Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have been teaching "Things Fall Apart" to a regular level 10th grade class (caution, spoilers ahead). The discussions have been good, often centering on cultural differences and how we judge others without looking at our own practices.
As an assignment, I would like them to understand what motivated a character's choice to kill himself. Without flatly condoning suicide, I want them to be able to empathize and get into the mind of the character and one way might be to have students write a "suicide note" from the character explaining his motives, couched in the cultural imperatives of his world which make his decision reasonable, necessary or at least defensible. The exercise will help them work on voice, point of view and creative expression.
But I recognize how this assignment might be insensitive, offensive or otherwise problematic.
How can I get to the same skills and expression without simply falling back on a regular old essay (or even a simple personal response)? How else can students practice the skill of putting themselves in another's shoes especially as it relates to the climactic act of the protagonist, in an interesting way? All suggestions appreciated.
I have been teaching "Things Fall Apart" to a regular level 10th grade class (caution, spoilers ahead). The discussions have been good, often centering on cultural differences and how we judge others without looking at our own practices.
As an assignment, I would like them to understand what motivated a character's choice to kill himself. Without flatly condoning suicide, I want them to be able to empathize and get into the mind of the character and one way might be to have students write a "suicide note" from the character explaining his motives, couched in the cultural imperatives of his world which make his decision reasonable, necessary or at least defensible. The exercise will help them work on voice, point of view and creative expression.
But I recognize how this assignment might be insensitive, offensive or otherwise problematic.
How can I get to the same skills and expression without simply falling back on a regular old essay (or even a simple personal response)? How else can students practice the skill of putting themselves in another's shoes especially as it relates to the climactic act of the protagonist, in an interesting way? All suggestions appreciated.
You can't do an assignment like this. You might pivot it somehow. Not familiar with the book but could the essay from another character's point of view about missing the signs?
You can't do an assignment like this. You might pivot it somehow. Not familiar with the book but could the essay from another character's point of view about missing the signs?
But what from another POV? I was thinking of having another character write a letter to the protagonist either trying to dissuade him or reacting (after the fact, and writing a letter as a form of grieving) but then I would have to mandate "Don't forget to explain why he killed himself."
That then loses the subtlety as the point becomes explicit.
William Styron wrote a memoir, Darkness Visible about his experience with suicidal thoughts and it is an excellent way to help understand how his mind worked during this period in which he ultimately survived. He is dead now, but not by suicide. He wrote Sophie's Choice and other books.
I have been teaching "Things Fall Apart" to a regular level 10th grade class (caution, spoilers ahead). The discussions have been good, often centering on cultural differences and how we judge others without looking at our own practices.
As an assignment, I would like them to understand what motivated a character's choice to kill himself. Without flatly condoning suicide, I want them to be able to empathize and get into the mind of the character and one way might be to have students write a "suicide note" from the character explaining his motives, couched in the cultural imperatives of his world which make his decision reasonable, necessary or at least defensible. The exercise will help them work on voice, point of view and creative expression.
But I recognize how this assignment might be insensitive, offensive or otherwise problematic....
I'm sorry I have no suggestions for you. But you may be 100% sure that in present-day America's super-sensitive culture, where people are constantly on the prowl looking to be offended, that you will indeed encounter some indignant parents....most probably foaming at the mouth with the sheer joy of being outraged.
I have been teaching "Things Fall Apart" to a regular level 10th grade class (caution, spoilers ahead). The discussions have been good, often centering on cultural differences and how we judge others without looking at our own practices.
As an assignment, I would like them to understand what motivated a character's choice to kill himself. Without flatly condoning suicide, I want them to be able to empathize and get into the mind of the character and one way might be to have students write a "suicide note" from the character explaining his motives, couched in the cultural imperatives of his world which make his decision reasonable, necessary or at least defensible. The exercise will help them work on voice, point of view and creative expression.
But I recognize how this assignment might be insensitive, offensive or otherwise problematic.
How can I get to the same skills and expression without simply falling back on a regular old essay (or even a simple personal response)? How else can students practice the skill of putting themselves in another's shoes especially as it relates to the climactic act of the protagonist, in an interesting way? All suggestions appreciated.
While I am not familiar with this piece of literature. I would strongly, strongly discourage you from having them write something from the point of view of someone who took their own life. Perhaps, if this was a graduate school or doctoral level class and the students were adults aged 24 to 28 it would be different but HS sophomores "Absolutely, not".
What if your assignment pushed a wavering teen to help them consider writing their own suicide note?
My daughter's best friend took his own life when they were HS seniors and it is still greatly effects her life, and the lives of his other close friends, even 10 years later. I know that his death tortured my daughter and his closest friends on a daily basis for years and this was even with extensive grief counseling provided by the school and by private therapists & counselors both immediately after his death and months & years later. Each of them felt that they had let him down by not being able to prevent him from taking his own life.
If you are even momentarily considering having vulnerable, emotional, impulsive young teens write some thing like this I suspect that you have never had to deal with suicide on a personal basis. Please discuss this your colleagues, possibly someone who had to face the death of child or sibling by suicide to get their input on your idea.
While I am not familiar with this piece of literature. I would strongly, strongly discourage you from having them write something from the point of view of someone who took their own life. Perhaps, if this was a graduate school or doctoral level class and the students were adults aged 24 to 28 it would be different but HS sophomores "Absolutely, not".
What if your assignment pushed a wavering teen to help them consider writing their own suicide note?
My daughter's best friend took his own life when they were HS seniors and it is still greatly effects her life, and the lives of his other close friends, even 10 years later. I know that his death tortured my daughter and his closest friends on a daily basis for years and this was even with extensive grief counseling provided by the school and by private therapists & counselors both immediately after his death and months & years later. Each of them felt that they had let him down by not being able to prevent him from taking his own life.
If you are even momentarily considering having vulnerable, emotional, impulsive young teens write some thing like this I suspect that you have never had to deal with suicide on a personal basis. Please discuss this your colleagues, possibly someone who had to face the death of child or sibling by suicide to get their input on your idea.
Absolutely, this ^^. You also should talk with your immediate supervisor about this assignment. As Kexvu pointed out, there will be someone waiting to attack you. If you move forward without administrative support and consent, it could mean the end of your teaching career.
Absolutely, this ^^. You also should talk with your immediate supervisor about this assignment. As Kexvu pointed out, there will be someone waiting to attack you. If you move forward without administrative support and consent, it could mean the end of your teaching career.
Thanks for the advice. I'm the dept. chair. I know I can't do the assignment. That's why I'm soliciting replacements.
Ok, I'm one of those parents you would hate, because why on earth would you want to do such an assignment? What possible valid learning objective could there be from having teenagers write a suicide note making the "decision reasonable, necessary or at least defensible" when suicide can be none of those things? At an age when too many kids really do kill themselves, anything from an authority figure that even appears to condone it might be the last push some kid needs. If you want an assignment for them, give them an assignment about why life is worth living.
And, if someone thinks I'm not being politically correct enough, they're right.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
