Their Eyes Were Watching God, lesson plans, unit, 68 pages.

This is a complete novel unit. It includes chapter quizzes, reading worksheets, vocabulary practice puzzles, vocabulary tests, quick-write prompts, character activities, a concluding essay, a concluding class seminar, and a final exam. You may find that you skip some activities, alter some activities and documents, and change the order of delivery year by year-based on your scheduling, teaching style, and type of students. The entire document is a PDF file.

Chapter worksheets: There are ten reading worksheets for Their Eyes Were Watching God. Each worksheet is one-to-two pages in length, and covers a spectrum of between 15-30 pages of the novel, and includes a section of easy, comprehension-level questions and then a more thought-provoking set of analysis questions. The analysis questions will, for the most part, require some time, some thought, and some short, essay-style answers. These worksheets make for great homework assignments, great in-class group assignments, great individual class-time assignments, great pre-discussion assignments, or great independent study assignments. There are also ten answer keys for the worksheets.

Additionally, there are 6 vocabulary lists (one, roughly, for every other reading worksheet). Each vocabulary list corresponds to one of the pre-formatted vocabulary tests and vocabulary practice crossword puzzles. These lists prompt students to make flashcards to learn the words and can be used with the "Vocabulary Mastery Activity" handout for further vocabulary practice. The vocabulary activities are designed to be handed out with the reading worksheets.

The answer keys for the reading worksheets can also be used as verbal quizzes and class discussion guides. If you don't wish to print out copies of all worksheets, just use the answer keys as teacher guides to hold class discussions and to give brief verbal quizzes on the reading assignments. There are, of course, many ways to use the prompts on the worksheet answer keys, but for the record, here's how I use them. I assign reading, either in class or as homework. At the start of the next day's period, I verbally recite the quiz questions-or at least three of them. Students write their answers on binder paper. Then, students trade papers and I recite the answers. There are sometimes negotiations and debates about the answers and sometimes I allow for a student to add something to the answer key. We then proceed through the questions one-by-one. Finally, assign flashcards for the vocabulary list for that worksheet. The purpose of the verbal quiz questions is to assess the level of student reading and student comprehension. And, let's be honest, it also makes students accountable for the reading assignments. I want to be clear: the quiz questions are not analytical, but the discussion prompts are.

Writing and Essay assignments. There are several journal-type assignments included that pose thematic questions about the book for students to write about in an informal setting. In addition, there are three formal essay prompts in this unit, as well as a grading rubric.

This unit contains a 95-question final exam, formatted as multiple choice. The final includes factual questions about the entire novel, a matching section based on the book's characters, as well as a vocabulary section that draws from the preformatted vocabulary program in the unit. All vocabulary words on the final will have appeared in one of the six vocabulary tests. Roughly half of the final exam uses an A-D, four possible answer, format; roughly half of the final is a matching format with answers between A-HHH.

Assignment Sequence: the unit is yours and you may use the contents in any order you wish, but the logical progression would be as follows. Assign the pages for each worksheet and have the students complete the worksheet for those pages. Part of completing the worksheet is making and studying flashcards (and/or completing the vocabulary mastery activity sheet) for the assigned vocabulary. After three of the worksheets are complete, assign the vocabulary review crossword puzzle for that test. Then, deliver the test with the preformatted test document. Repeat this process for every three worksheets. After the second worksheet has been completed, assign the character-assessment chart-this are to be completed as the student reads the book, and turned in upon the book's completion. There are approximately five short writing assignments and literary activities, and they can be assigned at any time; logically, one can be assigned after every other worksheet. Several of the activities can be used with, or in place of, the concluding process essay. After all worksheets and reading activities have been completed assign the concluding process essay and complete the class seminar, and while the essay is being composed, students can take the final exam.

Note: this program is for classroom and educational purposes only; contents are copyright protected. All contents may be distributed to your current students as paper copies, or on a password-protected website. Contents may not be posted on the web for public access. Thank you.
Attributions & citations:
Cited passages from Their Eyes Were Watching God are taken from the HarperCollins, Perennial Classics, 1998 hardcover edition.




Table of Contents
Introductory Research Assignment 4
Character Assessment and the Plot Line 5
Reading Worksheets 7-16
Quizzes and Discussion Prompts (A.K.A. Answers keys to reading Worksheets) 18-28
Vocabulary Mastery Activity 29
Vocabulary Study for Reading Worksheets 32-37
Vocabulary Tests 38-43
Vocabulary Test Answer Keys 44-49
Vocabulary Study Crossword Puzzles 50-52
In-Class Writing: Journal Entries, Quick Writes 53-55
Letter from Janie to Teacake 56
Letter from Teacake to Janie 58
Biography paragraphs (Common Core) 60
Essay Prompts and Assignment Handouts 61
Essay Rubric 62
Seminar Prompts 63
Final Exam (Multiple Choice) 65-67
Final Exam Key 68