Identify two central ideas in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. How do these ideas build on one another over the course of the novel? In your response, identify and discuss how Achebe’s choices to structure the novel contribute to the development of these central ideas.During the unit, I implemented a station rotation model. In one station students worked with me to perform a close reading task about central ideas or the structure of the text in the chapter(s) they read for homework. In the other station, students used Chromebooks to complete independently paced tasks like researching modern Nigeria, listening to Achebe interviews, and reading Achebe's short stories and African fables. All of these tasks were structured to help students demonstrate their proficiency in standards RL.11-12.2 and RL.11-12.5, and be able to effectively answer the final prompt. What I hoped for was for students to be able to reference the novel and the texts from the computer station in order to form a comprehensive response.
After grading the finals, I was encouraged by the number of students who were able to blend their independent learning and their guided learning. For instance, one student seamlessly referenced key parts of the novel in discussing the central idea of a father's legacy while weaving in references to an Achebe interview where the author talked about his father's influence on his own life. The ability to synthesize resources into an effective argument is a 21st century skill. Without the station rotation model in my classroom, I would not have had the time or structure to allow my students to access the materials that helped them to achieve as much as they did.
For an example of a computer station task, click here.
Looking forward to learning more about station rotation!
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