Ninth graders in Mr. Baum’s English class started Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart last week and are continuing their studies of Indigenous groups. The book covers life in Nigeria before colonialism and the arrival of the Europeans and religious missionaries. Over the summer the ninth graders also read books from the Binti series. This science fiction novella by Nnedi Okorafor tells the story of the intergalactic Himba ethnic group, based on the Himba people, an indigenous group for Namibia. As the grade will proceed with other books about societies and rebellion, they will evaluate classical Greek texts like Antigone and science fiction stories Fahrenheit 451. Evaluating common themes through different lenses in English class allows students to broaden their critical thinking skills and make cross-cultural connections to see how history repeats itself through various writings.
Similar Themes, Many Voices
