12th Grade World Literature

Week 3: September 18-24, 2016

We have been focusing on the role that storytelling has played in the creation,
development, and preservation of human communities. Storytelling is a process;
as one person tells a story, another hears it, reinterprets it, and eventually retells it. The stories development mirrors our own. As we change and as we see
the world through different eyes, our stories change as well to fit the
environment around us. The narratives that thrive hold power. They teach us
lessons, express values and fears, and shape our perceptions.
This week we are moving to our first novel! We will start reading Mornings in
Jenin by Susan Abulhawa, which is a beautifully-written multigenerational
narrative following a Palestinian family from 1940-2002. This week we will focus
especially on the theme of nature and the relationship between the characters
and their fates. We will also focus on characterization of three family members,
which will help us establish an ongoing conversation about how the characters
interact with the changing world around them.

Specific concepts: foreshadowing and history; characterization and symbolism;

nature.

Texts: Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa; Arab-American novelist Fights for

Justice in Palestine by Tahira Yaqoob, in The National.

Assignments: Reading response; quiz on Wednesday

Looking ahead: continuing a conversation about Mornings in Jenin and heritage

through turmoil