Flowers For Algernon

Charlie experiences a great deal of changes emotionally and psychologically over the course of the novel. How does the procedure change Charlie regarding the following themes: Acquiring Intelligence Versus Developing Emotions, the Psychological Impact of the Past, and The Dignity of All Humans?

Consider these points as you reflect on the text to answer the question.

• The content and prevalence of Charlie’s childhood memories
• Charlie’s increased attraction to women
• Charlie’s self-awareness regarding himself and others

Teaching Suggestion: Consider a jigsaw method, such as placing students into small groups and assigning them a theme. Then, reconfigure the groups to include students from all three subjects to allow them to discuss and share their findings and analysis.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students with processing challenges, consider chunking this analysis prompt by theme. Consider creating a graphic organizer splitting up the main ideas or providing multiple days to complete this prompt, with each day focused on one theme at a time.

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

ACTIVITY 1: “The Nuremberg Code”

In this activity, students will research a human experiment and create a presentation relating the ethics of the experiment with the narrative and themes of Flowers for Algernon.