Hillbilly Elegy Lesson Plan

If all of the elements of this lesson plan are employed, students will develop the following powers, skills, and understanding:

1. 1

   Understand how the memoir utilizes personal narrative to elucidate larger statements about society and the Appalachian/ hillbilly subculture.

2. 2

   Analyze the arguments presented in the memoir about the causes of poverty and lack of economic opportunity among the white working class.

3. 3

   Understand the political context into which the book was released and evaluate its impact on popular culture.

4. 4

   Evaluate the claims in the memoir about the causes of and best responses to societal challenges; formulate and defend one's own positions about the best...