Then, you'll work in your groups. The goal today is to research some background information to deepen our understanding of the novel. Your group will focus on:
- Haiti - the earthquake of 2010
- Haiti - voudou culture and practices (especially those named and used by Fabiola)
- Haiti - immigration - policies, practices, challenges
- Detroit - where in the city does the story take place? what role does race play in the story of contemporary Detroit?
- Culture - Kasim takes Fabiola to see the Alvin Ailey dance group - who are they? Why is that significant? Kasim is also listening to J. Dilla in his car - who is that? Why is he significant? What other aspects of Detroit culture appear in the book and what role do they play?
- How should you research these? It's up to you! I recommend starting with where you would typically start - a Google search, a YouTube search, or even Wikipedia.
- Watch videos, read articles, listen to recordings - build your knowledge about the topic.
- Discuss your findings with your group - in what ways does your new knowledge help you to better understand the world of the novel?
- Present your findings in a digital format. I'll give you a quick tutorial about some good ways to use Google Slides - have you ever used the "Explore" button before?
- Share your presentation with me - I will be posting them on the blog.
