Introduction
From reading the first six chapters of Things Fall Apart, you have gained a little bit of
knowledge about the Igbo culture. You have probably also encountered references to
some aspects of this culture that aren't fully explained in the novel-- after all, Achebe was
writing for an audience of fellow Nigerians, who didn't need lengthy descriptions of their
own culture. So, before we continue reading the novel, it will help to gain some further
background about the culture at the center of the story. Who are they? What motivates
them? And what can that tell us about the deeper significance of the story itself?
This assignment addresses the essential question of how a society's culture emerges from
the experiences, beliefs, and environment of its people. By examining individual aspects
of the Igbo culture, and then synthesizing those elements into a single representation of
the culture itself, we will develop a deeper understanding of the characters and conflicts
that make up the heart of Achebe's novel.
Task
You have been assigned to a small group. Today you will work first independently and
then with your group members to gather and synthesize information about the daily life,
religion, social structure, art, and traditions of the Igbo people. You will use either a web,
outline, or Cornell notes format to record the information you gather through your
research.
After sharing your research with your fellow group members, you will work as a team to
create an online poster representing what you feel are the most significant aspects of the
Igbo culture.
Process
Beginning the Process
Meet with your group to divide up the work.
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Your group has either four or five members. Your first task is to divide
responsibility for research into the following topics dealing with the Igbo culture:
o Daily Life
o Social Structure
o Religion
o Art & Recreation
o Traditions
With your group members, decide who will explore and make notes on which
topic.
Each group member should be responsible for a single topic.
Below, you will find a list of web resources. You can also use any other resources
you find on your own.
Set up your notes.

Set up your notes using a web, outline, or Cornell notes format. Remember that
you are the only one in your group taking notes on your topic.
Begin Exploring.
Choose the resource you want to explore first, and begin looking through that site. Click
on links, listen to recordings (if you have headphones), and view photographs and
artwork, read literature, etc...
In your groups, you should have divided up responsibility for the topics, so that each
group member is responsible for researching a single topic. Once you have established
which resource(s) you are responsible for, and set up your notes, begin exploring and
writing.
You are by no means limited to the following resources, but you may find these
especially helpful.
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Africa Guide: Ibo Culture
Introduction to Nigeria: Igbo
The Igbo People
Religion and the Igbo People
Igbo Culture and Traditions
Igbo Basics: Culture
NOTE: I strongly recommend that you use Google docs (if using a school computer) to
save images, quotations, timelines, and any other artifacts you find that you may want to
include in your poster. This will save you a lot of time in the long run.
Collaboration
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Once you have thoroughly explored your assigned resources, you will meet with
your group members again to share the information you have accrued.
I will provide an organizer that you will use to synthesize the information from all
group members. Then, as a group, you will examine the information as a whole
and decide upon how you want to represent this information using a combination
of images and text.
You must have a source page in proper MLA format in your presentation
You have no options for how to create your poster. You'll need an account for
Prezi, then create an electronic poster. For this project you must use Prezi.
Your classmates and I will view your poster once it is completed with your group
presentation. Do NOT just read from your electronic poster when doing the presentation.
Doing so will result in a very low grade.
Evaluation
This is how your work will be evaluated.
Poor
D/E
Basic
C
Qualified
B
Exemplary
A
The student
works
sporadically and
ineffectively.
The student
attempts to work
throughout the
allotted time, but
shows signs of
distraction or
disinterest.
The student
works continually
throughout the
allotted time, but
does only what is
minimally
required.
The student is
engaged and
works above the
minimally
required level.
Independent
Work: Notes
Minimal notes are
taken.
Some notes are
taken, but they
are incomplete or
do not
discriminate
between
significant and
insignificant
information.
Good notes are
taken, but they
may be either
minimal or
focused on too
much
insignificant
information.
Thorough notes
are taken, and
show
understanding
and evaluative
ability.
Group
Collaboration
The student
participates in
group
collaboration
only when
prompted to do
so.
The student
participates in
group
collaboration
minimally and
not
enthusiastically.
The student
participates in
group
collaboration but
does not fulfill
his/her assigned
role completely.
The student
participates in
group
collaboration
enthusiastically
and shows
leadership.
The student does
not provide useful
information to the
group.
The student
provides some
useful
information to the
group.
The student
provides some
useful
information to the
group.
The student
provides very
useful
information to the
group.
The poster is
basic, visually
unappealing, and
shows little effort
and
understanding.
The poster is
visually
appealing and
shows some
effort, but does
not show a
thorough
understanding of
the topic.
The poster is
visually
appealing and
shows effort; a
thorough
understanding of
the topic is
demonstrated.
The poster is
visually
appealing and
shows effort and
a personal
connection; a
superior
understanding of
the topic is
demonstrated.
There is little or
no studentgenerated content
on the poster.
The poster
includes some
student-generated
content, but the
connection
between the
images and the
text is unclear.
The poster
includes studentgenerated content
that is somewhat
connected to the
images.
The poster
includes creative
student-generated
content that is
clearly connected
to the images.
Independent
Work: Behavior
Poster: Visuals
Poster: Content
Score
Conclusion
Consider what you have learned from your own research and your group members'
research about the Igbo culture. Who are they? What is important to them? What have
they struggled with? What do they take pride in?
As we continue to read Things Fall Apart, keep this image of the Igbo culture in mind.
We will return to the idea of literature as a cultural artifact throughout the unit. How does
viewing literature as a window into an unfamiliar society change the way that we read
and what we respond to?