As I Lay Dying - Taxonomy Overview Guide
Unit: As I Lay Dying Basic Thinking -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Abstract Thinking
Knowledge
1. Life vs. Death Write birth and death on
- Child Birth opposite sides of the
- Physical Death whiteboard. Pass out two
post-it notes to each
student. Have them write a
word that they connect to
each concept and put them
on the whiteboard.
*Word Wall
2. Issues of Social Show the clip from Ever
Class After when Danielle
- Identifiers dresses above her status.
- Results What clues give away her
status?
*Group/Class Discussion
3. Literary Techniques What is stream of conscious
- Stream of writing? When else is this
Consciousness literary technique used?
- Perspective (15) What is perspective in
regards to writing/reading?
*Small group discussion
4. Symbols Show students pictures of
- Animals different commonly
- Objects recognized symbols (half
moon for bathroom). How do
you know what it means?
*Class Discussion
5. Language Choose different types of
- Verbal media (such as listening to
- Mental Beethoven or watching the
- Emotional end of a tragedy A Walk to
Remember or My Girl).
Have the students write their
emotional responses to the
different medias.
*Think-Pair-Share
Independent Select a Topic
Research
Christina Willey, BYU, 2009
Comprehension Application
Have the students The students will use
choose a word/concept their research on their
from the word wall specific word/concept
and research the word and create a word
in more depth using in- square. They should
class and library come prepared to share
resources. their findings with the
class.
*individual research *Word Square
How is the Burden Is there discrimination
family defined by class? in our society? Why or
What are the physical why not? What would
manifestations? How do you change if you had
people treat them the power to change
differently? social codes/class
situations?
*Journal Entry
*Think-Pair-Share
Have the students As the students come
select 3-5 passages in, have soft music
that demonstrate playing. Then have
appropriate use of them close their eyes
stream of conscious or and talk them through a
perspective. How does relaxing scenic walk.
its use influence the Afterwards they may
novel? share what they thought
about and why that
memory was triggered.
*Double Entry Journal *Oral Response
Vardaman compares Have the students
his mother to a dead choose a character and
fish. Why do you think an animal for them;
the character made they need to justify their
these connections? choice.
*Think-Pair-Share *Journal Response
Select passages from Have the students
the novel that are choose a character and
narrated by the different write a letter to their
characters. Do they dead mother. They will
speak differently? Think need to study different
differently? How? Why passages to get a
do you think this is? sense of their voice and
language use.
*Graphic Organizer *Unsent Letter
Develop a Goal Develop a Plan
Analysis
Using the words from Have the students
the word wall lead a
class discussion on
how the words could be
categorized regardless
of their connection with
child birth or death.
*Class Discussion
Use passages in the
text to analyze how
social class plays a role
when the Burdens are
in the country verses
the city.
*QAR
Select different genres
that use stream of
conscious writing (such
as T.S. Elliots The
Love Song of J. Alfred
Prufrock). Have the
students compare and
contrast the different
uses of this literary
technique.
*Venn-Diagram
Have the students read
the next selection of the
novel and find
symbolism. How do or
do they not work?
*Graphic Organizer
Divide the class into
groups of 3-4. Have the
groups defend a
characters use of
verbal verses mental
language. Their
arguments should be
justified with examples
from the text.
*Group Work
Gather Information
Creative Thinking
You are diagnosed with
imagine their Mom is
about to have a baby
and they are writing a
letter to their unborn
sibling expressing
their emotions about its
coming.
*Unsent letter
Give each student a
card to hold on their
forehead with a job
position. Then have
them treat each other
according to their
position.
*interactive learning
Have the students
select a genre and write
a stream of conscious
piece (journal, poem, or
essay).
*Multi-genre Writing
Using their selected
character and animal,
have the students write
a short story from the
animals perspective.
*Scenario Writing
Each student is to
choose a specific
character and adapt
their situation into a
type of media. Such as:
write poems by Dewey
Dell expressing her
emotional confusion
relationships.
*Multi-media project
Organize Information
Critical Thinking
a terminal disease and
could be frozen till a
cure was found and
then finish living your
life with no disabilities.
Would you choose life
or death? Why?
*Short essay
Choose a character
from the novel and
argue on their behalf
whether their social
class has helped or
hindered development
of personality.
*Persuasive Essay
The students can share
their multi-genre writing
in either small groups or
as a class. Have them
discuss why different
genres do/dont work
with stream of
conscious. How does it
help or hinder a literary
work?
*Class Discussion
Have the students bring
in a visual aide and
present their character
and animal selection.
*Oral Response
As a closure to this unit
have the students
display their multi-genre
projects in the
classroom and enjoy
seeing how others have
personalized the novel
for themselves.
*Presentation
Present Your Findings