Benito Cereno Lesson Plan

Just The Facts

Kind of Activity:

Individual Writing

Objective:

Students will learn just how unreliable the narration is by rewriting the shaving scene in order to separate fact from opinion.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.1; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2

Structure:

The shaving scene exemplifies how Captain Delano’s thoughts and feelings strongly influence our perception of the action. In this activity, students will rewrite this scene as an objective reporter.

Students will then list Captain Delano’s assumptions during this scene, and whether these assumptions are supported by the action.

Students will rewrite the section beginning with the line, “Here...