Purple Hibiscus

Lesson 5
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ELA

Unit 9

9th Grade

Lesson 5 of 32

Objective


Identify the structure of the novel and explain its significance. Students will also be able to identify the power dynamics amongst the major characters.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie  pp. 19 – 26

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Target Task


Question 1

In chapter one we saw the conflict come to a climax. Which two of the following best describe how Adichie reveals the roots of conflict in this second chapter?

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Sample Response

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Question 2

What is Adichie conveying by beginning with the events of Palm Sunday, rather than telling the story in chronological order? Use evidence from the text to support your claim.

Key Questions


  • What is the title of this new section? Where do the events in this section fall in comparison to the first section? How do you know?

  • Top of p. 20: “’Thanks be to God.’ It is what Jaja and I said, what Papa expected us to say, when good things happen.” Pause here and spend some time on this sentence. Ask students how the meaning would be different if the phrase “What Papa expected us to say” was not there. What does it tell us about power in their household?

  • What do we learn about Mama in these pages? What evidence can you use to support your claims?

  • pp. 24 and 25: What happens in the coup? How is it covered in the various papers? What accounts for the differences in the perspective shared by each paper? (You may wish to begin class with a Do Now giving students a sense of what a coup is to help prepare them to access this important moment of the text.)

  • p. 25: Who is Ade Coker? How does Papa seem to feel about him? How do you know?

  • What is the relationship between the coup in Nigeria and what is happening in the Adike household? How does it relate to the central conflict? To what theme is this related?

Next

Explain how the poets use figurative language and structure to develop theme.

Lesson 6
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Lesson Map

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