Things Fall ApartThings Fall Apart Chinua AchebeChinua Achebe

Mrs. Redmond’s overviewMrs. Redmond’s overview

Pair-sharePair-share

What does it mean to be civilized? Should What does it mean to be civilized? Should we all strive to be civilized?we all strive to be civilized?

What makes up a culture? What makes up a culture?

Fiction and historyFiction and history

Julius Caesar by ShakespeareJulius Caesar by Shakespeare– Elizabethan eraElizabethan era

Caesar and Cleopatra by ShawCaesar and Cleopatra by Shaw– British in IrelandBritish in Ireland

Things Fall Apart by Chinua AchebeThings Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe– Getting freedom in a couple of yearsGetting freedom in a couple of years– Fictionalized (not real events)Fictionalized (not real events)

Achebe comments:Achebe comments:

"The last four or five hundred years of "The last four or five hundred years of European contact with Africa produced a European contact with Africa produced a body of literature that presented Africa in a body of literature that presented Africa in a very bad light and Africans in very lurid very bad light and Africans in very lurid terms. The reason for this had to do with the terms. The reason for this had to do with the need to justify the slave trade and slavery… need to justify the slave trade and slavery… This continued until the Africans This continued until the Africans themselves, in the middle of the twentieth themselves, in the middle of the twentieth century, took into their own hands the telling century, took into their own hands the telling of their story." (Chinua Achebe, "An African of their story." (Chinua Achebe, "An African Voice", Voice", The AtlanticThe Atlantic))

Novel: Novel: Things Fall ApartThings Fall Apart

Set in Nigeria in the 1890s (fictional town: Set in Nigeria in the 1890s (fictional town: Umuofia)Umuofia)

http://http://www.mapsofworld.com/africawww.mapsofworld.com/africa// http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/imageshttp://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/images

/colonialism1914.jpg/colonialism1914.jpg

More informationMore information

Chinua Achebe in 1958Chinua Achebe in 1958 Nigeria was a British colony from the end of Nigeria was a British colony from the end of

the 19the 19thth century to 1960 century to 1960 Lens we see the rest of the world:Lens we see the rest of the world:

– http://www.bu.edu/africa/files/2010/10/covimg11http://www.bu.edu/africa/files/2010/10/covimg11.gif.gif

– Stereotype of African men Stereotype of African men

Reading it 50 years after it was writtenReading it 50 years after it was written

Unit OverviewUnit Overview

““We will read the African novel We will read the African novel Things FallThings Fall ApartApart by by Chinua Achebe, the classic imperialist story Chinua Achebe, the classic imperialist story Heart Heart of Darknessof Darkness by Joseph Conrad and several by Joseph Conrad and several African short stories. We will get to know and African short stories. We will get to know and understand many characters and learn about tribal understand many characters and learn about tribal traditions and cultures throughout this unit. We will traditions and cultures throughout this unit. We will also challenge our own assumptions about the also challenge our own assumptions about the world we live in and discuss how we can make it a world we live in and discuss how we can make it a better place.” better place.”

Ms. ThorsenMs. Thorsen

Big Ideas for the UnitBig Ideas for the Unit

What does it mean to be civilized?What does it mean to be civilized? Should all people strive to be civilized?Should all people strive to be civilized? What are the benefits? The drawbacks?What are the benefits? The drawbacks? In the books we are reading, what is the In the books we are reading, what is the

tension surrounding civilized societies? tension surrounding civilized societies?

Unit GoalsUnit Goals

Contemplate what makes up a culture and Contemplate what makes up a culture and how cultures differ from each other.how cultures differ from each other.

Develop strong research and research Develop strong research and research writing skills.writing skills.

Break down and analyze specific passages, Break down and analyze specific passages, going beyond the words on the page. going beyond the words on the page. 

Ask questions and find connections in what Ask questions and find connections in what we read we read

Grading for the UnitGrading for the Unit

Major assignments:Major assignments:– Scoodle Journal entriesScoodle Journal entries– Group VIP activitiesGroup VIP activities– Single Story writing assignmentsSingle Story writing assignments– Essay testEssay test– Class participation Class participation

Other assignments will be added as needed.Other assignments will be added as needed.

Class resourcesClass resources

From Ms. Thorsen’s website: Advanced From Ms. Thorsen’s website: Advanced English 10 tab. Whole unit overview. English 10 tab. Whole unit overview.

On my wiki that links from Ms. Thorsen’s On my wiki that links from Ms. Thorsen’s site (as we go.)site (as we go.)

http://redmondadvancedenglish10.wikispaces.http://redmondadvancedenglish10.wikispaces.com/Things+Fall+Apart+and+Heart+of+Darkncom/Things+Fall+Apart+and+Heart+of+Darknessess

Tonight’s HomeworkTonight’s Homework

Read Chapters 1-3, and write Scoodle Journal for Read Chapters 1-3, and write Scoodle Journal for Wednesday, November 6, 2013. It should be at Wednesday, November 6, 2013. It should be at least five sentences and incorporate/analyze at least five sentences and incorporate/analyze at least one quote from the text. Include a page least one quote from the text. Include a page number for your quote. number for your quote. 

Journal Entry Chapters 1-3:Journal Entry Chapters 1-3:What is the significance of the three proverbs in What is the significance of the three proverbs in Chapter One? What is Achebe's purpose in using Chapter One? What is Achebe's purpose in using Igbo proverbs in the novel? How do proverbs Igbo proverbs in the novel? How do proverbs promote the narrative action in the novel? What do promote the narrative action in the novel? What do they reveal about Igbo culture? they reveal about Igbo culture?

Pass out books. Pass out books. We will start reading it together. We will start reading it together.