Course: World Literatures
Unit: Africa (Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe)
Becky Rodenburg
02-26-13
Title: KEY TOPICS
Lesson Overview
Standard 2: Reading for all
Purposes
1.f
21st Century Skills
Things Fall Apart tells the story of Okonkwo
and his inner turmoil between individualism
and society. Combined with this are the epic
of modernization and the clash of the
different cultures—both old and new. There
are many themes and symbols that lead the
story along. One theme that appears over
and over in Achebe's writing is that our
perceptions and the stories we tell are
shaped by our social and cultural context,
and he emphasizes that, "those that have
been written about should also participate in
the making of these stories" The student will
further explore other themes found in
Things Fall Apart to analyze different literary
components and their effect on the meaning
of the text.
Analyze how literary components affect
meaning
1.
2.
Daily Objectives
How can multiple events in
someone’s life carry a particular
theme?
Contemporary advertising uses
classic and traditional topics and
problems to successfully sell goods or
services. (Book covers represent a
kind of advertising)
Students will know: how the difference
between themes and how the difference of
opinions will change the severity of events in
a story.
Students will be able to: describe important
events, symbols, or themes in Things Fall
Apart through drawings and writing. They
will be able to act with each other, be
creative, and ultimately grasp the effects of
different meanings on traditional literary
themes in the text by doing rather than
studying.
Reminders
Read a wide range of
literature (American
and world literature)
to understand
important universal
themes and the
human experience
Literary and historical
influences determine
the meaning of
traditional and
contemporary literary
texts
Readers like to read
multiple perspectives
because it causes them
to think about their own
thinking
(metacognition) and be
clear about what they
really believe.
The students will be
making new
Course: World Literatures
Unit: Africa (Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe)
Preparation
Materials
Pre-assessment
Anticipatory Set
Connection to Previous
Learning or Life
Agenda for the Board
1.
2.
3.
4.
Becky Rodenburg
02-26-13
Five Poster Boards
Many Markers
Things Fall Apart
Groups of Six (or so)
Not Necessarily needed for this assignment
So far in Things Fall Apart, we have seen
how living is controlled by weather, how
women hold a bigger role than originally
explained, how animal imagery signifies
major changes in the culture, and how noise
and silence punctuate the narrative at key
moments. Can anybody give me an example
of:
Weather
Women
Animal
Noise
Does anybody relate to one season? Why?
Is there a very significant woman figure that
you have grown up following?
What about a pet, or a superstition about
black cats, or an animal that symbolizes
important things in your life?
Do you have a favorite song?
DOL
Themes in Things Fall Apart
Book Cover Activity
Presentations
Ticket out the door
Themes:
1. Role of
Weather
2. Women and
their power
3. Animal
imagery
4. The influence
of Noise and
Silence
Don’t forget to put in
personal experiences
and how they shape
your story.
It’s all about choosing
one important
“image” that
represents that
specific aspect of your
life.
This will show the
students how they can
construct a new book
cover by using one
image that
summarizes what they
know so far.
Objective:
Use what you have
read from Things Fall
Apart to construct a
new cover based on
Course: World Literatures
Unit: Africa (Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe)
Instruction (input)
Student Activities
Becky Rodenburg
02-26-13
1. Bring up common themes and ask
the students if they have any
examples of each
a. Weather
b. Women
c. Animal
d. Noise
2. Personal Experiences?
Does anybody prefer one season? Why?
Is there a very significant woman figure that
you have grown up following?
What about a pet, or a superstition about
black cats, or an animal that symbolizes
important things in your life?
Do you have a favorite song?
3. Have students split into groups based
on who is present and who is located
in which location
4. Assign one Theme per group and
explain what the “Ingredients” are
going to be used for
5. PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE!!
6. Have students ask questions that they
may have about the process
a. Does anyone have any questions
about the process or what you are
going to do?
 Possibly have students each use a
different color so you can see that
each student is participating fully
Presentation:
Each group will have 2-3 minutes to present
their book cover and explain how their book
cover represents the theme they were given.
the theme you are
assigned
1. 5 min
2. 10 min
3. 5. 6. 20 min
You will fold your
poster board in half
like it is a book
cover and you will
use the “front side”
to create a new
cover that
represents your
theme and how it
presents itself in
Things Fall Apart.
On the back cover
please provide two
quotes from the
book where your
theme is evident.
Under the quote
provide two
explanations of how
these support your
theme
During these
presentations the
students need to be
doing their ticket out
the door and writing if
they believe this book
cover could or could
not be a viable book
cover for Things Fall
Course: World Literatures
Unit: Africa (Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe)
Becky Rodenburg
02-26-13
Apart.
Closure
Post Assessment
Students will choose one presentation and
write down why they believe that this cover
could justify being a “new cover” of the book
or why they believe that this cover could not
be the cover of the book.
Accomodations/Modifications IEP Student:
Students needs to participate but can be
placed with students that will be gentle with
the IEP students’ inputs and ideas. This way
they can still participate but will not be
overpowered by their fellow peers.
These will be
confidential and are
meant for constructive
criticism.
These need to be
detailed (at least 3
sentences)
It would be important
to use a Para or TA
for IEP students who
need to work alone if
this is a need.