Barbara Kingsolver: The Bean Trees and The Poisonwood Bible
Lesson plans and other teaching materials

| Biography and Background | | The Bean Trees | | The Poisonwood Bible |

Biography and Background

Author biography.

In this 2004 interview, Kingsolver discusses how her science background influences her writing. It is related to Small Wonder . This downloadable video clip is 3:41 long.

A collection of quotations.

The Bean Trees

Scroll down to find several sets of questions for writing or discussion.

Students are given 3 writing prompts and are guided through the steps to craft a response.

Students answer questions based on the book's cover and consider issues related to adoption.

Analysis and 17 writing or discussion questions.

Taylor Greer comments on Texas Canyon as she drives through. What does it look like? Photo and additional information.

The Poisonwood Bible

This unit plan focuses on dealing with different kinds of loss. Lesson plans for 30 days with learning activities that include bellwork, journaling, vocabulary, KWL chart, discussions, making predictions, close reading, more. Scroll down for bibliography, printable handouts. Designed for 10th grade. 56 pages; Adobe Reader required.

Teacher's handout with activities for students to analyze character, setting, conflict, style, and theme. 2 pages; word processor required.

New York Times book review. Includes a link to Barbara Kingsolver reading an excerpt.

30 vocabulary words and definitions. Follow the link to a printable study sheet.

Discussion questions and a model personal response essay. 15 pages; Adobe Reader required.

This unit designed for high school seniors will examine how writers create voice, how voice creates character, and what the writer and the character are trying to convey through his or her choices in diction, syntax, detail, tone, and sensory language. The students will then examine how these stylistic techniques work together to create the larger meaning of the work as a whole, and how Kingsolver uses stylistic voice to raise larger questions about who is able or permitted to speak for themselves in society.