The Spoon River Anthology

Lesson plan:
1. Post several of the poems (more than the number of students; ideally related poems)  up on the walls around the room.  Have students read all of them and put an X on one they like (so no two students take the same one).  They need to answer on paper the following questions:

• What is my character's story?
• How does he/she feel about what happened?
• What do other characters say about my character?

2.  Each student chooses a picture of a person they think looks like their character as well as pictures of 4-5 items that character might own that they think are special or important in some way.

3.  They take turns to tell the rest of the group about their character, showing and explaining the pictures they chose.  The listeners need to write on small slips of paper what they think the speaker's character's greatest pain is.  they give these papers to the speaker.

4.  Each person takes the papers they received, choose the ones they like best and insert them into a red balloon.  They blow up the balloon with the slips inside.  They go outside and contemplate the pain their character feels.  When they are ready, they pop the balloon and release the pain.

5.  Journal:

• In character: How did you feel after popping the balloon?
• As yourself: Most unhappiness comes from the clash between how you expect life to be and how it actually turns out.  Why exactly is your character unhappy?