Summary
In this fourth lesson of the "Lord of the Flies" unit, students continue examining this question: How does the author use symbolism to develop characterization and theme? Students specifically examine human nature through readings, a Four Corners activity, and a Padlet reflection.
Essential Question(s)
How does the author use symbolism to develop characterization and theme? Are humans inherently good or evil?
Snapshot
Engage
Students vote for a leader of the island and participate in a Four Corners activity about human nature.
Explore
Students read an article and use the Why-Lighting strategy to annotate an article.
Explain
Students and their partners discuss the Four Corners quotes from different points of view that have been clarified and informed by the reading.
Extend
Students read excerpts from the text and complete a chart on human nature.
Evaluate
Students record a Sentence, Phrase, Word on Padlet that summarizes their points of view on human nature.
Materials
Lesson Slides (attached)
Chart - Human Nature (attached; one per student)
Four Corners Signs (attached; select four to use for this activity)
Close Reading (attached; one per student)
"Behind a Halloween Mask, Even ‘Good Kids’ Can Turn into Candy Thieves" NPR article (linked; one per student)
Pens/pencils
Highlighters (2 colors)
Tape to hang posters
Devices with internet access
Engage
Use the attached Lesson Slides to guide the lesson. Display slide 2. Remind students they are continuing the "Lord of the Flies" unit. Review the essential question for the unit on slide 3: How does the author use symbolism to develop characterization and theme?
Display slide 4. Review the learning objective for today’s lesson: Evaluate character descriptions to answer the question: Are humans inherently good or evil?
In the previous lesson, students examined the leadership qualities of Jack and Ralph. Have someone briefly characterize each character, focusing on their leadership qualities. Ask students to take an informal class survey identifying who they believe should be the Leader of the Island. Tally the show of hands and write responses on the whiteboard: Jack or Ralph.
Move to slide 5. Instruct students in the Four Corners strategy.
Have students walk around the room and read each of the mini-posters displayed in each corner of the classroom. Ask each student to think about which quotation most closely expresses their opinion.
Instruct students to consider their own reasoning carefully and to evaluate their thoughts before standing near the poster that best matches their opinions.
You can also display the quotes using the appropriate slides 6-12.
Human nature is not of itself vicious. - Thomas Paine (slide 6)
Everyone is a moon and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody. - Mark Twain (slide 7)
Human nature is evil, and goodness is caused by intentional activity. - Xun Zi (slide 8)
Man’s nature is not essentially evil. - Mahatma Gandhi (slide 9)
Human nature is potentially aggressive and destructive and potentially orderly and constructive. - Margaret Mead (slide 10)
All human beings are commingled out of good and evil. - Robert Louis Stevenson (slide 11)
Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. - Psalm 51:5 (slide 12)
Explore
Distribute a copy of the NPR article to each student.
Display slide 14. Share the instructional strategy Why-Lighting with students. Instruct them to read and simultaneously highlight quotes that prove or disprove the quote they most identified with in the Four Corners activity. Have them use one color highlighter for information that supports their choice and a different color for information that disproves or disagrees with their choice.
Explain
Regroup students so that they sit with other students supporting different quotes from those they initially chose in the Four Corners activity.
Display slide 15. Instruct students to follow the prompts on the slide to drive their discussion. When they have completed their preliminary discussion, show slide 16. Ask them if they wish to change their original quotation selection. Ask individuals to share their decisions and reasons behind either changing or keeping their original quotation.
Extend
Distribute the attached Close Reading handout and the Chart - Human Nature to students.
Display slide 17. Instruct students to read the excerpts in the Close Reading handout and answer the following questions on the Human Nature Chart.
What behavior did the character(s) demonstrate?
What is the context of the behavior?
Where was the encounter?
Who was around?
What is the situation?
What does this tell us about human nature?
Have a quick class debriefing for students to share out their thoughts and opinions about what they believe about human nature.
Evaluate
To conclude the lesson, move to slide 18 and share the Sentence, Phrase, Word strategy. Give students time to gather their ideas.
Ask students to complete the following exercise on Padlet using either the Video Recording or Audio Recording option:
Sentence: Share one sentence that describes how they perceive the characters and events of the novel applied in the real world or in their lives.
Phrase: Share one phrase that sticks out to them from either of the two texts they have read: the article or the novel.
Word: Select one word that captures their answer to the question "Are humans inherently good or evil?"
Display slide 19 and instruct students to record their ideas on Padlet.
Resources
Golding, W., & Lowry, L. (2016). Lord of the flies. Penguin Books.
K20 Center. (n.d.). Four Corners. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/138
K20 center. (n.d.). Padlet. Tech Tools. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/tech-tool/1077
K20 Center. (n.d.). Sentence, Phrase, Word. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/54
K20 Center. (n.d.). Why-Lighting. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/128
Static. (n.d.). Debriefing. [Digital image]. http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/387594/3815206/1249893806443/debriefing.jpg?token=vuKIZF9InOhRvpVGMldJww1wn6M%3D
Vedantam, S. (2012). Behind A Halloween mask, Even 'good' kids can turn into candy thieves. NPR Hidden Brain. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/10/31/164030718/behind-a-halloween-mask-even-good-kids-can-turn-into-candythieves
