Curriculum / ELA / 11th Grade / Unit 2: Things Fall Apart / Lesson 25

Things Fall Apart

Lesson 25

ELA

Unit 2

11th Grade

Lesson 25 of 25

These assessments accompany this unit to help gauge student understanding of key unit content and skills.

Content Assessment

The Content Assessment tests students' ability to read a "cold" or unfamiliar passage and answer multiple choice and short answer questions. Additionally, a longer writing prompt pushes students to synthesize unit content knowledge or unit essential questions in writing. The Content Assessment should be used as the primary assessment because it shows mastery of unit content knowledge and standards. This assessment should take approximately one class period.

Lesson 24

Lesson Map

Infer Achebe’s purpose(s) for writing Things Fall Apart.

Purple Hibiscus — p. 1
Heart of Darkness — p. 8
“Chinua Achebe, African Literary Titan, Dies at 82”

Gather basic information about the Igbo people and the impact of European colonization on the Igbo.

Igbo Culture and History

Predict the major themes of the novel.

Analyze the author’s characterization of the protagonist, Okonkwo.

“The Second Coming”
Things Fall Apart pp. 3 – 8

Analyze the continued characterization of Okonkwo in chapter 2.

Describe how the author uses setting, nonlinear plot, and characterization to develop theme.

Things Fall Apart — Chapter 2

Identify examples of techniques Achebe uses to counteract Europeans’ simplistic stereotypes of Africans.

Things Fall Apart pp. 16 – 22 — Chapter 3
“An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s 'Heart of Darkness'”

Analyze Achebe’s portrayal of women in chapter 4.

Trace Achebe’s development of Okonkwo’s tragic flaw.

Things Fall Apart — Chapter 4

Students will analyze how Achebe further develops Okonkwo’s hyper masculinity as a fatal flaw in chapter 5.

Things Fall Apart — Chapter 5

Explain how the author establishes the significance of the wrestling match to the people of Umuofia.

Things Fall Apart — Chapter 6

Analyze Okonkwo’s decision to disobey the Oracle and how this decision develops theme.

Things Fall Apart — Chapter 7

Analyze Achebe’s use of Obierika as a foil for Okonkwo.

Things Fall Apart — Chapter 8

Analyze the importance of children to the lives of women in Umuofia.

Things Fall Apart — Chapter 9

Explain the role of the egwugwu in the Umuofian judicial system.

Analyze the role of women in Umuofian society.

Things Fall Apart — Chapter 10

Explain how Achebe develops the theme of the individual and community in chapter 11.

Things Fall Apart — Chapter 11

Craft an essay that answers the prompt.

Analyze how Achebe develops the importance of strong and harmonious ties to the Igbo community.

Explain the development of Okonkwo’s tragic flaw in chapter 13.

Things Fall Apart — Chapter 13

Trace the author’s continued development of the importance of strong harmonious ties within a community.

Things Fall Apart — Chapters 14 & 15

Analyze the shift in tone toward the missionaries over the course of chapter 16.

Analyze the symbolism of fire as it relates to Achebe’s characterization of Okonkwo’s relationships.

Things Fall Apart — Chapters 16 & 17

Analyze how Achebe develops both the theme of community and colonization in these chapters.

Things Fall Apart — Chapters 18 & 19

Analyze the disagreement between Okonkwo and Obierika, explaining how Achebe uses it to build theme.

Things Fall Apart — Chapter 20
“Mango Seedling”

Analyze Okonkwo’s reaction to his village and the village’s reaction to Okonkwo.

Things Fall Apart — Chapter 21

Students will be able to analyze how Achebe brings the conflict to a climax in these chapters.

Things Fall Apart — Chapters 22 & 23

Analyze how the author develops Okonkwo’s character in chapter 24.

Things Fall Apart — Chapter 24

Analyze Achebe’s use of irony and narration to communicate theme at the end of the novel.

Things Fall Apart — Chapter 25
“How to Write about Africa”

Review major themes and events of the text in order to review for tomorrow’s exam.

Content Assessment

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