Day 9: Looking for Makola ... Post-Colonial

Inquiry: How might someone else see you as a single (static) story?

Adichie TED Talk (20 mins)

1. Makola/Henry Price worksheet. What does this tell us about his character? About Makola's role in the short story? About Makola's role in Adiche's idea of no single story? How is Makola/Henry Price related to Achebe's thesis?

2. Solo --> In what ways is Makola a victim of a single story? How is our initial understanding of his character the biggest tragedy of the short story?

Socratic Seminar

4. Big take aways? Should we teach/read Conrad?

Day 8: Community day reflection & socratic seminar

Reflection (Extended Inquiry)
1. Tell me a little about where you went
2. What is something new that you learned?3. What was the best part of your experience?4. What do you wish you got to experience at your place?

Socratic Seminar
Taking Achebe into account, who or what is responsible for the tragedy at the close of Outpost of Progress? Be sure to define the tragedies (can be people, places, thoughts, etc) of the story.

Day 6: Achebe & Community Day Prep

45 mins
Inquiry: What do you picture when someone says Africa? Why?

Discussion

In triads:

1. What is Achebe’s argument? What is his thesis? (eventually get thesis statements on board)

2. Cut-up work: Discuss your passage as a group. What thesis statement does your piece of evidence support?

3. Large group --> Do you buy Achebe's argument? Why or why not? SAS triangle.

4. Back to triads: Find connections between “Heart of Darkness” and “An Outpost of Progress”. Where do we see the same language in Outpost? (pushing to make connections to Makola)
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30 mins
Inquiry
Define each term and comment on its connotation and meaning.

• Charity
• Community Service
• Service Learning
• Community Day

(How does it relate to our English curriculum?)

Discussion

Review systems and individuals → what’s the relationship between the individual and the systems?

Systems we’ve seen impacting characters and the self?

• What systems is Makola operating in? (black identity but craves white privilege)
• What systems is Kayerts operating in? (lacks white consciousness)

You → feel equal in term of system. People you meet are shaped by a system and so are you. When you’re interacting and looking around, how does the system impact others and the self? Even though the systems impact us differently, we’re all shaped by the system. Lived experience … how is it shaped by larger systems?

Community Day = connect and understand. Service is giving us a reason to be together. Everyone has a story. Humanizing the other.

Systems (family, teams, classes, school → who you are, how you see the world, what impacts your experience?)

Writing (individual, then discuss triad and then share out)

• What barriers might exist between you and the people you will meet at these places? Be realistic.
• What are our comforting myths? (Conrad = purveyor of comforting myths, example “We are not like Branson”)
• What value might this experience have?
• What apprehensions might you have?

Preview homework

Day 5: Finish Outpost & In-class writing

Inquiry: Think of one social system you are a part of (could be family, team, school, race, gender, class, etc). How does that social systems impact your identity? Without that social system, how might your identity change?

Discussion: What happened in the end?

Write: See handout. 50 minutes

Day 4: Outpost 14-21

Inquiry
Makola: "I did the best for you and the Company, ... Why you shout so much? Look at this tusk," (17) What has Makola done? What are the implications of his actions? How does Makola's race complicate the situation and further plunge Makola into that inbetween space?

Discussion
1. General plot run down ... what happened?
2. Handout on natives
3. Crime (ivory trade for people --> what is Makola's response? what is K&C response?)

Closing
Insights gained and observations made?

Day 3: Outpost 11-13

Inquiry: "Makola sat apart and watched," (12). In this moment, Makola is neither a part of the group of strangers nor a part of Kayerts and Carlier's connection. Reflect on a time when you were in an in-between moment like Makola. Why were you in this position and how did you feel?

Discussion:

Character analysis in pairs 

Using the text to support and develop your answers, discuss ways in which each of the following characters is conflicted (can be more than one). Be sure you specifically name the conflict (e.g. define what two forces or ideas or things that are in direct contrast with each other).

Reminder on conflicts --
person v person
person v self
person v society
person v nature
person v technology

Kayerts // Carlier // Makola

Share on board when done

Handout --> views on natives

Day 2: Outpost of Progress (1-11)

Inquiry question
How does our current position in life inform our views of the past?

Class discussion
Who wrote the story? When? SAS the story as best we can.
Who are the key characters? Kayerts, Carlier, Makola/Henry Price, Father Gobila
What is the conflict?

Partner Work
Handout on Views on the Natives --> share out --> connect to narrator

Closing write --> what did you observe? learn? What questions do you have?

Day 1: Quick exam review, White Man's Burden, Outpost

1. Welcome back
2. Exam feedback

• How was the exam?
• Did you feel prepared?
• Did you feel the exam was fair, overall?

3. Writing feedback (strengths//challenges)

• Structure --> mastering organization // transitions & structure complementing argument
• Arguments --> getting more complex ideas // need to narrow (don't take on too much)
• Analysis --> more explanation + close readings // when argument is BIG, analysis suffer; more HOW + close reading needed
• Intros/Conclusions --> getting hang of it // conclusions

4. "White Man's Burden" (Kipling)

• Why are we reading this? Colonial era, colonial text. Published within two years of Outpost.
• What's the tone? Intention?
• Recall Imperialism!
• Systemic Hierarchies! How is poem related to systems?

5. "Outpost of Progress" (Joseph Conrad)

• First paragraph --> make observations about setting, narrator, tone, mood character.