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Topic/Sub-topics Concept /Skills/Attitudes

Objectives Activities Assessment Activities References

Topic: Background of the Novel

Subtopic:

1. About Curdella Forbes

Materials:

Curdella Forbes Biography

First Chapter of the Novel

Concept

Curdella Forbes was born in Jamaica, in Claremont, Hanover where there was a strong oral storytelling tradition. She says, "From very early on I had stories coming out of my ears, long before I was old enough to discover them in books." She is a teacher of Literatures

in English and has been a

member of the academic staff

at the University of West

Indies since 1990: from 1990

to 1995 as Resident Tutor,

School of Continuing Studies

in Western Jamaica, and

since 1995 as a lecturer at

UWI, Mona, Jamaica.

As well as Songs of Silence,

she has written a collection of

stories for young

teenagers entitled Flying with

Icarus and Other Stories

(Walker Books,

forthcoming) and has

contributed to an anthology,

Survivor (Walker Books,

2002). She is currently

Students will be able to:

1. Share views on the author’s background.

2. Comment on how Forbes’ bio influenced the novel based on the first chapter

3. Make predictions about the novel based on the first chapter and Forbes’ bio.

Use the story telling scarf to tell the story of chapter 1.

Groups will read the biography of Curdella Forbes and share comments and views.

List ways in which Forbe’s background possibly influenced the first chapter.

Groups will make predictions of the chapters to come.

Write a reflection commenting on whether the novel could be said to be autobiographical.

____/3

English B for CSEC page 71

Songs of Silence page 76

http://www.bulbsoup.com/lt-songs-of-silence.html

working on a novel.



Topic: The background of the novel

Subtopic:

1. Jamaica in the 1960’s

Materials:

Copies of Short Stories

Newsprints

Markers

Concept

Violence has been endemic all through this period in Jamaica’s history. A decade of this violence is astutely analyzed by Lacy (1977). The book goes beyond official statistics, analyzing 1,935 violent incidents resulting in 1,960 casualties (746 killed and 1,214 wounded) that were compiled for the leading Jamaican newspaper, the Daily Gleaner. The data show an increase in violence during the 1960s that challenged the capabilities of the security police charged with maintaining order. The sources of most of the violence were in the lumpenproletariat, a class that comprises about 150,000 Kingstonians living mostly in the western districts, and constitutes youth gangs, political gangs, and (the quasi-religious order that worships the once Ethiopian emperor) the Rastafarians. In the violent confrontations in the streets, the officials from the two competing parties (the PNP and JLP) initially armed these groups. Others developed into local terrorist groups, fighting against the entire political system


1. Share with the class what they found out about Jamaica in the 1960’s

2. Compare the scenes explained in their research to the scene in the 1st chapter of the novel

3. List reasons why the village seemed to have escaped the growing political strife and violence in Jamaica.

Listen to Shanty Town by Desmond Dekker.

Record desciptions of the community based on the song

Share findings about Jamaica in the 1960s.

Class will be divived into 2 groups. 1 group will compare the community in chapter 1 of Songs of Silence to Jamaica in the 1960s, the other Jamaica in the 1960’s to the Jamaica portrayed in Shanty Town and Jamaica in Shanty town to the Jamaica in Songs of Dilence.

List reasons why the village seemed to have escaped the political violence in Jamaica in the 1960s.

Presentation of comparisons to the class.

Compare Welcome to Jamrock (2010) to Shanty Town (1964)

For assignment: Ask an elderly person to describe their community in the 1960s.

____/3


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy5MD8ZjvOoWorld of Prose

Songs of Silence Page 176 - 177



Topic: Background of the Novel

Subtopic:

1. Setting

Materials:


Newsprints

Markers

Concept

Curdella Forbes’ Songs of Silence has rural Jamaica for its setting. Forbes takes us into the village shop, the river, the primary school, the church etc. The education provided in the schools at this time had little to do with the Caribbean. Teachers were being recruited to work abroad. There was a surge in Jamaican conscious music and this was a time of change where Jamaicans started to embrace Afro-centricity.


1. Share their research findings with the class

2. Identify and explain the setting of the 1st chapter of the novel

3. Compare the setting of “Effie” to the descriptions they obtained.

Students will be called on to share what they found out about Belize in the 1960s from the elderly people they interviewed.

The class will point out similarities and differences between the settings of the different stories.

In groups students will identify and explain the setting of “Effie”

The students will compare the Belizean settings (1960’s and presently) to the Setting in “Effie”

Groups will be required to present their comparison to the class.

Students will draw an aspect of the setting of “Effie” in their journals.


Songs of Silence pages 1 - 14



Topic: Themes

Subtopic:

1. The author’s presentation of the theme Spirituality and religion

Materials:

1. Audio recordings of students’ readings of relevant excerpts. 2. Posters with concept maps of themes, with examples of characters, quotes, images, symbols. 3. Reflection Sheets, readers’ diaries or journals recording students’ personal responses. 4. Multi media player recordings of dramatic presentation of relevant scenes, freezes, author’s chair monologues by students.

Concept

Violence has been endemic all through this period in Jamaica’s history. A decade of this violence is astutely analyzed by Lacy (1977). The book goes beyond official statistics, analyzing 1,935 violent incidents resulting in 1,960 casualties (746 killed and 1,214 wounded) that were compiled for the leading Jamaican newspaper, the Daily Gleaner. The data show an increase in violence during the 1960s that challenged the capabilities of the security police charged with maintaining order. The sources of most of the violence were in the lumpenproletariat, a class that comprises about 150,000 Kingstonians living mostly in the western districts, and constitutes youth gangs, political gangs, and (the quasi-religious order that worships the once Ethiopian emperor) the Rastafarians. In the violent confrontations in the streets, the officials from the two competing parties (the PNP and JLP) initially armed these groups. Others developed into local terrorist groups, fighting against the entire political system


1. Offer their definitions of the concept ‘spirituality’ as it presented in this novel. 2. Work in groups to obtain various definitions of spirituality 3. Show how the author makes a distinction between being spiritual and being religious. 4. Speculate, with evidence from the text, on the benefits and disadvantages of being spiritual. 5. Discuss what the chapters suggest is more important to “man” - the attempt to be spiritual or to be religious. 1.

1. The teacher elicits a discussion about the relationship and differences between ‘spirituality’ and religion. 2. Students form groups based on each chapter and are to creatively present (drama, art, graphic organizers, reflections) the various references to ‘spirituality’ and religion. 3. The students are asked to discuss and distinguish the differences between being “religious” and “spiritual”. 4. Students form new groups and debate author’s treatment of whether being religious or spiritual is more important to man. 5. Draw and paint the images of the spiritual that you experience in reading the text.

Formatively: Assess students’ ability to locate appropriate references to religion and spiritual awareness in the chapters. Assess their willingness to infer and speculate on the references. Their ability to identify the theme of spirituality and religion from the novel as a whole. Describe three instances in which Forbes encourages the readers to think about religion and/or spirituality. Explain the message you get from these instances.

Summatively: Via their written essays on theme using collaboratively created rubric prioritizing elements of writer’s craft.

____/3


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy5MD8ZjvOoWorld of Prose

Songs of Silence Page 176 - 177



Topic: Themes

Subtopic:

1. Racism, Alienation, Women in Society, Silence

Materials:


Newsprints

Markers

Concept

'A STORY WITH NO NAME'This is the story of a lady with no name. It is reputed that she was abandoned by her wealthy family. She is an anomaly in the district because she is high coloured, did not speak, was very expressive in church before her silence, and was reclusive. She put her reclusive nature on pause once a month, when she went to town in order to visit the post office to collect packages. The story gets interesting when she got pregnant and no-one knew the father. The child became her life, and she shared him with no one, but kept him to herself. He turned out to be even more silent than his mother. It was, however, rumoured that Maas Barber, Marlene's father, was the child's father. In between the telling of this story, is Marlene's explanation of


1. Share their research findings with the class

2. Identify and explain the setting of the 1st chapter of the novel

3. Compare the setting of “Effie” to the descriptions they obtained.

Retell “A Story with no name” using the story telling scarf

Class will be divided into 5 groups. Each group will be required to find an assigned theme within the chapter.

Make list of things that help to bring out the theme

Present and explain themes with the class.

Share views on the different themes brought out in the novel.

Groups will be required to present their comparison to the class.

Students will draw an aspect of the setting of “Effie” in their journals.



her own silence.



Topic: Themes

Subtopic:

1. Love and Family Relationship, Silence

Materials:


Newsprints

Markers

Concept

“Nathan”

This is the story of Nathan, Marlene's brother. They were two years apart and were different from their other siblings because they were companions silence. Details are told of Nathan's extreme 'tightness', or thriftiness, versus his sister's need to give everything away. He eventually married a woman whom he adored, despite the fact that she was very loud, and had three children. Marlene describes Nathan as a very stubborn man. She reports a particular incident with an MP where he won a substantial settlement due to his stubbornness. Marlene maintains that they still have a good relationship. Great details are given about Marlene's silence, along with her struggle to accept her brothers when/ while


1. Complete dramatic readings of the chapter “Nathan”

2. Discuss and analyze the chapter using previous knowledge

3. Describe one of the family relationships mentioned in the novel thus far.

Class will get into a circle. Each student need to ensure that he / she is sitting in front of a book.

Students will take turns doing dramatic reading of the novel. The class will stop at intervals to discuss significant happenings.

The class will be divided into groups of 3. Each group will be given a portion of the chapter to analyze for the class

Individually describe family relationships encountered in the first 3 chapters. How were they similar or different.

Group presentations

Individual’s contributions to the class discussion.

Reflection on Love and family relationship in “Nathan”



they were going through puberty.



Topic: Themes

Subtopic:

1. childhood lessons, education and society, silence

Materials:


Newsprints

Markers

Concept

'THE IDIOT'This recollection speaks about school and education. It begins with the story of Ionie's pride taking a beating when she had to ask some-one, whom she had previously snobbed, for help. The story continues with Marlene explaining why she liked school. She speaks of her two scholastic rivals, Ezekiel and Wellesley, as well as the class dunce, Bas. She explains the phenomena of partially going to school due to farming responsibilities. We then learn that, in high school, she was the only person that would grudgingly speak to Ezekiel, who eventually dropped out of school. He ended up being very successful and Marlene felt bad because she did not treat him


1. Complete dramatic readings of the chapter “The Idiot”

2. Discuss and analyze the chapter using previous knowledge

3. Comment on the effect education had on Merlene’s actions.

4. Make predictions on why the girls were sent to school and not the boys.

Class will get into a circle. Each student need to ensure that he / she is sitting in front of a book.

Students will take turns doing dramatic reading of the novel. The class will stop at intervals to discuss significant happenings.

The class will be divided into groups of 3. Each group will be given a portion of the chapter to analyze for the class

Individually comment on the effect education had on Merlene’s actions.

Group presentations


Exit slips: make predictions on why the girls were sent to school and the boys we not.



well.



Topic: Characterization

Subtopic:

1. Characters in “Miss Minnie”

Materials:


Newsprints

Markers

Concept

Marlene - The narrator, she was in a romantic relationship with Raymond.Miss Minna - Raymond's step mother who made him her life, she sells in the market, went to live with Raymond in Kingston in order to take care of him.Lester - Raymond's father. He is very quiet and died while Raymond was still young, he was a shoe maker.Maas Baada - He read the newspaper to the men in the shoe shop and was affectionate towards Raymond, where his father was not.Raymond's mother - Rumoured that she was a go-go dancer, she left when Raymond was a young child, instigated a meeting with him when he was a successful adult,


1. Identify and describe all the characters in the chapter

2. State what type of character each is

3. Identify the protagonist and the antagonist of the chapter

4. Complete character sketch of other characters in other chapters of the novel.

Act out certain character “silently”

Class will predict who the characters are based on their actions.

I groups make a list of characters in the chapter

Do character sketches of all the characters. Groups will need to split this up so as to ensure they cover all the characters.

Share and compare information with the class.

Group presentations and participation


In groups do character sketches for other chapters of the novel.



attempted to become a part of his life.Sam & Nichol - Raymond's half brothers, from his mother's side.



Topic: Narrative Techniques

Subtopic:

1. Narrative Voice

Materials:


Newsprints

Markers

Concept

Marlene, the girl “narrator”, is the central consciousness and voice of the events and stories. He narration is a weave of various strands. The main strand belonging to the grown up girl narrator; but she has many selves: the very young and innocent primary school girl, the pre adolescent and adolescent of high school; the young woman standing apart from her village and reflecting. There are also other voices withch Marlene allows to take over for short intervals in the story telling.


1. Identify the narrative voice(s) within the chapter

2. Outline changes with the narrative voice within the chapter.

3. Justify the changes of the narrative voice.

Students will tell the story of “Morris Hole” using the story telling scarf.

In groups outline the narrative voice(s) within certain sections of the novel

Share findings with the class. Compare the different voices.

Give reasons for the change in voice

Write a reflection:

Which voice shows Marlene at her most vulnerable? Give evidence to support your Theory






Subtopic:

1. Language

Materials:


Newsprints

Markers

Concept

Seperating narrative voice from style and language is difficult. If the narrator is going to be authentic, it is important that he or she uses a style or language appropriate to the society being depicted. Simply put style refers to how the speakers or writers say whatever they want to say: their choice of words, type(s) of sentences, kinds of figurative language. Marlene is designed to represent the true Jamaican, growing up in a village and growing into an awareness of another way of life and expression, while being comfortable with both it and her origins. She therefore slides freely between standard and degrees of non standard English as the occasion or situation demands.


1. Distinguish between the word choice Marlene uses in this chapter.

2. Point out how certain occurrences would have changed if Malene had used different language

3. Explain how the language affects the reader’s understanding and appreciation of the novel

Listen to audio of Jamaican Patois.

Attempt to read the chapter with the Jamaican accent where it implies.

In groups select different areas of the chapter where Marlene uses standard English and others where she does not. How would these occurrences have changed if Marlene had used different language.

Write a reflection:

How does Marlene’s mix of standard and non standard language affects the readers?

English B for CSEC page 86 - 88





Subtopic:

1. The effects of Forbes’ use of Language in Songs of Silence

Materials:

Teacher and student audio recordings of read alouds of extracts from the text. Comic strips from newspapers or comic books

Concept

Separating narrative voice from style and language is difficult. If the narrator is going to be authentic, it is important that he or she uses a style or language appropriate to the society being depicted. Simply put style refers to how the speakers or writers say whatever they want to say: their choice of words, type(s) of sentences, kinds of figurative language. Marlene is designed to represent the true Jamaican, growing up in a village and growing into an awareness of another way of life and expression, while being comfortable with both it and her origins. She therefore slides freely between standard and degrees of non standard English as the occasion or situation demands.


1. Identify the wide variety of emotions that readers experience during the reading of the text. 2. Assess the contribution that the author’s use of language plays, in addition to other elements of story structure, to evoke the reader’s emotion. 3. Identify the range of different voices (for example, young, old, frightened, confident, schooled, unschooled, contemplative, agitated) that the writer employs in telling the stories in the text. 4. Evaluate the impact of the contrast of these voices on the reader.

Analyze the popular routines of comic strips, advertisements and television programmers that make the audience (a) laugh (b) anxious (c) sad (d) happy at the end. Have students identify and analyses the episode that evoked their strongest emotions in the text. Let them explain why they think they were moved in this way. Have students extend their vocabulary of feeling words by distinguishing the range of responses from readers. Select passages in which the speaking voice changes and have students perform dramatic readings of these sections

Performance Assessment: Select an excerpt from the text in which the author employs (a) Standard English and (b) at least two varieties of Jamaican Creole. Present the text in a way which emphasizes the differences among the languages

English B for CSEC page 86 - 88





Subtopic:

1. Style

Materials:

Teacher and student audio recordings of read alouds of extracts from the text. Comic strips from newspapers or comic books

Concept

A strategy used in the unfolding narrative is to give the audience a role to play in telling the stories – interpretation. This is based on the principle that it is important, particularly if we want to gather more from what we hear and read, to think of the meanings of words: most words have more than one meaning – meanings which are often made clear when we consider the context. To really read well (recognize, understand, interpret, apply) we need to study words. When we consider the novel’s title: Songs of Silence, our attention is taken perhaps, first wit the idea of “silence” then about there being “songs” – Songs of Silence. Is that a contradiction? The novel is inhabiting an elusive space between what is said and what is felt.


1. Share occurrence of when they were silenced

2. Find occurences of “silence” and “songs” in the chapter.

3. Explain how “silence” helped or hampered the characters at different points in the novel

Comment on saying “little girls are seen not heard”

Share a time there was a need to silent.

Silent grouping using post its.

Find occurrences of silence in the novel. Share what is communicated in the silence.

Define songs and silence. Say how they are symbolic in the novel.

Reflection:What is the dramatic significance of the title “Songs of Silence”


188




Topic: Narrative Structure

Subtopic:

1. Description 2. Narration3. Dialogue

Materials:

Copies of Short Story

Concept attainment matrix

Samples of examples and nonexamples

Concept

Narrative Strategies:In any short story or novel, you will find three principal types of writing: narration, description and dialogue. The narrative passages move the story along, they tell you what happened. The descriptive passages invite you to form a mental image of a person or place. And in the passages of dialogue the characters are given lines to speak – much as in the script of a play. Of course these three modes of writing will be inter mingled, and in a piece of dialogue you will often find narration and description woven in.


1. Distinguish between different narrative strategies

2. Identify descriptions, narrations and dialogues within writings.

3. Rewrite narration into dialogues and dialogues into narrations

Present students with examples and non examples of the different narrative strategies.

Students will identify the concepts based on the examples and non examples

In groups students will identify the different strategies within short stories previously covered.

Students will share findings with the class.

Individually students will be given a list of narrations to turn dialogue and a list of dialogue to turn to narrations.

Students will be asked to share finished products with the class

Group work identifying the different strategies in short stories previously covered.

Individual work changing the strategies.

In groups students will be given narration to turn into dialogue and act out for the class.


Glencore Literature Reading With a Purpose Page 704 - 713




Topic: Narrative Structure

Concept

Narrative Strategies:In any short story or


1. Identify the elements of story structure in

Assign groups of students to close read ‘Effita’ and ‘So Few And Such Morning Songs’ and present graphic organizers

Formative: Self and peer evaluation of the relevance of the selected textual references to the tasks assigned.

English B for CSEC page 84 – 87

Subtopic: The Structure of the Text: Unified Novel or Collection of Short Stories

Materials:

Other texts, for example: World of Prose for CXC Lonely Londoners Miguel Street Other texts by Crudella Forbes, for example: Flying with Icarus A Permanent Freedom Storyboards Charts on Elements of Story Structure

novel, you will find three principal types of writing: narration, description and dialogue. The narrative passages move the story along, they tell you what happened. The descriptive passages invite you to form a mental image of a person or place. And in the passages of dialogue the characters are given lines to speak – much as in the script of a play. Of course these three modes of writing will be inter mingled, and in a piece of dialogue you will often find narration and description woven in.

‘Effita’ as the first Chapter of the text. 2. Suggest the elements of storytelling that they expect the author to build on in the following chapters. 3. Show how at least two elements of story structure which was introduced in Chapter One have been repeated or developed in succeeding chapters. 4. Compare the story structure of ‘Effita’ and ‘So Few And Such Morning Songs’ 5. Read “Epilogue, A Beginning’ aloud and suggest all it implies

showing how the elements of story structure are revealed in each. Use ven diagrams to let students identify the similarities and differences of the elements of story structure in the two chapters. Let students explain ‘Epilogue, A Beginning’ in relation to the chapters/stories. Invite students to select the story/chapter that has the least interconnections with the other stories. Debate whether the text is better if read as a collection of stories or a unified novel. Author’s chair monologues by students assuming the role of Forbes.

Collaborative creation of rubric for each group task by teachers and students. Teachers are encouraged to allow students to grade their performances on the basis of the criteria established in the rubric. Summative: Teachers should encourage multiple forms of final assessment, for example, Posters, charts, oral presentations, written summaries of group presentations, as well as individually written essays (which are better done after multiple forms of presentation).

94 - 95

Glencore Literature Reading With a Purpose Page 704 - 713

Songs of Silence

UNIT OF WORK

Subject: English B

Level: Form 4

Duration: 4 – 7 weeks

Goals:

1. Become familiar with plot, characters, structure and narrative techniques.2. Closely read the text, making notes and observations3. Outline and answer questions on the novel.

Rationale: This unit aims at providing students with the necessary tools to effectively read and respond to prescribed readings and any other work of Literature. After completing this unit students should be able to effectively answer questions on Songs of Silence or any other work of Literature. Students will be able to read and identify devices and techniques and make observations as they go along. Students will be able to assemble their various perspectives of the novel.

go songs of silence

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