Teaching Lord of the Flies

The classic dystopian novel by Golding on human nature, I think should be read independently. I made provided vocabulary and review options for the student to use at their will. This book is typically taught in 9th-grade literature classes, but the homeschool 7th-grade student is an advanced reader and currently studying ancient American civilizations and will study the political spectrum next week.

Week 1: Introduction, review allegory + Who is Beelzebub?
Read Chapters 1-2
(Quizlet: Vocabulary Chapters 1-4, Read Chapters 1-2, Chapter 1 Review, Chapter 2 Review )
Week 2: Read Chapters 3-7

(Chapter 3 Review, Chapter 4 Review, Chapter 5 Vocabulary/ Review, Chapter 6: Vocab/ Review, Chapter 7 Vocab./Review, Chapter 8 Vocab./Review)

Week 3: Read Chapters 8-12
(Ch. 9: Vocabulary/Review, Chapter 10: Vocabulary/Review, Chapter 11-12: Vocabulary/Review

Symbols: 
The Beast, Ralph, Jack, Piggy, The Conch, The Signal Fire, Piggy's Specs, The Lord of the Flies

Themes: Light vs. Darkness, Savagery vs. Civilization in Human Nature, Democracy vs. Totalitarianism, Bullying, Betrayal, The Loss of Innocense, Leadership, 


REVIEW/ TEST
Biblical Allegory or Anti-Religious Critique?

Writing: Answer in a paragraph.

1.   What is the importance of the setting in the novel? 
2. What is the meaning of the title?
3. Chapter One, from ‘Within the diamond haze of the beach something dark was fumbling along.’ (page 15) to ‘Oh, Piggy!’ (page 17). How does Golding suggest that relationships may break down at this early point in the novel?
4. The children stranded on the island are all boys, and female characters are rarely discussed. How does this matter for the novel?
5. By Chapter Three, the boys are divided into two groups: the older boys and the younger boys or "littluns." What role do the littluns have to play? (Think about the book's central theme of Savagery vs. Civilization)
6. What is the significance of the conch shell?
7. What is the significance of Piggy's glasses?
8. Jack gains power over many of the boys by exploiting their fear of the mythical beast. How does Jack manipulate the myth of the beast to legitimize his authority?

Essay Questions: 

Choose one of the following and answer the prompt with at least a five-paragraph, MLA formatted, typed, double-spaced essay.  Include at least one quote from the book in each body paragraph, properly cited according to MLA guidelines.
You should make an outline next after you have decided on a topic. It will help you plan out your paper. It is a great way to find the best order to present your supporting details.

1. How does Golding vividly portray Ralph’s growing understanding of human nature in the novel?
2. How does Golding make Simon such a moral character?
3. Discuss the significance of the names of, for instance, Sam and Eric, Piggy, and Simon. What does the character's name say about him and his significance? Use external sources as necessary.
4. Describe the religious imagery in Lord of the Flies: the forces of good and evil, a fall from grace, a savior, and eventual redemption. How does Golding’s depiction of the island compare to the Garden of Eden?
5. Defend and/or criticize Ralph’s actions as leader. What were his motivations? Did he contribute to the tragedy in any way? Could he have acted to prevent any of the deaths? What would you have done differently in his situation?
6. Support the argument that Simon is a “Christ Figure.”  Do you agree or disagree with the idea that Simon is a Christ Figure?  Discuss the development of this character from the frail, shy, fainting kid to the well-developed character that faces the Lord of the Flies and the beast, eventually being sacrificed as a result.
7. The conch is an all-important symbol in the novel.  It is almost a character in its own right.  Trace the development of this symbol.  How does Golding develop this shell into this symbol?  Discuss what it means, and the effect it has on the group of boys, from the first assembly to its eventual destruction. You may want to include in your discussion its relation to characters like Ralph, Piggy, or even Jack. 

 Use direct quotes from the novel to prove what you are talking about. It is really a great idea to jot down exact samples after you have an idea of what you will be writing your paper on. The introduction should give some background information on what the piece was about so that the reader can understand the rest of the paper even if they had never read it before. The conclusion will restate the thesis from the introduction and hit on the main reasons once more. It should wrap the paper up and never discuss new topics.

RESOURCES:
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/lord-of-the-flies.cfm
https://www.homework-online.com/lord-of-the-flies/themes.html
https://essaybasics.com/blog/10-possible-questions-on-lord-of-the-flies/
https://www.gradesaver.com/lord-of-the-flies/study-guide/essay-questions

Robber Barons and Rebels: Post-Civil War Reconstruction to the “Gilded Age "

The free online handouts I found for  "Young People's History", ended at Chapter 10. There is a handout for $1 at Teachers Pay Teachers, but I just made my own.

Learning Questions: What myths did people believe that helped maintain
the wealth of the Robber Barons and who reinforced such beliefs?

One thing to remind the student is about the idea of Social Darwinism was also

popular at that time, as well as the myth of the American Dream, which this chapter

goes into detail over.

Important Concepts/Vocabulary

1. Monopoly
2. Socialism
3. Communism
4. Anarchy
5. Capitalism
6. Manifesto
7. Populism

Questions:

1. What was the new technology and its effects?
2. What did such progress demand and who was affected?
3. What was the response to immigrants? Be specific
4. The greatest period of economic growth looked like a _____. Explain it’s shape.

The Rich Get Richer

1. Who were the Robber Barons? Where did they come from and how did they amass their wealth?
2. What beliefs did people have that maintained the myth/pyramid and who helped control people’s mind?
3. What was a “great American achievement”? And how is that also a “myth”?
4. What does Monopoly Capitalism support and undermine?

Voices of Protest

1. Which European ideas were considered “dangerous” and why?
2. Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1877): What was it’s purpose?
3. How was the Sherman Anti-Trust Act undermined 20 years later?
4. What were some great movements during this time?

The Haymarket Affair

1. How did we get an 8 hour workday?
2. Why did people around the world and Chicago protest the harsh sentences of the 8 men?

Rise and fall of the Populist Party

1. What was the platform of the Farmers Alliance?
2. What did the Populists believe in?
3. What were the internal divisions within the Populist Party?
4. What became of the Populist party?
5. How was William McKinley like Donald Trump?

Important People:

1. Thomas Edison
2. Gustavus Swift
3. John D. Rockefeller
4. Andrew Carnegie
5. President Grover Cleveland
6. Senator John Sherman
7. Henry George
8. Edward Bellamy
9. August Spies
10. Eugene Debs
11. William McKinley

Chapter 11 Test

Extra:

1. Two Forms of Capitalism: a.) Adam Smith b.) Corporate Capitalism
2. Who was Mother Jones?

Zinn's Chapter 11 (Not the "Young People's" version)

7th Grade HS Week 19: The Myth of Jacksonian Democracy, Aztecs and the Electromagnetic Spectrum

We had to recalibrate her Math and Spanish, due to the four day weekend the beginning of March and the recent larger math lessons. She has finished the first 4 chapters of "Lord of the Flies" so this week will do the vocabulary for week 5 and finish that chapter at the minimum.

1. Math: Solving Equations (Lessons 8-10+ Quiz 2)
2. Science: Chapter 11 The Eye and Light, Lesson 1 What is Light? (Quizlet, Video, Project)
3. Spanish: Lesson 4, Regular -AR Verbs Present Tense

(Quizlet, Video, Games: Hablar, Jugar, Visitar)

4. Geography: Chapter 16, People and Empires in the Americas, The Yucatan Peninsula

Unit 3: Aztec Control of Central Mexico (Quizlet, Videos: Tenochtitlan, )

Extra: Animal Symbols of Ancient Warriors, Mexican Food with Aztec origins, 12 English Words from the Aztecs

V. Writing: Great Writing Book 3, Unit 5 Comparison Essays (pg.116-123)

VI. History: A Young Person’s History Chapter 10, “The Other Civil War” (Handout + Quizlet + Videos)

VII. Reading: “Lord of the Flies” ( Chapter 3 Review, Chapter 4 Review, Chapter 5 Vocabulary/ Review )

ESL Unit 6: Writing in the Future Tense

Two of my A-Classes are starting Great Writing Book 1's Unit 6 this week, while one is still behind because of holidays. My B class is finishing Unit 4, starting Unit 5.

In Unit 6 they will make future predictions, and know the difference between "going to" and "will".



March-April 2019

WEEK 1 Going to+ Will
Class 1: pg. 154-156
Class 2 pg. 157-159

WEEK 2 Practicing With Paragraphs, Negatives and Complex Sentences
Class 1:pg. 160-163
Class 2: pg.164-166

WEEK 3 Articles and "Because" Review
Class 1: pg. 166-169
Class 2 pg. 170-173
WEEK 4 Editing and Orignal Student Writing
Class 1: pg.174-176
Class 2: pg. 179 (Timed Writing)

The ppt is a work in progress at the moment:

HS Week 18: Slavery and Emancipation, The Mayans, and Lord of the Flies

1. Math: Solving Equations (Lessons 8-10, Quiz 2)
2. Science: Chapter 10, Lesson 2, Blood Pressure and the Body

(Quizlet, Video, Project)

III. Spanish: Lesson 4, Regular -AR Verbs Present Tense

(Quizlet, Video, Game)

IV. Geography: Chapter 16, People and Empires in the Americas,

Unit 2: Maya Kings and Queens (Quizlet, Videos: Rise of the Maya,
Why did the Maya Collapse?)
Which modern countries and cities were included in the Mayan kingdom?

V. Writing: Great Writing Book 3 (Unit 4 pg 106-111, Quiz is Timed Writing pg. 113)

VI. History: A Young Person’s History Chapter 9, “Slavery and Emancipation”
(Handout + Quizlet + Videos: Atlantic Slave Trade, Slavery, Emancipation, the Civil War Part 1, )

VII. Reading:

1. “Oh Captain my Captain!” by Walt Whitman (Quizlet, Poem)

Who is the narrator of this poem? What is (his) mood in the first stanza?  

What evidence from the text supports your analysis and thinking?

2. “Lord of the Flies”

(Quizlet: Vocabulary Chapters 1-4, Read Chapters 1-2
Chapter 1 Review, Chapter 2 Review )

RESOURCES:

Oh Captain Lesson Plan

7th Grade HS Week 17: The Heart, Natives, War with Mexico and Thoreau

I. Math: Solving Equations (Lessons 8-10, Bonus, Quiz 2)

II.Science: Chapter 10, Lesson 1, The Pulmonary Circulatory System

(Quizlet, Video, Project1, Project 2)

III. Spanish: Lesson 3, Subject Pronouns, Ser, Adj.

(Quizlet)

IV. Writing: Great Writing Book 3 (Unit 4 pg 98-105)

V. Geography: Chapter 16, People and Empires in the Americas,
Unit 1: North America Review (Quizlet, Videos: Khan Academy, Anasazi, Mound Builders, Iroquois Confederation)

VI. US History: Chapter 8, “War With Mexico” (Handout + Quizlet)

VII.Reading:  Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” (Bio, Full-Text pdf)

Learning Question: Is it ever ok to break the law?

Read Civil Disobedience and answer the questions:

1. By putting “civil” in his title, Thoreau may be trying to qualify that any disobedience should be_________.
2. According to Thoreau, what is the very best kind of government?
3. What is the definition of government?
4. If a government is based on a majority, what can it NOT have? 
5. “We should be men first, and subjects afterward. What is Thoreau trying to say here?
6. What is the difference between men and subjects and why is that so important to a well-run government and society?
7. What is the rule/obligation by which Thoreau lives?
8. Why does Thoreau look down on soldiers, captains, generals, etc?
9. What happens to men who live and govern with their consciences?
10. What examples does he cite of conscientious men that were made the enemies of society (but were later vindicated and are now held in high esteem)
11. According to Thoreau, what is the ultimate condition in which you are to break a law?
12. Where is the true place for a just man? Why?
13. Describe Thoreau’s feelings in jail. Is he angry about being there? Happy? Sad?

RESOURCES:

Civil Disobedience Lesson Plan