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Teaching Midnight's Children

Don't stay up too late.

Activities: 13
Quiz Questions: 75

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Description
Sample

A book with oodles of prestigious awards that's nearly impossible to summarize? Sounds intriguing... and somewhat intimidating. Never fear! Shmoop is here to help you guide your students through the book's complex treatment of fatalism, family, and truth.

This guide includes

an assignment that challenges students to explore the connections between the characters and Hindu deity.
resources to help you teach about Partition, colonialism, and contemporary events.
tips for discussing sensitive subjects like sex, racism, and political upheaval.

Who knows? Your epic lessons on this award-winning book may win you a few laurels of your own.

What's Inside Shmoop's Literature Teaching Guides

Shmoop is a labor of love from folks who love to teach. Our teaching guides will help you supplement in-classroom learning with fun, engaging, and relatable learning materials that bring literature to life.

Inside each guide you'll find quizzes, activity ideas, discussion questions, and more—all written by experts and designed to save you time. Here are the deets on what you get with your teaching guide:

13-18 Common Core-aligned activities to complete in class with your students, including detailed instructions for you and your students.
Discussion and essay questions for all levels of students.
Reading quizzes for every chapter, act, or part of the text.
Resources to help make the book feel more relevant to your 21st-century students.
A note from Shmoop’s teachers to you, telling you what to expect from teaching the text and how you can overcome the hurdles.

Want more help teaching Teaching Midnight's Children?

Check out all the different parts of our corresponding learning guide.

Instructions for You

Objective: There are really two stories in this novel: the protagonist's story and India's story. In this assignment, students are going to create charts tracking these two stories. This requires some research as well as putting pieces together from Midnight's Children, but we're going to help you through this, 'cause that's what friends are for.

We're guesstimating this activity will take about ninety minutes to complete. You can always cut down on time, though, by having your little pieces of the moon read outside of class. Either way, though, save this activity until you've finished reading. It would be cool of you to give them a heads up to pay attention to dates and events as they read, though—if you're so inclined.

Materials Needed: Pencil, pen, and paper; copies of the BBC's "The Hidden Story of Partition and its Legacies" and Indira Gandhi's biography

Step 1: In groups of two, have students outline Saleem's life, creating a timeline that includes some broader events in India's history (they'll fill this in more later) as mentioned in the book. Saleem's life events should go on top of the timeline and India's main events should go on the bottom.

Two events they should definitely have by the end of this step are: the date of partition and India's first nuclear bomb (18 May 1974). As for Saleem's timeline, you can advise them based on this handy one we put together.

Step 2: With the broader outline in place, it's time to hunt for the golden nuggets of history and figure out how they fit into the puzzle of Saleem's life. Yes, we have a lot from the novel about Saleem's life, but we still have to explore India's history. Hand out copies of "The Hidden Story of Partition and its Legacies," and tell students to get on it, adding major events to their timeline as they read.

Step 3: Now hook your kids up with Indira Gandhi's biography. She's a major player in India's history, as well as in Rushdie's book (he really doesn't like this woman). Have students add the major events of her life as president to their timeline, including her assassination.

Step 4: Now it's time to pull it all together. Have each pair of students write two paragraphs explaining whether they think Saleem should be so convinced that he's influenced history. Put this prompt on the board for students to respond to:

Does Saleem actually influence Indian history? If so, how? Give examples where his influence is felt—or examples of when he thinks he's influencing things, but really is not.

Instructions for Your Students

Objective: Saleem keeps telling us what a pivotal character he is in India's history… but is he really? Maybe he is, but then again, maybe he's just delusional. Now's your chance to try to sort this all out. You're going to get the 411 on Saleem and his tales of historical import, while also digging into India's history a bit, too. In the end, you'll decided once and for all whether Saleem is the big cheese he claims to be… or he's just too big for his britches.

Step 1: With your partner, outline Saleem's life, creating a timeline that includes some broader events in India's history (you'll fill this in more later) as mentioned in the book. Saleem's life events should go on top of the timeline and India's main events should go on the bottom.

Two events you should definitely have by the end of this step are: the date of partition and India's first nuclear bomb (18 May 1974). If you don't, um, fix that. Pronto.

Step 2: With the broader outline in place, it's time to hunt for the golden nuggets of history and figure out how they fit into the puzzle of Saleem's life. Yes, you have a lot from the novel about Saleem's life, but you still have to explore India's history. Read the handout from your teacher—"The Hidden Story of Partition and its Legacies"—adding major events to your timeline as you do.

Step 3: Your teacher will now hook you up with Indira Gandhi's biography. She's a major player in India's history, as well as in Rushdie's book (he really doesn't like this woman). Add the major events of her life as president to your timeline, including her assassination. If that's not a major event, then what is?

Step 4: Now it's time to pull it all together. With your partner, write two paragraphs explaining whether you think Saleem should be so convinced that he's influenced history. Respond to this prompt: