Overview

This geography-centered lesson allows students to create a visual representation of Celie's world. Students will also learn the significance of those places to the history of the United States.

Objectives

Students will:

• Map areas significant to the novel.
• Understand the historical significance of those locations.
• Synthesize previous knowledge about the Trans-Atlantic slave trade into this mapping activity.

Skills Attained

Students will be able to:

• Read maps and locate geographic areas.
• Analyze the role of geography in the plot of a fictional work.

Time Required

Approximately one half of a traditional class period.

Materials Needed

• The Color Purple novel
• Copies of world history/U.S. history textbooks (students should bring their own)
• Maps of North America w/Georgia inset, Europe, and Africa
• Map activity handout
• Colored pencils/markers

The Lesson

Anticipatory Set

Ask students to recall places of importance to Alice Walker from their previous research. You will synthesize answers to this question after students have given appropriate responses. Then, distribute maps of the areas discussed in the novel to students and thoroughly review the places on the maps. (Please don't assume your students will be able to read a map or know where these places are.)

Procedures

1. Have students look up the sites on their map handout (below) to familiarize themselves with the various settings in the book.



2. Ask students to find information about the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and the Triangular Trade Route in their U.S. or world history textbooks.



3. Distribute the activity handouts below to students. They should complete the activity--the handouts include several open-ended questions about the inferences students draw from the information they gather--individually or in small-groups according to your discretion. Then, reconvene with the students to discuss their findings.



4. If you decide to collect and grade the assignment, be sure you return the worksheets quickly so students may refer to it in subsequent activities and while reading the text.



5. Remind students that they should start reading Chapters 1-47. If you have extra time at the end of class, students can begin reading in class.

Assessment

Grading Criteria for Handout	Grading Criteria for Handout
Answers are factually correct.	30%
Answers show evidence of the student having reflected on their research.	30%
Answers show evidence of the student's ability to analyze relevance of geography on the plot of the novel.	40%

This lesson was written by ReBecca Hostler, a teacher at Centennial High School in Roswell, Georgia.

1. Using a social studies text or atlas, locate the following places on the map at left. These places are of importance to the plot in The Color Purple.


• Monticello, Georgia
• Gray, Georgia
• Eatonton, Georgia
• Macon, Georgia
• Senegal
• Liberia
• Southampton, England
• Lisbon, Portugal


2. On your own world map, draw a line connecting Georgia to Southampton, England, and Senegal. Answer the following question using your social studies text.
   
   What was the Triangular Trade Route?
   
   _______________________________________________________________
   
   _______________________________________________________________
   
   _______________________________________________________________
   
   What relevance might this have to the plot of The Color Purple?
   
   _______________________________________________________________
   
   _______________________________________________________________
   
   _______________________________________________________________

View this page as a printable Adobe PDF file.