Things Fall Apart Unit Calendar

Week 1: Introduction to the World, Characters, and Culture of Things Fall Apart
Monday (4/13), 95 minutes

Wednesday (4/15), 50 minutes
The Danger of a Single Story/what happens
[Science M-Step for juniors]
when we only hear one story about a
[FRIDAY SCHEDULE]
culture/people/place
Journal (20): What do we know about
Okonkwos community and society so far?
On a scrap sheet of paper, write down
five things that you find to be the most Include 3 quotes from Ch 1-4.
meaningful/important/resonant to you
Introduce students to the culture and world
of Things Fall Apart
Achebe Interview
Context clues to understand language
The White Mans Burden poem, define
and cultural references (its not always
imperialism
convenient to pause reading to look
through that list at the front of the
Read once as a class, have students jot
book)
down a 2-3 sentence summary and call
on students to read out loud. Include
Characterization
guess as to what this white mans
burden seems to be.
Define direct and indirect
characterization
Small groups; mark words or phrases
that show speakers attitude or POV
POV = limited omniscient
Use maps 1 and 2 to determine how the
Who is a protagonist? Who is an
POV in the poem relates to the two
antagonist? What motivates each
maps
character?
o Independent writing: What do
Stress that we are gaining insight into
these texts convey about
Okonkwos culture by looking at
imperialist relationships? What
Okonkwos family; were not hearing a
is the relationship between The
version of his story told by an outsider
White Mans Burden and The
Find examples of indirect and direct
Danger of a Single Story?
characterization for at least 4
o Discuss
characters. List quotes and page
number
Pass out sketch character guide
Overview of unit, pass out calendar
For next class: Ch 1-4
Learning Target(s):
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.6
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.2
Learning Target(s):
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.4
Friday (4/17), 95 minutes

MEGAN ABSENT
[WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE]
Cultural understanding activity with
substitute

Learning Target(s):
Week 2:
Thursday (4/23), 50 minutes
Journal (20): What does it mean to be a

man according to Okonkwo? Support your
response with AT LEAST 2 quotes from Ch 510. Does this view of masculinity seem to be
more of Okonkwos personal beliefs, or a
societal belief? Where do his views on
masculinity come from?
[FRIDAY SCHEDULE]
Allegory in the Tortoise Story
Define allegory, give examples
Folk traditions in TFA
Why do we have folktales in our own
cultures? What are some examples?
Using photocopies of Tortoise story
from Things Fall Apart, have students
Return to cultural understanding activity
annotate story and consider what it
how did it go? Tell students that Im compiling
might mean beyond a simple animal
them and will upload to the Google Drive
story.
folder as a study resource
o Small groups
Return to large group for discussion,
Let students know that there will be a reading
and then individual writing?
quiz at some point this week
o How can we apply this to the
novel?
Sticky note analysis: each student is given a
o Does the story tell us about
Post-It note to put on a page of the text where
anything that is coming as we
they find something worth questioning, talking,
move forward in Things Fall
or thinking about
Apart?
Small groups to discuss, then transition
o Why would Achebe include
to the larger group?
this? What is he saying about
Return to indirect/direct
their world?
characterization
What is the moral? What values does it
o Why talk about these?
reflect?
Method of cultural preservation for
Cultural quote tracking
Achebe

[FRIDAY SCHEDULE]
Four corners discussion
1. Reverend Smith was a better leader
than Mr. Brown because he was black
and white (in this case, better = more
effective, not kinder)
2. The Christian missionaries deserved to
have the church burned because of
what Enoch did
3. The Igbo elders should give up their
peaceful approach to the missionaries
and use violence to drive them out
4. The Igbo people could have prevented
the missionaries from taking over
5. Umuofia would not have ended up like
this if Okonkwo had not been banished
and had risen to power as planned
End with Fifteen Minute Essay

Learning Target(s):
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1
Learning Target(s):
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.4
For next class: Ch 18-22, read A Small Place

(excerpt) by Jamaica Kincaid
Learning Target(s):
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.D
Week 3:
Journal: How are things falling apart? Include
3 quotes from Ch 18-22 that reveal specifically
how things are falling apart.
Discussion how are things falling apart?
The Second Coming Yeats poem
Connect to POV and The Danger of a
Single Story
Writing task what is the relationship
between the poem and TFA?
Journal: Make 3 lists (each list should include

at least 5 characters) ranking Things Fall Apart Collaborative test review
characters from
1. Most to least powerful
2. Most to least sympathetic
3. Those who have the most voice to
those who are most silenced
*After each list, write a paragraph (~5
sentences) explaining your choices
Ending discussion
The idea of a fatal flaw what was
Okonkwos fatal flaw?
Is he a martyr? A symbol for something
larger than himself?
Return to Danger of a Single Story quotes
What does the danger of a single
story mean in the world of Things Fall
Apart?
For next class: Ch 23-25 (end)
Pass out test review sheet

For next class: Begin exam review
Learning Target(s):
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1.C
Learning Target(s):
For next class: Prepare for Things Fall Apart

test
Learning Target(s):
Week 4:
Things Fall Apart Test
Thursday (5/6), 95 minutes

Mini outline due
Journal catch up time (15 minutes)
Students pick up a journals checklist
How did the test go?
Go around and read theses, turn in mini
outline

Outline check at the beginning of class (3
points on final essay grade)
Peer review of outlines
Time to type in class and ask Megan
questions
Turn in outline (read all over weekend)
*Have notetaker begin to take notes*

Look at an old copy of a Things Fall Apart
essay and analyze what makes it
(in)effective
Look specifically at quote analysis
How do we say more about the
quote?
Read/discuss short story (Marriage is a
Private Affair) and create a fifteen minute
essay as a group.
Then, students do it themselves (or in pairs)
for Marriage is a Private Affair, focusing
on analysis (use a different quote).
For next class: Mini outline
Learning Target(s):
Pass out essay outline guide; time to work on

outline in class.
For next class:
Journals due
Full essay outline due
Learning Target(s):
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.A
For next class:
Learning Target(s):
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.A
Week 5:
Pass back outlines with teacher feedback
Essay work day

FORUM DAY No classes
Essay work day

1:1 Writing Conferences
For next class: Essay work
For next class: Essay due next class
Learning Target(s):
Learning Target(s):

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Week 1: Introduction to the World, Characters, and Culture of Things Fall Apart

Monday (4/13), 95 minutes

Friday (4/17), 95 minutes

For next class: Ch 8-10

Thursday (4/23), 50 minutes

Journal (20): What does it mean to be a

Friday (4/24), 50 minutes

End with Fifteen Minute Essay

For next class: Ch 14-17

For next class: Ch 18-22, read A Small Place

Wednesday (4/29), 95 minutes

Friday (5/1), 50 minutes

Journal: Make 3 lists (each list should include

For next class: Ch 23-25 (end)

Pass out test review sheet

For next class: Prepare for Things Fall Apart

Thursday (5/6), 95 minutes

Friday (5/8), 50 minutes

*Have notetaker begin to take notes*

For next class: Mini outline

Pass out essay outline guide; time to work on

For next class:

Wednesday (5/13), 95 minutes

Friday (5/15), 50 minutes

Essay work day

Essay work day

For next class: Essay work

For next class: Essay due next class

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Have notetaker begin to take notes