By the Waters of Babylon

Title: By the Waters of Babylon
Suggested Time: 5 days (45 minutes per day)
Common Core ELA Standards: RL.9-10.1, RL.9-10.2, RL.9-10.3, RL.9-10.4, RL.9-10.5, RL.9-10.10; W.9-10.1, W.9-10.4, W.9-10.7; SL.9-10.1, SL.9-10.4; L.9-10.1, L.9-10.2, L.9-10.4

Teacher Instructions
Preparing for Teaching
Read the Big Ideas and Key Understandings and the Synopsis. Please do not read this to the students. This is a description for teachers about the big ideas and key understanding that students should take away after completing this task.
Big Ideas and Key Understandings
Truths (facts) and discoveries influence our actions and knowledge.
Synopsis
John is the son of a priest in a futuristic society where social class and rules are paramount. Knowledge is vital to John, and he invests a great deal of energy in his search for truths. John’s father discovered his potential when he was very young and treats him differently from his siblings. John values tradition and order; he takes broken rules and consequences very seriously. John journeys to the “Place of the Gods” in search for truth and what he finds will change what he has known. This “Place of the Gods” is revealed to be New York City, which has been destroyed by a war called “The Great Burning.”
Read the entire selection, keeping in mind the Big Ideas and Key Understandings.
Re-read the text while noting the stopping points for the Text Dependent Questions and teaching Tier II/academic vocabulary.

During Teaching
Students read the entire selection independently.
Teacher reads the text aloud while students follow along or students take turns reading aloud to each other. Depending on the text length and student need, the teacher may choose to read the full text or a passage aloud. For a particularly complex text, the teacher may choose to reverse the order of steps 1 and 2.
Students and teacher re-read the text while stopping to respond to and discuss the questions, continually returning to the text. A variety of methods can be used to structure the reading and discussion (i.e., whole class discussion, think-pair-share, independent written response, group work, etc.)

Text Dependent Questions
Text-dependent Questions
Evidence-based Answers
The author establishes the setting. Describe the setting. What words and phrases does the author use to develop the setting?
The story is set in a society with priests and also hunters; there are also very strict laws. The narrator says “The north and the south and the west are …good hunting ground… it is forbidden to go east.” This helps establish the setting of the story and frames the story’s action.
The author creates mystery and suspense. What words/phrases help create this mystery? Cite specific evidence in your answer.
The narrator says, “these are the rules and the laws; they are well made.” The reader is able to determine this is a strict society but doesn’t know yet how this will play into the story.
What tone is established? Cite specific words from the text that help establish the tone.
There is a foreboding tone established in the first several paragraphs. The words “dead places,” “demons,” ‘forbidden,” and “spirit” help establish this tone.
Summarize the actions that are forbidden in this society. Cite specific evidence to support your answer.
It is forbidden to go to the “Dead Places,” to touch metal unless you are a priest, to cross the river, and to go “east.” It also says that these actions have been forbidden “since the beginning of time.”
What is the significance of knowledge in this society? What can we infer from the fact that only the priests possess the knowledge? Cite specific evidence to support your answer.
Knowledge is very important to this society.
* It is desired by the narrator; he says “my knowledge and my lack of knowledge burned in me- I wished to know more.”
* The priests are obviously the most important group in the society, so it speaks to the importance of knowledge that it is the priests who are wise.
* The narrator separates his society from others by saying, “we are not ignorant like the Forest People…”
* Knowledge is also portrayed as hard work; it says “…we have not forgotten the old writings, although they are hard to understand.”
The narrator says, “My knowledge made me happy--it was like a fire in my heart.” What is meant by this?
The narrator means that knowledge made him feel alive. He states that he was taught to “read in the old books,” and “make the old writings…” In this context, fire is associated with passion. The heart is usually equated with love, so the author is indirectly comparing knowledge to love.
What is the significance of signs and dreams in this society? How do these signs and dreams relate to knowledge? Cite textual specific evidence in your answer.

The dreams and the signs are the tools by which the knowledge is given to the narrator. These dreams and signs determine the behaviors and actions of the narrator, thus the dreams are very important. The narrator’s father says, “This is a strong dream.” He also says, “…it may eat you up.”
The narrator's father states that the narrator's strong dream "may eat you up." How does the narrator tie the events to the father's statement?
As his father has predicted, the narrator is so consumed with his dream that he continues on into the place of the gods, rather than just viewing it from the cliff. He says “… it was enough to spend the night upon the cliff.” Yet he knows he has to continue on even though it’s dangerous. He says, “I knew that I should have to cross the river and walk in the place of the gods, although the gods ate me up.”
How does the author indicate that the narrator walked for 8 days? Cite specific evidence to support your answer.
The narrator says, “It is eight suns’ journey to the east.” This indicates that it takes him eight days to get to the place of the gods.
The narrator says, “It is better to lose one’s life than one’s spirit…” What does he mean by this? Why does he feel this way? Cite specific text evidence to support your opinion.

He means that the spirit and the soul are more important than a person’s physical life. He feels this way, in part, because his society has conditioned him to feel this way. He uses this reasoning to reject his fear of death. He says, “…if I did not go, I could never be at peace with my spirit again.”
The narrator disproves some of the other priests’ teachings. Summarize the truths he discovers. Given the importance of knowledge in this society, why might this be significant? Cite specific text evidence to support your answer.
The narrator learns that the ground does not burn continuously, that the island is not foggy, that the spirits are not screaming, and the towers are not all broken. It is significant because knowledge is constantly expanding. It is significant that the narrator adds to his knowledge by correcting the teachings of other priests. The narrator says, “It is not true either, what some of our priests say…”
The narrator says, “My hunger for knowledge burned in me--there was so much that I could not understand.” What impact does the author achieve in using this figure of speech? What can we infer about the narrator’s desire for knowledge? Cite specific text evidence in your response.
The implied comparison is the desire for knowledge and the primitive need for food. The subtlety the author achieves is important because it requires the reader to infer the comparison. The narrator’s desire for knowledge is as natural for him as the need for food; he says “After a while, I knew my belly was hungry.”
The narrator says “…I had gone past what was forbidden.” What is meant by this? What does this tell us about the narrator’s actions at this point in the story? Cite specific textual evidence in your response.
The narrator is so far into his journey and has broken so many of the society’s rules and laws. It makes him all the more brave. He uses this as reason to go further and learn more. After telling of a previous incident when he ate a jar of jelly he was forbidden from eating he says “…I entered the likeliest of towers, looking for the food of the gods.”
What leads the narrator to conclude that the god who lived there must have been wise? What can we infer about the importance of knowledge to the narrator? Cite specific text evidence in your answer.
The narrator discovers there were books and writings (knowledge) and assumes that because of this the “god” who lived there must have been very wise. This further reveals the importance of knowledge to the narrator and his society. He feels his knowledge gives him the “…right there, as I sought knowledge also.”
What does the narrator realize about the gods’ knowledge? Cite specific text evidence in your answer.
The narrator realizes that even the god’s knowledge did not prevent their downfall. He says, “And yet not all they did was well done…their wisdom could not but grow until all was peace.”
What is the significance about the way the narrator learns about the events of “The Great Burning and Devastation”? How does this reinforce the earlier connection between dreams and knowledge? Cite specific text evidence to support your answer.
He learns of the events through a vision or a dream. The narrator tells what he sees in the smoke of the fire; “it is what I have always seen…” Dreams and visions are tools of knowledge in this society; those chosen to possess knowledge are given that knowledge through these visions and dreams. He says, “Some will say I slept, but… I had stepped out of my body.”
What does the ultimate truth learned by the narrator reveal about the relationship between knowledge and truth?
The narrator learns that the gods were actually men. He says, “...for then I knew he was a man.” This is an obvious new truth for the narrator. He must now reconcile this with what he has known previously. The narrator is quite surprised by this truth. The narrator also says that it was “hard to tell and believe.”
The father says. “Truth is a hard deer to hunt….you may die of the truth.” What is meant by this statement? Cite textual evidence in your response.
The father is saying that when people come across truths that contradict the core knowledge that drives a society, it can be very dangerous. He indicates that is the reason for the laws by saying, “It was not idly that our fathers forbade the Dead Places.” The father indicates that as times change, new knowledge can be sought and incorporated. "I could not have done it in my time, but you come after me. Tell!"
The narrator says, “He was right-it is better that truth should come little by little.” What is meant by this statement? Cite specific evidence to support your answer. The narrator means that such truths--like the ruin of the Place of the Gods-- should be carefully integrated into existing knowledge. The narrator believes this is what is best for his society and can prevent its downfall. He says, “Perhaps, in the old days, they ate their knowledge too fast.”
Syntax is the grammatical structure of the text. What is the effect of the use of dashes and hyphens throughout text, particularly when discussing knowledge and truth?
The author uses the dashes and hyphens to emphasize important points, especially those concerning knowledge and truth. The narrators explains that his knowledge was “-like a fire in my heart.” That “My hunger for knowledge burned in me-…I could not understand.” He says “-it is better the truth should come little by little.” In each of these instances, the narrator reinforces his assertions about knowledge and truth.

Tier II/Academic Vocabulary

These words require less time to learn
(They are concrete or describe an object/event/ process/characteristic that is familiar to students)
These words require more time to learn
(They are abstract, have multiple meanings, are a part of a word family, or are likely to appear again in future texts)
Meaning can be learned from context

bade* underfoot anteroom* trembled summoned perplexed* strictly
Gods
forbidden knowledge stern chants sacred wailing shriek

Meaning needs to be provided

fasting enchantments haunches mended burrowed

purification ignorant Culminating Writing Task
Prompt
In the story, By the Waters of Babylon, the narrator is on a journey for knowledge and discovers unexpected truths that change his beliefs. What does this reveal about the relationship between knowledge and truth? Write a well-developed, complex paragraph as your answer. Cite specific textual evidence in your response.
Teacher Instructions
Students identify their writing task from the prompt provided.
Students complete an evidence chart as a pre-writing activity. Teachers should guide students in gathering and using any relevant notes they compiled while reading and answering the text-dependent questions earlier. Some students will need a good deal of help gathering this evidence, especially when this process is new and/or the text is challenging!

Evidence
Quote or paraphrase
Elaboration / explanation of how this evidence supports ideas or argument

“My knowledge made me happy--it was like a fire in my heart.”

Knowledge is very important in the narrator’s society and to him. It is what inspires his quest and drives his actions. At this point the narrator assumes all that he knows to be true; he has yet to learn differently.
“My hunger for knowledge burned in me--there was so much that I could not understand.”

The author implies the narrator’s need for knowledge is physiological and primitive, like the need for food. This underscores the importance of knowledge to the narrator and its role in his behavior.
“It is not true what some of our priests say…”
Here, the narrator begins to discover new truths that contradict the teachings of the priests in his society, he learns that the island is not covered in fog, not constantly burning, and not all the towers are broken. It is interesting that the narrator easily incorporates these truths. He does not seem to struggle with these contradictions. He assumes that it his destiny to improve upon the knowledge he has been given.
"And yet not all they did was well done…their wisdom could not but grow until all was peace.”
The narrator realizes that knowledge does not guarantee prosperity. The gods were very wise, yet their civilization still did not survive. This is a new truth that the narrator learns.
“That is all of my story….they had been men, neither gods nor demons."
This represents the ultimate truth learned by the narrator, when he discovers that they weren’t really gods; they were men. This is the beginning of the narrator’s changing beliefs based on his knew truths. He realizes they were no different than his people are today, so they are capable of the same feats. This makes him feel powerful. For the narrator knowledge is power, and this is the ultimate truth.
“He was right-it is better that truth should come little by little.”

“Truth is a hard deer to hunt….you may die of the truth.”

Integrating truths into our existing knowledge is difficult and tumultuous process. It can cause great stress and prompt instability in a society. Therefore, according to the narrator, it should be introduced little by little. This also shows the narrator’s view that he is more sophisticated than others in the society, thus more able to grapple with these new truths.

The father of the narrator is saying that truth is hard to find and harder to reconcile with existing knowledge. He is also saying that truth is dangerous and can lead to downfall.
“We must build again.”
This marks the ultimate change in the narrator’s behavior. After learning the ultimate truth he is convinced that they must rebuild the Dead Places; which previously was a forbidden place.

Once students have completed the evidence chart, they should look back at the writing prompt in order to remind themselves what kind of response they are writing (i.e. expository, analytical, argumentative) and think about the evidence they found. (Depending on the grade level, teachers may want to review students’ evidence charts in some way to ensure accuracy.) From here, students should develop a specific thesis statement. This could be done independently, with a partner, small group, or the entire class. Consider directing students to the following sites to learn more about thesis statements: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/01/ OR http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/ thesis_statement.shtml.
Students compose a rough draft. With regard to grade level and student ability, teachers should decide how much scaffolding they will provide during this process (i.e. modeling, showing example pieces, sharing work as students go).
Students complete final draft.

Sample Answer
In By the Waters of Babylon, the narrator’s journey and discoveries reveal that the truths that were discovered influenced his knowledge and actions. John, the narrator, is the son of a priest and deeply desires knowledge. He says, “My hunger for knowledge burned in me--there was so much that I could not understand.” It is this “hunger” which inspires his journey; once he arrives at the “Place of the Gods” it is not long before new truths begin to reshape his knowledge, saying, “It is not true what some of our priests say…” John begins to discover new knowledge that contradicts the teachings of the priests in his society: he learns that the island is not covered in fog, not constantly burning, and not all the towers are broken. John easily incorporates this truth into his knowledge. He does not seem to struggle with these contradictions, assuming that it is his destiny to improve upon the knowledge he has been given. John also discovers that knowledge does not guarantee prosperity, saying “And yet not all they did was well done…their wisdom could not but grow until all was peace.” John discovers the truths that even though the Gods were very knowledgeable, their civilization still did not survive. Speaking to this discovery when he returns home, he says “it is better that truth should come little by little.” Integrating truths into existing knowledge is difficult and tumultuous process. It can cause great stress and prompt instability in a society. Therefore, according to John, it should be introduced little by little.
Perhaps the most important truth that John learns is the revelation that Gods are actually men: “That is all of my story….they had been men, neither gods nor demons." This is the beginning of John’s changing beliefs based on his knew forming knowledge. He realizes they were no different than his people are today, so he is capable of the same feats. This makes him feel powerful. For John, knowledge is power, and this is the ultimate truth. This revelation is what ultimately influences his actions; the story ends with John saying “We must build again.” This is a stark contrast from the beginning of the story which focused on “it is forbidden to go to… the Place of the Gods.” John’s new knowledge is so powerful that negates the most important law of his society.
Additional Tasks
Describe a time when your learned something that changed your own perception of the truth. How did you feel? How were your actions altered because of your new-found knowledge?
Answer: Answers may vary based on student’s experiences. Acceptable responses would include a well-developed essay that provides a clear and coherent definition of the time and experience. The experience needs to have evidence to support the feelings and how they were altered. Minimal punctuation and grammatical errors should be evident.
What causes cultures to change over time? Research one culture that has changed and support the reasons for the causes of that change. Type a well developed essay stating the culture, the change, and the causes for the change.
Answer: Answers may vary based on student’s choice of culture. Acceptable responses would include a well-developed essay that provides a clear and coherent definition of the culture, the specific change and the causes for the change. The essay must include resources used. Minimal punctuation and grammatical errors should be evident.

Note to Teacher
While truth, knowledge, and gods are familiar terms for students, they are included in vocabulary because this story refines students' definitions of these words.
Definition of key words:
Knowledge: truths (like facts) that help build a knowledge base
Truth: facts that are discovered that lead to knowledge
The allusion to Babylon in the title will also need to be discussed with students. Point out that the title is a direct reference to Psalm 137 in the Bible, that the ruins of the ancient city are in the Middle East, and that “Babylon” is referenced throughout the Bible- including in the book of Revelation. You may also choose to point out that many scholars feel that Babylon’s importance and magnificence has been grossly overstated and that it has long been used as a symbol of the Roman Empire. Babylon is frequently alluded to in literature. It most often references a bustling and prosperous city, many times also referring to a city ending in ruin.