Imagery and Themes in Anais Nin’s Birth (1938)

Imagery and Themes in Anais Nin's Birth (1938)

Author(s): Jeremy Nyhuis

Grade Level: 11

Timeframe

This lesson would only be for one 55-minute class period, although it prepares students for a poetry/prose writing assignment that they work on later in the unit.

Lesson Description or Explanation

For this lesson, students will assess their reading of Anais Nin’s short prose piece Birth (1938) by working in small groups to identify and interpret metaphors, similes, and imagery in the prose, as well as the explicit and more hidden themes in Nin’s imagery. Students will then discuss these findings with the entire class electronically. The purpose of this lesson is to help students understand why imagery is used to express emotions and to introduce themes of gender oppression present in Nin’s story, which would prepare students for their own poetry/prose assignment later in the unit.

Indiana Curricular Standards

English / Language Arts

11.3.2 Students will analyze the way in which the theme or meaning of a selection represents a view or comment on life, using textual evidence to support the claim.

11.3.4 Students will analyze ways in which poetry or prose uses imagery, personification, figures of speech, and sounds to evoke readers’ emotions.

ISTE Standards

3. Technology productivity tools:

- Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.
- Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.

4. Technology communications tools:
- Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences.
- Students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.

Assessments

Formative/Summative

The bulk of this lesson is formative rather than summative.

Formative Assessment: Students will circle/highlight uses of metaphors, similes, and imagery in Nin’s piece. Working together, students will then write interpretations of their selections and comment on each others’ thoughts. These activities will be assessed by completion and general engagement in the material.

Summative Assessment: Although there is no real summative assessment in this lesson itself, the formative assessments prepare students for a summative poetry/prose piece they will write later on in the unit (note: this is not part of the lesson plan).

Prior Knowledge

Student will be expected to have read Nin’s piece beforehand as a homework assignment. They should also have prior knowledge in the definition of “metaphor,” “simile,” “imagery,” and other literature terms. This prior knowledge will be assessed in a brief class discussion at the beginning of the lesson, where the teacher may ask the students if they have any questions about the reading or the terms we will be using throughout the lesson. As for technology, students will be expected to have prior knowledge in using Blogger (or online blogs in general), particularly in communicating electronically through posts and responses. They will also be expected to have familiarity with Microsoft Word. Students’ prior knowledge in using Blogger and Word will have been assessed earlier in the semester. For students who still have questions, the teacher will move about the classroom’s computer stations to make sure the students are having no trouble with the technology.

Technology

Internet Resources: http://www.blogger.com

Hardware: Computer stations, including three or four specialized stations (i.e., large screen, adapted keyboards/mouse devices) for students with special needs. A SmartBoard will also be available for the teacher to use for discussion.

Software: Microsoft Word

Procedure

Step One (5-10 minutes): Welcome students to class and ask if there are any questions with last night’s reading, Birth by Anais Nin. Engage in discussion, if needed, about the meaning of “metaphor,” “simile,” “imagery,” and other literary terms. Share with the students that they will be using Microsoft Word and a Blogger site (created beforehand for the class) to assess their understanding of the imagery and themes in the reading, and ask if there are any concerns with using this technology.

Step Two (10 minutes): At their computer stations, have the students open an electronic copy of Nin’s Birth on Microsoft Word. Explain to the students that they will highlight/bold particular uses of metaphors, similes, and other imagery in the piece that they find intriguing or meaningful. Students may work with a partner for this activity if they like. Be sure to walk about the room during the activity in case students have questions about the assignment or are having difficulties with Word.

Step Three (10 minutes): After students have finished the exercise, students will log on to the class’s online discussion blog (via Blogger). Each student will select one word from Nin’s piece that he or she highlighted and free-write one or two paragraphs about what the word means in context of the piece. Students who worked with a partner should each select a different word.

Step Four (10 minutes): Using the SmartBoard and a pre-drawn picture of an iceberg, ask students what words they chose to write about and what interpretations/meanings they came up with. With the class, determine what imagery is at the surface-level and write these on the top of the iceberg. Then, ask students if they came up with more hidden, below-the-surface themes and place these at the bottom of the iceberg.

Step Five (10 minutes): Lead a discussion about Nin’s explicit and hidden themes, referring to the iceberg illustration on the SmartBoard when applicable. Discussion starters may include: How does the act of giving birth affect females’ outlook and perceptions on life? Why is the protagonist unnamed? Where does the protagonist’s anger in the piece come from? Etc.

Step Six (3-5 minutes): Explain to students that tomorrow they will respond to each other’s blog posts, finding connection between their own words and the words chosen by their peers. Remind the students to be thinking of an event in their own lives that they could use as a theme for the upcoming metaphorical prose/poetry piece they will be writing.

Differentiated Instruction

ESL

For students who struggle with understanding English, the teacher should identify the translator found in Google’s language tools. Although translating the entire text might prove somewhat faulty, the translator would be helpful for particular words or phrases that students with ESL have trouble understanding. Because it is important for students to learn Edited American English, they should be encouraged to write their blog posts as such, but they are free to use the Google translator tools to make sure they are using the appropriate English words in their writing.

Because some students with ESL may have trouble picking up words in oral conversations, key words and phrases brought up during the discussion in the second half of the lesson will be written on the SmartBoard for all students to see.

Challenge/Extend

The writing activity in Step Three will be tiered according to students’ level of learning. They will have the following options:

1. From a word they have selected in the reading, students will write about the surface (literal) meaning contained in the metaphor, simile, or image.

2. From a word they have selected in the reading, students will write about a less explicit (hidden) theme contained in the metaphor, simile, or image.

3. From multiple words they have selected in the reading, students will find a common theme and/or connection between the metaphors, similes, and images, drawing upon both literal and hidden themes in the text.

Whatever option the students select, all three will be incorporated into the “iceberg” discussion in Step Four. This will help students see that everyone’s level of learning is important to the discussion.

Special Needs

For students with varying abilities, specialized computer stations will be available, along with adaptability software as needed (i.e., voiced text, screen color and size adjustments). Headphones will be provided with the computers for students who need them.

Since Microsoft offers a variety of built-in adaptation software, the teacher should make sure that students with varying abilities know how to use these adaptations. A co-teacher with training in special education would be available to ensure students are using these adaptations effectively.

In case students have trouble using the computer and are more comfortable writing manually, handouts of Nin’s piece will be available for students to use, along with highlighters. Although it is assumed that many students will enjoy using the blog, those who are more comfortable writing manually or must according to their abilities may write their formative assignment on paper and share this the next day with the class for peer responses.

The use of the SmartBoard and iceberg illustration in Step Four and Five is particularly a means of reaching students who are stronger in visually oriented learning.