Description
This lesson centers on Wole Soyinka’s satirical poem “Telephone Conversation,” a powerful text that exposes racism and prejudice through a tense exchange between an African man and a white British landlady during a phone call about renting an apartment in 1960s Britain.
Through guided literary analysis, students examine how Soyinka uses satire, tone, and dialogue to critique discrimination and challenge assumptions about race, identity, and belonging. The lesson is designed to help students engage thoughtfully with themes of identity, social justice, and systemic bias, while closely analyzing point of view and cultural context.
To deepen understanding and encourage real-world connections, students are also challenged to rethink fairness and equity in everyday documents. A creative post-reading task asks students to design a fair rental application, prompting them to reflect on how bias can be embedded in systems and policies.
This resource includes background information on British colonialism and the author, close reading and discussion questions, a creative post-reading activity, and a final written reflection that promotes higher-level critical thinking. An editable copy of all student activities is provided for teacher flexibility, along with a complete answer key.
Perfect for middle school and high school ELA, this lesson supports the analysis of world literature and helps students examine how a particular point of view or cultural experience outside the United States is represented through literary craft and historical context.