The Overstory Lesson Plan

Family Tree

Kind of Activity:

Individual Writing

Objective:

Students will interview family members, create a personal family tree, and answer response questions about the project.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.2

Structure:

The Hoel chestnut functions as a literal and figurative family tree: as a photography project, it links four generations of Hoel men together, while also serving as a very physical reminder of how far the family has come, from a pair of immigrants in New York City to successful farmers, to Nick Hoel's settling into a life of making art in obscurity. Families have trajectories that can often surprise...