Lesson 1: The Handmaid's Tale
Duration of Days: 25
Lesson Objective
Students will summarize the plot and key events in The Handmaid's Tale, identifying the main characters and their roles in the story.
Students will describe the setting of Gilead, the theocratic dystopia, and its significance to the themes of the novel.
Students will analyze the development of the protagonist, Offred, and other key characters (e.g., Commander, Serena Joy, Moira) through their actions, dialogue, and relationships.
Students will examine how different characters embody themes such as power, resistance, and complicity in the dystopian society.
Students will identify and analyze central themes in the novel, including gender and power, oppression, freedom, and the role of language and storytelling.
Students will explore the relevance of these themes to contemporary society and connect the novel's ideas to current global issues.
Students will analyze the narrative structure of The Handmaid's Tale, considering the use of first-person narration, flashbacks, and fragmented storytelling.
Students will discuss the impact of the novel's style on the reader's understanding of the protagonist’s inner thoughts and the dystopian world.
Students will identify and analyze Atwood's use of literary devices, such as symbolism, foreshadowing, irony, and metaphor, in conveying the novel's themes.
Students will explore the significance of motifs such as color (e.g., red, white, blue) and their role in the narrative.
Students will explore the historical and social context of The Handmaid's Tale, including its commentary on feminist theory, totalitarianism, and the intersection of religion and politics.
Students will research the societal influences that shaped Atwood's writing, including the rise of the religious right and feminist movements in the 1980s.
Students will engage in discussions about the ethical dilemmas presented in the novel, such as the conflict between individual rights and societal control, and the nature of resistance.
Students will critically evaluate the implications of the novel’s vision of the future, considering how plausible or exaggerated Atwood’s predictions are.
How does the regime in Gilead maintain control over individuals, especially women?
In what ways do Offred’s memories of her past life serve as a form of resistance to Gilead’s oppressive system?
How is power represented in the relationships between different characters (e.g., the Commander, Offred, the Marthas, and the Handmaids)?
What role does surveillance play in the society of Gilead? How does it affect individual freedoms and behaviors?
How does Gilead’s society define women and their roles? What does this suggest about gender relations in our own world?
How does Offred’s sense of identity evolve throughout the novel? What are the key factors that shape her sense of self?
What is the significance of Offred’s name, and how does it reflect her lack of agency in Gilead?
In what ways do the women of Gilead resist or submit to the loss of autonomy?
How does The Handmaid’s Tale explore the relationship between ideology and the exercise of political power?
How do the characters resist Gilead’s oppressive system, both overtly and subtly?
What is the significance of the underground resistance movements in the novel, and how do they challenge Gilead’s authority?
How does the novel explore the consequences of conformity in a totalitarian society?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1 / RL.11-12.1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly and inferentially.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2 / RL.11-12.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3 / RL.11-12.3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.6 / RL.11-12.6: Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.9 / RL.11-12.9: Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work.
2. Writing
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1 / W.11-12.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4 / W.11-12.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.9 / W.11-12.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1 / SL.11-12.1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4 / SL.11-12.4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.4 / L.11-12.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade-level reading and content.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.5 / L.11-12.5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.7 / W.11-12.7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question.
1,2,3,4
Explicit vocabulary instruction is emphasized, and reading and writing skills lessons focus strongly on language acquisition and reading comprehension
Reading quizzes
Journaling
Multimodal inquiry essay