The Pearl by John Steinbeck

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The Pearlby John Steinbeck
CYBERLESSON
A novella based on an old Mexican folktale
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Introduction

• "In the town they tell the story of the great
  pearl -- how it was found and how it was lost
  again. They tell of Kino the fisherman, and of
  his wife Juana, and of the baby, Coyotito. And
  because the story has been told so often, it has
  taken root in every man's mind. And, as with all
  retold tales that are in people's hearts, there
  are only good and bad things and black and white
  things and no in-between anywhere. If this story
  is a parable, perhaps everyone takes his own
  meaning from it and reads his own life into
  it.So writes John Steinbeck in The Pearl. As
  you read the novella, think about Steinbecks
  introduction. What meaning do you take from this
  story?

What makes this story a parable? What is
Steinbecks message? What does this story mean to
me?
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Resources and Materials

• Laptop computers (from mobile cart)
• Pen or pencil
• Notebooks
• Colored pencils
• Drawing paper

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BEFORE READING
(Building background knowledge )
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• Before Reading Activity
• This activity is structured to help you begin to
  interpret some of the symbols in Steinbeck's
  retelling of an old Mexican folktale. You have
  been assigned one of the following symbols
• Pearl
• Scorpion
• Ocean
• Canoe
• Village
• Storm

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• SYMBOL A person, a place, an object or an
  action that stands for something beyond itself.
• A dove is a bird, but might symbolize peace. A
  black crow circling overhead is a bird flying,
  but might symbolize danger to come. Symbols are
  everywhere in our daily lives human beings
  require symbols for self-expression (in clothing,
  music, speech, politics). Symbolism is
  universal. As in all parables, The Pearl offers
  much symbolism.

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• Be prepared to
• Discuss the possibilities with others who have
  studied the same symbol.
• Illustrate your interpretation of the symbol for
  display.
• Bring these ideas to your reading of The Pearl.

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• Process
• (1) Locate the picture of your symbol on the
  following slides.
• (2) Click on that image. This will link you to
  information on your symbol.
• (3) Read through some, or all, of the text.
• (4) As you read, in your notebook on a t-chart
  record facts you feel are relevant.
• (5) Review the information you recorded and offer
  some interpretations in other words, what does
  this symbol stand for?
• (6) See the next slide for a sample T-chart.

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PEARL
Literal meanings
Symbolic meanings
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• Images of symbols from The Pearl appear on the
  next few slides. Click on the slide that
  corresponds to your selected symbol.

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Scorpion
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Pearl
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Ocean
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Canoe
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Village
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Storm
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Discuss Ideas!

• Group with others who share the same symbol as
  you to compare ideas. Predict how this might fit
  into the story.
• As a small group, develop a list of possible
  symbolic meanings.

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Draw Your Symbol

• Materials
• White paper
• Colored pencils or crayons

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Fishbowl Discussion

• One student from each symbol group will take
  part in a fishbowl discussion.
• The discussion participants will bring their
  groups ideas to this bigger discussion.
• Students in the outside circle will listen
  attentively.
• After about ten minutes, students in the outside
  circle will have the opportunity to add questions
  and comments to the discussion through notes
  passed to the fishbowl.

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AcknowledgmentsInformation, images and links for
this activity are courtesy of the following
websites

• Images
• http//socrates.berkeley.edu7001/Gallery/castella
  nos/thumbnails/orangemountains.jpg
• http//yogateacher.com/text/retreats/mxraja/frontp
  age.html
• http//www.desertusa.com/oct96/du_scorpion.html
• http//www1.istockphoto.com
• www.corbis.com
• http//pearlsandjade.com/akoya_pearl.asp
• www. magickcanoe.com
• http//www.hickerphoto.com/data/media/171/ocean_wa
  ves_photos_t1504.jpg
• http//palimpsest.typepad.com/photos/sun_moon_star
  s/twilight.jpg
• http//downtheroad.org/Publishing/1TheRoadnoEnd/Im
  ages_Filesb/a11Nicaragua/beachhouse.JPG
• http//sugarmtnfarm.com/blog/uploaded_images/NHRed
  Rooster-791982.jpg
• http//earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NasaNews
  /ReleaseImages/20050111/02_thunderstorm_night.jpg
• http//www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/teens/images/s
  chool_270.jpg
• http//www.pwcgov.org/ImgLibrary/small/002454.jpg
• Reference
• http//www.desertusa.com/oct96/du_scorpion.html