Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe Get out your highlighters and writing utensils. Read the opening page before the chapter begins. Number all the paragraphs for Things Fall Apart. Focus: CHARACTERIZATION Opening Chapters: Exposition The
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Presentation Transcript
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Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe<br>
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Get out your highlighters and writing utensils. Read the opening page before the chapter begins.
Number all the paragraphs for Things Fall Apart.
Focus: CHARACTERIZATION<br>
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Opening Chapters: Exposition The exposition part of the plot introduces the setting, characters, and situation of the story.
Authors introduce and reveal character traits in the first chapters.<br>
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Pronunciations<br>
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Background for Things Fall Apart The setting is in Nigeria, early 1800s (turn of the 19th century)
Nigeria socialized in tribes
Nigeria was facing political upheaval
The narration for this excerpt is complex, as it is primarily in 3rd person POV, but occasionally shifts view from adult Okonkwo (main character) to his father Unoka (who is currently dead, but the POV is from Unoka as a young man). Unoka
(Okonowo’s father;
Deceased;
Occasional narrator) Okonkwo
(adult; son of Unoka;
fighter; respected leader;
occasional narrator)<br>
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Together, let’s read first two paragraphs of Things Fall Apart from your packet. What did you learn about the main character, Okonkwo, from your brief reading?<br>
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Let’s re-read ANNOTATE by underlining textual evidence (words and phrases) that relates to the characterization of Okonkwo.<br>
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What did you learn? Okonkwo was famous because he had been a fierce and successful fighter.<br>
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In partners, discuss the following about setting: What did you learn about the setting of Things Fall Apart in the first two paragraphs?
What textual evidence is related to the setting?
How do the details of the setting in which the characters are living add to an understanding of those characters?<br>
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Answers: What did you learn about the setting of Things Fall Apart in the first two paragraphs?
Novel is set in a village with customs that may seem unusual or perhaps primitive.
What textual evidence is related to the setting?
“throughout the nine villages”
“brought honour to his village”
“engaged a spirit of the wild”
“the drums beat and the flutes sang”<br>
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Three-Column Notes Time! Create a three-column note chart to record the different strategies of characterization Achebe (author) uses to describe Okonkwo. Add several examples from the textual evidence found in the first two paragraphs.<br>
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Example format Okonkwo<br>
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As we continue reading, provide additional textual evidence to you characterization chart. Additionally, continue annotation and CIRCLE metaphors.<br>
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Questions What are some of the reasons that Okonkwo’s fight with Amalinze resulted in fame for Okonkwo?
How do the words “springs” and “pounce” add to the characterization of Okonkwo?
What did paragraph 3 reveal about Okonkow’s father?
Based on what has been revealed so far about Okonkwo, what adjectives might you use to describe him?<br>
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Read Paragraphs 4-6 aloud in partnerships. Focus on the characterization of Unoka (father of Okonkwo).
Highlight words and phrases that characterize Unoka.
Add textual evidence to your three-column notes.
Share with class.<br>
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Vocabulary “In his day he was lazy and improvident and was quite incapable of thinking about tomorrow.” Paragraph 4
What do you think improvident means? Use context clues and/or prefixes to determine meaning.<br>
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Vocabulary breakdown Im = ‘not’
Provid = ‘provide’
Ent = adjective meaning
Therefore, improvident is a word that describes someone who does not provide or plan ahead.
Ta-da!!<br>
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Vocabulary with a partner: Paragraph 4: folly, debtor
Paragraph 5: haggard, intricate
Determine meaning of these four words with your partner. Write your proposed definition in your packet.<br>
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Character Foil – a character who is contrasted with another character (usually the protagonist) in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character. Based on the first six paragraphs of TFA, please answer the following with your partner:
How might Unoka be a foil to Okonkwo?
Which qualities does Unoka have that are in direct contrast to Okonkwo’s qualities?
What inferences can you make about the other qualities Okonkwo may have based on Unoka’s characterization?
How might the father’s character influence the son’s choices?
Support answers with textual evidence.<br>
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Example: 1. I infer that Okonkwo will be a hard-working man in contrast with his father’s laziness because the text states, “He was poor and his wife and children had barely enough to eat,” which implies that Okonkwo grew up poor and hungry due to his father’s laziness. Therefore, it’s likely that Okonkwo was motivated to work hard and become prosperous to not have to live that way again.<br>
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Write one well-formed CER paragraph Choose one of the four previous questions about foils, and include:
A topic sentence that responds to the prompt. (CLAIM)
Inferences about both characters supported by textual evidence. (EVIDENCE)
Commentary about the importance of your evidence. (REASONING)<br>
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Complete reading chapter one. On your own, reading and analyze the rest of chapter one using the same skills applied in class.
Focus on characterization of Okonkwo and Unoka by highlighting words and phrases that correspond to each character.
Add evidence to your three-column notes.
In paragraph 10, be able to define impending and intricate
In paragraph 12, be able to define skirting and mirth
In paragraph 14, be able to define prowess<br>
