
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Create a Tumblr incorporating traditions from around the world, including those in your own
life. Be sure to include examples from our readings.
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Mock family therapy session (in office or talk show format). Students will take on various
characters, compile a list of their complaints and differences they would like to discuss, and act
out a mock family session with the teacher as therapist (or Dr. Phil).
o Individual assessment: Meet with therapist (teacher) to discuss issues they would like
addressed during session.
W: Students will understand the challenges of maintaining self-awareness in the face of expected
behaviors. Students will understand the importance traditions play in forming cultural identity.
H: Interview each other (partners) about cultural traditions in their lives (positive or negative). Each
group will present a cultural fact of their partner.
 Secondary Hook: Show clip from NCIS where Agent Lee helps bust child trafficking ring. Provide
background information about the common practice of child trafficking in the world.
E: Equipped with background information during secondary hook. Model partner work by sharing our
own cultural traditions.
R: Students will reflect on the traditions shared in the classroom. The class will come together as a
whole to discuss the traditions in their lives and those around the world. Students will write a letter on a
tradition in their life that they either don’t agree with or they have grown out of. The teacher will
facilitate a discussion on these different traditions and how they have changed who we are.
E: Students will create an exit card with 2 traditions they have learned about during the class discussion
and 2 traditions that they have identified from the texts.
T: Lesson will be tailored to accommodate the students and families who are concerned with discussion
about the various aspects of human trafficking. Parents will be notified prior to the reading of the texts
and given an overview of the books, themes involved, and lessons planned. They will have an
opportunity to discuss with teacher their concerns so that accommodations can be made. An
alternative text to be offered to these students could be Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry or another text
about slavery.
O: The teacher will provide materials for the class including the texts, Sold and Things Fall Apart, paper
and writing utensils for listing traditions, notecards for the exit card, and a clip from “NCIS”.
Lesson Timeline (80 minute – block schedule)
Partner discussion/sharing (20 minutes)
NCIS clip (10 minutes)
Writing prompt/Sharing: Students will write a letter on a tradition in their life that they either don’t
agree with or they have grown out of (7 minutes). Students will share their writing, and the teacher will
facilitate a discussion based on these different traditions and how they have changed who we are (15
minutes).
Teacher will open discussion to include the themes of culture and self-awareness based on what has
been read in the texts (10 minutes).
Writing as a main character, students will compose a letter or postcard to send to a family member or
friend letting them know what has happened to them on their journey (15 minutes).
Before leaving class, students will create an exit card with 2 traditions they have learned about during
the class discussion and 2 traditions that they have identified from the texts (3 minutes).