A Single Shard

The novel ends with an author’s note describing a beautiful prunus vase. No direct reference connects it to events in the story. What is this note meant to imply about the characters, their relationship to one another, and the art of pottery making?

Teaching Suggestion:

Students might benefit from a discussion of the specific physical characteristics of the vase and how these might have inspired the events and characters in the story before addressing the prompt. You may want to emphasize Tree-ear’s love of the prunus vase shape and his attachment to Crane-man. You may also want to ask students to consider Tree-ear’s evolution into the master craftsman who created the vase.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students with executive functioning challenges and/or learners who might struggle with the analytical elements of the prompt may benefit from the use of a graphic organizer with 3 columns: “Characters,” “Relationships,” “The Art of Pottery Making.” Students can list their ideas for the author’s note’s implications regarding the separate components in the organizer instead of in paragraph form.