Activities
Lai
English II
Think-Pair-Share

Bell Ringer: Think About… what do we, in our
American culture, consider “success”? Think of
some examples of “successful” people in our
culture. What does this tell us about our values?
Pair… Find a partner in your group to share with.
Share… your thoughts on this topic with your
partner and be prepared to share with the class.
nd
2
Pd Groups

 Adam, Joshua, Jade, Markesheya
 Sarah, Joshua, Anuli, Andrew
 Sydney, Will, Harolyn
3rd Pd Groups

 Kelsie, Milka, Zigh, Lanie
 Jillian, Andrew, Alex, Aria
 Lanie, Michelle, Ayana, Noah
 Sarah, Reggie, Joel
 Alexis, Brandon, Mikala, Julia
 Lilly, Kira, Lizzie, Ash
 Natalia, Brenner, Kerry, Broaderick
th
5
Pd Groups

 Delia, Mac, Daniel, Michaela
 Grace, Jack, Bryan
 Raina, Savannah, Alvin
 Mariah, Bianca, Htoo
Okonkwo: a Man of Prestige

Essential Question: What does success look like in
the Igbo culture?
Using Chapters 1-4, find a quote that shows
Okonkwo has achieved success and status.
Next, find a quote that shows Okonkwo
contradicting his “nobility”.
Hint: Ch. 4 is a good starting point
Share these examples with your group. Record
answers.
Character Portrayal

 Each group member will be assigned a character based on
your colored sticker on the desk.





Pink- Okonkwo (1-7)
Yellow- Ekwefi (Ch. 9)
Purple- Ezinma (Ch. 5)
Green- Ikemefuna (Ch. 7)
White- Nwoye (Ch. 7)
Characters Cont…

 Write the character name in the middle of the card and
circle it.
 Top Left: write 3 words to describe that character.
 Top Right: Give a quote from the novel that supports your
description.
 Bottom Left: Predict what will happen to your character.
 Bottom Right: Draw an illustration of your character.
 Share your character descriptions with your group.
 Write your name on the back and turn it in to the inbox.
You will be graded on all the required components.
Culture Wheel

 Now that we have completed the novel, revisit the culture
wheel on pg. 154 of your packet.
 Work with your new neighbors to fill out any new information
Language
Law
Sports, games
Clothing
Culture
Gender roles
Food, music,
art, dance
Religion
Ceremony
Journal

Respond to the following question in your
journals:
Can one culture be “right” and another
culture “wrong”? Explain your answer
Ibo Culture vs. American

Complete the culture comparison chart on pg. 179 of your
packets.
Ibo Belief or Practice
Modern American Belief or Practice
Packet

 Make sure you have all required pages of your packet
completed for tomorrow:









Study Guide
154
155
157
159
162
174
177
179
Literary Analysis Essay

Get your SB books from the shelf.
Open to pg. 193
Choose a character from the novel to write your
essay over.
Okonkwo
Nwoye
Ezinma
On your chart, write down page numbers where
you find details about your character.
Warm-up

Get out your charts from
yesterday.
I will be coming around to check
that they are completed.
Don’t forget to include page
numbers of the details you use in
your responses.
What is a thesis statement?

It is the guiding focus for your entire essay.
It is the main or controlling point for your whole
paper.
Everything in your essay should support your
thesis.
The thesis appears early on to help guide your
reader through the points you will be making.
Nothing should appear in the body of the paper
that does not directly connect to the thesis
statement.
A Good Thesis Statement…

Includes your opinion
(but stated as a fact)
Contains only one
main idea
States something
worthwhile—not
obvious
Has an argument
built into it
Is specific
It is narrow enough
to fit the assignment
It is easily recognized
as the main idea
It appears as the last
sentence or two of
your introduction
Thesis Statement
Mistakes to Avoid

Don’t just announce your subject
matter.
Don’t state a fact or statistic—a thesis
must be debatable.
Don’t use “in my opinion” or “I think”;
this creates a non-debatable thesis.
Don’t form your thesis as a question.
Thesis Examples

 What does the author seem to say about the outcomes when
different cultures meet? Craft a thesis that reflects your
interpretation of the novel’s theme focusing on your
character’s perspective.
 Okonkwo: Through Okonkwo’s struggle and eventual
death, Chinua Achebe shows how one culture “falls apart”
when another culture forces them to assimilate.
 Nwoye: Using Nwoye as an example of a cultural
conversion, Achebe displays the opportunities another
culture can offer to those unhappy in their current
circumstances.
Peer-Editing

 Get out rough drafts for me to check.
 Pass them to the student behind you.
 Round 1: Read your classmate’s introduction paragraph.
 Do they have an engaging hook to begin their essay (a quote,
definition, anecdote…)?
 If not, make a note on their paper to add a hook or make it more
engaging.
 Does their hook connect to their thesis statement? It can’t be
any random idea; it must relate to cultural collision or their
character somehow.
 If not, make a note to revise their hook.
Round 1 cont…

 Find and highlight their Thesis Statement.
 Make sure it is located at the end of the introduction.
 It should answer the question on Achebe’s message
about cultural clashes through their chosen character.
 If it does not answer the prompt or include their
character, make a note to revise their thesis.
 Pass it to the next student behind you.
Round 2: Body

 Read their first body paragraph.
 Does it describe their chosen character BEFORE the
white men arrived?
 Do they include specific examples and references to
their character from part 1?
 Do they cite the page numbers of these examples at the
end of those sentences?
 Example: Okonkwo is described as a very violent and
short-tempered man early on in the novel (4).
 If you note any errors, make a note on their essay.
 Pass it behind you again.
Round 3: Body

 Read their 2nd Body Paragraph.
 Does it describe their character’s response to the white
men’s arrival in Part 2 and 3?
 Do they include specific examples and references to
their character from Part 2 and 3?
 Do they cite the page numbers of these examples at the
end of those sentences?
 Example: Okonkwo is clearly opposed to the white
man’s government as evident in his choice to kill a court
messenger (204).
 If you note any errors, make a note on their essay.
 Pass it behind you one more time.
Round 4: Conclusion

 Read your classmate’s conclusion paragraph.
 Do they re-emphasize their Thesis Statement? They
should NOT repeat it verbatim.
 Do they summarize their main points to answer they
question of “so what”?
 Does it give the essay a sense of completeness?
 If not, make suggestions or comments on their essay.
 Pass it back to the original owner.