Nervous Conditions
by Tsitsi Dangarembga
DRAFT
Amy Ambrosio, SEIS
Carol Dennis, Lincoln High School
Kelly Gomes, Madison High School
Henise Telles-Ferreira, SEIS
June 2007
Portland Public Schools
0
, Nervous Conditions
Table of Contents
Introduction and Rationale 2
Criteria and Standards 4
Calendar 6
Opening Acts
Cultural Conflict Supplemental/Secondary Readings 7
Glossary of Non-English Terms 8
Vocabulary List by Chapter & Suggested Vocabulary Activities 9
Concept Mapping 12
Timeline Activity 14
Tea Party & List of Characters 19
Main Stage
Guiding Questions 25
Journal Prompts 27
Important Quotations for Analysis, Connections, & Exploration 28
Dialogue Journal 30
Character & Culture Character Silhouettes 32
Closing Acts
Comparative Literary Analysis Prompt & Criteria Sheet 34
Comparative Essay Format Options 35
Venn Diagram 36
Literary Analysis Introductions 37
Embedding & Analyzing Quotes 40
Transitions 45
Literary Analysis Conclusions 46
Revising Expository Essays 48
Socratic Seminar 49
Additional Teacher Resources
Maps 58
History of Zimbabwe 60
Resources for Educators 62
1
, Introduction and Rationale
Tambu, the young female narrator of Nervous Conditions, explains, “I was not sorry when my brother
died.” This dramatic proclamation introduces a story of intense and thought-provoking situations.
Tambu lives in Zimbabwe where the strict, patriarchal traditions of her own culture combined with the
oppressive forces of British colonial education, force Tambu into a sort of limbo. This story provides a
multi-cultural perspective on colonialism.
Through this novel and additional short works, students will engage in inquiry around the following
questions:
Essential Questions
How does one’s culture contribute to or constrain who they are as a person?
What is the relationship between an individual & the society in which he/she lives?
How does the experience of colonialism/globalization shape the psychology of the colonized?
What is culture?
What sustains a culture (labor, language, socialization, gender roles, spirituality, traditions)?
Enduring Understandings
Students will understand that…
The relationship between an individual and his/her culture is a complex one that impacts who the
individual becomes and how he/she views the world.
Culture is a way of life that includes attitudes, behaviors, artifacts, language, traditions,
socializations and family systems, political systems, and labor (each classroom will determine a
working definition of culture).
Colonization impacts not only economic and political aspects of a culture but also the psychology
of the colonized people.
In addition to these understandings, students will complete a comparative literary analysis in response to
the following prompt:
Using one or more literary works, compare the conflicts of two characters within the context of
his/her society or culture as it pertains to one of the following themes: cultural encounters;
oppression, resistance, and social action; diversity and tolerance; or making sense of one’s world.
Use textual evidence to support your thinking.
Teaching Hints & Notes
It is possible to teach this prompt using only short works, or using a combination of short works
and the novel. The prompt has been designed so that students can choose any two characters,
even if they are from within the same text.
Some short works that are readily available and may fit with this prompt are:
“Two Kinds” by Amy Tan Holt Fourth Course, page 124
“Housepainting” by Lan Samantha Chang Holt Fourth Course, page 638
“By Any Other Name” by Santha Rama Rau Holt Fourth Course, page 138
“Marriage is a Private Affair” by Chinua Achebe
http://www.is.wayne.edu/mnissani/2030/marriage.HTM
2
, In addition, the Additional Resources section of this guide contains a list of films and web resources.
Nervous Conditions is a text that is appropriate for students reading at or above grade level. Its
lexile level is 1100 and it is dense with vocabulary opportunities. A glossary of non-English
words and a vocabulary list by chapter have been provided. We have made some suggestions as
to different ways of approaching the vocabulary building during reading, but even so, we believe
students reading below grade level and those learning English will need more extensive support
and scaffolding if the entire text is to be read.
3
by Tsitsi Dangarembga
DRAFT
Amy Ambrosio, SEIS
Carol Dennis, Lincoln High School
Kelly Gomes, Madison High School
Henise Telles-Ferreira, SEIS
June 2007
Portland Public Schools
0
, Nervous Conditions
Table of Contents
Introduction and Rationale 2
Criteria and Standards 4
Calendar 6
Opening Acts
Cultural Conflict Supplemental/Secondary Readings 7
Glossary of Non-English Terms 8
Vocabulary List by Chapter & Suggested Vocabulary Activities 9
Concept Mapping 12
Timeline Activity 14
Tea Party & List of Characters 19
Main Stage
Guiding Questions 25
Journal Prompts 27
Important Quotations for Analysis, Connections, & Exploration 28
Dialogue Journal 30
Character & Culture Character Silhouettes 32
Closing Acts
Comparative Literary Analysis Prompt & Criteria Sheet 34
Comparative Essay Format Options 35
Venn Diagram 36
Literary Analysis Introductions 37
Embedding & Analyzing Quotes 40
Transitions 45
Literary Analysis Conclusions 46
Revising Expository Essays 48
Socratic Seminar 49
Additional Teacher Resources
Maps 58
History of Zimbabwe 60
Resources for Educators 62
1
, Introduction and Rationale
Tambu, the young female narrator of Nervous Conditions, explains, “I was not sorry when my brother
died.” This dramatic proclamation introduces a story of intense and thought-provoking situations.
Tambu lives in Zimbabwe where the strict, patriarchal traditions of her own culture combined with the
oppressive forces of British colonial education, force Tambu into a sort of limbo. This story provides a
multi-cultural perspective on colonialism.
Through this novel and additional short works, students will engage in inquiry around the following
questions:
Essential Questions
How does one’s culture contribute to or constrain who they are as a person?
What is the relationship between an individual & the society in which he/she lives?
How does the experience of colonialism/globalization shape the psychology of the colonized?
What is culture?
What sustains a culture (labor, language, socialization, gender roles, spirituality, traditions)?
Enduring Understandings
Students will understand that…
The relationship between an individual and his/her culture is a complex one that impacts who the
individual becomes and how he/she views the world.
Culture is a way of life that includes attitudes, behaviors, artifacts, language, traditions,
socializations and family systems, political systems, and labor (each classroom will determine a
working definition of culture).
Colonization impacts not only economic and political aspects of a culture but also the psychology
of the colonized people.
In addition to these understandings, students will complete a comparative literary analysis in response to
the following prompt:
Using one or more literary works, compare the conflicts of two characters within the context of
his/her society or culture as it pertains to one of the following themes: cultural encounters;
oppression, resistance, and social action; diversity and tolerance; or making sense of one’s world.
Use textual evidence to support your thinking.
Teaching Hints & Notes
It is possible to teach this prompt using only short works, or using a combination of short works
and the novel. The prompt has been designed so that students can choose any two characters,
even if they are from within the same text.
Some short works that are readily available and may fit with this prompt are:
“Two Kinds” by Amy Tan Holt Fourth Course, page 124
“Housepainting” by Lan Samantha Chang Holt Fourth Course, page 638
“By Any Other Name” by Santha Rama Rau Holt Fourth Course, page 138
“Marriage is a Private Affair” by Chinua Achebe
http://www.is.wayne.edu/mnissani/2030/marriage.HTM
2
, In addition, the Additional Resources section of this guide contains a list of films and web resources.
Nervous Conditions is a text that is appropriate for students reading at or above grade level. Its
lexile level is 1100 and it is dense with vocabulary opportunities. A glossary of non-English
words and a vocabulary list by chapter have been provided. We have made some suggestions as
to different ways of approaching the vocabulary building during reading, but even so, we believe
students reading below grade level and those learning English will need more extensive support
and scaffolding if the entire text is to be read.
3
