Narrative Structure and Perspectives in Toni Morrison's Beloved

Materials and Technology

Student Interactives

Printouts

Preparation

 

MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY

• Teaching Racially Sensitive Literature: A Teacher's Guide (optional)
  
  
• Large sheets of paper and markers (or access to Internet-based computers with printing capability or magazines, scissors, glue/tape)
  
  
• A class set of Toni Morrison's Beloved (Vintage, 2004)
  
  
• Overheads of passages for modeling close reading
  
  
• (Optional) Additional support activity on perspective and narration

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STUDENT INTERACTIVES

Grades   K – 12  |  Student Interactive  |  Organizing & Summarizing

Venn Diagram

This interactive tool allows students to create Venn diagrams that contain two or three overlapping circles, enabling them to organize their information logically.

 

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PRINTOUTS

• Gallery Walk Focus Questions
  
  
• Teacher's Guide to Close Readings of Beloved
  
  
• Writing Prompt: Highlighting Subjective Values through Narration
  
  
• Rubric for Beloved Responses
  
  
• Reflection Questions

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PREPARATION

• Prior to Session One, students need to have read Book 1 of Beloved. Read the "Teaching Racially Sensitive Literature: A Teacher's Guide" and decide which activities or approaches would be appropriate for Beloved and the students who will be reading it.
  
  
• Acquire enough large pieces of paper (3' x 3') and class sets of markers (or other art supplies/Internet access) for the number of groups you will have in class.
  
  
• View this sample student representation to get a sense of how students might respond to the task. In this example, students organized key events and scenes around the physical and symbolic image of water.
  
  
• Between Sessions One and Two, mount student work on the walls for the gallery walk.
  
  
• Test the Three-Circle Venn Diagram on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tool and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the Technical Support page.
  
  
• Prepare overheads of the selected passages for close reading (see Teacher's Guide to Passages from Beloved for a list of passages).
  
  
• If you are unfamiliar with the terminology and processes associated with close reading of text, consult the Website How to Do a Close Reading.

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