The Danger of a Single Story

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.

“Venn Diagram Comparison”

In this activity, students will compare 2-3 writers using a Venn diagram and then reflect on the conclusions they can draw from the comparison.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is not alone in her observations of people’s expectations for one another. Clint Smith speaks of his experiences through his poetry and TED Talks. Kelly Marie Tran, who portrays Rose Tico in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, shares her story through an opinion piece for the New York Times. While these writers come from different backgrounds and parts of the world, their shared experiences prompt an examination of the universal human experience.

• Choose either Kelly Marie Tran’s op-ed article “I Won’t Be Marginalized by Online Harassment” or Clint Smith’s TED Talk “The Danger of Silence.” You might instead choose a piece of writing or a talk suggested or approved by your instructor.
• After reading/watching, use a Venn diagram to compare their experiences with stereotypes to Adichie’s story.
• For a deeper examination, compare all three writers (Adichie, Tran, and Smith; or three writers of other approved works)—in a three-circle Venn diagram.

Review the details of the Venn diagram. What insights do they suggest about the human experience and the impact of our interactions upon each other?

Teaching Suggestion: As students discuss their completed diagrams, you might prompt them to share their thoughts on how we build empathy from hearing these writers’ stories. Consider challenging individual students to add a fourth circle to the Venn diagram for each student’s own experiences and stories.