The Maltese Falcon
Teacher's Guide - Schedule / Lesson Plans

Introduction

Schedule/Lesson Plans

Capstone Project Ideas

Essay Topics

Additional Resources

NCTE Standards

Credits

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This is a suggested teaching schedule for a 10 class study of Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon. Lesson plans and handouts can be downloaded individually by clicking on the name of the file in the schedule below. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view these files.

The CD Audio Guides are available only for the communities participating in The Big Read. If your community is participating, contact the lead community organization to receive a free Audio Guide. If your community is not participating, encourage a local organization (such as a library, museum, literary center, arts council, or similar non-profit organization) to apply.

DAY ONE

FOCUS: Biography
Day One Lesson Plan [53K]
Activities: Listen to the Big Read CD. Write a two-page second chapter to begin to develop one of the characters.
Homework: Chapters 1-3 (pp. 3-31). *

DAY TWO

FOCUS: Culture and History
Day Two Lesson Plan [51K]
Activities: Read Handout One and Handout Two. Discuss the trends in culture and history of the era.
Homework: Chapters 4-6 (pp. 32-60).
Handout One [50K]
Handout Two [48K]

DAY THREE

FOCUS: Narrative and Point of View
Day Three Lesson Plan [52K]
Activities: Discuss why Hammett chose to limit the reader’s access to the characters by using the objective point of view. Rewrite the featured scene from first-person point of view.
Homework: Chapters 7-9 (pp. 61-89).

DAY FOUR

FOCUS: Characters
Day Four Lesson Plan [52K]
Activities: Have students discuss the key attributes of an assigned character. Write an essay on a secondary character who serves as an antagonist to Sam Spade.
Homework: Chapters 10-11 (pp. 90-111).

DAY FIVE

FOCUS: Figurative Language
Day Five Lesson Plan [52K]
Activities: Discuss the meaning of the Flitcraft parable. Write a two-page parable.
Homework: Chapters 12-14 (pp. 112-139).

DAY SIX

FOCUS: Symbols
Day Six Lesson Plan [55K]
Activities: Read Handout Three. Discuss what abstract ideas each of the characters might personify if the novel is read as an allegory.
Homework: Chapters 15-17 (pp. 140-171).
Handout Three [48K]

DAY SEVEN

FOCUS: Character Development
Day Seven Lesson Plan [55K]
Activities: Discuss with your students the roles of “flat” and “round” characters. Write about the character who is most trustworthy.
Homework: Chapters 18-20 (pp. 172-217).

DAY EIGHT

FOCUS: The Plot Unfolds
Day Eight Lesson Plan [52K]
Activities: Map a timeline depicting the development of the story. Write a different ending to the novel.
Homework: Outline the three major themes of the novel.

DAY NINE

FOCUS: Themes of the Novel
Day Nine Lesson Plan [49K]
Activities: Discuss themes of greed, trust, and human adaptability.
Homework: Part Three. Begin working on essays.

DAY TEN

FOCUS: What Makes a Great Book?
Day Ten Lesson Plan [50K]
Activities: Explore the qualities of a great novel.
Homework: Work on essays.

* Page numbers refer to the 1992 Vintage Crime edition of The Maltese Falcon.