Judging ‘Gatsby’ by Its Cover(s) By Julie Bosman, The New York Times

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key.

Will changing the art work on the cover of a book entice people to buy the book?  Over the years the literary classic The Great Gatsby (published in 1925)  has had various book covers. The latest edition displays a glitzy photo of  Leonardo DiCaprio who is starring in the film version of the story which is  due out in May. Some booksellers are not certain which version of the book (cover) will attract public attention.  In the following article people share their experiences and opinions concerning the changing art covers for The Great Gatsby.

Leonardo diCaprio and Carey Mulligan in scene from the movie The Great Gatsby. Photo AdR Factory.

Excerpt:

“The Great Gatsby” has united generations of American readers with its crash-and-burn tale of empty elegance and impossible love on Long Island in the 1920s.

The latest cover for the Great Gatsby. Photo Flicks and Bits.

Now the novel is dividing the nation’s booksellers with dueling paperback editions: the enigmatic blue cover of the original and the movie tie-in book that went on sale Tuesday, a brash, flashy version with Leonardo DiCaprio front and center. The new edition is timed with the 3-D film adaptation, directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Mr. DiCaprio, that will arrive in theaters on May 10.

The original cover by Francis Coradal-Cugat. Photo- New York Times.

The new edition, with its Art Deco glitter, presents a stark choice for readers, as well as retailers who are trying to gauge the tastes of their customers. At stores like Barnes & Noble, with its nearly 700 outlets, both editions will be available. But at Walmart, only the movie tie-in edition will be stocked, a tacit acknowledgment that the discount chain’s customers want books that appear fresh and new (even if they happen to have been released in 1925).  And at independent booksellers like McNally Jackson in SoHo, customers who want “The Great Gatsby” can purchase only the original: not a single copy of the new, cinematic edition will be for sale. It’s just God-awful,” Kevin Cassem, a bookseller at McNally Jackson, said on Tuesday. “ ‘The Great Gatsby’ is a pillar of American literature, and people don’t want it messed with. We’re selling the classic cover and have no intention of selling the new one.”

Older cover.New York Times.

Movie tie-in editions are issued regularly in the book business, but rarely has the contrast between two covers of the same title been so pronounced.

Older cover. Photo:New York Times.

The original art, by Francis Cugat, was completed before the manuscript, according to Scribner, a practice that is common in modern publishing but was rare at the time. The art was initially dismissed as “garish” by *Ernest Hemingway, who wrote in his memoir “A Moveable Feast” that he was “embarrassed by the violence, bad taste and slippery look of it.” It looked the book jacket for a book of bad science fiction,” Hemingway wrote…

Older cover. Photo: New York Times.

While “Gatsby” has been subject to dozens of cover redesigns — and translated into 42 languages, producing covers that read “El Gran Gatsby” and “Gatsby le Magnifique” — it is the original cover that Scribner has kept in print… The tie-in edition is likely to appeal to “the new reader,” said Nan Graham, the publisher of Scribner. “The repeat reader is going to buy the classic cover,” she said in an interview. “A person who is more likely to buy the movie tie-in is reading it for the first time. In Walmart, this is the book you’re going to see.”

Older cover. Photo: New York Times.

Sales history for movie tie-in editions of novels has been mixed. Original covers typically outperform tie-ins because they are on sale longer and because many consumers are reluctant to make a book purchase that appears to be inspired by the local multiplex… As publishers we’re always looking for new readers, and the transformation of a book into a film can exponentially increase consumer awareness…It begins with early press coverage of casting and shooting, and continues through to the film’s prerelease marketing campaign and theatrical run.” Read more…

*Lesson plans for 3 Ernest Hemingway stories.

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

Level: Intermediate -Advanced

Language Skills: Reading, writing, speaking and listening. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.

Time: Approximately 2 hours.

Materials: Student handouts (from this lesson) access to news article, and video.

Objective: Students will read the article with a focus on improving reading comprehension and learning new vocabulary. At the end of the lesson students will express their personal views on the topic through discussions, and writing.

I. Pre-Reading

 Predictions

Analyzing headings and photos

Directions:  Ask students to read the title of the post and of  the article.  Then, have them  examine the photos of the various redesigns for the book The Great Gatsby. Based on these sources,  ask students to create a list of  words and  ideas  that they think might be related to this article.

II. While Reading

Vocabulary

Word Inference

Directions:Students are to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. They may use a dictionary or thesaurus for assistance. They might like  to work with this whimsical Vocabulary Organizer by D. Mays!

1. “The Great Gatsby” has united generations of American readers.
2. The enigmatic blue cover of the original and the movie tie-in book that went on sale Tuesday are in conflict.
3. The new edition, with its Art Deco glitter, presents a stark choice for readers.
4. Retailers are trying to gauge the tastes of their customers.
5. But at Walmart, only the movie tie-in edition will be stocked, a tacit acknowledgment that customers want books that appear fresh and new.
6. Rarely has the contrast between two covers of the same title been so pronounced.
7. The original art, by Francis Cugat, was completed before the manuscript, according to Scribner.
8. E-book sales have been skyrocketing.
9.  There are some people who are reading all the time, and there are people who only read selectively.
10. Publishers were trying to reach readers who might be more tuned into what was happening in Hollywood.

Reading Comprehension

True / False/ NA

Directions:  The following statements were taken from the article.  If  a statement is true, students write (T) if the information is not available, students write (NA). If  a statement is false they  write (F) and  provide the correct answer from the article.

1. The Great Gatsby was written in the 1990s.
2. According to the article, the controversy  has to do with the different artists.
3. The new edition has the photo of  F. Scott Fitzgerald on the cover.
4. So far this year, sales of the paperback with the original jacket art  have been extraordinary.
5. At Walmart, both editions of the book will be stocked.
6. Ernest Hemingway, stated that he was “embarrassed” by the current cover.
7. According to the article, the tie-in edition is likely to appeal to the new reader.
8. The Great Gatsby is frequently described as the greatest American novel.
9. Sales history for movie tie-in editions of novels has been mixed.
10. People usually read all of the time.

Grammar Focus

Using Adjectives  to describe pictures

Directions: Place students in groups, and have them choose a picture from this lesson. Each group will  write a descriptive paragraph using adjectives. As a class review the adjectives from each group, then share the paragraphs with the class. For a review of Adjectives visit ESL Voices Grammar

III. Post Reading

Reading Comprehension Check

WH-How Questions Directions: Have students use the  WH-question format to discuss or to write the main points from the article. Who or What is the article about? Where does the action/event take place? When does the action/event take place? Why did the action/event occur? How did the action/event occur?

Discussion/Writing 

Directions: Place students in groups and have them answer the following questions. After, have the groups share their thoughts as a class. To reinforce the ideas, students can write an essay on one of the topics.

1. Based on your personal experience, do you buy a book mainly for the contents or for the artwork on the cover? Explain your reasons.
2. Review all of the covers shown. Which one appeals to you the most? Why?  Would you buy the book based on the cover that you chose?
3. The article states that While “Gatsby” has been subject to dozens of cover redesigns… it is the original cover that Scribner has kept in print.”  Why did the publisher keep the original cover?
4. Looking at the first 2 covers (the new movie tie-in, and the original cover) which age group would most likely buy the new version, and which would buy the original? Provide reasons for your choices.
5. Can you think of other books that have changed their original covers to advertise movies based on the story?

IV. Listening Activity   

Video Clip:  Movie trailer from the “Great Gatsby” with comments from director Baz Luhrmann. The movie is due in Cinemas May 16th 2013.

While Listening 

 Multiple choice Directions: Have students listen to the trailer first, then again answering the questions by choosing  the correct response from the ones provided.

Based on the movie trailer  The Great Gatsby answer the following questions.

1. At the beginning, the man states he got an invitation from___

a. Gatsby

b. Luhrmann

c. Greta

2. Everybody  has their version of the Great Gatsby in their___

a.thoughts

b.ideas

c. minds

3. Gatsby tells the man if there anything you want just___

a. get it.

b. pay for it.

c. ask for it.

4. What does the  phrase “do you want to sit on the sidelines or do you want to play ball?” mean as it’s used in this context?

a. Not do your part

b. just observe and not be actively involved in something

c. Don’t play baseball

5. Baz Luhrmann wanted the movie to feel___

a. classical.

b. old fashioned.

c. contemporary.

6. Baz Luhrmann admits that he drawn to___

a. tragic romances.

b. crime dramas.

c. comedies.

7. Gatsby tells a man that he knows___

a. his life.

b. his strife.

c. his wife.

8. It was said that he threw all those parties hoping that she’d  wander in one night. Who is the “he” the person is referring to?

a.  The brother

b. Gatsby

c. Baz Luhrmann

9. It is stated that the world is so  “lush and so intimate” that viewers feel they’re ___on these people’s lives.

a. eavesdropping

b. ignoring in

c. joining with

10. The movie “The Great Gatsby”  is described as having___

a. joy, violence, and happiness

b. passion violence and love

c. passion, hate, and jealousy

Post Listening Questions

 Directions: Place students in groups and have them discuss the following questions.

1. How would you describe the party scenes from this movie?
2. How would you describe the people?
3. Based on this trailer would you go and see the movie? Provide reasons why or why not.

ANSWER KEY : The Great Gatsby

Related

Teaching The Great Gatsby- The New York Times Learning Network-Provides great ideas for teachers using the book in class.

Words and War: Toni Morrison at West Point, By Abigail Meisel The New York Times

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key.

Visit previous Lesson Plans Business Writing, Reading,  Writing, Speaking, Listening, Vocabulary, Grammar, Charts & Organizers. Resources for Teachers-Site Map.

Recently the Nobel Prize recipient, author Toni Morrison accepted an invitation to speak at the prestigious West Point Military Academy. The topic of her talk was Ms. Morrison’s book “Home”  about a U.S. Korean War veteran.

Toni Morrison spoke to the Class of 2016 cadets in Robinson Auditorium. Photo-West Point.

Excerpt:

“As thousands of hungry West Point cadets streamed into the mess hall for their 20-minute lunch break here on Friday, they paused from the rush to the tables to give a rousing group cheer to a guest who has received hundreds of accolades, but perhaps none this thunderous…it’s like a movie,” said Toni Morrison, who sat at one of the 420 wooden tables in the flag-bedecked Washington Hall, a majestic Romanesque structure at the United States Military Academy. Seated with members of the African-American Arts Forum at West Point, Ms. Morrison ate her Army-issue ravioli and prepared to read from her most recent novel, “Home,” to the freshman cadets, who studied the book in English class this semester.

The novel Home By Toni Morrison. Photo- Morrison facebook.

The novel is the story of Frank Money, a black Georgia native and Korean War veteran struggling to reintegrate into civilian life in a segregated America, while struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder. I read ‘Home’ last winter and immediately saw that the text touched on so many relevant topics, such as PTSD, as well as race, explained Lt. Col. Scott Chancellor, who directs West Point’s freshman English program and called Ms. Morrison, a Nobel Prize winner, “the greatest living American writer.” During the interview Ms. Morrison said she was concerned about the numberof suicides by veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.

West Point has made accommodations to women over the years. Photo: Mike Groll, AP

“I dare you to tell me a sane reason we went to Iraq,” she said…At West Point we ensure that cadets are made to struggle with moral ambiguity, so that when they confront tangled scenarios, they will be able to do that well…Morrison gives us just enough psychological complication of Frank Money to open up an understanding of how desperately malignant the realm of war can be…

Cadet candidates fall in under the watchful eye of West Point Cadet Sgt. Reed Caradine. Photo Daniel P. Elkins. US Military.

After lunch Ms. Morrison moved post, suitably enough, to Robinson Auditorium, named for the Army’s first black four-star general, Roscoe Robinson Jr., who commanded troops in the Korean War. There she settled into a big leather chair placed for her on the stage and faced more than 1,600 cadets in their dress grays to read three passages from “Home.”

U.S. Military Academy First Captain Tyler Gordy leads the Brigade Staff during the Acceptance Day Parade, Aug. 15, at West Point, N.Y. Photo: John Pellino.

We related to the book, especially since we signed up for the academy during a time of war, said Abigail Graves, a freshman, whose father, an Army colonel, was stationed in Iraq for over a year. 

West Point -Graduating Class of 2012. Photo- By Mike Strasser, U.S. Military Academy.

“Many cadets who graduated last year have been serving, and it’s easy to imagine PTSD happening to someone not that much older than us.” Read more…

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

Level: Intermediate -Advanced

Language Skills: Reading, writing, speaking and listening. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.

Time: Approximately 2 hours.

Materials: Student handouts (from this lesson) access to news article, and video.

Objective: Students will read the article with a focus on  practicing reading comprehension and learning new vocabulary. At the end of the lesson students will express their personal views on the topic through discussions, and writing.

I. Pre-Reading

 Predictions

Analyzing headings and photos

Directions:  Ask students to read the title of the post and of  the article.  Then, have them  examine the photos. Based on these sources,  ask students to create a list of  words and  ideas  that they think might be related to this article.

Stimulating Background Knowledge

K-W-L Chart

The K-W-L chart is used to activate students’ background knowledge of a topic in order to enhance their comprehension skills. The K-W-L stands for: what I Know, what I Want to learn, and what I did Learn.

Directions: Have students use the KWL chart from MSU to list the information they already know about  author Toni Morrison, and West Point Academy. Later in the Post- Reading segment of the lesson, students can fill in what they’ve learned about the topic.

II. While Reading

Vocabulary

Word Inference

Directions: Students are to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. They may use a dictionary or thesaurus for assistance. Have the students write sentences using each word. They will find this neat Vocabulary Cluster By Learnnc.org  useful.

Tags: Toni Morrison, West Point Academy

Rape on the Reservation By Louise Erdrich, The New York Times

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key.

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Louise Erdrich’s book The Round House is a novel about a teenage boy who elicits  the help of his friends to investigate an attack on his mother on a North Dakota reservation. The book also explores themes such as the daily challenges of alcoholism, religion, violence, and the unjust laws made by the United States government concerning American Indians.  The following is an excerpt from the author concerning her views about the The Violence Against Women Act and the injustices in American Indian communities today .

Drawing By Pia Bramley-New York Times

Excerpt:

“Two Republicans running for Congressional seats last year offered opinions on “legitimate rape” or God-approved conceptions during rape, tainting their party with misogyny. Their candidacies tanked. Words matter.

Having lost the votes of many women, Republicans now have the chance to recover some trust. The Senate last week voted resoundingly to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, the 1994 law that recognized crimes like rape, domestic abuse and stalking as matters of human rights.

But House Republicans, who are scheduled to take up the bill today and vote on it Thursday, have objected to provisions that would enhance protections for American Indians, undocumented immigrants and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth, among other vulnerable populations. Here in Minneapolis, a growing number of Native American women wear red shawls to powwows to honor survivors of sexual violence… The Justice Department reports that one in three Native women is raped over her lifetime, while other sources report that many Native women are too demoralized to report rape…Further tearing at the social fabric of communities, a Native woman battered by her non-Native husband has no recourse for justice in tribal courts, even if both live on reservation ground. More than 80 percent of sex crimes on reservations are committed by non-Indian men, who are immune from prosecution by tribal courts…To protect Native women, tribal authorities must be able to apprehend, charge and try rapists — regardless of race. Tribal courts had such jurisdiction until 1978, when the Supreme Court ruled that they did not have inherent jurisdiction to try non-Indians without specific authorization from Congress.  The Senate bill would restore limited jurisdiction over non-Indians suspected of perpetrating sex crimes, but even this unnerves some officials. You’ve got to have a jury that is a reflection of society as a whole, and on an Indian reservation, it’s going to be made up of Indians, right?” said Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee. So the non-Indian doesn’t get a fair trial. 

The Round House by Louise Erdrich

Leaving aside the fact that most Native defendants tried in the United States face Indian-free juries, and disregarding the fulsome notion that Native people can’t be impartial jurists, Mr. Grassley got his facts wrong. Most reservations have substantial non-Indian populations, and Native families are often mixed. The Senate version guarantees non-Indians the right to effective counsel and trial by an impartial jury…Since 1990, when Joseph R. Biden Jr., then a senator from Delaware, drafted the original legislation, the Violence Against Women Act has been parsed and pored over. During reauthorizations in 2000 and 2005, language on date rape and orders of protection was added. With each iteration, the act has become more effective, inclusive and powerful. Without it, the idea that some rape is “legitimate” could easily have been shrugged off by the electorate. Some House Republicans maintain that Congress lacks the authority to subject non-Indians to criminal trials in tribal court, even though a Supreme Court opinion from 2004 suggests otherwise…What seems like dry legislation can leave Native women at the mercy of their predators or provide a slim margin of hope for justice. As a Cheyenne proverb goes, a nation is not conquered until the hearts of its women are on the ground.”  more…

Learn more about TRANSGENDER CHILDREN  from ESL Voices Lesson Plan.

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

Level: Intermediate -Advanced

Language Skills: Reading, writing, speaking and listening. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.

Time: Approximately 2 hours.

Materials: Student handouts (from this lesson) access to news article, and video.

Objective: Students will read the article to  improve  reading comprehension and learn new vocabulary. The will also practice listening and speaking  skills.At the end of the lesson students will express their views on the topic of violence against American Indian women in the US.  through discussions  and writing.

I. Pre-Reading Tasks

•  Predictions

Analyzing headings and photos

Directions:  Ask students to read the title of the post and of  the article.  Then, have them  examine the photos. Based on these sources,  ask students tocreate a list of  words and  ideas  that they think might be related to this article.  Have students use this great pre-reading organizer by McGraw-Hill to assist them in finding the main ideas from the reading.

KWL CHART

Directions: Have students use the KWL chart from MSU to list the information they already know about American Indians living in the US., and the problem of rape on the reservations. Next, have students list information they would like to learn about this topic. Later in the Post- Reading segment of the lesson, students can fill in what they’ve learned about the topic.

II. While Reading Tasks

• Vocabulary

Word Inference

Directions: Students are to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. They may use a dictionary or thesaurus for assistance. Have the students write sentences using each word.

Note: A Round House was a structure  used for Tribal Ceremonies, and important meetings. In the story the attack occurs near the Round House.

1. Two Republicans..offered opinions on “legitimate rape”…
2. …the Violence Against Women Act, the 1994 law that recognized crimes like rape, domestic abuse, as matters of human rights.
3. But House Republicans…have objected to provisions that would enhance protections for American Indians…
4. …undocumented immigrants and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth, among other vulnerable populations.
5. More than 80 percent of sex crimes on reservations are committed by non-Indian men.
6. …other sources report that many Native women are too demoralized to report rape.
7. …a Native woman battered by her non-Native husband has no recourse for justice in tribal courts…
8. More than 80 percent of sex crimes on reservations are committed by non-Indian men, who are immune from prosecution by tribal courts.
9. To protect Native women, tribal authorities must be able to apprehend, charge and try rapists.

KWL Chart
Directions:  Have students  fill in the last column of the KWL chart they used in the pre-reading segment of this lesson. What new information have they learned so far?

Discussion/Writing Tasks

Directions: Place students in groups and have them answer the following questions. After, have the groups share their thoughts as a class. To reinforce the ideas, students can write an essay on one of the topics.

1. In the article Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa made the following statement, “You’ve got to have a jury that is a reflection of society as a whole, and on an Indian reservation, it’s going to be made up of Indians, right?”. How would you rephrase this statement into your own words?
2. How do you think people from different ethnic or racial groups would view the rape of indigenous women in the US? What would the people (especially the women) in your country think about this?
3. Doe this type of problem exist in your country? Describe in what way. What are people doing about it?
4. Many American Indians are poor. Do you think that poverty plays a role in these attacks against Native women?
5. Why do think Native women are afraid to speak up and accuse their attacker publicly?
6. The article quotes a Cheyenne proverb, “a nation is not conquered until the hearts of its women are on the ground.” What does this mean to you?

IV. Listening Activity   

Video: What Affects One Woman Affects All Women- The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)

Directions: Review the statements with students before the watching the video. As students listen to the video if a statement is true they mark it T if the statement is  false they mark it F and provide the correct answer.

“The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) is a United States federal law (Title IV, sec. 40001-40703 of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, H.R. 3355) signed as Pub.L. 103–322 by President Bill Clinton on September 13, 1994. The Act provides $1.6 billion toward investigation and prosecution of violent crimes against women, imposes automatic and mandatory restitution on those convicted, and allows civil redress in cases prosecutors chose to leave unprosecuted. The Act also establishes the Office on Violence Against Women within the Department of Justice. Male victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking may also be covered.

VAWA was drafted by the office of Senator Joe Biden (D-DE), with support from a broad coalition of advocacy groups….On January 2, 2013, the Senate’s 2012 reauthorization of VAWA was not brought up for a vote in the House. While the bill was not reauthorized, its provisions (as enacted in the 2005 reauthorization) remain in effect.–

On February 12, 2013, the Senate passed an extension of the Violence Against Women Act by a vote of 78-22. 

On February 28, 2013, the House of Representatives passed the extension by a vote of 286-138, with unanimous Democratic support and 87 Republicans voting in the affirmative.” -Wikipedia-Learn more…

True /false

1. The Republicans within the house of representatives gambled that other women of cultural backgrounds would not stand with their Native and Immigrant sisters.
2. Different republicans bet that American women would be willing to throw Native American women under the bus.
3. Women felt that the Violence Against Women Act is good as it is.
4.  Women said Native women should be protected against sexual violence  and stalking just like all of us.
5. The women further said we will not leave our Native American  sisters behind.
6.   They also stated that if you want to declare war on Native American and Immigrant women you can, but not on all of us.
7. A few Republican representatives also believed that non-Native American men should not be able to rape beat or stalk  Native American women.
8. Women around the United States said that repeated sex offenders should have stricter federal penalties.
9. Rape victims of every single single color and background should not be put on trial instead of the perpetrator of  the rape.
10. Native women should be protected the same way that all other American women are protected from rape.
11.   What affects one woman affects all women.

• Post-Listening Tasks

Questions for Discussion

Directions:Place students in groups and have them discuss the following questions.

1.  Did  you agree with everything the speaker said?  Discuss which comments  you agreed with and which ones you tended not to agree with.  Explain why.

2.  With your group members  make up a list of items you would like to see added to The Violence Against Women Act Law.

Tags: The Round House By Louise Erdrich, The Violence Against Women Act

Toni Morrison Good, but never simple By By Colleen Walsh, Harvard Staff Writer

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key.

Author, Pulitzer Prize winner and 1993 Nobel Prize recipient Toni Morrison was the guest of honor at the Harvard Divinity School last week. She  gave a talk on her perception of the term “Goodness”. Her insights  were  based on the surprising outcome of a  horrible tragedy that occurred in 2006. Morrison also explored how other authors illuminate concepts of good and evil in their books and examined her “treatment” of goodness in her own novels.

Author Toni Morrison. Photo Kulture Kritic

Excerpt:

“Toni Morrison silenced the audience in Sanders Theatre on Thursday afternoon, not with one of her own stories, but with a tragic tale from real life.

Click for synoposis of novel.

The author, the recipient of the Nobel Prize in literature in 1993, recounted the “mindless horror” of the 2006 murder of five Amish girls in a one-room Pennsylvania schoolhouse by a gunman who then committed suicide, and the shocking reaction to the tragedy. Instead of demanding vengeance, the community comforted the killer’s widow and children. Their behavior seemed to me at the time characteristic of genuine goodness, and so I became fascinated, even then, with the term and its definition, Morrison said. Above all it was the community’s silence, its refusal “to be lionized, televised…

Click for synoposis of novel,

That caused me to begin to think a little bit differently about goodness as it applies to the work I do.
Morrison expanded on the theme of goodness for the Harvard Divinity School’s (HDS) 2012 Ingersoll Lecture on Immortality. In a talk titled “Goodness: Altruism and the Literary Imagination,”…Expressions of goodness are never trivial in my work, are never incidental in my writing. In fact, I want them to have life-changing properties and illuminate decisively the moral questions embedded in the narrative…

A satisfactory or good ending for me is when the protagonist learns something vital and morally insightful and mature that she or he did not know at the beginning. A true exploration of goodness demands a thorough examination of its opposite, Morrison argued. The author, who won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1988, said that she has never “been impressed by evil, and that she is “confounded by how attractive it is to others and stunned by the attention given to its every whisper, its every shout.” Read more…

Click for a synoposis of the novel.

click for a synoposis of the novel.

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

Level: Intermediate -Advanced

Language Skills: Reading, writing, speaking and listening. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.

Time: Approximately 2 hours.

Materials: Student handouts (from this lesson) access to news article, and video.

Objective: Students will read the article with a focus on improving reading comprehension and learning new vocabulary. At the end of the lesson students will express their personal views on Morrison’s topic of “goodness” through discussions, and writing.

I. Pre-Reading Tasks

• Stimulating background knowledge

KWL Chart

The K-W-L chart is used to activate students’ background knowledge of a topic in order to enhance their comprehension skills.

The K-W-L stands for: what I Know, what I Want to learn, and what I did Learn.

Directions: Have students use the KWL chart to list the information they already know about Toni Morrison, the terms good, evil, and any other terms or names from the article.  Later in the Post- Reading segment of the lesson, students can fill in what they’ve learned about the topic.   Students can use this excellent organizer from MSU for assistance.

 

II. While Reading Tasks

• Vocabulary

Word Inference

Directions: Students are to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. They may use a dictionary or thesaurus for assistance. Have the students write sentences using each word.

1. Toni Morrison silenced the audience… with a tragic tale from real life.
2. The author, the recipient of the Nobel Prize in literature in 1993…
3. Instead of demanding vengeance, the community comforted the killer’s widow and children.
4. it was the community’s silence, its refusal “to be lionized, televised…”
5. In a talk titled “Goodness: Altruism and the Literary Imagination”
6. Expressions of goodness are never trivial in my work…
7. … are never incidental in my writing.
8. A satisfactory or good ending for me is when the protagonist learns something vital…
9.  Goodness hasn’t fared well since.
10. Through portrayals of grief, melancholy…  authors depict their versions of evil.

• Reading Comprehension

Fill-ins

Directions: Place students in groups and after they have read the entire article, then have them complete the following paragraphs taken from the article. They can use the words and terms from the list provided, or provide their own terms. They are to find the meanings of any new vocabulary.
“Toni Morrison___the audience in ___on Thursday afternoon, not with one of her own stories, but with a ___from real life.
The author, ___of the Nobel Prize in literature in 1993, ___the “mindless horror” of the 2006___of five ___girls in a one-room Pennsylvania schoolhouse by a gunman who then ___suicide, and the ___reaction to the tragedy. Instead of ___vengeance, the community___the killer’s widow and children…A true ___of goodness demands a ___examination of its opposite, ___argued.
The author, who won the ___for fiction in 1988, said that she has never “been impressed by___” and that she is “___by how attractive it is to others and___by the attention given to its every whisper, its every shout.”
“Evil has a ___audience,” she said, “goodness ___backstage.”
With a few___exceptions, the 19th-century novel made sure goodness___ in the end. Writers such as Dickens, Austen, and Hardy mostly held to a ___that left their readers turning the final page “with the sense of the ___of order and the ___of virtue.”
But there was a “rapid, stark” shift away from such endings in the wake of World War I, as writers confronted a ___“too wide, too deep to ignore or to distort with a simplistic gesture of___.”
Word List:
stunned, comforted, thorough, notable, silenced, Morrison, confounded, Sanders Theatre, demanding, committed, blockbuster, formula, Amish, tragic tale, the recipient, triumphed, triumph, recounted, murder, shocking, exploration, restoration, Pulitzer Prize, evil, lurks, catastrophe, goodness.

•  Grammar Focus

Identifying Parts of Speech 

Directions:  Students are to identify the nouns words in the following excerpt from the article.  Then they are to use these words  along with words from other parts of speech to create their own paragraphs about Goodness.  After have each group share their stories with the class.

“A true exploration of goodness demands a thorough examination of its opposite, Morrison argued. The author, who won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1988, said that she has never “been impressed by evil,” and that she is “confounded by how attractive it is to others and stunned by the attention given to its every whisper, its every shout.”

“Evil has a blockbuster audience,” she said, “goodness lurks backstage.”

With a few notable exceptions, the 19th-century novel made sure goodness triumphed in the end. Writers such as Dickens, Austen, and Hardy mostly held to a formula that left their readers turning the final page “with the sense of the restoration of order and the triumph of virtue.”

III. Post Reading Tasks

• Reading Comprehension Check

WH-How Questions

Directions: Have students use the  WH-question format to discuss or to write the main points from the article.

Who or What is the article about?

Where does the action/event take place?

When does the action/event take place?

Why did the action/event occur?

How did the action/event occur?

KWL Chart

Directions:  Have students  fill in the last column of the KWL chart if they used one in the pre-reading segment of this lesson.

• Discussion/Writing Tasks 

Directions: Place students in groups and have then answer the following questions. After, have the groups share their thoughts as a class. To reinforce the ideas, students can write an essay on one of the topics.

1. In reference to the reaction  of the Amish community to the tragedy of the murdered children, Morrison states, “Instead of demanding vengeance, the community comforted the killer’s widow and children.”  Why is this behavior  so surprising?
2. How would most people react to the murder of their loved ones? How would you react?
3. Morrison states, “… it was the community’s silence, its refusal “to be lionized, televised…”  In your opinion, was this unusual behavior for the community? Provide reasons for your answers.
4. According to Morrison, “A satisfactory or good ending for me is when the protagonist learns something vital and morally insightful and mature that she or he did not know at the beginning.”  Can you think of a novel in which this type of ending occurs?
5. Morrison states that, “ A true exploration of goodness demands a thorough examination of its opposite.”  How would you translate this statement into your own words?
6. What were the most significant ideas in Morrison’s discussion?

IV. Listening Activity 

Video: Lynn Neary of NPR interviews Toni Morrison who discusses her book “A Mercy”.

Tags: Harvard University Divinity School, Toni Morrison

Some Book! ‘Charlotte’s Web’ Turns 60, by NPR STAFF

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key.

Book Cover. Photo- McKinley School site.

After sixty years, E.B.White’s wonderful book, Charlotte’s Web, is still a favorite with young children. The author grew up during the  time when instead of noxious gas-guzzling vehicles, people rode in lovely carriages, pulled by beautiful horses. According to his biography The Story of Charlotte’s Web… by Michael Sims, White enjoyed farm life, especially the animals which is reflected in his classic.

Excerpt

“Sixty years ago, the book Charlotte’s Web first appeared in print. This children’s classic is often seen as a story of a spider and a pig. But when E.B. White recorded a narration of the book, he said something different: “This is a story of the barn. I wrote it for children, and to amuse myself.”

E.B. White with his dog Minnie. Photo- Wikipediatiff

And the way he describes it, Homer Zuckerman’s barn is a character with its own, complex personality — smelling of hay and manure, of grain and axle grease and new boots and fish heads for the barn cats, but mostly hay, which was a familiar smell to White. He grew up in a New York City suburb at a time when people rode horses and carriages, and his parents had a stable. 

E.B. White and his wife feed sheep on their Maine farm. Photo Courtesy of Walker & Co.

His favorite thing was to care for animals, says author Michael Sims. Chickens, ducks, mice, dogs of course. Sims is the author of The Story of Charlotte’s Web: E.B. White’s Eccentric Life in Nature and the Birth of an American Classic…And it was White’s experiences in his own barn that led him to the story of Charlotte and her web.

E.B. White Quote. Creative Thinking

One of the pigs he was raising died,” Sims says, and while he was carrying the pails of slops every day to the replacement pig in the barn, he noticed there was a spider attending its web every day, expanding the web, rebuilding what had happened the night before, and then one day he saw that it had spun an egg case. When White had to go back to New York City, he cut down the spider’s egg case and took it with him.” read more…

The Story of Charlotte's Web- E.B. White's Eccentric Life in Nature and the Birth of an American Classic. by Michael Sims.

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

Level: Low intermediate-Intermediate

Language Skills: Reading, writing, speaking and listening. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.

Time: Approximately 2 hours.

Materials: Student handouts (from this lesson) access to news article, and video.

Objective:  Students will read the article with a focus on reading comprehension and new vocabulary. At the end of the lesson students will express their personal views on the topic through discussions, and writing.

I. Pre-Reading Tasks

•  Prediction

Analyzing headings and photos

Directions:  Ask students to read the title of the post, and of the actual article they are about to read. Then, have them  examine the photos. Based on these sources,  ask students to create a list of  words and  ideas  that they think might be related to this article.  Have students use the pre-reading organizer by Scholastic to assist them in finding the main ideas from the reading.

II. While Reading Tasks

•  Vocabulary

Word Inference

Directions: Students are to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. They may use a dictionary or thesaurus for assistance.

1. This children’s classic is often seen as a story of a spider and a pig.
2. But when E.B. White recorded a narration of the book…
3. …Homer Zuckerman’s barn is a character with its own, complex personality…
4. …smelling of hay and manure, of grain and axle grease and new boots…
5. He grew up in a New York City suburb…
6. …a time when people rode horses and carriages, and his parents had a stable.
7. E.B. White’s Eccentric Life in Nature…
8. …”and while he was carrying the pails of slops every day to the replacement pig in the barn…
9. …there was a spider attending its web every day, expanding the web…
10. Eventually the baby spiders hatched…

• Reading Comprehension

True / False

Directions:  The following statements were taken from the article.  If  a statement is true, students write (T) if  a statement is false they  write (F)  and  provide the correct answer from the article.

1. Fifty years ago, the book Charlotte’s Web first appeared in print.
2. This children’s classic is often seen as a story of a spider and a pig.
3. E.B. White said this is a story of a spider named Charlotte.
4. In 1933, [White] and his wife, Katharine Angell, moved to Maine, and bought a farm.
5. Homer Zuckerman is the name of author who wrote E.B.White’s biography.
6. It was Katharine’s experiences from her childhood  that led him to the story of Charlotte and her web.
7. White had to go back to New York City.
8.  Before he went, he cut down the spider’s egg case and took it with him.
9. Michael Sims owns the farm in the story Charlotte’s Web.
10. During the audio of the book, White took 17 takes to get through Charlotte’s death without his voice cracking or beginning to cry.

• Grammar Focus

Using Adjectives to describe pictures    

Directions: Have students choose a picture from this lesson and write a descriptive paragraph using adjectives.

For a review visit ESL Voices Adjectives

III. Post Reading Tasks

• Reading Comprehension Check

WH-How Questions

Who or What is the article about?

Where does the action/event take place?

When does the action/event take place?

Why did the action/event occur?

How did the action/event occur?

Discussion /Writing Tasks

Directions: Place students in groups and have then answer the following questions. After, have the groups share their thoughts as a class. To reinforce the ideas, students can write an essay on one of the topics.

1. In the article E.B. White states, “This is a story of the barn. I wrote it for children, and to amuse myself.” However, people usually view this children’s classic as a story of a spider and a pig. Explain the difference between the two views.
2. While he was completing the video version of the book, the article describes E.B. White as having to do “17 takes to get through Charlotte’s death without his voice cracking or beginning to cry.”  Why do you think he began to cry each time? Describe his  personality.

Note: For this next task students either discuss or write the next chapter for the following summary. It can be a paragraph in length. Then have each group share their endings with the class.

Charlotte’s Web By E.B. White, (Summary)

“The book begins when John Arable’s sow gives birth to a litter of piglets, and Mr. Arable discovers one of them is a runt and decides to kill it. However, his eight-year-old daughter Fern begs him to let it live. Therefore her father gives it to Fern as a pet, and she names the piglet Wilbur. Wilbur is hyperactive and always exploring new things. He lives with Fern for a few weeks and then is sold to her uncle, Homer Zuckerman. Although Fern visits him at the Zuckermans’ farm as often as she can, her visits decrease as she grows older, and Wilbur gets lonelier day after day. Eventually, a warm and soothing voice tells him that she is going to be his friend. The next day, he wakes up and meets his new friend: Charlotte, the grey spider.”

Source: Charlotte’s Web By E.B. White, (Summary) Wikipedia

Tags: Charlotte's Web, E.B. White