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"But she was growing roots where she stood, and staring open-mouthed at the dead man."
"Life, safety, and luxury fanned out before him like the tail spread of a peacock."
Song of Solomon 10 - Feathers & Roots - Chapter 6 & 7 - Group Work : Chapter 6 is presented here (though it was gone over in the last lesson) and Chapter 7 will be gone over again tomorrow in the whole class discussion. Chapter 7 contains what I consider to be the heart of the book. The respective decisions that Macon and Pilate make in that cave after seeing their father gunned down - explains SO MUCH of what happens in the rest of the novel - and what Macon does in that cave helps the reader to understand what The Seven Days do - and specifically the madness that grips Guitar. Group Works are great for students putting these and other connections together themselves - and then in the next lesson we can talk about it - and their observations, thought, comments can be validated. It's wonderful to see what they can come up with on their own (another reason that I have students own their own copies of each novel - so they can do just that when they are reading).
Lesson Overview
Lesson Overview
The Quiz
The Quiz
If you want to give the students the entire period to work on this (less homework) - skip the quiz today. In the next lesson, I will include a quiz on both Chapters 7 & 8. As always, you want to quiz the students on the reading. If they haven't read - nothing else matters that you do. Also - if they haven't read (I graded these right away), they shouldn't get into a group but should do the reading during class time and do the Group Work on their own for homework (in addition to any reading they need to do for the next class.)
The Group Work
The Group Work
We go back to Chapter 6 (see the last lesson) - Chapter 6 is filled with Guitar's contradictions and it's important for the students to see them - they will make the rest of the book so much more powerful. Directly below are summaries of the Group Work questions - but you should see the actual student Group Work handout for much. Here are my directions to the students first:
The more I read this book, the more I marvel both at its simplicity and its complexity. There are new connections found in every reading. If you did NOT read DO NOT get into a group (you may turn it in tomorrow for full credit). For those who did read: push your group – look for new things as well as what you’ve seen during your readings. Stay Focused: Stay Specific. Your answers when done well and seriously will approach that same complexity and simplicity of Morrison’s connections. The last three questions are perfect to discover on your own (if you do not have time to finish – otherwise, let your group discover them together) – please do NOT copy someone else’s paper. Like Milkman, you are what you do – not what you want to do.
A brief summary of the Group Work questions
This focuses on Guitar at the beginning of chapter 6 lecturing Milkman on how he treats Hagar (and the irony).
More on names - Milkman's obsession - Guitar's light touch.
A question on the context of The Seven Days. Then it talks about the frustration that Milkman and his mother both similarly have with shutting doors - and the connection between these 2 parts.
How Macon, Milkman, and Guitar all have separate desires for what they'd do with the gold.
Circe and connecting it to the murder of the Four Little Girls in Birmingham (Guitar's job of revenge).
Macon killing the old man in the cave (MUCH more on this in the next lesson).
Pilate's name and her rejection of its implications. Also Macon's slapping Pilate and its import.
Extra Credit
Extra Credit
On the back of the Group Work, I've included an article about how the murder of Emmett Till still resonates from The Atlantic magazine. The students can write a one page focused response for extra credit.
Group Work - Feather & Roots - Chapters 6 to 7
Group Work - Feather & Roots - Chapters 6 to 7
See above in my Lesson Overview for a very detailed examination of the Group Work. You should also take a look at my Group Work page that describes how to use Group Work effectively - as well as why I do it.
This Group Work handout also includes a short Extra Credit assignment on an article from The Atlantic about the murder of Emmett Till. This fits in with both of these chapters covered in the Group Work.
A Sample Reading Page with my notes
A Sample Reading Page with my notes
The text with my notes served as a guide for the questions, comments and ideas that I ask (including Group Works) - though I was always ready for and often elicited the students ideas, questions, etc. Over the years - as I wrote notes in this text - the previous years' notes and questions become incorporated into the lesson. Again - you will find that these instructions are flexible - and I had to be - they kept changing the amount of time that we had in the classroom. To me, these two pages are the heart and soul of the book.
Most Recent Quizzes
Most Recent Quizzes
If you want to give the students the entire period to work on this (less homework) - skip the quiz today. If you have not quizzed the students on Chapter 6 - you can find that in the last lesson. As always, you want to quiz the students on the reading. If they haven't read - nothing else matters that you do. Also - if they haven't read (I graded these right away), they shouldn't get into a group but should do the reading during class time and do the Group Work on their own for homework (in addition to any reading they need to do for the next class.)
Remote Enhancements
Remote Enhancements
Group Works are fantastic for Remote Teaching - once you get the hang of getting your students into group and virtual rooms.
SO MUCH happens in Chapters 7 & 8. When I was teaching this novel - it always felt that this was indeed the climax - the heart of the book. In Chapter 7, Pilate and Macon make their choices that will define the rest of their lives. In Chapter 8, Guitar and Milkman make theirs. For both of these characters - their choices at this point are a continuation of how they have already lived their entire lives. The irony is that Guitar points out to Milkman that the White Peacock they see can't fly because it is too weighed down by its plumage - and yet he fails to see that both him and Milkman will need to shed their worldly possessions and endeavors in order to fly.
WHAT CAME BEFORE:
WHAT CAME BEFORE:
Thoughts on the Lesson
Thoughts on the Lesson
In my Lesson Overview, I mention skipping the quiz and giving the students a quiz on both chapters 7 & 8 for the next lesson. As the year went on, I would do this more and more - sometimes even skipping quizzes entirely. It was not an accident. I want the students to start reading - not because they have to (or they will fail the quiz) but because it's all for them anyhow. If I ever felt they were taking advantage of this (easy to tell when you still give a lot of quizzes) - I would quiz with every reading.
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