Daily Lessons This section contains 30 daily lessons. Each one has a specific objective and offers at least three (often more) ways to teach that objective. Lessons include classroom discussions, group and partner activities, in-class handouts, individual writing assignments, at least one homework assignment, class participation exercises and other ways to teach students about the text in a classroom setting. Use some or all of the suggestions provided to work with your students in the classroom and help them understand the text. Lesson 1 Objective: The foreword is presented as if it were non-fiction and factual; however it is part of an overall work of fiction. The objective of this lesson is discuss the preface as a whole and how it works within the novel. 1) 1) Have each student write a preface for their own novel in the same style as Breakfast of Champions. What real world facts would you include in the preface that relate to the rest of the novel? Think about how The Narrator includes facts about what happens in the novel, but describes them as external facts. What real world facts about your life would you include? 2) For class discussion: Are the facts in the foreword meant to be significant to the rest of the novel? Why, or why not? After some discussion, ask the class if if they think this preface is meant to function like other prefaces they have read. 3) For homework: The main events of the story are presented in the novel. Write an outline for how you think the story will progress based on these facts. What do you think might happen in between? What links the events to one another? Do you think this kind of set up is helpful to the reader? Lesson 2 Objective: In the preface, The Narrator, who is also a character within the book, claims to also be The Author. The objective of this lesson is to understand what The Narrator means by this claim. 1) 1) For class discussion: When The Narrator claims to also be The Author, does this also mean that the story could be biographical? Why, or why not? Use specific examples from the text to support your answer. 2) Divide the class into small groups and have them read over the personal information The Narrator provides about himself. Have them debate which information could be biographical, which could be fictional, and why they think so. 3) For class discussion: What is the significance of The Narrator claiming he does not like the work and thinks it is written by someone named Philboyd Studge? Why, if he is also The Author, would he try to attribute the work to someone else? What does his dislike of the book mean? 4) For homework: Look up the definitions of "narrator" and "author" in the dictionary, legitimate websites, or any other reliable source. Apply the meanings to The Narrator and The Author in the book. Do they apply, or not? Why? Lesson 3 Objective: Chapter 1 has illustrations. The objective of this lesson is to discuss the illustrations and how they apply to the novel. 1) 1) Have each student draw their own illustration in the style of the novel's illustrations. What will you draw and why? What would it do/add to the text? 2) Divide the class into small groups to look over the chapter and discuss what the tone of the novel would be like without the illustrations. Would it change the tone? A little bit? Not at all? After some discussion, bring the class together to discuss what conclusion each group came to. 3) For homework: Look through children's books and their illustrations. How do these illustrations correspond to the text? Compare and contrast the illustrations in children's books to the illustration in Breakfast of Champions. Do the novel's illustrations have the same effect as a children's book? Why, or why not? Lesson 4 Objective: Writers can sometimes adopt certain styles of writing, regarding punctuation and typography. The objective of this lesson is to discuss the punctuation and typography that Vonnegut uses in Chapter 1 and how it applies to the narrative. 1) 1) Have each student write a couple paragraphs on any subject they want. It can be a short story, an opinion, observation, etc. Instruct the students that their tone/point of view should be conveyed through their punctuation and typography. What tone would your writing style convey? 2) For class discussion: Based on how Chapter 1 has been written, what do you foresee the rest of the novel being about based on this? What kind of tone do you think the novel will have? How do you think it will affect the outcome of upcoming events? Site specific examples from the text. 3) For homework: Think about the information you receive about Kilgore and Dwayne. Without the punctuation style utilized in Chapter 1, how does it change the reader's reaction to the rather pathetic and sad details on Kilgore's and Dwayne's lives? Do you think it is better that Vonnegut chose the style he used, or not? Why? Lesson 5 Objective: In Chapter 2, the pets of the two main characters are introduced. The objective of this lesson is to discuss how the characters' interactions with those pets further develop their character for the reader. 1) 1) Divide the class into small groups and have them examine Dwayne's crippled pet Labrador, Sparky. How does Dwayne interact with him? How does the bond Dwayne has with his dog further develop his character? Does it make him more sympathetic? Does it make the reader like him more? Dislike him? Bear in mind Dwayne is a widower. 2) Divide the class into small groups and have them examine Kilgore's relationship with his pet parakeet, Bill. What does he use Bill for? What does that utilization inform the reader about Kilgore's character? How does Kilgore interact with the bird? After examining both of these animal-human relationships, how do even the differing names of each pet shed light on the two characters? 3) For homework: Have you ever had a pet? Ever wanted a particular pet? How has a pet you had/have, or ever wanted expressed you? What was the reason you wanted that particular pet? Did that pet parallel you in personality? Write a page or two on the ways in which pets can shed light on a person. Lesson 6 Objective: In Chapter 2, the reader learns about one of the books, Plague On Wheels, that Kilgore has written. The reader also learns that Kilgore is an unknown writer. The objective of this lesson is to discuss how the plot of Kilgore's novel can possibly relate to his anonymity. 1) 1) Divide the class into small groups and have them examine the plot of Plague On Wheels. How could the self-destructive society of automobiles relate to Kilgore's anonymity? How does Kilgore's story possibly parallel Kilgore's own nature? 2) For class discussion: Plague On Wheels was published as filler material in a pornography magazine. Why do you think that is? Was it Kilgore's intention? Does he prefer to remain anonymous? Based on what we have learned thus farr about his character, would this make sense? Why, or why not? Cite specific examples from the text. 3) Have each student writer a short story. The story can be about whatever they want; however the plot of the story must somehow reflect something about themselves. It can be a habit they might have, an aspect of their personality, or anything else that they could convey through the plot of a story. Lesson 7 Objective: The reader understands at this point of the novel that Kilgore wishes to remain an anonymous author, but in Chapter 3 he is specifically written to by a fan. The objective of this lesson is to discuss this scene's irony. 1) 1) Divide the class into small groups and have them read over the scene together. Kilgore says he disregards the letter because it has the handwriting of a child, but is that the entire truth? Ask the groups to discuss why else Kilgore disregards the letter and if he was just trying to avoid the recognition. 2) For class discussion: Do you think Kilgore honestly does not want to be famous or acknowledged, or he is scared about what would happen in the event that he was? After some discussion, ask the class what they think Kilgore would be like if he were a Stephen King or John Grisham. How would notoriety affect Kilgore's life? 3) For homework: The book of Kilgore's that Eliot praises is Plague On Wheels, which is about a society of self-destructive automobiles. Write a couple of paragraphs as if you were a psychiatrist analyzing Kilgore's writing. Is there anything in the story that speaks of Kilgore's character? Sheds light on his desire to remain anonymous? Explain the irony of a writer not wanting to be recognized for his writing. Lesson 8 Objective: Kilgore accepts the invitation to be keynote speaker at the Midland City arts festival, but for specific reasons. The objective of this lesson is to discuss Kilgore's reasoning for accepting the invitation. 1) 1) Have each student draw a picture of the happy/sad theatrical masks and diagram them as if from Kilgore's perspective. Have arrows and explanations for the masks that Kilgore could potentially have said to present and explain to the class.