The Year of Magical Thinking Lesson Plan

Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold Part 1

Kind of Activity:

Mixed Media

Objective:

Students will watch a documentary about Joan Didion's life and work.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.9; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.3

Structure:

Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold is a 2017 Netflix documentary about Didion's career, made by her nephew. For today, show the first 45 minutes of the film. Instruct students to take detailed notes while watching the documentary. What do they think about the way Didion's life is presented? How does her voice compare to her voice so far in the book? What do they think about the director's stylistic decisions? Tell...