On the Face of It: Symbolism and Imagery

Active learning helps students move beyond passive reading to grasp how symbolism and imagery shape meaning in 'On the Face of It'. By engaging with visuals, movement, and discussion, learners connect abstract ideas to concrete experiences, making themes like isolation and resilience more tangible and memorable.

• Class 12
• English
• 4 activities
• 30 min–45 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze the symbolic significance of Mr. Lamb's garden as a representation of acceptance and growth.
2. Explain the connection between the imagery of bees and Mr. Lamb's philosophy of embracing life's complexities.
3. Critique how the play uses physical descriptions of characters to reveal their internal psychological states and societal perceptions.
4. Evaluate the role of setting and recurring imagery in developing the play's central themes of isolation and connection.

Gallery Walk

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Symbol Stations

Divide class into small groups. Each group creates a poster illustrating one symbol (garden, bees, scars) with quotes and personal interpretations. Groups then rotate through stations, adding sticky notes with observations. Conclude with whole-class sharing of insights.

Prepare & details

Analyze the symbolism of Mr. Lamb's garden and its role in Derry's transformation.

Facilitation Tip: During the Gallery Walk, place images of the garden and bees at different stations and ask students to write their first reactions before discussing in pairs.

Setup: Adaptable to standard Indian classrooms with fixed benches; stations can be placed on walls, windows, doors, corridor space, and desk surfaces. Designed for 35–50 students across 6–8 stations.

Materials: Chart paper or A4 printed station sheets, Sketch pens or markers for wall-mounted stations, Sticky notes or response slips (or a printed recording sheet as an alternative), A timer or hand signal for rotation cues, Student response sheets or graphic organisers

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Hexagonal Thinking

⏱ 30 min·Pairs

Role-Play: Garden Encounters

Pairs enact key scenes in the garden, exaggerating imagery like bee buzz or gate creaks to highlight symbolism. Switch roles and discuss how physical actions reveal character psychology. Record short clips for peer review.

Prepare & details

Explain the significance of the bees and their connection to Mr. Lamb's philosophy.

Facilitation Tip: For the Role-Play activity, provide minimal props like a walking stick or a flower pot to help students embody the characters’ emotions without overcomplicating the scene.

Setup: Works in standard classroom rows — students push desks together into groups of four to six. Each group needs enough flat surface to spread fifteen to twenty hexagonal tiles. Can also be conducted on the floor in a circle if desks cannot be rearranged.

Materials: Pre-cut hexagonal tiles — one labelled set of 15 to 20 per group, Blank tiles for student-generated concepts, Markers or printed concept labels in the medium of instruction, A3 sheets or chart paper for mounting the final arrangement, Printable link-label strips for annotating connection sentences

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Hexagonal Thinking

⏱ 35 min·Individual

Imagery Journals: Visual Mapping

Individually, students select three images from the play and draw mind maps linking them to themes. Share in small groups, explaining connections to Derry's change. Teacher circulates to prompt deeper analysis.

Prepare & details

Critique how the play uses physical descriptions to reveal deeper psychological states.

Facilitation Tip: In Imagery Journals, model one entry first, showing how to link a visual detail from the text to a theme, so students have a clear structure to follow.

Setup: Works in standard classroom rows — students push desks together into groups of four to six. Each group needs enough flat surface to spread fifteen to twenty hexagonal tiles. Can also be conducted on the floor in a circle if desks cannot be rearranged.

Materials: Pre-cut hexagonal tiles — one labelled set of 15 to 20 per group, Blank tiles for student-generated concepts, Markers or printed concept labels in the medium of instruction, A3 sheets or chart paper for mounting the final arrangement, Printable link-label strips for annotating connection sentences

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Hexagonal Thinking

⏱ 40 min·Small Groups

Debate Circles: Symbol Debates

Form two circles: inner debates symbolism (e.g., bees as risk vs. harmony), outer observes and rotates in. Use timers for balanced turns. Synthesise arguments as a class.

Prepare & details

Analyze the symbolism of Mr. Lamb's garden and its role in Derry's transformation.

Facilitation Tip: During Debate Circles, assign roles like ‘symbol defender’ or ‘textual evidence reviewer’ to keep discussions focused and accountable.

Setup: Works in standard classroom rows — students push desks together into groups of four to six. Each group needs enough flat surface to spread fifteen to twenty hexagonal tiles. Can also be conducted on the floor in a circle if desks cannot be rearranged.

Materials: Pre-cut hexagonal tiles — one labelled set of 15 to 20 per group, Blank tiles for student-generated concepts, Markers or printed concept labels in the medium of instruction, A3 sheets or chart paper for mounting the final arrangement, Printable link-label strips for annotating connection sentences

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Teaching This Topic

Teaching this topic works best when you balance close reading with creative expression. Avoid lectures that explain symbols in advance; instead, let students discover meanings through activities and then refine their ideas with guided questioning. Research shows that when students physically interact with symbols—such as drawing or acting them out—their understanding deepens more than through passive discussion alone. Keep the focus on how symbols evolve with characters, rather than static definitions.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students confidently explaining how symbols such as the garden or bees reflect character journeys, and using evidence from the text to support their interpretations. Look for students who can articulate connections between physical settings and emotional states, both in writing and discussion.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Gallery Walk: Symbol Stations, some students may treat the garden images as mere backgrounds without deeper meaning.

What to Teach Instead

During the Gallery Walk, ask students to focus on one element per image (e.g., a broken gate, a patch of weeds) and write how it mirrors Derry’s feelings at that point in the play, then compare notes in small groups to uncover hidden layers.

Common Misconception

During Role-Play: Garden Encounters, students might see bees as only literal pests without symbolic weight.

What to Teach Instead

During the role-play, pause after the scene where Mr. Lamb talks about bees and ask actors to improvise how a bee could represent both pain and joy, using gestures and dialogue to show this duality.

Common Misconception

During Imagery Journals: Visual Mapping, students may dismiss physical descriptions like scars as unrelated to psychological themes.

What to Teach Instead

During the Imagery Journals activity, provide a Venn diagram template where students compare Derry’s scar with the garden’s overgrown paths, prompting them to find shared themes of hidden beauty and acceptance.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After the Gallery Walk: Symbol Stations, divide students into groups and ask them to discuss: ‘How does Mr. Lamb’s garden act as a safe space for Derry? List three specific elements of the garden that contribute to this feeling and explain why.’ Listen for references to open gates, bees, or weeds as symbols of resilience and connection.

Exit Ticket

After the Role-Play: Garden Encounters, give students a slip of paper. Ask them to write: ‘One symbol or image from the play that resonated with you and why. How does this symbol connect to the play’s main themes?’ Collect these to check for thematic depth and textual evidence.

Quick Check

During Imagery Journals: Visual Mapping, display two images on the board: one of a garden with both flowers and weeds, and another of a swarm of bees. Ask students to write one sentence for each image explaining its symbolic meaning within the context of the play, then review a few responses aloud to address misconceptions immediately.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students to create a short comic strip showing Derry’s transformation, using only symbols from the play (e.g., gates, bees, weeds) to convey his emotional journey.
• For students who struggle, provide a partially completed Imagery Journal template with one sentence starter for each symbol, so they can focus on making connections.
• Deeper exploration: Ask students to compare the garden in 'On the Face of It' with a garden in another literary work they have read, analyzing how each author uses the setting to reflect character or theme.

Key Vocabulary

Symbolism	The use of objects, people, or ideas to represent something else, often an abstract concept. In the play, the garden symbolises openness.
Imagery	Language that appeals to the senses, creating vivid mental pictures for the reader. The description of Derry's face is a key example.
Metaphor	A figure of speech where a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable, implying a resemblance. The bees can be seen as a metaphor for life's dualities.
Setting	The time and place in which the play occurs. Mr. Lamb's garden is a significant setting that carries symbolic weight.