A FOUR WEEK UNIT PLAN TO
JHUMPA LAHIRI’S THE NAMESAKE
DESIGNED BY
ED RAYNIS
OVERVIEW TO A FOUR WEEK UNIT PLAN for THE NAMESAKE designed by ED RAYNIS
This is a four week unit plan of The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri designed for an 11th
grade Regents class. The story focuses on its main protagonist, Gogol Ganguli, an American
born middle class child of Indian immigrants. As he matures over the course of the novel he
struggles to balance the obligations of his Indian background and family bonds with his own
understanding and acceptance of American culture. The novel explores several themes including
the concept of biculturalism, the search for identity, the quest for love, family bonds and the
impact of popular culture on the individual. Beautifully written in clear and magically detailed
prose by Jhumpa Lahiri the story is very approachable for high school students and should
provide an enlightening educational experience for all who take part.
The unit plan allows for students to discover meaning in a variety of methods:
performance, close reading, peer teaching, web-based activity, self- reflective journals and
writing assignments. It is flexible in its approach allowing students to gain an understanding and
appreciation of the text through individual student choices.
GRADE BREAKDOWN
Journal Writing (20%) –Students should actively write a journal entry for each chapter. For each
chapter they must come up with a question that they think reflects a significant event in the
chapter and briefly respond o their own question. Additionally, they should write down anything
from the chapter that they personally found to interesting or significant.
Vocabulary Builder (10%)- Students will write down on index cards two words from each
chapter that they were unsure of. The card should include a definition of the word, the quotation
from the book with page number highlighted, and the context of the story where the word
appears. The index cards will be used in a lesson plan during the unit and select words will be
included in part of a final test.
Classroom Assignments/ Participation (30%) Active participation is required from all students.
However taking into account student preferences some assignments may not be as appealing as
others. Every student, unbeknownst to them, gets one “free pass” wherein a sub-par participation
in a classroom activity will not negatively affect their classroom performance grade.
Unit Project (25%) The unit project can be a group project and require equal participation by all
members. All group projects will include a group and individual evaluation submitted by all
group members. All unit projects will include a short description or process piece detailing the
steps toward completion.
Test (15%)- The final test will consist of Regents style multiple choice questions created
by the students, vocabulary words contributed by students, and a Regents style critical
lens essay.
PROJECT ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE NAMESAKE by Jhumpa Lahiri
1) Write an extended essay (3-5 pages) addressing any of the themes from the novel. You
may want to write about the effect of biculturalism on Gogol, Ashoke or Ashima.
Another theme to consider is Gogol’s quest to establish his identity or anything else that
you find to be an interesting aspect from the novel. The paper should be focused around a
thesis statement or central idea you will be discussing in your paper. This assignment
includes the submission of a first draft and a final essay.
2) Create a serialized comic book from the novel. You can use living pictures, your own
drawings, images collected from the internet and even stick figures provided that you
include pertinent information and dialogue to make the comic book come alive. You can
serialize the entire novel or concentrate your efforts to a specific chapter.
3) Create a work of art such as a painting, illustrations to accompany the novel, an artistic
collage of images or a photographic essay that expresses your understanding of the novel.
Along with your work of art write a one-page process piece that explains the steps and
thought process that went into the piece, how it expresses your understanding of the
novel and the inspiration behind your work.
4) Create a 5-10 minute short film focused on a significant event or chapter from the
novel. You can try to film the entire novel but it may be difficult due to time constraints.
The film should be a group project wherein each member will assume a specific role and
everyone will contribute to the overall success of the completed film through a
cooperative effort. If you choose this project let me know your group members as soon as
possible and schedule a meeting with me to discuss your ideas.
5) Write a series of poems/songs (at least three) that express your understanding of the
novel, its characters and themes. I encourage you to record or perform one of the songs
for the class for completion of this project. You may want to speak to any of the students
making a film to see if your music would fit in with their film.
6) Prepare a storyboard that can be readily turned into a film. The storyboard should
illustrate the shot selection, camera movements, the action to take place and dialogue.
You should concentrate on storyboarding several scenes or adapting specific chapters.
7)Interview a family member, neighbor, classmate or someone you may know that is an
immigrant to this country. Prepare a good list of questions you would want to ask them.
You may want to consider why they left their country In what ways have they changed?
What traditions they have kept? What challenges they face? How do they define
themselves? You should tape your interview using video, cassette or any other recording
device. Write a transcript of your interview.
Projects are due the last week of the unit.WEEK-BY-WEEK BREAKDOWN OF
ACTIVITIES AND READING
WEEK ONE
The First four chapters (up to page 96) should be read by the end of the school week.
Day One
Lesson 1
“Who Am I?”
Day Two
Lesson 2
“Reborn in Another Country” –The Immigrant ExperienceJhumpa Lahiri Video Interview
Day Three
Lesson 3
South Asian Immigrants in New York Documentary
Day Four
Lesson 4
Performance-Promptbooks-Chap 3
Day Five
Lesson 4
Performances of Lesson 4
WEEK TWO
Readings for the work. Read Chapters 5-8(up to page 217) by the end of the school week.
Day One
Lesson 5
Found Poetry/Gogol’s 14th Birthday
Day Two
Lesson 6
Poetry Readings/ Music Artifacts/Song Analysis
Day Three
Lesson 7
Vocabulary Builder Game with Performance
Day Four
Lesson 8
Internet Search/Images related to text
Day Five
Lesson 8
Display & Discussion of Images- Project Updates
WEEK THREE
Read chapters 9-12(through pages 291) which is the conclusion of the novel.
Day One
Lesson 9
Journal Swap-Peer Writing
Day Two
Lesson 10
Film Analysis- ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?’ DVD
Day Three
Lesson 11
Character Committees
Day Four
Lesson 11
Discussion/Analysis of Findings
Day Five
Lesson 12
Film Adaptations/Screenplay Chapters 7-12
WEEK FOUR
Day One
Lesson 12
Film Adaptations/ Performances and Taping
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Lesson 13
Internet Search for Book Reviews/ Response Writing
Lesson 14
Creation of Regents Style Multiple Choice Questions
Performances and Displays of Final Projects
Performances and Displays of Final Projects
WEEK FIVE
Day One
Test
Multiple Choice Test and Essay response (the Test will be
devised from the questions the student’s submitted during Lesson 14.
LESSON 1
“Who am I?”
WHAT’S ON FOR TODAY-One of the themes explored in The Namesake is the idea of
identity. Gogol, the protagonist of the story, undergoes many changes as he matures from a
young boy into a mature adult. His maturation is influenced by his duality of culture, his friends,
his romantic relationships, his interests in music, books, and movies, his professional
accomplishments and life’s tragic lessons. To demonstrate how our personalities are shaped and
the evolving nature of our personalities students will examine their own development and
memories from childhood to present.
WHAT TO DO-As an introduction to the novel students were asked to gather some pictures of
themselves and/or their friends and families representing their development. These should
include pictures of parents before they were born, a baby picture, a preschool picture, grade
school picture, adolescence and a current picture. Additionally they should recall a story from the
pictures or a childhood memory (ex. First day of school, visiting family, a vacation or journey, a
childhood nickname or “pet name”, moving to/from a new home). In groups the students will
share their photos and stories for 15-20 minutes. I will then lead a classroom discussion inquiring
what did they learn from each other? How have they changed over the years? How have they
stayed the same over the years? How have their families played a role in their development? Did
they have a multi-cultural background? How do they think they will change once they are out of
school? In what ways do they hope to remain the same? I will record responses on the
blackboard or an overhead. We will examine the results and look for connections from the
responses.
HOW DID IT GO- If a lively and robust class discussion ensues I would be very happy with the
results. If we can agree or become aware of the influences on our personalities and their everevolving nature I would say it was a success.
HOMEWORK- Read Chapter ONE (pgs. 1-21). Identify two cultural differences between
Bengali and American society. Write one question exemplifying a key development in chapter
ONE. Think about a new name or a pet name you would like to adopt.
LESSON 2
“Reborn in Another Country”- The Immigrant Experience
WHAT’S ON FOR TODAY-To recognize the struggle and hardships immigrants to America
experience. To explore the insights into the human condition that the immigrant experience allows
and the toll it takes on an individual. To begin a list of cultural traditions of Bengali/Indian society
and to identify American traditions and ways of life. To develop a personality list about the main
characters. To challenge our perceptions and assumptions about immigrant families.
WHAT TO DO-Students will view Jhumpa Lahiri discussing the novel and reading excerpts from
The Namesake. I will have a DVD copy to play in class and we will view sections 1(Introduction),
section 2(Pet Names and Proper) and section 5(Inspirations). Key questions: Why do you think
that Jhumpa Lahiri describes the immigrant experience as allowing her to see a window into the
condition of the human sole? How might the immigrant experience take a toll on one’s life? What
struggles do immigrants face? Working in groups, students will identify Bengali traditions and
work on characterization lists. We will discuss our findings from the homework, to identify
cultural differences between Bengali and American society. I will record answers on blackboard.
HOW DID IT GO- If students are able to empathize with the immigrant experience I think it will
prove beneficial to understanding the story. The development of the characterization chart will also
help for performance and improvisation exercises for the days ahead
HOMEWORK- Read Chapter TWO (pgs. 22-47). Write one question exemplifying a key
development in chapter TWO. On the internet go to www.behindthename.com and look up the
meaning behind your name and adapt a new name for the remainder of this unit. Additionally go to
the Collections/Articles section and read any one article concerning names of your choice. Write a
short response to the article (250 words) explaining the meaning of the article in your opinion and
either agreeing or disagreeing with sentiments of the article.
Lesson Two Handout – Reborn in Another Country- Bengali & American Cultural
Differences
Jhumpa Lahiri Interview Questions
Why do you think that Jhumpa Lahiri describes the immigrant experience as allowing her
to see a window into the condition of the human sole?
How might the immigrant experience take a toll on one’s life?
What struggles do immigrant’s face?
IDENTIFYING CULTURAL TRAITS
Bengali/Indian Traditions
LESSON 3
American Traditions
South Asian Immigrants in New York
WHAT’S ON FOR TODAY-Students will gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of what
its like to be South Asian ( Bengali, Pakistani, Indian) immigrant in the tri-state area. They will
reflect and examine their own understanding of “foreign” cultures surviving and thriving
throughout the region.
WHAT TO DO-Students will view excerpts from the New York City Public Education Television
Network Station, WNYE-25, documentary special ‘Desil South Asians in New York’. The hour
documentary features vignettes of immigrants and first generation South Asians everyday life.
Highlights include the work ethics and common bond shared by a taxi driver, newspaper vender;
electronics store owner, Computer Associates CEO and community organizer. The documentary
shows Indian neighborhoods throughout the tri-state area and examines their values, religions,
ethics and their struggle to earn a living and gain respect in America. Students will further examine
the documentary form by answering the question, how does one create or make an effective
documentary? Students will write a short response about the documentary answering; how have
my perceptions of South Asians altered from this documentary? What have I gained from the
documentary? They should also give me at least one response to the statement: I would like to
know more about…
HOW DID IT GO- If students show interest that they would like to visit some of the
neighborhoods in Astoria, Jackson Heights, Midwood (Brooklyn), Manhattan (Lexington Ave.)
and Jamaica it would be a great success. The Hicksville/Bethpage area of Long Island has a
growing Indian community featuring restaurants, grocery stores and movie theatres that could be
visited.
HOMEWORK- Read Chapter THREE (pgs48-61). Complete the film questions. Explain some of
the mechanics of the documentary form.
Lesson 3 Handout – South Asian Immigrants in New York Video via TV-25 WNYC
Identify 3 Elements of Film in the Making of Documentary
I especially liked the vignette about…..
How has your perception of South Asians altered from this documentary?
What have I gained from this documentary?
I would like to know more about…….
LESSON 4
Performance
WHAT’S ON FOR TODAY-Students will do a close reading of Chapter 3. The chapter is
broken down into several sections about 2-3 pages, each portraying a vignette of everyday life.
The students will choose a section and develop a short performance piece that will include
dialog, stage directions and the attitudes of the characters.
WHAT TO DO-Students will work in groups and decide upon a scene to be portrayed. They will
develop a promptbook that will define what they are going to do. There are many excellent
choices in this section including: at the dinner table, first day of school, at the beach, Gogol and
Ashima at home, the birth of Gogol’s sister Sonia and school field-trip to the cemetery. Students
will be given the entire class period to work out their performance. I will assist students in
developing their story lines and promptbook instructions. The scene should begin with the
performers “in character” holding still and then comes to life with action and dialog concluding
by the actors once again holding still as they did in the beginning of the piece.
The promptbooks should address the following concerns: What is happening in this scene? What
is the key purpose of this scene? What does your character want in this scene? What is your
character’s motivation? What obstacles does your character face and how do they overcome
them? What is distinctive about the character’s appearance, tone of speech and/or attitude? What
is the character thinking about?
This lesson should take two days. Day one: preparing their scenes and a part of day two
completing the promptbook questions and last minute rehearsals. The remainder of day two will
be the performance. Students will assist in taking photos and filming the performance.
HOW DID IT GO- The goal is to get the students away from merely thinking about the plot of
the story and instead provide them an opportunity to discover meaning from interpreting the
words by discovering the nuances of the writer’s style. If they can effectively add dialog, edit the
text and action and get the entire group involved I would rate the day a success. The pictures can
be used for comic book/ photo essay of the novel for a later project.
HOMEWORK- Read Chapter FOUR (pgs72-96). Gather any props or music that will enhance
your group performance for tomorrow. Memorize your dialog and know your stage movements.
Lesson 4 Handout Performance Piece/Promptbook Considerations
Your group scenes should be designed to address the following concerns:
What is happening in this scene?
What is the key purpose of this scene?
What does your character want in this scene?
What is your character’s motivation? What mood are you trying to convey?
What is distinctive about the character’s appearance, tone of voice and attitude?
What is your character thinking about?
What stage movements and locations the actors be used in this scene?
LESSON 5
Found Poetry/Gogol’s 14th Birthday
WHAT’S ON FOR TODAY-Student’s will construct a poem from the information on pages 7278.
WHAT TO DO-Students will read aloud from Chapter FOUR (pgs 72-78). The process will
begin with me doing the reading and students volunteering taking turns reading as much or as
little as they feel like. The reading will take about 10-15 minutes. In terms of plot it covers
Gogol’s 14th Birthday party socializing with his Bengali friends/relatives and his father giving
him the short stories of Nicholai Gogol as a gift. Students will then construct a poem using
ONLY the words from the pages. The poem can be about anything they choose. The poems will
be completed for homework if time doesn’t permit.
HOW DID IT GO- A lively reading would be appreciated. If the student’s created a diverse body
of work emphasizing various parts of the text I would be pleased.
HOMEWORK- Read Chapter FIVE (pgs 97-124). Complete the “found poem”. EXTRA
CREDIT Assignment, write a poem or short story about a birthday celebration. It could be about
you, a friend, a family member, etc…
LESSON 6
Music Artifacts from the Novel/Poetry Analysis
WHAT’S ON FOR TODAY-Students will listen to CD’s from Ravi Shankar, The Beatles
(George Harrison), Talking Heads and the CLASH. They will examine the lyrics to select songs
and make connections with the text.
WHAT TO DO-Class will start with the playing of excerpts of Ravi Shankar’s sitar music. It’s
all instrument, exotic, meditative and very “Indian”. With the music playing as a backdrop the
completed poems from the “found poetry” lesson will be read aloud. Next we will LISTEN to
the three songs ‘Within You, Without You’ from Beatles, ‘London Calling’ from The Clash and
‘Don’t Worry About the Government’ from The Talking Heads. Student’s will be asked to give
an emotional response to the songs describing feelings the songs/words evoked and what they
particularly liked/disliked about them. I will then distribute Lyric sheets to the three songs and
we will listen and read the lyrics. Students will be asked to think about how Gogol would relate
to the songs and to make their own interpretations. They should “mark up” their sheets
highlighting interesting words and passages and noting their interpretations. Sample questions:
What images and feelings does the song evoke? What phrases or words impact you the most?
What would Gogol find appealing in the music and/or lyrics? What makes the music
appealing/unappealing to a teenager? Why does the author make references to cultural artifacts
throughout the novel? How do they help or hinder us in understanding the text? How about its
characters?
HOW DID IT GO- An animated discussion of the songs would be great. A positive response to
the songs and artists wherein they would want to know more about them would be doubly
pleasing. Sparking their interest through music concerning the text and encouraging them to
think and relate their own musical tastes to the novel will lead provide the students with a great
way draw meaning from the novel and a fun way in which to remember it.
HOMEWORK- Read Chapter SIX (pgs 125-158). Think about a song or poem that you find
relates to the book and its characters. Bring in the words of the poem/song to be approved for
your own student lead “mini-lesson” during performance week upon conclusion of the novel.
Bring in Vocabulary Builder Words.
Lesson 6 Handout Music Artifacts/Poetry Analysis
What images and feeling do the songs evoke?
What phrases or words impact you the most?
What would Gogol find appealing/unappealing in the songs/lyrics?
What makes the music appealing/unappealing to a teenager?
Why does the author make references to cultural artifacts throughout the novel?
How do they help or hinder the reader in understanding the novel? How about
understanding the character’s?
I liked/hated which song/s.
LESSON 7
Vocabulary Builder with Performance
WHAT’S ON FOR TODAY-Students will compete in four teams wherein they must
demonstrate the meaning of vocabulary words they have selected from the text. They will be
awarded points for the following activities: providing an accurate definition of the word (1
point), quoting its use from the text noting the page it is taken from (1 point), explaining the
textual background from where the word is used (2 points), and acting out the meaning of the
word or acting out the scene from where the word is taken (5 points).
WHAT TO DO-The class will be divided into four teams simply by calling out
“A…B…C…D…” Each letter will make up a team. Each individual on the team should have a
minimum of four words on an index card stating the word, its meaning, the quote wherein its
found in the book with page number and the textual background of the scene. Each team will be
called upon to present their word. I will decide on the accuracy of the definition and award the
appropriate points. The team will have two minutes to decide on how to “act out” the meaning of
the word or “act out” the scene it is taken from. With the help from the class I will decide on
whether or not they will have earned the 5 points for their performance.
HOW DID IT GO- If the game gets a little out of hand I would classify the day as a success. I
want to establish an element of fun in the classroom that in the long run will add to overall
participation throughout the unit and the school year. If words are challenging and are taken from
various chapters of text it will add to the understanding of the novel and further serve as a good
review of the text.
HOMEWORK- Read Chapter SEVEN (pgs 159-188). Decide upon the project you are doing and
prepare a general outline of your ideas and how you plan to complete the project.
LESSON 8
Internet Search- Images Related to text
WHAT’S ON FOR TODAY-Students will surf the web to come up with an assortment of images
reflective of the text.
WHAT TO DO-The class will make use of the Internet to gather images that reflect their own
understanding of the text. Students will must complete four tasks: 1) find images representing one
of its characters 2) find images reflective of one of the themes of the novel. Ex. Identity, family
bonds, multiculturalism, duality of culture, death and loss, loyalty, love…3) images reflecting the
setting of the story. Ex. Cambridge,MA., the house on Pemberton Rd, the NYC apartments, Yale,
the train, Calcutta, there are hundreds of evocative settings and locations in the novel 4)images of
the cultural artifacts. Include a quote from the text noting the page number and chapter to
accompany your pictures. You should print the pictures, save them to floppy disk or build a
Namesake Web-site with your images. Don’t be afraid to explore as many images as possible. Feel
free to make use of websites featuring artwork, photography and architecture.
HOW DID IT GO- I think students will be able to associate an image that will help them to
attach meaning and significance to the text. I think this will help students that tend to think
“visually” as opposed to “literary” to clarify their interpretation of the novel. This exercise will
also help those students that will be making a collage of images from the text or their own artistic
work.
HOMEWORK- Read Chapter EIGHT (pgs 188-218). Gather your images for a classroom
presentation tomorrow.
LESSON 9
Journal Swap- Peer Writing
WHAT’S ON FOR TODAY-Students will share their journals with each other and develop one
of their entries into a more “coherent” or elaborate response.
WHAT TO DO-Students should be recording at least one journal entry for each chapter. The
entry should be based on any event or passage they find to be significant, interesting or demands
further response. The entry could also be formed in terms of a question and response as to what
they feel to be an important theme or event. I will confirm with each student that they are doing a
commendable job on their journal log. Students will team up with another student, randomly
assigned. Upon sharing each other’s journal they should respond to one of the entries of the other
student. This response should include both a positive reaction to the student and their own
interpretation to the question the student presents. Students can make suggestions on how they
might improve upon their entries. As this is an attempt at peer learning I will solicit responses
from students examining what new ideas and interpretations did they gain from each other?
HOW DID IT GO- I hope that I have established a classroom environment wherein students are
comfortable in “sharing” their thoughts, interpretations and work. The goal here is for the
student’s to collectively improve upon their writing by comparing and contrasting their
individual styles and ideas while they assist and encourage each other in the process. I will have
to monitor activity closely, just in case students are sensitive about “sharing” or if any animosity
develops.
HOMEWORK- Read Chapter NINE (pgs.219-245). Work on final presentations.
LESSON 10 Film Analysis-Shot Selections
WHAT’S ON FOR TODAY-Students will “take a step away” from the novel by viewing the
first two film chapters of Lasse Hallstrom’s ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape’ starring Johnny Depp,
Leonardo DiCaprio and Juliette Lewis. The film chronicles the struggles of a young man (Johnny
Depp) trying desperately to care for his obese mother, his mentally challenged brother (Leonardo
DiCaprio) and his own well-being. Set in rural Texas it is a moving coming of age story that
examines the nuances of life in rural America, discovery of one’s true self and the commitments
and bonds of family. In many ways it thematically parallels The Namesake but culturally it
shows a different story.
WHAT TO DO-Students will be given a shot selection sheet and list of film terms. We will
examine and discuss the meanings of the terms and the execution of various film shots. Students
will be assigned specific roles wherein they should pay close attention to how their roles are
executed. LOCATION MANAGER- your role is to pay close attention to the setting of the film.
Note where the film is being shot, time of day, interior/ exteriors. SOUND/MUSIC DIRECTORyour role is to pay attention to ALL that your hear, background noise, recording of dialogue, the
use of music, how sound affects our understanding and how sound and music is used to connect
scene to scene. The sound people will not get to watch the film, they will record all their
thoughts simply by listening. EDITOR- a minute of film time can consist of twenty or more
shots. The editor ‘manipulates’ the shots into a coherent whole. The editor is responsible for a
smooth transition from scene to scene and shot to shot. Pay close attention to where a film is
‘cut’ in
order to
make a pleasing transaction to
the film
viewer.
DIRECTOR/CINEMATOGRAPHY- technically these are two distinct and specific roles but for
our purposes your role will be to pay attention to the selection of shots (close up, two shot, pan,
dolly, zoom in/out, overhead, etc…), camera angles and any camera effects.
As a director you are also responsible for the performance of the actors and how to effectively
get them to express feelings onto the screen. PROPS/SET/COSTUMES- You should pay close
attention to what the actors are wearing. What do these choices revel about the characters? What
props/artifacts do we see within a scene that affects our understanding of the film?
We will view the film for a couple of minutes, stopping to see just what the students have written
down before moving on. I will stop the film periodically in order for students to record their
thoughts. We will discuss their findings and then view the film for a second time, embellishing
their notes.
HOW DID IT GO- I hope they get a deeper understanding on how difficult it is to effectively use
visuals to tell a story. They should also develop a sense of the teamwork and cooperation
required in making a film or completing any group project.
HOMEWORK- Read Chapter’s TEN, ELEVEN. TWELVE (pgs.246-291). Think about how
you might visually film the book if you were to make it into a movie. Work on final
presentations.
SOME FILM TERMS FOR FILM ASSIGNMENT
Scene: A continuous block of storytelling either set in a single location or following a
particular character. The end of a scene is typically marked by a change in location, style,
or time.
Shot: A continuous block of unedited footage from a single point of view.
Close-up: Also CU A shot in which the subject is larger than the frame, revealing much
detail.
Extreme Close-up Also: ECU A shot in which the subject is much larger than the frame.
Provides more detail than a close-up.
Medium Shot: Also MS or Two shot A shot which includes two characters in full
frame.
Long Shot: Also LS
Extreme Long Shot: Also ELS or Establishing Shot
Tilt: The action of rotating the camera either up or down.
Pan: The action of rotating a camera left to right or right to left on its axis.
Dissolve: Also Lap Dissolve An editing technique whereby the images of one shot is
gradually replaced by the images of another.
Fade Also: Fade To Black, Fade In, Fade Out A smooth, gradual transition from a
normal image to complete blackness (fade out), or vice versa (fade in).
Point of View: Also: POV A camera angle in which the camera views what would be
visible from a particular object's position.
Tracking: The action of moving a camera along a path parallel to the path of the object
being filmed.
Dolly: Also Dolly Shot, Dolly Up, Dolly In, Dolly Back, Pull back A dolly is a small
truck which rolls along dolly tracks carrying the camera, some of the camera crew and
occasionally the director. "Dolly" is also the action of moving the camera towards (dolly
up/in) or away from (dolly/pull back) the object that it is pointing at. The term often
appears in screenplays. There is a subtle difference between the results of a zoom shot
and a dolly shot. In a zoom, the relative positions and sizes of all objects in the frame
remains the same, whereas in a dolly shot this will change as the camera moves.
Zoom Shot: Also Zoom, Zoom In, Zooming, Zoom Back, Zoom Out A shot in which
the magnification of the objects by the camera's lenses is increased (zoom in) or
decreased (zoom out/back). There is a subtle difference between the results of a zoom
shot and a dolly shot. In a zoom, the relative positions and sizes of all objects in the frame
remains the same, whereas in a dolly shot this will change as the camera moves.
http://us.imdb.com/Glossary/
LESSON 11 Character Committees
WHAT’S ON FOR TODAY-Students will work in groups gathering quotes or descriptions of
characters directly from the text that will help them to better understand the characters.
WHAT TO DO- Working in groups students will be assigned characters from throughout the
novel and find quotes from them that revel their personalities. They should note wherein the
quote comes from, the circumstances surrounding the quote and what insights we can draw about
the character. Characters to be examined: Ashoke, Ashima, Gogol (chapters 1-6)(chapters7-12),
Maxine and Mousheema. Students will work for about 30 minutes and each group will be
responsible for about 10 quotations per character. Time permitting we will discuss their results.
Each group must assign one individual to record the efforts from the group and submit them at
the end of class. Results will be photocopied and distributed for discussion the following class.
HOW DID IT GO- If the students gathered quotes from throughout the text and were able to
describe the context from which it was taken they did a very good job. The results compiled from
all the groups will come in handy fro the next group assignment.
HOMEWORK- Read Chapter’s TEN, ELEVEN. TWELVE (pgs.246-291). Think about how
you might visually film the book if you were to make it into a movie. Work on final
presentations.
LESSON 12 Film Adaptations
WHAT’S ON FOR TODAY-Students will work in groups and adapt a section of the book into a
short screenplay. We will concentrate on the second half of the novel in which to adapt a scene.
WHAT TO DO- Working in groups students will be assigned a chapter for each group to adapt
into a screen-play. Students will create a treatment, describe the location or locations to be shot,
write the dialog, decide upon shots selections and camera movements and include any music or
sound effects they will use. They will get to work on this over two class periods. The latter half
of the second day students will act out what they have come up with and have the director of the
group explain what kind of shots they would use.
One individual from the group will film the movie of the rehearsal and/or take still pictures of
the rehearsal.
HOW DID IT GO- If students really got into character and embellished the scene with props and
music it would be an overwhelming success. Further if everyone contributes to the group I’d
have to say it was a job well done by all.
HOMEWORK- Continue to work on your final projects and bring your vocabulary words on
index cards for the next class.
Filmmaker Roles
LOCATION MANAGER-Pay close attention to the setting of the film, where the film is
being shot, time of day, interiors or exteriors.
SOUND/MUSIC DIRECTOR- Carefully record all that you hear. Listen for background
noise, sound effects, multi-tracking of sounds, the sue of music and the recording of
dialogue.
EDITOR- The ‘manipulator’ of images. Pay close attention to the connection between
each different shot. How does one shot and scene connect to the next to make a pleasing
and coherent transition.
DIRECTOR/CINEMATOGRAPHER What shot selections are used in each scene. Note
the use of close ups, long shots, camera angles, the length of a shot in film time and
camera effects.
PROPS/SETS/COSTUMES What are the actors wearing? What is special about the
location and the sets? What props or details add to the reality of the film?
LESSON 13 Book Reviews
WHAT’S ON FOR TODAY-Students will search the web for book reviews of The Namesake.
WHAT TO DO- Working in the media lab students will search for and read a variety of book
reviews. They are to eventually choose one review, print it out, and write a response piece either
agreeing or disagreeing with the critics’ opinion. An alternative to this assignment is to write
their own book review addressed to an audience of their peers. The review should include a brief
synopsis of the novel, information about Jhumpa Lahiri and comments on her writing style, some
detailed information about the characters in the novel and its themes and either a positive or
negative recommendation.
HOW DID IT GO- If students really got into character and embellished the scene with props and
music it would be an overwhelming success. Further if everyone contributes to the group I’d
have to say it was a job well done by all.
HOMEWORK- Complete the response to the book review and hand it along with the book
review your comments are based upon. Hand in your own critical book review. Write down what
you think would be a good essay question to be used on a critical lens style essay exam.
LESSON 14 Creation of Regents Multiple Choice Questions
WHAT’S ON FOR TODAY-Students will develop multiple-choice questions based upon the
novel and submit questions as to what they think would make a good critical lens essay question
related to the novel.
WHAT TO DO-Students will assemble into six groups of 4-5 students. Each group will be
assigned two chapters to create a minimum of two multiple-choice questions per student or ten
questions per group. They should not be based merely on facts but should rely on making
inferences as to the best answer.
For example; Ashoke and Ashima name their child Gogol because A) Indian people love to give
unusual names to their children B) its traditional to name the first born after obscure Russian
writers C) the name holds significance to Ashoke because in a bizarre way he believes the obscure
Russian writer Russian writer saved his life D) they believed it was a good American name.
ANSWER: C
Ashoke gives his son the short stories of Nicholai Gogol for his 14th birthday because A) for
Ashoke it’s a symbol of their rebirth in America B) he would like his son to become a great writer
C) Gogol watches too much American Television D) Ashoke never read the books. Answer: A
Students will work for about 15 minutes to come up with some questions. They should review the
specific chapters they are assigned and refer to their journal logs. After 15 minutes each group will
present their best questions to gage the effectiveness of their questions. They will continue to work
on their questions submitting them at the end of the class. I will select what I feel to be the best
twenty questions to be used in “final” test. If time allows we will read and explore answers to as
many questions as possible.
HOW DID IT GO- I hope that students can come up with some significant and well thought out
questions and answers. I think they will try to find important events from the novel. It will also
provide them a good opportunity to put the whole novel into perspective.
HOMEWORK- Finalize your presentations for display in class. Anyone who wants to “lead off”
the presentations tomorrow should let me know.
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