1. The Lemon Orchard
Alex la Guma

2. Placing the story in context

3. Anticipation Guide Statement: Agree Disagree All men are created equal
The poor and uneducated should not be trusted with too much responsibility
It is sometimes permissible to take the law into your own hands
The ties to our racial groups are stronger than the ties to our national groups
People are poor by nature and not nurture
Passive resistance is the best way to settle a dispute

4. What was apartheid?

5. The aftermath of Apartheid

6. What does a lemon orchard look like?

7. You will read the story once as a class and then on your own.
As you read you should identify the different characters by underlining the dialogue.
List the characters in the margin.

8. Task: turn “The Lemon Orchard” into a Readers Theatre performance

9. What is Readers’ Theatre?
Reader’s theater is minimal theater in support of literature and reading. There are many styles of reader’s theater, but nearly all share these features:
•Narration serves as the framework of dramatic presentation.
•No full stage sets. If used at all, sets are simple and suggestive.
•No full costumes. If used at all, costumes are partial and suggestive, or neutral and uniform.
•No full memorization. Scripts are used openly in performance.

10. Example of a Readers’ Theatre performance:

11. Group 1
Group 2
Abie
Serena
Jackson
Issey
Natasha
Georgia
Jodie
Amanda
Kate
Sarah
Lizzie
Ned
Dio

12. As you read the story: Underline any imagery
Identify important verbs and adjectives
Underline any dialogue? In what way is this revealing?
Highlight descriptions of the men and descriptions of the “hotnot”
Who do we sympathize with?
Identify ways in which La Guma establishes and builds the tension.
What is the irony of this situation?
How are race and education dealt with in this story?