A comprehensive Senior English teaching unit for Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, designed to develop students’ analytical thinking, close reading, and essay-writing skills through the study of this acclaimed and influential novel.

Through engaging and thought-provoking learning activities, students explore themes of identity, family, heritage, freedom, race, memory, and self-discovery while examining Morrison’s rich use of symbolism, mythology, and storytelling traditions. The unit encourages students to investigate how personal and collective histories shape identity and belonging, while developing sophisticated interpretations of the text.

What’s included
• Analysis of themes, characters, context, and cultural assumptions
• Exploration of identity, ancestry, family, race, freedom, memory, and belonging
• Study of African American history, cultural heritage, and storytelling traditions
• Language features, text structures, symbolism, motifs, and figurative language analysis
• Examination of narrative voice, characterisation, and authorial choices
• Close reading and comprehension activities
• Essay questions, analytical writing support, and exemplar paragraphs
• Peer and self-assessment activities
• A 10-week teaching sequence with multiple learning activities each week
• Engaging, classroom-ready activities designed to promote discussion, interpretation, and critical thinking

Want a sneak peek before you commit? Check out Instagram @beyond_the_text_resources for preview videos of the units.

Teaching approach
This resource follows a flexible, activity-based approach rather than a scripted lesson-by-lesson program. Students engage with the novel through discussion, inquiry, close analysis, collaborative learning, and analytical writing. Teachers can adapt and sequence activities to suit the needs of their classes while encouraging deep engagement with the text and its complex ideas.

File info
• Provided as a non-editable PDF
• Not designed as an editable PowerPoint
How to use
• Upload to your LMS (Google Classroom, Canvas, etc.) for digital learning
• Print selected pages for classroom use
• Display pages to support discussion, analysis, and writing activities
• Upload to presentation or design platforms if you wish to adapt for your own use (formatting may vary depending on the program used)