The Year of Magical Thinking Lesson Plan

Mourning Rituals

Kind of Activity:

Research

Objective:

Students will research perceptions of death in non-Western cultures.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.7

Structure:

In today's reading, Didion reflects on how "typical" her ways of mourning are, comparing her situation to a story she remembers from Greek tragedy. Though death is present in every culture, perceptions of it and ways of dealing with it vary widely all over the world.

Ask students to choose a modern, non-Western culture and research its rituals regarding death and mourning. What is the attitude towards death in this culture? How do people try to understand it?...