things fall apart - ngsptechnology.com fall apart respond to chapters 14–19, continued 5....

Name:

Student Journal

Reading ScheduleGroup members: _____________________________________________________________

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Things Fall Apart Student Journal Due Date Discussion Date

Introduction Pages 2–4

Chapters 1–5 Pages 5–6





The Exchange

Assessment

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

How do new

ideas affect a

person’s loyalty

to traditions?

Student Journal page 2 of 14 © Hampton-Brown

Things Fall Apart

Getting Started

What If?A big corporation has just purchased your high school. Little by little you notice changes. They have built a new sports center and hired new coaches. They have put an addition onto the library and the science lab and filled them with new books and equipment. The cafeteria now has gourmet chefs and even waiters!

But along with these changes, there are changes in the rules. There are now six years of high school instead of four. The school day ends at six o’clock. And each day before being dismissed there is an hour-long assembly and a quiz.

Make notes about how this would affect you.

• How would your daily life change?

• What would be good about this new system?

• What would be bad?

Connect to The Exchange Question Discuss how this situation could relate to The Exchange Question: How do new ideas affect a person’s loyalty to traditions? Summarize your discussion.


Things Fall Apart

Introduction

Read the Introduction on pages 7–9 in Things Fall Apart. The Introduction will help you understand key concepts in the book. Knowing them will help you discuss and write about the book.

The Introduction includes information about

• West Africa in the 1800s—the setting of the story

• the political climate during the time of the story

• why the author wrote the book

• understanding proverbs that are used in the book

After you read the Introduction, answer these questions to check your understanding.

1. What were tribal communities in West Africa like in the late 1800s?

2. What effect did colonialism have on West Africa in the late 1800s?

3. Why did Chinua Achebe write Things Fall Apart?


Things Fall Apart

Introduction: Key Concepts

Word Web

Study the Word Web for tribal. What words does tribal make you think of? Write a sentence using the word tribal.

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Key Concepts

manhoodsocietytraditiontragedytribal

On a separate sheet of paper, create a similar Word Web for each of the Key Concept words. Write a sentence for each one.

Word Web

lawsgroups

of people

customs Africa

Key Concepttribal


Things Fall Apart

Respond to Chapters 1–51. Personal Response Okonkwo is known as a strong man and hard

worker. He also is known for being strict and having little patience. What qualities are you known for?

2. Character What is Okonkwo’s biggest fear? How does this fear shape what Okonkwo thinks about manhood? Use the word manhood in your answer.

3. Compare and Contrast Traditionally, sons in the Ibo tribe inherit their fathers’ wealth. How is Okonkwo’s experience different? How does this difference affect how he acts as a father?

4. Generate Questions Write a question about this section for someone else reading this book. Exchange questions with them. Do you agree with their answer?


Things Fall Apart

Respond to Chapters 1–5, continued

5. Summarize In Chapters 1–5, you learn a lot about the villagers personal gods and the Oracle. Fill in the effects of the power of the gods and the Oracle. Use the Cause and Effect Chart to answer the question.

Cause and Effect Chart

Causes Effects

How does having personal gods and an Oracle affect how the villagers make decisions and establish rules?

Umuofia never goes to war unless it is approved by the Oracle.

The villagers feel that the Oracle is all-knowing and powerful.

The Oracle warns Obiako that he will be killed.

Okonkwo beats his wife during the Week of Peace.


Things Fall Apart

Respond to Chapters 6–91. Personal Response Nwoye listens to Okonkwo’s stories to please his

father. Describe something you do just to please your family.

2. Setting Reread pages 56–61. How is the village transformed during the wrestling contest? Why is the wrestling contest important to Okonkwo? Use the word tradition in your response.

3. Cause and Effect What causes Okonkwo to view himself as weak and womanly?



Things Fall Apart


5. Analyze Character In Chapters 6–9, you learn more about Okonkwo through his actions and feelings. Fill in what Okonkwo does and feels in the Details Web.

Details Web

Okonkwo’sActions and

Feelings

What do Okonkwo’s actions and feelings reveal about him?


Things Fall Apart

Respond to Chapters 10–131. Personal Response Okonkwo is punished for accidentally killing

Ezeudu’s son. Do you think Okonkwo received a fair punishment? Why or why not?

2. Conclusions Important or controversial matters are decided by the egwugwu. What does this tell you about this society and its values? Use the word society in your response.

3. Mood What is the mood in Chapter 11? How did it make you feel?



Things Fall Apart


5. Parallelism In Chapters 10–13, a court trial, a wedding, and a funeral take place. Write details about each ceremony.

What are the parallels between the ceremonies? What are the differences? What do these parallels and differences suggest about what is important to the people of Umuofia?

Cluster

Court Trial Wedding

Ceremonies

Funeral


Things Fall Apart

Respond to Chapters 14–191. Personal Response Uchendu says, “I am an old man . . . I know

more about the world than any of you.” What is something important you know now that you did not know when you were younger?

2. Cause and Effect Okoli is accused of killing the sacred python. What effect does Okoli’s death have on the tribal clan members’ faith in their gods? Use the word tribal in your response.

3. Judgments Do you think Okonkwo’s upbringing of his son had an infl uence on his son rejecting him for the missionaries?



Things Fall Apart


5. Conclusions In Chapters 14–19, you are introduced to Mr. Kiaga. Read the Goal. Write what Mr. Kiaga does to try and achieve his goal and what the outcome is in the Goal and Outcome Chart.

Why is Mr. Kiaga able to reach his goal in Mbanta?

Goal and Outcome Chart

Mr. Kiaga wants to convert the people of Mbanta to Christianity.

Goal Events

Outcome


Things Fall Apart

Respond to Chapters 20–251. Personal Response Okonkwo mourns for the changes that have

taken place in Umuofi a. If you were Okonkwo how would you feel about the changes? What would you do?

2. Plot How does Okonkwo overcome the tragedy of losing his first son to Christianity? Use the word tragedy in your response.

3. Comparisons Okonkwo wishes that Ezinma was a boy. How is Ezinma like Okonkwo?

What If?4. Connect Look at your notes on Student Journal, page 2. Think about what might

happen if everything you were familiar with changed. Compare this to Things Fall Apart. What happened to traditions when new ideas were introduced?

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Things Fall Apart


5. Genre In Chapters 20–25, you read about the events that lead to Okonkwo’s downfall. Write the events in the Sequence Chain.

What makes this story a tragedy?

Sequence Chain

things fall apart - ngsptechnology.com fall apart respond to chapters 14–19, continued 5....

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