Toni Morrison – Self-Determination
“We never shape the world. The world shapes us.”
Toni Morrison
Big Idea
Students are in the midst of figuring out who they are and how they can influence the world. Some feel helpless because it seems that they were born into a difficult situation or have experienced an unfair share of pain and heartache. Others feel almost superhuman and think they have the power to change anything they want. And for so many others, the truth of one’s power of self-determination is unclear and revealed slowly, over time and experiences.
Claim
According to American novelist Toni Morrison, you have no control to shape the events around you. The world defines who you are.
Counterclaim
You have influence over the world and can determine who you are.
Essential
Question
Do you have influence over the world?
Student Video
Macbeth – Self-Determination
When I teach “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare, one theme that we focus on is fate vs. free will, which we explore by looking at the ways in which Macbeth’s downfall is driven by outs ...
“Yeshi’s Luck” – Self-Determination
The short story, “Yeshi’s Luck“ by Naomi C. Rose is a great introduction for young readers to the concept of fate and accepting how “the world shapes us.” In the tale, Ye ...
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