Ninth Ward

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What are the defining characteristics of a hurricane? How do hurricanes compare to other kinds of storms? What major hurricanes can you recall hearing about in the news or in history? When a hurricane occurs, what images are likely on TV/media?

Teaching Suggestion: Students may mention characteristics like fierce wind, rotation, size, duration, and intensity; they might recall from science class that a hurricane forms over warm ocean water, using the water vapor as “fuel.” Students might name memorable storms like Hurricanes Ida (2021), Irma and Maria (2017), Sandy (2012), Katrina and Rita (2005), Andrew (1992), and the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 for their loss of property and life. Common images from hurricane coverage that students might share include wind-stricken weather reporters, flying debris, storm surge, flooding, first responders, “spaghetti models” of potential paths, and radar images of the spinning cloud and eye. Mentions of images of evacuations of families and special help for the elderly, the infirm, or children connect to one of the novel’s central themes, Gratitude for Support and Help from Loved Ones.

• Students can briefly review hurricane facts in “The Characteristics of a Hurricane” from Sciencing.com.
• One news agency’s list of the five worst hurricanes introduces a few lesser-known historical hurricanes—along with Hurricane Katrina at #5.

2. What stories have you read or watched recently that include ghosts? What are some different ways that ghosts are presented in literature and TV or movies? What are some of the different ways an audience member or reader might react to a ghost in a story?

Teaching Suggestion: Students might offer that ghosts can be depicted in a variety of ways: visible or invisible, barely suggested or fully formed. The tone of a story with a ghost or ghosts can vary just as widely: terrifying, spooky, humorous, suspenseful, mysterious. Mention the connection to ghosts in Ninth Ward (Lanesha, the protagonist, can see spirits walking among the living; her mother’s ghost often rests on the bed where she died). With sensitivity in mind, class discussion can include an introduction to the theme of Accepting Death as a Part of Life.

• Some elements in Ninth Ward such as Lanesha’s and Mama Ya-Ya’s powers and the presence of Lanesha’s mother’s ghost lean toward magical realism. Use this question to introduce this literary subgenre to students. This Masterclass article offers a description and characteristics of magic realism. Classes familiar with works of magical realism might assess the extent to which Ninth Ward “fits” the subgenre.

Short Activity

Use this map of New Orleans to note the natural features of the city’s landforms and bodies of water. Zoom in and search for the Lower Ninth Ward. Where is this neighborhood in comparison to New Orleans’s famous Jackson Square? How far, roughly, in miles or city blocks is the center of the Ninth Ward from the Louisiana Superdome? What do you notice about the Ninth Ward’s proximity to water?

Teaching Suggestion: Depending on time available and your class’s interest level, have students make predictions regarding the storm’s impact considering the proximity of the Mississippi, canals, and Lake Ponchartrain to parts of the city. You can explain the concept of levees and flood walls now with the photos in links below, or wait until students are reading the post-storm chapters.

• This History.com article on levee failures summarizes the city’s topography in the section “The Bowl Effect.”
• Most photograph collections available online of Katrina’s aftereffects and flooding contain graphic or disturbing images; be sure to preview before sharing with students. On this site, scroll to see a photo of the flooded Lower Ninth Ward.