Name_____________________Date___________________Period/Element_______Watkins-9HonLang&Comp

Fishbowl Assignment/Harkness Discussion

Instructions: You will be participating in a fishbowl discussion tomorrow. You must also write your
answers to these questions. Your questions must be insightful, reference the discussion prompt, and be able
to spark the discussion.

Discussion Prompt: Think about Chimimanda N. Adichie’s TedTalk, “The Danger of the Single Story.”
Reflect on the words she used and the rhetorical devices present in her speech. Formulate two analysis/
discussion questions based on the speech for your discussion. Then answer the remaining two questions
based on the author/memoir/narrative you researched.

Discussion Question 1 and Response (required)

Why is the speaker while talking about “the danger of a single story” not only referring to the stereotype
of other people in her life about certain places and kinds, but also mentioning that she once had such
stereotype herself?

By admitting that she once held stereotypes about others, the speaker puts herself in a position of a
reflecting person who had once truly hurts others and been hurt by the single story. She wants the audience
to feel that her idea is to discuss and propose to prevent the dangers of a single story, rather than to
criticize all the bad things about stereotypes as a complainer. This kind of tone will get better response of
the audience.
Discussion Question 2 and Response (required)
Why does the speaker overwhelmed with shame while walking around on her first day in Guadalajara?

As a person who opposes stereotypes, she absolutely believes that she has the ability to avoid believing a
single story, but when she really set foot on the land of Mexico, she still felt shocked. That's why she
keeps proving to the audience through examples how bad a single story can influence someone even with
carefulness.

Discussion Question 3 and Response (required and based upon the author you researched) What are two
impressions you have of the author?
1. The author has a deep connection to nature, nding peace and enjoyment in its isolation in the
nature and sensory experiences within the bush.

2. The author has experienced loss, particularly related with the death of a friend and the destruction
of his home, leading to a sense of detachment and lack of feeling upon his return.
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Name_____________________Date___________________Period/Element_______Watkins-9HonLang&Comp
Discussion Question 4 (required) What is the greatest takeaway from the author/research/excerpt? The two
most profound points/sentences/discoveries for you?
-The greatest takeaway from Wole Soyinka's book "You Must Set Forth at Dawn" is the author's resilience
and determination in the face of personal and political challenges.
-“All that matters is the escape into timelessness.” This sentence from the excerpt shows me the desire of
the author to escape from reality in order to forget some bad memories
-“It is a long-craved homecoming, my personalized seal on the end of the nightmare that was signaled by
the death of a tyrant, Sani Abacha.” I like this sentence because of the way that the author used to convey
the message that he decided to go back to home after a long journey.

During Discussion Sentence Frame Examples:

• “The strengths of ______ are ______ and _______ . However, I find that ______ is a big disadvantage. “
• “While I agree with ______ because ______, I also think that _______.”
• “I appreciate _____ because _______.”
• “Can you please clarify what you mean when you say ______?”
• “I do not share his/her point of view on ______ because I believe that ______. We can also look at _____
from another angle.”
• “I’m still not convinced that _______ because I believe ______.”
• “Adding onto ____’s contribution, I would also like to say ________.”
• “How does _____ explain _____?”
• “While _______ makes a great point, I think that _________.”
• “While I can see why _______ said _______, I think differently because _______.”

NOTETAKING: The rubric to the right is the rubric I will be

using to grade your fishbowl participation and note taking. Take
notes on the discussion below:
Discussion Group 1 Observation
Questions that were asked:

Key points from at least 2 participants (and their names):

Write one positive comment about the discussion:

Name_____________________Date___________________Period/Element_______Watkins-9HonLang&Comp
Discussion Group 2 Observation
Questions that were asked:

Key points from at least 2 participants (and their names):

Write one positive comment about the discussion: