Chinua Achebe is one of Africa's best-known contemporary writers. His first novel, "Things Fall Apart," deals with the clash of cultures and the violent transitions in life and values brought about by the onset of British colonialism in Nigeria at the end of the 19th century. Published in 1958, just before Nigerian independence, the novel recounts the life of the village hero Okonkwo and describes the arrival of white missionaries in Nigeria and its impact on traditional Igbo society during the late 1800s. After situating the novel in its historical and literary context, this lesson seeks to have high school students identify the text's linguistic and literary techniques and analyze the relationship of oral elements to the meanings and messages of the novel. The lesson introduces students to Achebe's first novel and to strategies of close reading and textual analysis. It can be used alone or in conjunction with the related lesson "Chinua Achebe's 'Things Fall Apart': Teaching through the Novel." The lesson: provides an introduction; cites subject areas, time required, and skill development; poses guiding questions; gives learning objectives; presents three lessons (Historical Context: Pre-Colonial Igbo Society and Nigeria under British Rule; Literary Context: Taking Back the Narrative of the So-Called "Dark Continent"; and Linguistic and Literary Strategies in "Things Fall Apart"); suggests additional activities for extending the lesson; lists selected Websites; and addresses standards alignment. Contains Igbo vocabulary and oral elements logs. (NKA)