Grant Marvin

Flipped Classroom Lesson

READINESS
I. Goals/Objectives/Standards
a. Objective: The student will analyze differences in imperialistic literature by
comparing Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness and Chinua Achebes Things Fall
Apart.
b. Standards: 11-12.RL.2.1, 11-12.RL.2.2
II. Home Based Study
a. VOCAROO LINK
b. Students will finish reading Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness while continuing
to analyze the text for representations of native Africans, European attitudes
toward Africans, and general attitudes about imperialization. Students will come
to class with observations supported by textual evidence and be prepared to
discuss and debate with classmates about their ideas.
III. In-Class Lesson Study
a. Teacher will have a quiz at the beginning of class composed of ten questions
about the reading which the students will answer with their clickers. As the
students answer the questions, the teacher will be able to gauge how prepared the
students are for the discussion that day, take attendance, and give a grade for
reading completion. After the quiz, the teacher will answer any questions over the
reading.
IV. Purpose
a. The teacher will inform the students that the purpose of the days discussion will
be to determine if both Heart of Darkness and Things Fall Apart are effective in
conveying their sentiments against imperialism, and if so, which novel does a
greater job at this task.
V. Lesson Presentation
a. Activity: Students will engage in a Socratic Seminar. To begin, students will pair
up into groups of two. One at a time, one student will give their responses to
questions posed by the teacher while the other student plays devils advocate and
refines their ideas. After this is completed, the other student will proceed. Once
the two students have reached their refined idea, the group of two will face
another group of two, and the questioning-refining process will begin anew.
These groups will continue to combine and face other groups until the entire class
is combined, at which point they will face the teacher (the boss round). After
this, the teacher will write the main points on the board and finish the class by
going over any additional points missed by the students.
b. Questions to begin the Socratic Seminar, asked by the teacher (to be selected by
the teacher on the day of the discussion): which novel does a better job at
creating empathy for the negative aspects of imperialism? How are
Africans/Africa shown in Heart of Darkness as compared to Things Fall Apart?
How does the reader see the missionaries and colonists who are bringing
education, religion, business, government and peace to the Africans? If we see
them negatively, why is this, since these are cornerstones of our Western
civilization? Do the Europeans have a right to impose their own culture upon the
Africans?
VI. Conclusion
a. Formative: Throughout the discussion, students will need to record thoughts and
points given by other students and write down points that they shared out loud.
As an exit slip, the students will need to hand these notes in to the teacher to
show that they were participating and listening throughout the debate.