Reading Activities compiled by Christine Baker |During Reading | After Reading | 10 Before Connections 1. Author Unknown. (2006). Hear the Music. Retrieved January 30, 2006, from Classics for Kids Website: http://www.classicsforkids.com/music/music_view.asp?id=25 This website contains a link to listen to Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebee.” An audio stimulus, this song would serve as a good introduction to the life of a bee. 2. Lawrence, Lorie. (2004). Why “Secret Life of Bees?” Retrieved January 30, 2006, from LorieLawrence Website: http://blogs.setonhill.edu/LorieLawrence/002988.html This is actually from a discussion board where a reader posted what they think about the title of the book in relation to its themes and characters. This would be a good brainstorming activity for students to do before studying the book to try and come up with what the book could be about. 3. Author Unknown. (Year Published Unknown). Civil Rights Act (1964). Retrieved January 30, 2006, from Spartacus Website: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAcivil64.htm This website contains a brief history of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Secret Life of Bees takes place in South Carolina in 1964, and interracial relationships are one of the most important themes of the book. This website would be useful in giving some background to what was going on politically at the time the book was set in. 4. Author Unknown. (2005). The Secret Life of Bees: An Interview with Sue Monk Kidd. Retrieved January 30, 2006, from Penguin Group Website: http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Author/AuthorPage/0,,1000034248,00.html A detailed interview with the author provides insight into the women who created such a magnificent story. The interview includes information about what personal experiences Kidd used to fabricate her novel, as well as her development as a writer. This is an excellent source of background information that takes you into the experiences and knowledge that contributed to the end product. 5. Parks, Rosa. My Story. New York: Puffin Books, 1992 This book is a first hand account of Rosa Parks and her experiences within the Civil Rights Movement. This would be a good companion novel to read along with The Secret Life of Bees, giving some historical context of the racial issues present in the 50’s and 60’s. 6. Author Unknown. (2005). Beekeeping Terms. Retrieved January 30, 2006, from hivetool.com Website: http://www.hivetool.com/guide/beekeeping_terms.htm This website offers some basic terms and definitions that come up when discussing beekeeping and honey-making. Beekeeping is a central element of the plot, and it is important for students to understand the words being used in the text. It is also important to know these terms when discussing symbolism between the bees and Lily Owens. 7. Tyson, Peter. (Year Published Unknown). Anatomy of a Hive. Retrieved January 30, 2006, from Nova Online Website: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bees/ This is an excellent source of information on everything you could every want to know about a beehive. The site is easy to navigate, with simple but informative explanations of different workers and processes of the hive. Again, understanding the “anatomy of the hive” can help students draw connections between the bees and the characters within the story. 8. Author Unknown. (Year Published Unknown). Sue Monk Kidd: Author. Retrieved January 30, 2006, from Sue Monk Kidd Website: http://www.suemonkkidd.com/author.asp This website offers an extensive biography of Sue Monk Kidd, author of The Secret Life of Bees. It includes details about her personal life and her life as a writer, and could be useful in better understanding the source of the text. 9. Brunner, Borgna and Elissa Haney. (2005). Civil Rights Timeline. Retrieved January 30, 2006, from Infoplease Website: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html Having a context of what the Civil Rights arena was like during the time of Lily Owens is important to understanding the text. This website offers a detailed timeline of events before, after and during 1964, the year this book is set in. 10. Author Unknown. (2005). The Nobel Peace Prize 1964. Retrieved January 30, 2006, from The Nobel Foundation Website: http://nobelprize.org/peace/laureates/1964/ Martin Luther King, Jr. was the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, the same year that the novel takes place, as well as the same year of the Civil Rights Act. Coincidence? This website contains links to the presentation speech, King’s acceptance speech, and even a biography of King’s life. This look at Martin Luther King, Jr. and what he did for the Civil Rights movement gives further background information surrounding the racial issues in the novel. 10 During Connections 1. Author Unknown. (2002). The Secret Life of Bees: Questions for the Author. Retrieved February 6, 2006 from Website: http://weblogs.hcrhs.k12.nj.us/bees/discuss/msgReader$217?mode=topic&y=2002&m=9&d=27 This website is a discussion board created by a high school English class who studied the novel soon after its release. Sue Monk Kidd followed the discussion board and responded to 10 questions that students in the class asked. They are common questions concerning the author’s life and the creation of the novel that any student might wonder when studying the book. These questions include how Lily and Sue Monk Kidd are similar and where she got the ideas for the book. 2. Brockman, Nathan. (2003). Bridging Feminism and Theology on the Back of the Black Madonna. Retrieved January 30, 2006 from Trinity Church News Website: http://www.trinitywallstreet.org/resources/article.php?id=204 This is a news article review of a speech that Sue Monk Kidd gave about the Black Madonna. The Black Madonna is the goddess that May, June and August base their religion off of and is a central theme in the novel. This article offers some background information of the mythical figure in the context of the novel. 3. Pilgrim, David. (2000). What Was Jim Crow? Retrieved January 30, 2006 from Ferris State University Website: http://www.ferris.edu/news/jimcrow/what.htm Though the Jim Crow Laws were being phased out around the time that the novel takes place (1964), many whites in the South retained the attitude under which the laws were executed. This is manifest by Rosaleen’s fight near the beginning of the novel. This website is a comprehensive history and explanation of what exactly the Jim Crow Laws were. 4. Author Unknown. (Year Published Unknown). Reader’s Guide. Retrieved January 30, 2006 from Sue Monk Kidd Website: http://www.suemonkkidd.com/SecretLifeOfBees/ReadersGuide.aspx The most useful part of this website is the discussion questions following the summary of the book. They are thoughtful analysis and application questions that aim to stretch the reader’s mind and make them think beyond the text. 5. Author Unknown. (Year Published Unknown). Book Club Discussion Questions. Retrieved January 30, 2006 from Book-Club Website: http://www.book-club.co.nz/books03/discussions/4secretlife.htm These are more questions that can help stimulate effective classroom discussion, especially when discussing characters, including Lily, T-Ray, May, Rosaleen, and Zach. 6. Author Unknown. (Year Published Unknown). English Literature Unit of Practice: The Secret Life of Bees. Retrieved February 6, 2006 from HCPS Website: http://teachers.henrico.k12.va.us/Specialist/franceslively/unitplans/secretlife9.htm This is a teacher’s dream website! It includes before, during, and after reading strategies, complete with links to corresponding websites (just like Novelinks!) as well as printable hand-outs and lesson plan outlines for every stage of the book. 7. Author Unknown. (Year Published Unknown). The Facts About Emancipation. Retrieved February 6, 2006 from Legal Services for Children Website: http://www.lsc-sf.org/problems/emancipation.html This website offers basic information about emancipation of minors. While the website is specific to California laws, it is general enough to understand the many of the concepts and implications of emancipation. Emancipation is a hot topic among many teenagers these days, and the issue is a valid one to bring up when studying this novel because of the relationship between T-Ray and Lily. 8. Baker, Chrissy. “Emancipation of Minors.” Provo, UT: 2006. Students find two articles concerning emancipation, preferably two articles voicing different opinions. Students will write a one page article review for each article, summarizing what it said as well as their response to the article. Then each student will write a one page paper about what their own opinion is on the issue after researching it. Be sure that students use articles that apply to the issue in general, or articles relating to the state in which you live. 9. Magnuson-Canady, Melissa. “‘My Daughter Married a Negro’: Interracial Relationships in the United States as Portrayed In Popular Media, 1950-1975.” UW-L Journal of Undergraduate Research VIII. (2005). Retrieved February 6, 2006 from Website: http://www.uwlax.edu/urc/JUR-online/PDF/2005/magnusoncannady.pdf This article is a detailed analysis of how mainstream America viewed interracial relationships from the 1950’s to the 1970’s as portrayed through media, both video and print. Lily and Zach’s relationship presents an issue that many students in the 21st century probably don’t understand. This article will help give some background on the culture of the day in which the novel takes place concerning interracial relationships. 10. Kidd, Sue Monk. “The Illuminating Black Madonna.” Washington National Cathedral. April 13, 2005. Retrieved February 6, 2006 from SwissEduc Website: http://www.swisseduc.ch/english/readinglist/kiddsm/bees.html#addmat1 This video-recording is of Sue Monk Kidd giving a speech on the Black Madonna, a mythical religious icon immortalized in her novel. Kidd shares her personal perspectives and experience of the Black Madonna. This is interesting information to know when analyzing the Calendar Sisters’ religion that revolves around the mysterious idol. 10 After Connections 1. Lawrence, Lorie. (2004). Why “Secret Life of Bees?” Retrieved January 30, 2006, from LorieLawrence Website: http://blogs.setonhill.edu/LorieLawrence/002988.html This is a “before reading” connection that could appropriately be revisited after completing the novel. Have the students write why they think Kidd titled her book “The Secret Life of Bees.” Compare these ideas with what they thought before they read the book. 2. Eason, Cassandra. (2004). All About Candles. Retrieved February 13, 2006, from The Official Cassandra Eason Website: http://www.cassandraeason.co.uk/candles.htm This website offers a bounty of knowledge about the mythology of bees and honey. It includes beliefs and traditions from many different cultures, especially Greek and Egyptian. There is even a paragraph relating bees and the Virgin Mary, which is interesting considering the Black Madonna motif. The bee serves as an important symbol in this novel, and understanding the mythology of the bee will enrich the inferences you can make from the novel. 3. Baker, Chrissy. “Alternative Endings of The Secret Life of Bees.” Provo, UT: 2006. Some readers find themselves disappointed by the way that the novel ends, especially because we find out that Lily’s mother really did leave her when she was a little girl. Assign the students to write their own, alternative endings of how they wish the novel would have turned out. 4. Baker, Chrissy. “Mental Health and May.” Provo, UT: 2006. In modern medical terms, what was wrong with May? What would she be diagnosed with today is she went to the doctor? What remedies (medication or therapy) could help her if she lived in the 21st century? This could be either a research topic or simply a discussion question. 5. Author Unknown. (2005). The Secret Life of Bees. Retrieved February 13, 2006 from IMDB Website: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416212/ This website includes information about the upcoming motion picture adapted from the novel The Secret Life of Bees. The film will feature Dakota Fanning as Lily Owens and is predicted to be in theatres by the end of 2006. Once this movie comes out on DVD or video cassette, it could be effectively used as a visual supplement. The portrayal of the bee farm would be especially useful, seeing how many students have never experience such an environment. 6. Griffin, John Howard. Black Like Me. New York: New American Library, 2003. This is a powerful piece of non-fiction about a reporter in the 1950s who was interested in what would happen if a privileged white man in the South became black. So he tried it out. He took pills that darkened his skin pigment and braved the hostile environment of the Civil Rights Era. This autobiography would be an interesting follow up to The Secret Life of Bees as you discuss racial issues of the time period and mixing white and black. 7. Author Unknown. (Year Published Unknown). The Secret Life of Bees: Curriculum Unit. Retrieved February 13, 2006 from Center for Learning Website: http://www.centerforlearning.org/viewproduct.asp?ID={6AF3F4CD-58F3-44C8-BFFC-9C4B29E67C11} From this website you can order a curriculum manual for The Secret Life of Bees. It includes 10 lesson plans, 40 handouts, a content quiz, and final projects. The quiz and final project ideas would be especially useful for post-reading activities. 8-10. Taylor, Christina. (2005). Historical Relevance in ‘The Secret Life of Bees.’ Retrieved February 13, 2006 from http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/webliteratuch.html While this website contains instructions for one huge project on the novel, it can be broken down into four mini-projects that are more appropriately sized for a high school classroom. Under Phase 2 of the website, you will find the four main sections: • Diversity in Religion: Includes questions about the difference between Catholics and Baptists, the theology of the Black Madonna, and what religion means to the characters. • Racism in the 1960’s: These questions urge to students to research the Civil Rights Act, discuss racism in the South, and explore the relationships between the white and black characters in the novel • The Interaction of Bees: Includes questions about the behavior of bees as well as symbolism connections with bees and the honey-making process. • The Psychological Importance of Companionship: Includes questions that involve Lily’s parents, companionship she finds from the bees, the Black Madonna, and the calendar sisters. Each section has a group of questions relating the topic to the book, as well as a list of helpful websites. One teaching idea would be to have different groups in your class each take a section and then synthesize the projects as the website suggests in Phase 3. This combining process would help tie all four issues back together.