O Pioneers!

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

ACTIVITY 1: “A Portrait of My Nature”

In this activity, students observe or reflect on their natural surroundings (including the way those surroundings impact them) and then synthesize their thoughts in the form of a creative essay.

Willa Cather writes about nature in detail because her own life experiences brought her close to nature. However, whether we live in cities, suburbs, rural communities, or anything in between, we experience environmental factors every day.

What elements of nature do you experience the most vividly? How do these elements affect you or influence your behavior?

• Relocate to a safe school space, perhaps outside, where you can more closely experience nature for the amount of time your instructor suggests.
• Jot down notes regarding your sensory observations (what you see, hear, smell, touch).
• Write a creative essay about your experience in nature. Pay close attention to detail and express that detail through imagery and other kinds of figurative language in your essay. Include a reflection on how this imagery affects you.

Teaching Suggestion: If it is possible to relocate students outside, students can experience nature directly. If it is not possible, students can stay in the classroom and draw on memories of nature and environment. Background music can help set a reflective mood. Once students have finished, consider opening a discussion about how their essays compare to Cather’s nature imagery.

Differentiation Suggestion: This writing activity can be converted into a project in which students use other forms of representation to express their experience; for example, visual learners might create a drawing or collage, or kinesthetic learners might act out a scene.

ACTIVITY 2: “Alexandra’s Ending”

In this activity, students respond to a series of prompts regarding Alexandra’s characterization and its implications for her future. They then draw on these answers to write their own epilogue for Cather’s novel.

Willa Cather purposefully leaves the novel’s ending open. It isn’t certain whether Alexandra leaves with Carl, returns to the farm with him, or marries him at all.

Write an epilogue for Alexandra: Where is Alexandra one year after the ending of the novel? How is she doing?

• Complete the Epilogue Planning Page:

What does a happy ending look like for Alexandra? What does an unhappy ending look like for Alexandra? Will you give Alexandra a happy ending?

Why does Alexandra end up with Carl? Alternatively, why do Carl and Alexandra not end up together?

What would happen to Alexandra if she left her land, even for a short period?

What would happen to Alexandra if she stayed on the land completely alone?

• Write a 1–3-page epilogue portraying Alexandra’s ending.

Teaching Suggestion: Students can demonstrate their solid understanding of Alexandra’s characterization with this activity. It also requires that students understand the possible pathways open to Alexandra with regard to time period and gender. Reviewing Alexandra’s actions and decisions prior to the activity may help students in completing the epilogue; alternatively, you can use this activity to evaluate how well students understand Alexandra’s character and context.