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Kindred
by Octavia Butler |
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Short Story Project
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Family Tree Assignment
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Reading Assignments
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Slavery Links Page
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Project Resources
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I. Short Story Project - Write your own
story to be published on the school web site:
fklane.org/.
1. Characters- a.) The main
character should be similar to the character Dana,
from Kindred, a modern person who
travels back in time and to the South from 1800 to
1860.
b.) The other characters
must be from the South from 1800 to 1860.
2. Conflict- The main
character has to have a conflict.
3. Historical details- The
story must show your research on slavery in the USA.
See slavery links for
several good Internet sites. Your story should also
be based on your reading of Kindred, by
Octavia Butler. As you read Kindred take notes
on ideas you could use in your own story. Take notes
on the dangers the main character and the slaves
faced and on other issues such as inter-racial
and family relationships.
(Historical details from pages
189-264- This is a partial list.
living and working conditions of
slaves- pages 37,48,-9, 67, 73, 83, 85, 92, 96, 98-9,
100, 121, 133, 138, 170, 188, 191-3, 202, 210,
211-213, 219, 221-2, 226-7, 230-1, 236-8, 243, 249,
254, 260
medical treatment- pages 66, 78, 138,
146-7, 191, 202-4, 206, 210, 216, 225
clashes of 2 centuries-pages 207, 229,
244
similarities between two centuries-
pages 162, 252
preparation of food- pages 75, 134
famous people- pages 140-1, 143, 177)
4. Setting- a specific place
in the South, a specific time period between 1800 to
1860 and include historically accurate details.
Also the main character comes from the present.
5. Plot and 6. Theme - See
the chart below to help you develop your plot and
theme.
7. Dialogue- Include
dialogue by the characters in your story.
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| Chart to help you write your short
story ( Also see rubric for grading criteria.) |
| Describe your main character |
What conflict does the main character have? |
Circle historic details of the antebellum South you
will use: |
Settings |
Plot - Include these on a separate sheet of paper |
Theme is the point
of the story which could be similar to Kindred . |
CHARACTER NAME:
AGE:
GENDER:
OCCUPATION:
RESIDENCE: (Where
do they live and with whom?)
RELATIONSHIP TO
OTHER CHARACTERS:
PHYSICAL
DESCRIPTION: (What do they look like. Note any unusual
characteristics,
e.g. scars, limp,
nervous tic, identical twin...)
PERSONALITY
TYPE:
WHAT DO THEY WANT?
(What motivates them to act as they do?)
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Circle one and then write what the
character wants and what is preventing them from getting
what they want?
Internal conflict
External conflict with one person
External conflict with many people |
1. The dangers slaves faced by
a) showing intelligence
b) becoming literate
c) sexual refusal
d) rebellion and resistance
e) engaging in interracial relationships
2. Inhumane practices
a) breaking up families
b) physical and mental cruelty
c) segregation
d) poor living conditions
3. Historic contributions to abolishing slavery or
helping slaves escape
a) Harriet Tubman and the efforts to help slaves
escape( the underground railroad)
b) the abolitionists' efforts
c) legal challenges to slavery |
1.Setting in the present -2001
2.
Setting in the Antebellum South:
Year 18__
(no later than 1860)
Circle one place -
Plantation
Rural place
city
town
Give specific descriptive details:
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1.
Title
2.
Point of View: (Who is telling the story: 1st or 3rd
person.)
3. Characters:
Names of major and minor characters. Also give brief
identifying
information. This will
help reveal everyone's motives.
4. Conflict: What
do the other characters want and what is preventing them
from getting what they want?
5. Plot:
(Tell the most important events of the plot here.)
6. Foreshadowing:
(List the clues - objects, information, statements,
symbols used by the
author, hints about
characters.)
7. Climax: (The
turning point.) |
You
could chose one of these or make up your own theme:
1. The main
character takes risks to help others.
2. Characters adapt
to their unfair and harsh existence by -
a. running away.-
(Alice, Isaac, for example)
b. trying to forget-
(Sarah, for example)
c. wearing a mask
or acting as if they accept their harsh life but then
doing what they want-
(Dana, Luke, for
example)
d. Suicide- (Alice,
for example)
3. The difficulties
in family relationships
4. How inter-racial relationships are viewed by others
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II.Family
Tree Assignment How are inter-racial
families part of the history of the USA?
Directions: After reading
the article “Founder
Father and His Family Ties,” and doing a double-entry notebook, fill in the names of
the members of the family tree of Julia Jefferson
Westerinen. Then using the members of your own
family make a family tree. |
III.Reading
assignments-
Hand in on February 12, Tuesday
# Draw what you know to be your
family tree.
#1 Read Kindred, pages 9 to
33. Write what you were thinking about while
reading. This is journal writing. It should
be about one page minimum.
Hand in February 13,
Tuesday
#2 Read Kindred, pages 33-43.
Write 1 journal entry or letter about what happened
on these pages as if you were a character in the
book. Tell what happened in these pages.
Hand in February 25, Monday
#3 Read Kindred, pages 45-57.
Write what you think of Dana's and Keven's relationship.(
13 pages)
Hand in February 25, Monday.
#4 #5, #6 Read Kindred, pages
58-107. Write 3 journal entries or letters about
what happened on these pages as if you were a
character in the book. Tell what happened in
these pages. (50 pages)
Hand in March 4, Monday
#7, #8, #9, #10 Read Kindred,
pages 108 to 188. Write 4 journal entries or letters
about what happened on these pages as if you were a
character in the book. Tell what happened in these
pages. (81 pages)
Hand in March 11, Monday
#11, #12, #13, #14 Read Kindred, pages 189 to 264. Write 4 journal entries or letters
about what happened on these pages as if you were a
character in the book. Tell what happened in these
pages. (86 pages)
IV. Creating a links page on
slavery in the USA Make up your own
page with you favorite links on the topic of
slavery. Links page on slavery in the USA due March
1, Friday
- Step 1- Go to
nicenet.org and find the link on slavery in
the USA or click here.
- Step 2- Click on
each link on this page and look for
information of interest to you on the topic
of slavery in the USA.
- Step 3- When you
find pages you want to read more about you
may print one copy to read further at another
time.
- Step 4- Creating
a favorite links page.
a) Type or write
out the link.
b) Give a
summary of what the link is about.
c) Write if it
is a primary or secondary source. (Primary means it is a letter, journal,
transcript of someone's spoken words, or
writing from someone with direct
experience. Secondary is the writings
of someone who has read primary sources
and is interpreting them.)
d) Write why you recommend this link for someone who wants to
know more about slavery in the USA.
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| V. Rubric
For Short Story |
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Beginning |
Developing |
Accomplished |
Exemplary |
| Plot |
incomplete |
complete |
interesting |
fascinating |
| characters |
not clear who they are |
clear who they are |
stand out |
seem realistic |
| historical details and accuracy |
very few details of antebellum South |
accurate details of antebellum South |
good use of details of antebellum South |
excellent use of details of antebellum South |
| theme |
not apparent |
vague |
clear |
very clear |
| dialogue |
none |
used but inadequate |
used well |
used very well |
| conflict |
not clear |
clear |
very clear |
well done |
| point of view |
not used consistently |
mostly consistent |
consistent |
well done |
| setting |
not apparent |
vague |
clear |
very clear |
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