The Oankali are saving people and the Earth, but at a cost. How would you judge the Oankali? How does Lilith judge them? What would you praise? What would you criticize?

Teaching Suggestion: Taking time to list scenes students remember as praise and criticism could help students build off each other’s ideas. This prompt lends itself to a Fishbowl discussion, where students on the outside of the circle take notes as those in the inside discuss. Then, the circles switch. In this format, students have additional think-time and reflection opportunities without constantly feeling the pressure of speaking. At the end of the discussion, asking students to judge the Oankali’s actions on a scale of 1-10 can ensure all voices are heard. Journaling reasons why after can extend ideas and provide opportunities for writing.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English language learners, students with dyslexia, and those with attentional or executive function differences, reflecting on the entire text for evidence might seem overwhelming. One way to help could be to provide key scenes for students to reread. Also, underlining, highlighting, or adding annotations to provided scenes could be useful.