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Ernest J. Gaines
A Lesson Before Dying and Ernest, the Sky is Gray
Website Evaluators
Barbara Laurain- South Windsor High School, Connecticut
Amy Sullins - McMinn County High School, Tennessee
Jill Vickers - Ticonderoga Middle School, New York
Website Reviewer and Compiler
Yvonne Divans-Hutchinson - Markham Middle School, California
Site Ratings
1 = Poor 2 = Fair 3 = Good 4 = Excellent
A Lesson Before Dying Teacher's Guide
http://www.randomhouse.com/acmart/lesson.html
This site is a teacher's guide to
A Lesson Before Dying
from Random House Academic Marketing. The guide contains a "hefty number of quotes" and "provocative and challenging" discussion questions, information about awards won by the book, and a further list of authors and titles. "The sections containing questions are especially strong. Issues posed to students include religious symbolism, the status of black men and women in the rural South of 1948, and the themes of obligation and commitment." The text makes a "plug for the use of student journals." Questions and quotes are "excellent sources of paper and project topics but there are no graphics except for the book cover."
Overall Rating: 4Meeting Ernest Gaines
http://www.neh.gov/html/magazine/98-07/gaines.html
This text only site generated by the NEH chairman, Bill Ferris, includes an introduction to the author through Gaines' reflection on his life and work,
particularly The Biography of Miss Jane Pittman. Gaines reveals insights into his creation of the novel and clearly articulates his creative process. The text is "an inspiration to read,"
making connections to works by Twain, Melville, and Faulkner. If students can get past the "plain exterior" of the site, they will find colorful insights into the author's mind.
Overall Rating: 3Biography of Ernest Gaines
http://www.uncfsu.edu/faculty/MCSHANE/mozingo/GAINES.HTM
"Extremely easy to read and
understand," this brief biography of Gaines also includes a timeline of his life and writing. Unfortunately, there are no links, no graphics, and only two references on the site, which lessens its overall value to
the teacher and student. This would be a good reproducible handout for an overview of the author before reading his novels.
Overall Rating: 2
Vintage Books Reading Group Guides: A Lesson Before Dying
http://www.randomhouse.com/vintage/read/lesson/lesson.html
This site offers a short introduction to Gaines' novel and contains links within the Random House site to Gaines' biography and some interesting
quotations. "It is…simplistic, but may be a good choice for inexperienced student browsers to become familiar with the Internet and to learn about Ernest Gaines." Nonfiction related reading suggestions are
included as well as fiction works. It also has "eye-appealing frames" and quick links within the site, which could facilitate "a teacher-lecture."
Overall Rating: 2 |
