Life of Pi by Yann Martel Novel Study
In this 12-week course, students will read Yann Martel's survival story, Life of Pi, while learning about symbolism, storytelling, and the connections all humans have to relationships, nature, and each other.
Kaitlyn Fischer: Close-Reading Specialist
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What's included
12 live meetings
8 in-class hoursHomework
1-2 hours per week. Students will be asked to complete all of their reading outside of class. If some of our writing work is unfinished after class, students will be asked to complete that work outside of class as well. But the majority of work will be completed in class.Assessment
I am happy to offer essays and other project options for students if they are interested, but it is not a requirement!Grading
Grading - Students will have the opportunity to receive a grade in the form of their choosing. I am happy to provide a grade in the form of a percentage, letter, or both. Grades are NOT required.Class Experience
US Grade 9 - 11
Beginner Level
Come read Life of Pi by Yann Martel! During this course, we will read the celebrated novel, Life of Pi, while discussing the symbolism, character development, and themes. The novel explores the complex relationship that humans have with one another, nature, and animals, in particular. The twists and turns of Pi’s survival story is enough to grip any adventure-seeker or animal lover.
Weeks 1 - 3: Life of Pi Novel Study
- Introduction to Life of Pi
- Introduction to Yann Martel
- Introduction to the Movie
Discussing Elements of Movie-to-Book Adaptations
Week 4 - 6: Life of Pi Novel Study
- Characterization
- Colors, Weather, Animals, Religion, and Culture
- How do These Play a Role in Developing Character
- Developing Claim, Evidence, Warrant in Writing
- Writing Exemplars
Week 7 - 9: Life of Pi Novel Study
- Characterization
- Colors, Weather, Animals, Religion, and Culture
- How do These Play a Role in Developing Character
- Developing Claim, Evidence, Warrant in Writing
- Writing Exemplars
Weeks 10 - 12: Life of Pi Novel Study
- Symbolism, Theme, and Character
- How Authors Develop Characters
- Using Quotes and Evidence to Deepen Understanding
- Interpreting the Ending of the Novel
- Which Story is the Real One?
- Debating the Ending and Defending Arguments
Novel Description:
“The opening of Life of Pi, with its quirky allegorical feel, is pleasing in its gentle and warm-hearted tone. Prefaced with a part fact-part fiction note on how he came upon the story, Martel’s fantastical tale of a 16-year-old-boy’s 227-day odyssey adrift in the Pacific, accompanied by a spotted hyena, a zebra with a broken leg, a female orangutan and a 450lb Royal Bengal Tiger, is dripping in religious lore, zoological history and metaphysical speculation. It is also a spirited and unexpected defense of zoo” (Martel). - Citation Provided Below!
Martel, Yann. Life of Pi: A Novel. Mariner Books, 2001.Learning Goals
- Students will be able to identify the following literary elements: character and character development, genre, plot development and major plot points, symbolism, themes, and more!- Students will engage in discussions and debates with one another as we explore more than just reading comprehension but also the complex decisions the author makes and its cultural and historical connections to the time period.
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created CurriculumStandards
Aligned with Common Core State Standards (CCSS)12 Lessons
over 12 WeeksLesson 1:
Introduction to Life of Pi
Introduction to Life of Pi
- Introduction to Yann Martel
- Introduction to the Movie
- Discussing Elements of Movie-to-Book Adaptations
- Annotating within a Novel 40 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
“Author’s Note”, Chapters 1 - 5
Discussion Topics:
- Characterization
- Colors, Weather, Animals, Religion, and Culture
- How do These Play a Role in Developing Character
Optional Activities:
- Developing Claim, Evidence, Warrant in Writing
- Writing Exemplars
- Annotating within a Novel 40 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Chapters 6 - 19
Discussion Topics: Continued
- Characterization
- Colors, Weather, Animals, Religion, and Culture
- How do These Play a Role in Developing Character
Optional Activities:
- Developing Claim, Evidence, Warrant in Writing
- Writing Exemplars
- Annotating within a Novel 40 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Chapters 20 - 36
Discussion Topics: Continued
- Characterization
- Colors, Weather, Animals, Religion, and Culture
- How do These Play a Role in Developing Character
Optional Activities:
- Developing Claim, Evidence, Warrant in Writing
- Writing Exemplars
- Annotating within a Novel 40 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Here is the Common Sense Media parental reviews for Life of Pi! Let me know if you have any questions about the novels.
- Life of Pi: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/life-of-pi
Supply List
Students will need to purchase the novels and have access to the literature pieces with copyrights. Some of the work we will be working with will be creative commons work or will be out of copyright. These we can access without an issue. All work we complete (the curriculum itself) is developed by me so there is no need to purchase a copyrighted curriculum!
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined January, 2020
5.0
970reviews
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Teacher expertise and credentials
Colorado Teaching Certificate in Secondary Education
I have been teaching professionally for over 5 years in both Missouri and in Colorado. I have been on Outschool since January 2020 and can provide links to classes where I teach the concepts of this semester-long class so you can look through them and look at the reviews to see how other parents and students have reacted to my courses. I am happy to answer any questions that you have! The link below is the link to my semester course which covers Life of Pi as one of its main texts!
- https://outschool.com/classes/high-school-english-life-of-pi-and-then-there-were-none-whonors-option-E4qhysWt?usid=l0R3fRwf&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_linkReviews
Live Group Course
$18
weekly or $210 for 12 classes1x per week, 12 weeks
40 min
Completed by 2 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-16
2-6 learners per class
