Text: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Presentation by: Carolyn Smith Carnival in the Ward Text: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Presentation by: Carolyn Smith

Classroom Context (Grade 11) This lesson would be taught after students have read a few chapters into the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (At least through Chapter 9) Before we began reading the work, students would have done group projects/presentations about some of the common mental illnesses, including those included in the novel. They will have prior basic knowledge of the mental illnesses highlighted in today’s lesson.

Hook Each group will be assigned a different mental illness. In your group, discuss what words and concepts come to mind when you think about this mental illness. Examples: How might you best describe its effects? What are some symptoms that you associate with this illness?

“I’d like to interrupt a moment, if I might…” Popcorn reading time! Let’s read this short section of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest together.

Main Activity After having read through Chapter 9 of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and discussing the properties of the mental illnesses we will be focusing on, students will be working in groups for this in-class project. Each group will consider the symptoms and effects of their mental illness and come up with a small carnival activity, similar to the examples in the novel, that either: Reflects what it would be like to live with that mental illness Or Would be therapeutic to someone that is affected by that mental illness Each group would create a poster explaining their activity and how it would be effective.

Wrap-up At the end of class, each group would stand up in the front of the room and present their activity, using their poster, to the class. They would explain briefly what their activity is and how it either reflects the mental illness or how it would be therapeutic to a patient with that illness. I would grade both their presentation and the posters themselves.

Homework For homework, I would assign a journal entry. They will have to write a 1-2 page narrative from the point of view of someone living with any of the mental illnesses discussed during the day’s class. The journal would be collected the next day and graded based on creativity and writing ability.