I teach in Billings, Montana, and not many of the students at my current school have spent much time in major metropolitan areas.  As a result, I like to give them a sense of the cultures and rich histories of neighborhoods such as the one August Wilson himself lived in as well as the types of places his characters experienced.  One way I do that is through an assignment that has them explore parts of Pittsburgh relevant to Wilson and Fences.  I usually give them a handful of "tasks," so I'll share a few of them with you one at a time.   But I'll forewarn you, they're not easy! August Wilson Adventure - Clue # 1  Best, Kate   ... View more

I am so excited about today's session discussing Trifles. I have been using hexagonal thinking in my classes, and I believe this play is an excellent opportunity to use this activity to develop a line of reasoning, understand complexity, and make thinking visual! I also think that a great paired text would be "The Story of an Hour."  My goal is to have students not only dig deeper into understanding the work, but to discover the patterns within a work (finding the ambiguity and tension) that lends to stronger claims. Hexagonal thinking truly draws out great conversations. The challenge in writing is always finding a starting point, and this activity launches the students into areas of the work that they had not even considered!  Hexagonal Thinking: A Colorful Tool for Discussion | Cult of Pedagogy ... View more

Here are some questions to consider/answer as we continue to discuss Passing at the next meeting. Feel free to drop some notes or your response to some or all of the questions below. Why do you think Nella Larsen’s Passing is having a moment at this point in time? Pair another passage from Passing with a clip from the film in a way that promotes close reading. (You might look at this clip with Tessa Thompson reading a passage while the film plays.) How might you use the cover image for Passing (Lit & Comp 3e, p. 537 or see below) to encourage critical reading of and thinking about the novel? Why do you think Passing (the novel) is enjoying a moment at this point in time? Whatever you suggest to promote/encourage bringing the novel to your students (either for the exam or beyond) Passing by Nella Larsen     ... View more