Folklore in Zora Neale Hurston's "Their Eyes Were Watching God." [Lesson Plan]

Zora Neale Hurston's work is lively, lyrical, funny, and poignant, but this consummate literary craftsperson was also a first-rate ethnographer, conducting field work for Franz Boas and for the Works Progress Administration (WPA). "Their Eyes Were Watching God," often acclaimed as Hur...

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Bibliographic Details
Format Web Resource
LanguageEnglish
Published For full text: http://edsitement 09.07.2002
Subjects
Black Culture
Class Activities
Curriculum Enrichment
Fiction
Folk Culture
High Schools
Hurston (Zora Neale)
Learning Activities
Lesson Plans
Literary Criticism
Skill Development
Standards for the English Language Arts
Student Educational Objectives
Online AccessGet full text

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Summary:Zora Neale Hurston's work is lively, lyrical, funny, and poignant, but this consummate literary craftsperson was also a first-rate ethnographer, conducting field work for Franz Boas and for the Works Progress Administration (WPA). "Their Eyes Were Watching God," often acclaimed as Hurston's masterpiece, is perhaps the richest beneficiary of her work as a folklorist: its evocation of "picking in the jook joint, playing the dozens, and petitioning root doctors" offers a compelling synthesis of ethnological reality and lively characterization and setting. This lesson plan for grades 9-12 focuses on the way Hurston incorporates, adapts, transforms, and comments on black folklife in "Their Eyes Were Watching God." The lesson plan offers an introduction; cites subject areas, time required, and skills developed; poses a guiding question; lists learning objectives; provides strategies to teach the lesson; suggests diverse classroom activities; presents additional activities to extend the lesson; lists selected Websites; and addresses standards alignment. Folklore terminology and sample worksheets are attached. (NKA)