Common Core Standards
Comparing in Candor
Book: Candor
Author: Pam Bachorz
Grade Level: 9-12
Lesson Type: Character Development
Concept: Comparing and contrasting characterization
Primary Subject Area: English
Secondary Subject Areas: Psychology/Sociology
Common Core Standards Addressed:
Grades 11-12
Grades 9-10
Key Ideas and Details
o Determine a theme or central idea of a text and
o
analyze in detail its development over the
course of the text, including how it emerges
and is shaped and refined by specific details;
provide an objective summary of the text.
Analyze how complex characters (e.g. those
with multiple or conflicting motivations)
develop over the course of a text, interact with
other characters, and advance the plot or
develop the theme.
Comparing in Candor: Common Core Standards
Key Ideas and Details
o Analyze the impact of the author’s choices
regarding how to develop and relate
elements of a story or drama (e.g. where a
story is set, how the action is ordered, how
the characters are introduced and
developed).
1
Lesson Plan
Comparing in Candor
Book: Candor
Author: Pam Bachorz
Grade Level: 9-12
Lesson Type: Character Development
Overview:
Materials:
This class will analyze the main characters from Pam Bachorz’s
Candor using the tools of compare and contrast.
•
•
•
•
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
• Accurately characterize and analyze the motivations for
characters from Candor
• Formulate working theses about these motivations to
create an essay
• Transfer compare/contrast analysis to other texts
• Delve deeper into how setting affects character
development
Copies of Candor
Notebooks
Pen/Pencil
Blackboard/Whiteboard/Projector
Other Resources:
•
•
•
•
Vocabulary
Discussion/Comprehension
Questions
Text References
Supplemental Materials Chart
Warm-Up Activity:
1. Ask students (in groups or individually) to draw a t-chart
on a sheet of notebook paper. On the left side of the chart,
draft a list of terms describing Candor, FL.
2. Next, have students watch a brief clip about Celebration,
FL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwOB1k7PJvw
3. Have students keep a separate list of terms describing
Celebration, FL on the right side of their t-chart.
4. Have students silently highlight, underline or circle what
terms are similar between the two communities. They
should keep these similarities to themselves until
prompted to share.
Comparing in Candor: Lesson Plan
2
Lesson Plan
Comparing in Candor
Book: Candor
Author: Pam Bachorz
Grade Level: 9-12
Lesson Type: Character Development
Short Lecture & Partner Activities:
Part I (10 minutes)
• Draw a Venn diagram on the board. Label one circle “Celebration” and the other circle
“Candor.” Ask students which sections of the circles are used for similarities and which for
differences. Then, have students fill in the sections using their t-chart from the Warm-Up.
• Ask students to identify the overarching commonality between the two communities. What
do both communities overwhelmingly, or noticeably, have in common? This element might be
a good topic on which to conduct a comparative analysis. Comparative analyses allow readers
to delve deeper, look closer and understand more critically. In this comparison, we learn
about the inspiration for Candor’s setting, the very real planned community of Celebration,
Florida. Tell students that Pam Bachorz, the author of Candor, lived in this town for a few
years.
Part II (10 minutes)
Discussion will now shift from setting to characters. Divide the class up into two groups. Have one
group draft a list of character traits for Oscar Banks and have the other group draft a list for Campbell
Banks. After 2-3 minutes, have students pair up with a classmate from the other group/character and
share lists. Each student partnership should then create an extensive Venn diagram illustrating the
similarities and differences between father and son, including specific text references/page numbers
that support the character trait. Give students 5-7 minutes to complete this task.
Part III (15-20 minutes)
• Ask students to display their Venn diagrams on their desks and take a minute or two walking
around the classroom perusing each other’s work. Tell students to take note of character traits
that they may have missed within their respective partnerships. The next step is to use these
compare/contrast organizers to create something meaningful in terms of character analysis.
Tell students that in literature, it is often illuminating to discuss how seemingly opposite
characters (like Oscar and Campbell) are in fact quite similar. The points of comparison offer
interesting points that diverge into more complicated arguments. Comparative theses, or
main points/arguments, can develop as a result of commonalities within a Venn diagram.
• Tell students to consult their own Venn diagram and answer the following question:
o What do both Oscar and Campbell overwhelmingly, or noticeably, have in common?
• Then, have them complete the following comparative formula:
o
Although both Oscar and his father Campbell believe (X)_________________________,
Oscar thinks that (X) _____________________________ is (A) ______________________
and Campbell thinks that (X) ________________________ is (B)____________________.
Note: In this formula, X is the trait both characters have in common. Students will want to flesh this
out with descriptors, being as specific and as precise as possible. The later appearances of X
(characters’ commonality) give you the opportunity to add more nuance to the thing they have in
common, which should in turn allow you to see complexity within them—the “differences” you
describe in A and B. Remember, however, that A and B should be parts of X, subsets of X,
consequences of X, causes of X—somehow clearly related to X
Comparing in Candor: Lesson Plan
3
Lesson Plan
Comparing in Candor
Book: Candor
Author: Pam Bachorz
Grade Level: 9-12
Lesson Type: Character Development
Discussion Wrap-Up: Ask students to share what character trait they were surprised to see Oscar and Campbell share.
Why was this surprising? What other characters might reveal interesting commonalities if
compared/contrasted?
Writing Activities/Evaluations: Analytical:
In 500-700 words, continue the thesis you began in the class discussion about Oscar and
Campbell. Flesh out what the similarities and differences mean within the novel’s larger theme.
Explore how the two characters might have similar motivations. Interrogate why Bachorz would
choose to advance the novel’s plot using both of these characters. Finally, in light of the novel’s
resolution, consider which character is more powerful.
Creative:
On Pam Bachorz’s website (http://www.pambachorz.com/candor-podcast) there are several
podcasts of Campbell Banks’ journals during the building of Candor. Rewrite the third podcast
from Lucy Banks’ point of view. Remember that Lucy is Oscar’s mother and the wife of
Campbell. She is a character in Candor, but her voice is never heard. Give her a voice, an opinion,
and a solid reason for abandoning her family. Your journal entry should be between 500-700
words.
Comparing in Candor: Lesson Plan
4
Discussion & Comprehension Questions
Comparing in Candor
•
Book: Candor
Author: Pam Bachorz
Grade Level: 9-12
Lesson Type: Character Development
In your opinion, which two characters seem the most similar? Why? Conversely, which two
characters are the most different? Why?
o How does Oscar compare with Sherman?
o How does Nia compare with Mandi?
o How does Oscar’s dad compare with Sherman’s mom?
•
In one word, describe Oscar Banks. Similarly, in one word, describe Campbell Banks. How
do the words compare with one another?
•
What do you make of Oscar’s statement that “Candor is [his] dad’s dream come true” (16)?
Who appears to be more unstable, Oscar’s dad or mom?
•
In your opinion, who (or what) is in control in Candor? Campbell Banks? The messages?
The parents? What systems keep these elements in check?
•
Why do you think Campbell, Oscar’s father, initially wants Oscar to date Mandi Able? At
what point do you think that Campbell decides to pair his son with Nia Silva instead? Why
do you think Campbell wanted this change to occur?
•
Would you label Campbell Banks a control freak?
•
At the novel’s end, Oscar says that his “father fixed everything except” him (245)? Do you
think this is a true statement? How do you interpret it in light of the final chapter? Why do
you think Oscar holds his father’s hand as they go into the Room? Has the fight left him?
Does Oscar exhibit any signs of resistance in the end?
•
Who is more intelligent, Oscar or his father Campbell?
•
Do you ever feel sorry for Campbell in the novel?
•
Are there any elements of the community of Candor that remind you of other places? If so,
what elements and what places?
Comparing in Candor: Discussion & Comprehension Questions
5
Key Vocabulary
Comparing in Candor
Word:
Definition:
Commonality
The state of sharing features or attributes; a shared feature or
attribute.
Planned Community
A residential district that is planned for a certain class of residents.
Subliminal
Existing or functioning below the threshold of consciousness.
Subliminal Messages
A signal or message embedded in another medium, designed to
pass below the normal limits of the human mind's perception.
These messages are unrecognizable by the conscious mind, but in
certain situations can affect the subconscious mind and,
importantly, the unconscious mind and can negatively or
positively influence subsequent later thoughts, behaviors, actions,
attitudes, belief systems and value systems.
Vandalism
Action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or
private property.
Acolyte
A person assisting the celebrant in a religious service or
procession; an assistant or follower.
Contingency
An event that may occur but that is not likely or intended; a
possibility; the condition of being dependent on chance;
uncertainty.
Psychosis
A mental disorder characterized by symptoms, such as delusions
or hallucinations, that indicate impaired contact with reality.
Comparing in Candor: Key Vocabulary
Book: Candor
Author: Pam Bachorz
Grade Level: 9-12
Lesson Type: Character Development
6
Text References
Comparing in Candor
Book: Candor
Author: Pam Bachorz
Grade Level: 9-12
Lesson Type: Character Development
(Page 213-214):
He flips the top of the gadget open to reveal a video screen. I recognize it now. Some of the
kids bring this device when they come here. You can play games. Check e-mail.
But nobody e-mails here, and the Messages take care of wanting to play games.
“Wow. What’s that?” I do my best to sound awed. Curious.
He doesn’t answer. Just thumbs a green button. Video starts playing.
It’s me. Me, in my bathroom. Brushing my teeth. I’m shifting my weight from one foot to
the other. Squinting at myself in the mirror. A little bit of drool escapes from my mouth.
It looks so normal. Except for the whole part about being taped.
“Remember, son. Thirty seconds each side, top, and bottom,” Dad says. “I see you doing
twenty, tops.”
(Page 26):
I give my clients Messages to listen to when they leave. I have to. Once you start listening to
the Messages, you can never stop. Not when you go to college, or on a business trip, or even
an overnight to visit Grandma Bee in Sarasota.
Dad didn’t just build the first brainwashing community – he invented a new kind of
addiction: aural addiction, he calls it. Everybody in Candor is hooked on the Messages,
including the parents who paid big money to be here. Nobody leaves town without
headphones and their special music.
Without them, the withdrawal will kill you.
(Page 138-139):
“They control everything. Everything that’s in your head, they put there.” Sherman is so
calm now. In control. Like he sweated all the whisky onto the shed floor.
“Don’t let him scare you. It’s just stupid stories.” I kneel on the floor next to Nia. But she
slides away.
“This man can fix it.” Sherman aims a chubby finger at me.
“There’s nothing to fix,” I tell Nia.
Sherman holds the same fat finger to his lips. “Shh. It’s a secret.”
“Tell me about Oscar,” Nia says. “How does he fix things?”
“Those CDs keep your head clear.” He taps his head. “Oscar’s good brainwashing keeps
away the bad brainwashing.”
A bead of sweat rolls down my head and slides into my ear.
Nia takes in a deep breath. Holds it for a second, then exhales. Crosses her arm. “Let me see
if I’ve got this right. This town screws with you mind.”
“Yes.”
Comparing in Candor: Text References
7
Title Field: Supplementary Materials Chart
Category of
Resource
Description of
Resource
Potential
Educational
Uses of
Resource
Link to Resource
Interactive
Webpage
ReadWriteThink
resource for
introducing
students to
compare/
contrast
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/compcontrast/ Interactive
Webpage
ReadWriteThink
resource for
organizing ideas
within a
compare/
contrast essay
This could be
used as a
refresher for
older, advanced
students or as an
introduction to
compare/
contrast analysis.
It could also be
part of an athome
assignment for
students to first
familiarize
themselves with
compare/contras
t analysis, thus
preparing them
for an in-class
discussion.
This interactive
online organizer
could be used to
draft a compare/
contrast essay,
either related to
Candor or some
other topic. It
could be used in
conjunction with
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/compcontrast/map.html Title Field: Supplementary Materials Chart
Promotional Short clips about
Celebration, FL,
Video
the inspiration
for Candor’s
planned
community
independent
assignments.
These videos could
be used to
further the class’
exploration of
how Candor’s
community is
reflected in our
reality.
Celebration, FL
is named by Pam
Bachorz as the
inspiration for
Candor, FL.
Students could
use these as a
jumping off
point to discuss
the concept of
planned living.
They each offer a
positive view of
the area (it was
difficult to find
critical
examinations of
the site) and
should spark
some
commentary
from students
about the ways
Candor mirrors
this actual town.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apiJ4CA0TF0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwOB1k7PJvw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oko7qh7m0fc&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdtnhfj28WQ&feature=related Comparing in Candor: Supplementary Materials Chart