Secondary Language Arts Personality and Lord of the Flies

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Title of Lesson: Personality and Lord of the Flies

Appropriate for Grade: 12

Supporting Mastery of Outcomes: 1201, 1202, 1205, and 1208

Lesson Objectives: Students will . . .

1. complete the reading of Lord of the Flies ,
2. use the Internet web site listed in the lesson to review personality types and to associate characters from Lord of the Flies with the personality types listed, and
3. write a theme comparing and contrasting the personalities of two characters in the novel, Lord of the Flies .

Time Needed to Complete the Lesson: Three-to-five 40 minute periods

Materials Needed to Complete the Lesson:

1. The novel, Lord of the Flies
2. An outline of the four personality types to be reviewed from the web site
3. Notes on personality types (from item 2)
4. Paper and pen or word processing support to write an outline and a theme of comparison and contrast

Web Site(s) Required to Complete the Lesson: http://keirsey.com/matrix.html

Lesson Procedures:

1. Students will complete the reading of the novel, Lord of the Flies .
2. Students will access the web site.
3. Students will take general notes on the four types of personalities listed.
4. Students will apply one of the four temperaments to each of the four main characters in the novel: Jack, Ralph, Simon, and Piggy.
5. Students will take specific notes on how each character exemplifies a particular personality type.
6. Students will write an outline and a theme which will compare and/or contrast how two characters exemplify specific personality types. Students will use the following outline format:

   I. Introduction

   Thesis: _____ (first character) exhibits aspects of the _____ temperament, whereas _____ (second character) exhibits aspects of the _____ temperament.

   II. _____ (first character)

   A. _____ (major similarity)
   B. _____ (another major similarity)
   C. _____ (major difference)

   III. _____ (second character)

   A. _____ (major similarity)
   B. _____ (another major similarity)
   C. _____ (major difference)

   IV. Conclusion

Lesson Assessment: Students will be successful in this lesson if they are able to:

1. use the Internet to find and take notes on the personality profile web site,
2. apply the information found on personalities to the four major characters in Lord of the Flies , and
3. write a theme comparing and contrasting the personalities of two of the four major characters.

For additional information about this lesson, please contact Peggy Wheeler , Central High School, or Patrick J. Salerno, English/Language Arts Curriculum Supervisor, Omaha Public Schools.