If you’re diving into Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston with your students, you’re in for a rich, rewarding journey. But let’s be honest, it can feel a little daunting to tackle such a layered novel, right? Don’t worry—I’ve got some tips for teaching Their Eyes Were Watching God and a ready-to-go unit that will make your life easier and your lessons more engaging!
Their Eyes Were Watching God is one of my favorite American lit novels. It’s a masterpiece of Harlem Renaissance literature. Of course, I could be a bit biased – Hurston’s buried about 20 minutes from me and did a brief teaching stint in my previous district.
Kicking things off with Essential Questions (EQs)
Starting with big-picture questions is a great way to get students thinking deeply. Over the last year or so, I’ve been trying to reframe my units with EQs in mind as part of my goal to revamp my curriculum.
For my most recent round of teaching Their Eyes Were Watching God, our EQ was “To what extent are people shaped by their experiences?” with a focus on adversity and resilience. In addition to some of the activities mentioned below, I incorporated some of the supplemental resources from Mud and Ink Teaching’s EQ Pack “To what extent do trauma, tragedy, and adversity build resilience?”
Interactive Intro Stations
If you’ve read any of my recent text-specific posts, you know that I have recently (well, recentlyish – like, the last 2 years?) embraced stations in all their glory.
One of my favorite things about using stations is that they still provide all of the same information, but the students are the ones doing the work. No more “sit and get” death by PowerPoint.
When teaching Their Eyes Were Watching God, the first two days of the unit are spent on the introduction stations . My stations include a Zora Neale Hurston biography, Harlem Renaissance information, dialect & diction study, and topics and themes.
Creating stations is pretty easy:
- Take that introduction presentation that you had and split it up into parts. Each part becomes a separate station.
- Decide on a “product” for each station. Answer a question? Fill in some guided notes? Write a short response to an open-ended prompt?
- Spread the stations around the room and set the students loose.
Chapter Close Readings
Once students are familiar with the basics, it’s time to get into the nitty-gritty of the text. Chapter close readings are perfect for focusing on specific skills like analyzing figurative language or understanding character development.
It’s important to remember that close readings should focus on a short excerpt, allowing students to really zoom in on the passage and hone their analysis skills.
To decide on a close reading passage:
- Decide what skills you want to focus on or what topic/theme you want to review. For me, characterization is the main skill focus, with gender norms and societal expectations being key topics.
- Find a short passage that explores your chosen topic while allowing students to practice that skill.
- Create a handout. These can be as basic or detailed as you like. My close readings are set up in a two-column table – the passage on the left and questions on the right.
Character Analysis
Another one of my favorite activities for any novel or play is character analysis.
Character analysis is a huge part of understanding this novel – especially Janie’s development. Have students track Janie’s changes throughout the course of the novel, noting how she grows with each of her three marriages. Students can also compare and contrast Janie’s three husbands – Logan, Joe, and Tea Cake – and how their relationship with Janie impacts her development.
I also like to have students think about more analytical questions, such as “How does the character see the world?” or “What does the character need to hold on to?”. In addition, have students analyze indirect characterization, conflict, contribution to theme development, and more. The possibilities are limitless.
If you want more ideas on teaching characterization, click here and here to check out some of my other blog posts—they’re packed with tips you can use for any text!
Bringing the Hero's Journey to Life
Janie’s story is a classic Hero’s Journey, and exploring this can really bring the novel to life for students. If you need a refresher on the Hero’s Journey or want to explore other versions, think Harry Potter, Marvel, or even The Hunger Games. Students love seeing these parallels, and it helps them better understand Janie’s personal growth.
Before diving into Janie’s Hero’s Journey, have students brainstorm other examples that they are familiar with and complete a graphic tracing the Hero’s Journey for a specific character they already know and love.
There you go – my favorite activities for teaching Their Eyes Were Watching God. Do you have any tried and true lessons? Hit “Comment” and let me know!
If all this sounds like something you’d love to try in your classroom, you’re in luck. This unit for teaching Their Eyes Were Watching God has everything you need—from intro stations to detailed handouts and a student workbook that covers it all. Give it a try, and watch your students dive into Hurston’s masterpiece with excitement and insight!
Happy teaching! 😊
