"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker
Lesson plans and teaching resources

| Biography and Background | | Lesson Plans |

Biography and Background

Biography at Wikipedia.

A collection of quotations from the author.

Scroll down on the page to the 2008 BBC interview of author Alice Walker, who discusses The Color Purple .

Lesson Plans

Graphic organizer for character analysis; vocabulary, editing, and diction practice. This document requires Adobe Reader or compatible application for access.

Scroll down for an insightful analysis of the story.

Text of the story.

25 words presented in context and with definitions. Click on a word for pronunciation, examples of recent use, more.

This lesson plan begins with an article from the New York Times about Howard Finster, a Georgia folk artist. Students then create original artwork and design personalized creative spaces in the spirit of Finster's Paradise Gardens. When I read this lesson, it made me think of "Everyday Use," though the idea certainly could go with other stories, too.