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 StudySync Lesson Plan
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Objectives
1.
Engage students in the plot, characters, themes, setting, and language of Zora Neale
Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God so that they are prepared to discuss and write
about the excerpt and/or the whole novel.
2. Practice and reinforce the following Grade 11-12 ELA Common Core Standards for reading
literature, writing, language, and speaking/listening:
READING: LITERATURE – RL.11-12.1-7, 9-10
WRITING – W.11-12.1-6
LANGUAGE – L.11-12.5
SPEAKING AND LISTENING – SL.11-12.1-3
Time
155 minutes (with up to an additional 170 minutes of extension possibilities)
Materials
SyncTV Premium Lesson on Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God
Overview
Though it was well-received critically when it was first published in 1937, Zora Neale Hurston's
Their Eyes Were Watching God did not enjoy commercial success until many decades later,
when universities and black studies programs finally rediscovered the novel as a seminal work in
20th century African-American literature. It tells the story of Janie Crawford, a black woman living
in early 20th century Florida, and her voyage of self-discovery. Against this milieu the story
explores timeless themes, including relationships, community and the quest for individuality. The
excerpt defines Janie and her past through the scandalized and amused reactions of her
neighbors, a chorus of gossips, upon her unexpected return. Close examination of this text will
prepare students to develop thoughtful responses to higher-level literary texts, and to write
thoughtful, informed, and textually-rooted responses, consistent with the ELA Common Core
Standards for the high school grades.
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Lesson Plan: Their Eyes Were Watching God
Background (15 minutes)
1.
Watch the Preview (SL.11-12.1-2). As a group, watch the video preview of the premium
lesson. Use the following questions to spur discussion following the preview:
a. What do the images in the preview tell you about the story? As a group, infer what
you think this story will be about based on the tableau in the preview. Who will the
principal characters be? Where will it take place?
b. Think about the music in the preview. What does the music suggest about the
excerpt you're about to read? Does it suggest any specific time period or social
class?
c. At the end of the preview a question is posed: “How much privacy should you
have to give up to be a member of a community?” Do we forego certain rights to
privacy when we enter into a social group?
Extension (additional 30 minutes)
d. Discuss (SL.11-12.1). Which is more important to you: having a private life, or being
a member of a community? How can we negotiate these two human desires? Is
one ultimately more important than the other? On a personal level, are you more
extroverted or more introverted? Do you prefer to talk about your experiences
and emotions, or would you rather keep them to yourself? Encourage an in-class
discussion about these various topics.
Engaging the Text (140 minutes)
2. Read the Text (40 minutes)
a. Read and Annotate (RL.11-12.1-5, 10). As students read the introduction and
excerpt from Their Eyes Were Watching God, have them annotate with any
questions or reactions to the text. Some passages will require re-reading in order
to parse their meaning. The language may be dense and figurative; likewise, the
dialogue is dialect-heavy and it may be helpful for students to hear the dialogue
read out loud. Encourage them to examine and annotate any passages that are
difficult to understand. Student responses are visible to the teacher after the
students submit their writing assignments or beforehand if using the “Mimic”
function to access the students’ accounts.
b. Discuss (RL.11-12.1-5 and SL.11-12.1). Have students meet in small groups or pairs
and briefly discuss their responses they had while reading. Have them share their
own responses with each other. Discuss the characters that are introduced in this
excerpt, and their attributes. Highlight any problem quotes or passages and elicit
responses. Be sure to encourage a variety of observations among the class.
Extension (additional 20 minutes)
c. Listen and Discuss (RL.11-12.1-5 and SL.11-12.1-3). As a class, listen to the audio
reading of the text. What are some of the different effects of reading the text
silently versus hearing it read aloud? What words does the author use to develop
the characters and setting? Does the audio reading help the listener visualize the
speakers? How?
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Lesson Plan: Their Eyes Were Watching God
d. Comprehend (RL.11-12.1-6). Have students complete the multiple-choice questions.
Collect papers or discuss answers as a class.
3. Watch SyncTV (40 minutes)
a. Watch. Either watch the SyncTV discussion associated with Their Eyes Were
Watching God as a class or ask students to watch it on their individual computers.
b. Focus (RL.11-12, 1-5). Pay special attention to the portion of the episode from 2:45–
3:30, as students discuss how Janie and the group are represented. Think about
how Hurston characterizes the group versus how she characterizes Janie. Is the
group a character? How does Janie stand out from the rest? How does Hurston
make this distinction?
c. Focus (RL.11-12.1-2). From 4:12–5:25 the students engage in a spirited debate
about the right to privacy as a member of a community. Consider their opposing
sides. Do we surrender privacy as members of a community? What is a fair
amount of privacy to surrender? What is too much?
d. Focus (RL.11-12.1-2). Watch the portion of the episode from 7:00–7:45 as the
students discuss individuality and community. Do we instinctually seek out
communities and strive to belong, as Liam insists? Or is striving to be a part of a
community, as Spencer suggests, a fool's errand? Or is this simply a false
distinction? Consider the different viewpoints.
e. Discuss (RL.11-12.1-5 and SL.11-12.1-3). After watching the model discussion, have a
conversation with the class about the ideas discussed in the SyncTV episode that
stood out the most. What new thoughts do they have after hearing the students'
discussion? Next, divide students into small groups (3-4 students). Move around
the room monitoring the groups as students follow the SyncTV episode as a
model to discuss some of the following questions:
i. How does the group view Janie upon her return? What kinds of things do
they say about her? Why do they come to this consensus about her? Do
you think the things they say about her are warranted, or unjust?
ii. One of the major themes of Their Eyes Were Watching God, as discussed
in the SyncTV episode, is the individual vs. the collective. How does
Hurston explore this theme in the excerpt? What has Janie done to break
out of the collective? Do any other characters show signs of individualism?
Cite specific examples from the excerpt.
iii. The narration in the excerpt is figurative and distinct; the dialogue is
colloquial and dialect-heavy. Why do you think Hurston's voice is so
different from the voice(s) of her characters? What bearing does this
storytelling choice have on the theme of the individual vs. the collective?
iv. One of the students in the SyncTV episode mentions the term
“groupthink.” What does this term denote? What is its significance in
relation to this excerpt? How do the characters in this excerpt behave as a
group? What do you think causes people to act and think as a group?
v. Continuing on some of the ideas discussed in the video, what are some of
the benefits of organizing in groups? What are some of the detriments? Do
the benefits of groups outweigh the detriments, or vice versa? Do we have
an innate need to organize in groups, or is the desire to conform to the
collective a weakness to be overcome?
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Lesson Plan: Their Eyes Were Watching God
vi. Think about the first two paragraphs of the excerpt. Hurston's figurative
language may be difficult to pin down, but what is she saying about
dreams and men? About truth and women? Why isn't she more explicit
about what she's trying to say?
Extension (additional 45 minutes)
f.
Write (W.11-12.3-5). Think of an experience you've had in which you felt judged by
or ostracized from a group to which you normally belong(ed). As either an in-class
or homework assignment, write a paragraph response detailing your feelings:
what caused you to feel excluded, how the group responded, and how you dealt
with the problems you faced.
Next, in a separate paragraph, write about a time you were part of a group that
judged or ostracized one of its members (other than you). Why did this happen?
How did the group respond? Why do you think the group behaved the way it did?
Finally, compare your feelings at both ends of the spectrum. How does it feel on
one side versus the other? Is there anything you can take away from both
personal experiences?
4. Think (10 minutes)
a. Respond (W.11-12.4, 6). Ask students to read the “Think” questions, watch the
corresponding video clips, and respond to the questions, either in class or for
homework.
5. Write (50 minutes)
a. Discuss (SL.11-12.1). Read the prompt you have chosen for students, and then
solicit questions regarding the prompt or the assignment expectations. Whichever
prompt you have chosen, make sure you are clear about the assignment
expectations and the rubric by which you and the other students will be evaluating
them.
b. Organize (RL.11-12.1 and W.11-12.1-2, 4-6). Ask students to go back and annotate
the text with the prompt in mind. They should be organizing their thoughts and the
points they’ll address in their writing as they make annotations. If you’ve worked
on outlining or other organizational tools for writing, this is a good place to apply
them.
c. Write (W.11-12.1-2, 4-6). Have students go through the writing process of planning,
drafting, revising, editing, and publishing their writing responses.
d. Review (W.11-12.1-2, 4-6). Use the StudySync “Review” feature to have students
complete one to two evaluations of their peers’ work based on your chosen
review rubric. Have the students look at and reflect upon the peer evaluations of
their own writing. What might you do differently in a revision? How might you
strengthen the writing and the ideas?
Extension (additional 90 minutes)
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Lesson Plan: Their Eyes Were Watching God
e. Write (W.11-12.1-2, 4-6). For homework, have students write an essay using one of
the prompts you did not chose to do in class. Students should publish their
responses online.
f.
Write (W.11-12.1 and RL.11-12.1-3). Their Eyes Were Watching God was controversial
upon its first publication in 1937. Ironically, much of the controversy came from
other black authors. Richard Wright (Native Son) stated: "[Hurston's characters]
swing like a pendulum eternally in that safe and narrow orbit in which America
likes to see the Negro live: between laughter and tears." In a short essay
response, state whether you think Wright's criticism is fair. Is Their Eyes Were
Watching God a dynamic portrait of early 20th-century black culture? Or does it
cater, as Wright says, to primarily white audiences? Why do you think many of
Hurston's peers responded with such disdain?
g. Write Creatively (RL.11-12.4; W.11-12.3, 9; SL.11-12.4). The dialogue in the excerpt
may be easier to hear than to sight-read; many words are misspelled to mimic its
speakers' cadence and pronunciation. For a creative exercise, suggest that
students adapt the dialogue into a 21st century version. What would a modern
group of porch-sitters say about Janie or another returning member of the
community of whom they disapprove? Keep it appropriate, but encourage
creativity: using modern slang, dissing, trash talking, etc. Once finished, have a
few volunteers perform their renditions before the class.
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Lesson Plan: Their Eyes Were Watching God
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS
Key Vocabulary
1.
pugnacious (adj.) - Possessing a willingness or desire to confront or argue
2. drawl (v.) - To speak slowly with elongated vowel sounds
3. mind (v.) - To take care of or pay attention to something
4. sodden (adj.) - Heavy and saturated with water
5. resignation (n.) - The acceptance that something bad is inevitably going to happen
6. relish (n.) - The feeling of delight or enjoyment in something
Reading Comprehension Questions
1.
In paragraph 1, Hurston, using metaphor, compares ships at a distance to
_______________.
a. individuality
b. the dreams of men
c. death
d. feelings of isolation
2. According to Hurston in paragraphs 1 and 2, one difference between men and women is
_______________.
a. men may spend their lives chasing dreams that never come
b. women are more irrational and impulsive
c. men are better at attaining their goals
d. women have trouble forgetting the things they want to forget
3. At the story's beginning, the woman, Janie, has just _________________.
a. returned from far away
b. buried a loved one who suddenly died
c. both a and b
d. neither a nor b
4. We can infer that the "sitters" described in paragraph 4 are probably
_________________.
a. day laborers
b. very wealthy
c. too old to work
d. taking care of children
5. Which of the following words best describes the attitude of the women of the group
towards Janie?
a. jealous
b. disdainful
c. nosy
d. all of the above
6. Phoeby Watson is _________________.
a. a wealthy aristocrat
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Lesson Plan: Their Eyes Were Watching God
b. Janie's best friend
c. the leader of the group
d. critical of Janie
7. Which of the following is NOT true about Janie?
a. She is roughly forty years old.
b. The men find her physically attractive.
c. She stops to speak with the "sitters" for a while.
d. She hasn't been seen by the group in a long time.
8. Hurston narrates, "The porch couldn't talk for looking." In this sentence the porch refers to
_____________.
a. the people sitting there watching
b. the place where they sit
c. Phoeby Watson
d. Janie Starks
9. Tea Cake is ______________.
a. a love interest of Janie's
b. much older than Janie
c. a member of the "sitters"
d. Janie's father
10. The speaker in paragraph 6 is _________________.
a. Phoeby Watson
b. Pearl Stone
c. Lulu Moss
d. the entire group on the porch
Answer Key
1. B
2. A
3. C
4. A
5. D
6. B
7. C
8. A
9. A
10. D
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Lesson Plan: Their Eyes Were Watching God
Further Assignments
1.
Have students do an outside research project on W.E.B. Du Bois and his Racial Uplift
Program. Do you think a program like this is a good thing or bad thing for a minority
culture's art? How can Their Eyes Were Watching God be seen as a response to Du Bois'
social agenda? Does it uphold or push back against the values of the program? (RL.1112.2-3, 9)
2. For a longer assignment, have students read the entirety of Their Eyes Were Watching
God. Encourage students to pay careful attention to any other themes introduced over
the course of the complete work. Have them keep a reading journal and track their
responses to the text. (RL.11-12.1-6, 10 and W.11-12.2,)
3. What was the Harlem Renaissance? What were the major tenets of this literary
movement? How can Their Eyes Were Watching God be seen as being borne out of the
Harlem Renaissance? Which elements of the movement does it contain? For a homework
assignment, have students write a report on the Harlem Renaissance and its major literary
works. (RL.11-12.7, 9 and W.11-12.2)
4. Have students analyze the uses of figurative language in this excerpt, specifically symbols
and metaphors. Define these two concepts. What is the difference? How does Hurston
employ figurative language in her descriptions? What are some of the symbols she uses?
What are some of the metaphors? (RL.11-12.1, 4 and L.11-12.5)
5. "Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board. For some they come in with the
tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the
Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is
the life of men."
Have students paraphrase the first paragraph of the excerpt. What do the ships
represent? What does it mean when ships come in? When they sail forever on the
horizon? Who is the Watcher? How does Time mock his dreams? Why does Hurston
choose to begin her novel this way? (RL.11-12.2, 4)
6. Ask students to go back through this excerpt from the novel and identify the different
verb tenses used throughout. Each student should develop a list of simple present tense,
simple past tense, present perfect, present continuous, etc. As a class, come together to
discuss any sentences which students may have had trouble determining the tense for.
Make sure they note any words or phrases that they don't understand. (ELL)
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Lesson Plan: Their Eyes Were Watching God