"Marigolds" by Eugenia Collier

Day 1 Aim: What do we know about the Great Depression?
Pre-Reading Activity: Video about the Great Depression in the US and world-wide economic recession. Students learn about the reasons for, the response of the government, and the affect on the lives of ordinary people of the Great Depression which followed the stock market crush of 1929.

Day 2 - Aim: What can we learn about the times from the description of the setting?
Quickwrite: What sight, sound, smell or feeling stands out from your childhood memory?
Literary Focus: Description of a setting.
Listening Strategy: comprehension skills of a difficult text.

Day 3 - Aim: How do I construct meaning by questioning the text?
Do Now: Vocabulary - poignantly, to trudge, futile, uproariously, inexplicable.
Literary Focus: the descriptive language of the childhood reminiscence (flashback).
Reading Strategy: Questioning the text. When a reader asks questions about the characters, setting, the use of language, and the events that take place, it makes the story more relatable and enjoyable.

Day 4 - Aim: What is a symbol?
Do Now: Draw three symbols. What do they mean?
Literary element: symbolism. What do the marigolds symbolize to the children/Ms. Lottie/the reader?
Reading Strategy: Cross-curricular bridge - the facts we learned about the plant (Biology) are directly related to its symbolic meaning in literature.

Study for Quiz: poignantly, to trudge, futile, uproariously, inexplicable, decay, sophisticated, retribution, monotonous, ostensibly.

Day 5: Aim: Can a story have two plots?
Do Now Vocabulary: unstifled, to sulk, malicious, to sob, particularly.
Literary Element: Parallel Plots.
Reading Focus: Organize information graphically to construct meaning.

Day 6: Can parallel plots converge?
Do Now Vocabulary: degradation, grotesque, caricature, redundancy, bewilderment.
Literary Element: establishing a unifying theme through parallel.
Reading Focus: connecting the dots of the plot/setting/characterization.

Day 7: Short Answers Review and the Critical Lens Essay.
Questions:

• Why does Lizabeth destroy Miss Lottie's flowers?
• How does the climax of the story begin a rite of passage from childhood to the beginning of womanhood?
• Why does Miss Lottie never plant marigolds again, despite Lizebeth's remorse?

Essay: Interpret the quote and use two examples (one from the story and one from your life/politics/movies, etc.) to support your quote.

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion." Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhist Monk in exile.