She wore a dark striped dress reaching down to her shoe tops, and an equally long apron with a full pocket filled with observation slips: all neat and tidy, but every time she took a look at the objective on the board, she looked straight ahead, ready to make a negative mark. But the teacher’s “A Worn Path” lesson plan on theme was so good, that she could find nothing negative to write.
I have an actual copy of that “Worn Path” Theme Lesson Plan I’d like to share with you. Actually, I already have. Just click the link and download it.
If you came for the lesson plan, there’s really no need to keep reading. I did, however, add an item or two of interest if you can tear yourself away from binge-watching Netflix.
Notes on Theme
Check out the entire unit.
Students should be familiar with the following information for your theme lesson plan to be effective:
- Theme is the central idea or message in a literary work. It is an observation about human life.
- Themes are rarely stated directly. They must be inferred.
- The theme is revealed by the way characters change in a story, conflicts in the story, and statements made by the narrator or characters.
- Understanding theme involves understanding plot, characters, and setting.
Strategies for Teaching Theme
- Discuss Plot by analyzing cause and effect and identifying major and minor conflicts.
- Example: The primary conflict involves Phoenix Jackson trying to save her grandson. We don’t learn about this until the end of the story.
- Analyze character motivation by noting which characters are dynamic and which ones are static. Look for evidence regarding character motives. Evaluate the character’s personality.
- Example: Jackson is motivated by the love of her grandson.
- Visualize setting by evaluating what effect the setting has on the characters and on the mood of the story.
- Example: The trail and the city post different types of challenges to the protagonist.
Themes in “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty
Here’s another kind of path. Check out this free lesson plan for Dead Man’s Path. Click the pic to see the entire unit.
Here are some themes you may wish to discuss.
- The Power of Perseverance. Phoenix’s tireless commitment to make this journey every month demonstrates what determination and love can help one accomplish.
- Love as a Powerful Motivator. Throughout the story, the reader wonders why Phoenix Jackson would make this journey. Then we discover, at the end, that she does so monthly. Then we discover, also at the end, that she does it to help her grandson.
- Versions of Reality. Altered reality is symbolic. Jackson experiences life as a poor, old, black woman in the Deep South, which is a very specific experience, distinct from those of say, white people or people with money. Phoenix faces certain obstacles because of her age, race, gender, and class that others of different ages, races, or genders might not face or might face in different ways.
- Being the Outsider. Phoenix is the outsider in many ways. One includes her rural way of life. Once she arrives into town, she realizes rural ways won’t cut it in the big city. Racism is only one of the many –isms Phoenix is up against. There’s also ageism, classism, and you could even make a case for sexism. Most of the characters seem to problematize her age and poverty more so than her race, but when the hunter (the most threatening character) appears in the story, there is a confrontation centering on race.
“A Worn Path” Resources
There’s some stuff online that might help whether you’re teaching online or in person.
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