Lesson 1 (from Part I, Chapters 1, "Monday, June 7, 2004" - Chapter 2, "The Plain Dealers")
Objective
The objective of this lesson is to analyze how Conley uses encounters with religious authority figures to reveal tensions between his younger self's inward and outward conceptions of religion. Conley describes Smid in great detail, particularly noting how he could change his characteristics to adapt to an audience. By showcasing this ability to act, Conley suggests that religious figures are not always transparent.
Lesson
Class Discussion: How are authority figures presented in the memoir's first chapter? Is their authority derived from religion, from something else, or a combination of things? Does their authority seem to be justified?
Group Activity: Students should break into groups and discuss their first impressions of Smid. Does he seem to be a positive, negative, or neutral individual? Is he represented as a flat or complex individual?
Individual Activity: Reviewing Chapter 1, make a list of the words used to describe Smid. How...
Aligned to the following Common Core Standards:
- ELA-Reading: Literature RL.9-10.1, 9-10.10, 11-12.1, 11-12.3, 11-12.10
This section contains 5,173 words (approx. 18 pages at 300 words per page) |