Suggested Activities and Lesson Plans: English-Language Arts Grades 9-12
The following suggested activities and lesson plans complement a close and careful reading of David Mas Masumoto’s Epitaph for a Peach from a thematic perspective by incorporating English-Language Arts Content Standards for grades 9-12.
Theme: The Value of Wildness
Activity 1: Listening to Nature (Grades 9-12) Stimulate active reading by having students keep a “Reading Log” for recording their thoughts, impressions, questions as they proceed through the book. The following passage from Walden, as well as the questions for shared inquiry, are meant to stimulate an internal dialogue between reader and text as well as in collaboration with other students. Students are encouraged to write thoughtful responses in their Reading Logs in response to the questions given and then to participate in small group discussions. In Walden by Henry David Thoreau, the author suggests that “in wildness is the preservation of the world.” Trace the concept of wildness in Chapters 1-5 of Epitaph for a Peach. Questions for Shared Inquiry: What lessons does Masumoto suggest humans can learn from participating with nature? What is suggested by the sentence “in the process of exploring the landscape I discover a little more of who I am” (19)? Why does he state that “babies and planting seeds: they demand that you believe in the magic and mystery of life”(9)? What do “wildflowers” symbolize for his wife? When does Masumoto suggest is a good time and justification to use pesticides as “weapons against weeds” (30)? Also see pages 40-43; 48-54. Why does “allowing weeds to take over” allow for a change in perspective regarding human participation with the “life and energy” of the earth (32)? According to Masumoto what is gained from living with the natural rhythms and cycles of the soil? Why does the author farm with chaos? What does he mean by stating that “seasoned farmers are already experts at chaos” (37)? In what ways does the “dark earth nurture” Masumoto’s “soul with meaning” (56)? How does the act of walking become a process of discovery? Why does “the true green of a field have depth” (58) according to Masumoto? What is the significance of finding five worms on his peaches? Why is the “farm . . . never far away from [his] family” (63)? List the lessons that his daughter Nikiko teaches her father about farming and about life. What do the Japanese say about the “power of bamboo” (66)? How does listening to the sounds of nature and seeing the wind help Masumoto accept nature on its own terms? Activity 2: Springing Forth (Grades 9-12) Once students have completed activity one above assign segments titled “Sounds,” “Spring” and “Bean Field” from Thoreau’s Walden. Have students write a 1,500 word comparative essay in which they evaluate the
literary content, style of writing, and word choice, as well as the philosophical arguments used by the authors to develop their perspectives. These comparative essays should demonstrate the student’s ability to support ideas and interpretations by referring and correctly citing specific passages from the texts as primary sources of information. Recommended Literature: Call of the Wild. Jack London, 1969. Harvest Son: Planting Roots in American Soil. David Mas Masumoto, 1998. Letters to the Valley: A Harvest of Memories David Mas Masumoto, 2004. The Lonely Land. Sigurd F. Olson, 1961. My First Summer in the Sierra. John Muir, 1987. The Mountains of California. John Muir, 1961. Never Cry Wolf. Farley Mowat, 1988. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. Annie Dillard. Walden. Henry David Thoreau, 1991. Themes: Rites of Passage and Transition Activity 1: Life Metaphors In Chapter Six “Summer Work” Masumoto uses the art of summer “pruning” as a metaphor to describe his soul-filled life as a farmer as well as a way in which he cultivates the aliveness of his trees and vines. He states “ I can shape a tree in summer and not only encourage growth near the ground but become a bonsai artist, a sculptor. . . .I too labor” to “free the souls of my trees and vines” (75-76). Have students think of a metaphor or analogy that describes their life journey thus far. Do they see themselves as artists who craft the world around them to create the shape and form of their lives or does the world shape them? Students write poetry and prose using metaphors of life to depict the continuation and changes of their own life experience. Activity 2: Art for Art’s Sake (Grades 10-12) Have students experiment with forms of Japanese poetry (Haiku & Tanka), drama (Noh), or research painting in Japanese style (yamato’e) and the art and horticultural practice of Bonsai. Once these explorations have commenced, introduce the concept of “aesthetics” in relation to what students find the most beautiful and pleasing in the literature and art of Japan. Does a sense of beauty change through time as a person grows and matures? Can art and literature reflect these transitions? What do they find most beautiful in their own lives? For Masumoto the art of farming is art for “the sake of art” (79). Is the belief in “art for art’s sake” a valid description of the student’s life? Why or why not? Students write a 1,500-word essay that discusses these questions as they relate to a particular poem or work of art. Activity 3: Conflicted over Mildew (Grades 9-10) In the section titled “Babies and Mildew” Masumoto presents a moral dilemma. He confesses that he plans “to use a chemical on some of [his] grapes to kill mildew” (80). The practice will allow him to spend more time with his family but it “contradicts” his “belief in natural farming.” Students carefully read pages 80 –82 and evaluate the pros and cons of using chemicals that Masumoto offers his reader. Why is using sulfur a problem? What harmful effects does mildew have on his grapes? What is the significance of his daughter Nikiko asking “Daddy, why do you always smell like sulfur?” (81). Once students have discussed this passage, have them reflect on a time in their own lives when they faced a moral dilemma or paradox. Next, students write a short story about a character or characters that face an important challenge to overcome. The stories should contain the formal elements of narration (e.g. characterization, theme, setting, plot, point of view) and should communicate the significance of the story in relation to the lessons learned from the challenge or dilemma and how it changed the life of the character(s) forever.
Recommended Literature: Art Attack: A Short Cultural History of Avant-Garde. Marc Aronson, 1998. Artists: From Michelangelo to Maya. Ammie G. Ergas, 1995. Essential Haiku: Versions of Basho, Buson, and Issa. Robert Hass (editor), 1994. From One Experience to Another. Jerry M. Reiss (editor), 1997. Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art. Jan Greenberg, 2001. June Jordan’s Poetry for the People: A Revolutionary Blueprint, 1995. Novemberland: Selected Poems, 1956-1993. Gunter Grass, 1996. The Pain Tree and Other Teenage Angst Ridden Poetry. Mark Todd and Esther Pearl Watson (editors), 2000. This Same Sky: A Collection of Poems from Around the World. Naomi Shihab Nye, 1992. Themes: Inheritance of Intergenerational Knowledge and Discovery Activity 1: Family Meals (Grades 9-12) On pages 84-87 Masumoto describes meals around the farm as a “centerpiece” of family values and compares and contrasts the gifts given by the two family matriarchs: Marcy’s Grandma Rose reminds me of my Baachan. Both surviving family matriarchs have outlived their spouses by decades, continue to value hard work, and remain deeply spiritual and physically strong. . . .Grandma Rose comes to life in the planning and serving of family dinners. (84) Grandma Rose becomes a symbol for homespun cooking and the affirmation of “family strength” (85) achieved by offering grace before each meal. In contrast, the Masumoto “peasant stock” as portrayed by his Baachan reflects the importance of “washing the rice” or taking responsibility for assembling the family around the dinner table: She would rinse and drain uncooked rice (originally to remove dirt and talc) and set it aside to soak for hours before cooking. Taking responsibility for the rice also served as Baachan’s method of assembling the family. I remember that when I was a teenager, she’d survey every family member to ask who would be at dinner. Her excuse was that she needed to determine how much rice to wash; I believe it was really her strategy for gathering the family for a meal. (86). After reading Chapter 7, discuss the statement made by Masumoto that “not only is food part of their livelihood, it carries special significance: a communion with family” in regards to the family matriarchs (87). Why is gathering family together for a meal so important? What do family meals signify? How might sharing a meal allow family traditions to be passed on from one generation to the next? Divide students into small groups. Have them share their own family traditions in relationship to the foods prepared and served as well as the role of family matriarchs in bringing family members together around the dinner table during holidays or special occasions. What similarities and differences are observed? Next, students write autobiographical descriptions of their own grandmothers or respected female elders. These descriptions should relate a sequence of important events and their significance along with specific scenes. Be sure students give concrete sensory details of actions, movements, gestures and inner perceptions so that the audience may grasp the female matriarch’s relevance to the author. Allow time for peer review and editing to strengthen the descriptions through a succession of drafts and revisions. Activity 2: Intergenerational Family Legacies (Grades 9-12) Have students discuss the inheritance of family legacies in their own lives. What family values, work ethics and family rituals are still practiced? What daily activities do their families participate in? What memories of childhood to they cherish or abhor? In what ways are the students “veterans at being a family” (99) as Masumoto suggests about his own family legacy? Which family traditions do they want to pass on to the next generation? Which traditions would they change or do away with? Why? Once the students have discussed these issues thoroughly, have them carefully read and re-read pages 88 to 102
from Epitaph for a Peach. Next, students are required to generate between five to ten interpretive questions to ask their classmates to discuss and synthesize in relation to a shared comprehension of the text. Have students trace and analyze any universal themes they detect in the work by comparing and contrasting Epitaph for a Peach to other literary works that relate family legacies across genres (e.g. poetry, short story, novel, memoirs), as well as the author’s intent and the corresponding content of each piece. Students then write a 1,500 word expository critique that evaluates and examines the effectiveness of the author’s literary presentation based on the way in which the author’s intent affects the structure and tone of the literary work(s) under study. Activity 3: A Mirror Held up to Shakespeare (Grades 11-12) On pages 104 to 110 of Epitaph for a Peach, author David Mas Masumoto relates the legacy of family tragedies and triumphs that have “ensue[d] from a tangle of human nature and inheritance” (104). These legacies that have been passed down in his farm family include the Japanese tradition of land ownership and expectations for inheritance and the painful experience of family members being relocated from Fresno, California to Arizona and interned during World War II. After reading this section of the text, assign students to read other grade appropriate fictional and non-fictional accounts of Japanese American internment. Next, discuss the major dramatic differences between tragedy and comedy as represented by Shakespeare in several of his tragedy plays including King Lear, Hamlet, Macbeth. Have students contrast Shakespeare’s tragedies to his romantic comedies including Cymbeline, Winter’s Tale, and The Tempest. How are family tragedies and triumphs portrayed in these plays? How are familial and societal injustices presented and rectified in the dramatic contexts provided by Shakespeare? What role does social and personal accountability and forgiveness play? Compare and contrast how human nature is presented in Shakespeare’s plays and portrayals of Japanese American internment. Are the “life histories of shattered dreams” as depicted in drama and in true to life accounts similar? Why or why not? What are the distinct differences noticed in literary conventions and devices, in narrative form, style and content? Students are encouraged to write a 1,500 word literary interpretation of one of Shakespeare’s plays in relation to how human tragedy and triumph is portrayed as well as the dramatic conventions used to bear witness to moments of human cruelty, betrayal and the strength of the human spirit to persevere. Recommended Literature: An Hour Before Daylight: Memories of a Rural Boyhood. Jimmy Carter, 2001. And Justice for All: An Oral History of the Japanese American Detention Camps. John Tateishi, 1999. Animal Dreams. Barbara Kingsolver, 1990. Citizen 13660. Mine Okubo, 1983. Desert Exile: The Uprooting of a Japanese American Family. Yoshika Uchida, 1982. Farewell to Manzanar. James and Jeanne W. Houston, 1983. The Floating World. Cynthia Kadohata, 1991. Four Immigrants Manga: A Japanese Experience in San Francisco. Henry Yoshitaka Kiyama, 1999. Growing Up Asian American. Marla Hong (editor), 1993. Growing Up Ethnic in America: Contemporary Fiction about Learning to be American. Maria Gillan (editor), 1999. Hamlet. William Shakespeare, 1995. House on Mango Street. Sandra Cisneros, 1991. In the Heart of the Country. J. M. Coetzee, 1982. King Lear. William Shakespeare, 1999. The Land I Lost: Adventures of a Boy in Vietnam.Quang Nhuong, 1982. Obasan. Joy Kogawa, 1994. Navajo: Visions and Voices Across the Mesa. Shonto Begay, 1995. A Place Where the Sea Remembers. Sandra Benitez, 1993. Rashomon and Other Stories. Ryunosuke Akutagawa, 1952. Shaking the Pumpkin: Traditional Poetry of the Indian North Americas. Jerome Rothberg, 1991.
Snow Falling on Cedar. David Guterson, 1994. Tales from Shakespeare. Charles and Mary Lamb, 1995. Without Names: A Collection of Poems by Bay Area Pilipino American Writers. Shirley Ancheta (editor), 1985. The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts. Maxine Hong Kingston, 1976. A Yellow Raft in Blue Water. Michael Dorris, 1995. Theme: Sacredness of Place Activity 1: Ritual Harvests (Grades 9-12) David Mas Masumoto describes the annual Japanese festival of Obon ritually held during the harvest months to honor ancestors. Once students have read and discussed pages 116-130 (Chapter 9), have them research their own familial/cultural rituals past and present and the corresponding folklore that honors the ancestors as well as a marking the abundance and renewal of the natural world (e.g. Celtic Samhain or Halloween, Homowo Festival in Ghana, Harvest Moon Festival in China, Chu Suk in Korea, Holi in India). What similarities and differences are noted? What is the significance of Harvest Rituals the world over? Why is harvest-time celebrated and revered by so many cultures? What is the connection between human societies and nature? Why is nature such a vital part of ancient harvest traditions? Students may select to write a personal memoir that captures the significance of a special feast or ritual traditionally shared by their family to celebrate important days or life events. What themes and details emerge? Are the presence of ancestors an important aspect? Students are encouraged to share and compare their memoirs with others in relation to Masumoto’s depictions of the Obon ceremony on pages 128-130. Alternatively have students keep a detailed daily log as Masumoto does in Chapter 10 pages 138-152 that records their thoughts, feelings, dreams, observations and insights. What are they most thankful for? What events or activities do they participate in? What role does the natural world play in the success or failure of their daily lives? Compare and contrast student daily entries to Masumoto’s by noting significant similarities and differences in subject, content and style of writing. Activity 2: Comparative Values (Grades 11-12) After reading Chapters 11 & 12 of Epitaph for a Peach, have students research cross-cultural values regarding human relationships to the natural environment where they reside. Discuss how certain community-based cultures listen closely to the rhythms of the natural world for their very survival while other more industrialized societies tend to ignore the subtle nuances of nature, relying instead on human-made inventions. Discuss these comparative values in regards to the strengths and weaknesses of the following broad principles: Holistic Importance of others/ community Individual accomplishments balanced with humility and interdependence Natural world is infused with spirit and aliveness Spiritual beliefs prevail Human responsibility to nature to assure community and the earth’s well being. versus Linear Importance of the self/individual Individual accomplishments magnified and compared Natural world is void of spirit Emphasis on science/technology Human responsibility to selfdevelopment. Nature is to be controlled and manipulated for human needs.
Which philosophical view is presented in Epitaph for a Peach? Is obtaining a balance between human needs and the needs of nature possible? Why or why not? What are Masumoto’s view? Does organic farming offer a valid middle ground between the needs of the earth and the needs of the consumer? What is the legacy of your community in relation to preserving or using the natural resources where you live? Contrast Masumoto’s perspective to your own by citing specific textual examples from pages 160 to 181 of the book. Activity 3: Touchstones of the Past (Grades 10-12) David Mas Masumoto writes in Epitaph for a Peach that: the world of nature and human nature are my teachers, showing and not telling me the secrets of the wild and sacred. From my porch deck I sail into a new world. Discoveries loom in the fog, opportunities inhabit this wilderness. It is a sacred place for myself and my family because I can call this farm home. (198) Have students conduct a cross-cultural literature review of ancient mythology as well as contemporary literature (in both narrative and verse form) by and about Native Americans and others to locate references about the sacredness of place. Compare and contrast these writings to Chapter 13 through 16 paying particular attention to “farming with ghosts” on pages 195 to 210 of Epitaph for a Peach. In what ways do the descriptions of particular places held sacred serve as “touchstones to the past” (Masumoto 210) that connect human cultures to the natural world? Once students have discussed their findings have them write a 1,500 word autobiographical essay describing whether or not they share similar views about a place they once lived or still reside where memories of the past and present serve to connect them to nature. Students may also wish to analyze their research findings in relation to the historical context and philosophical concepts of Transcendentalism as expressed by writers during the American Renaissance period in American letters. Writings by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), and Margaret Fuller (1810-1850), as well as many others that describe the idea of an “OverSoul” that permeates the natural world provides the necessary foundation. Additionally, the poetry and prose of English Romantics such as William and Dorothy Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and John Keats may be useful. Require students to evaluate the rhetorical devices used by the authors and whether or not they appeal to logos, ethos or pathos as a method for persuading their audience. Alternatively, students write an original poem using vivid imagery, figurative language, allegory, symbolism, mood, tone, and other literary devices to depict their experiences of a special place in nature. The class can compile and edit a “collection” of poems about the sacredness of place. Recommended Literature: Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux. John G. Neihardt. Book of the Hopi. Frank Waters. Ceremony. Leslie Marmon Silko. Favorite Folk Tales from Around the World. Jane Yolen (editor). Four Seasons in Five Senses: Things Worth Savoring. David Mas Masumoto, 2003. House Made of Dawn. N. Scott Momaday. I Become Part of It: Sacred Dimensions in Native American Life. D. M. Dooling and Paul Jordan-Smith (editors). The Inland Whale: Nine Stories Retold from California Indian Legends. Theodora Kroeber. In the Trail of the Wind: American Indian Poems and Ritual Orations. John Bierhorst (editor). Letters to the Valley: A Harvest of Memories. David Mas Masumoto, 2004. The Lightning Within: an Anthology of Contemporary American Indian Fiction. Alan R. Velie (editor) Man Who Killed the Deer: A Novel of Pueblo Indian Life. Frank Waters. The Morning the Sun Went Down. Darryl Babe Wilson. Mythology. Edith Hamilton.
Myths and Legends of China and Japan. Donald A. Mackenzie. North American Legends. Virginia Haviland Seasons of Splendor: Tales, Myths and Legends from India. Madhur Jaffrey. Practical Gods. Carl Dennis, 2001. Selected Essays. Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1982. Sisters of the Earth. Lorraine Anderson (editor). Spider Woman’s Granddaughters: Traditional Tales and Contemporary Writing by Native American Women. Paula Gunn Allen. Tales from the Roof of the World: Folktales of Tibet. Gioi Timpanelli. Tales for the Telling: Irish Folk and Fairy Stories. Edna O’Brien. Teachings from the American Earth. Dennis and Barbara Tedlock (editors). Unattainable Earth. Czeslaw Milosz, 1986. World Mythology. Donna Rosenberg, 1993.