English 11

Unit 1, The American Short Story

SUBJECT AREA: Language Arts GRADE LEVEL: 11

COURSE TITLE: American Literature and Composition COURSE LENGTH: 1 year

UNIT TITLE: The American Short Story UNIT LENGTH: 6 weeks

DEPARTMENT PHILOSOPHY:

The English department of Sherwood Christian Academy believes that all knowledge is based upon the absolute truth of God’s Word. It is of the utmost importance for each teacher to integrate Biblical principles into instruction. Criteria for choosing appropriate literary material is grounded in the principles found in Philippians 4:8. Following the guidelines of this verse provides a standard through which all literature can be evaluated as to its appropriateness and relevance for Christian education. Literature presented in the classroom setting should be of excellent quality, appropriate for the maturity level of the student, and, ultimately, literature that honors Christ.

Closely connected to reading and analyzing quality literature is the belief in the importance of learning and practicing effective communication skills throughout the English department. Competent communication skills are imperative in all levels of society. The Bible instructs that we communicate God’s Word to the world. To perform this act properly, Christians must first rightly divide the Word of God (II Timothy 2:13, I Timothy 6:18).

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Students in American Literature will analyze and contextualize the evolution of American history and culture as reflected in our nation’s literature and language usage. The social perspective and historical significance of multicultural writers from the Puritan era to the modern age will be studied in a chronological or thematic pattern following the major American Literary movements. The emphasis in American Literature is the critical analysis of texts through reading, writing, speaking, listening, and using media. The responsibility will be placed on the student to construct meaning through analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of the reading selections which utilizes higher-order thinking skills.

The course integrates literature, composition, grammar and usage, and vocabulary. Students will develop critical thinking skills as they analyze and evaluate literary themes, ideas, and insights within the context of a Biblical worldview. A variety of multicultural literature from all genres will be used. Process writing will be taught as students work through planning, outlining, drafting, revising, editing and proofing. Proficient use of language will be displayed in narrative, descriptive, expository, and persuasive writing. Communication skills will be strengthened as students use speaking and listening strategies in formal and informal discussions and presentations. Learning to express ideas clearly with proper usage and correctly with proper grammar is foundational to effective communication.

UNIT DESCRIPTION:

The American Short traces the development of a specific genre that develops into a decidedly American style. Writers break from their British roots and write with rhetoric and style all their own. The unit develops higher order critical thinking skills by reading and analyzing increasingly difficult literary works. The short stories presented in this unit are specifically selected to expose students to a variety of literary styles and writers from the various literary periods presented this year. Students explore theme, characterization, plot, symbolism, irony, and conflict as well as other aspects of traditional fiction. Students will determine how the author’s background and personal experiences impact their work and discuss elements of setting and the impact of society on a character and his story. Figurative language is also identified. Students will plot the action and development of the stories by identifying the various types of conflict and discussing how those conflicts are resolved. Students will also write a narrative essay.

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES:

Students will:

  • Determine the theme, tone, and purpose of the piece, symbols used and what they represent
  • Determine plot action and development in literature by identifying the various types of conflict and discussing how those conflicts are resolved
  • Determine period-specific vocabulary
  • Identify the author’s use of literary structure to create suspense
  • Determine the qualities of a good narrative
  • Explore direct and indirect characterization
  • Use inference to draw conclusions about characters and their motives
  • Identify uniquely American elements in literature as it moves farther away from its British roots
  • Discover that diction contributes to tone
  • Note that character development contributes to theme
  • Relate a real or imagined personal experience
  • Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant and determine how an author’s personal experience affects their work and determines their point of view, particularly those authors whose cultural background is vastly different from the student’s
  • View historical sources such as newspapers and photographs to determine their impact on a literary work and how that literary work takes liberties from the historical facts for effect
  • Make comparisons between the treatment of a subject or scene in two or more mediums, such as text and film, text and song, or text and historical event and evaluate how each version interprets the source text
  • Compare and contrast various works based on author’s background, subject of the work, theme of the work, etc.
  • Identify and define unknown vocabulary from the text through context
  • Identify and discuss various literary terms such as foreshadowing, suspense, metaphor, simile, personification, irony, etc.
  • Write various essays; prepare and present a group project; research as necessary to complete an essay and project
  • Learn to employ the most significant and thorough textual evidence to support inferences, reflecting on how inferences are refined through continued reading and discussions with other readers
  • Determine the impact of the author’s choices on the structure of the text is analyzed
  • Determine the structure of the plot, including where to begin or end a story and the type of ending provided (tragic or comedic)
  • Identify connotative and denotative word use; determine what is expressly stated versus what is inferred to determine point of view
  • Analyze text through focused closed reading assignments
  • Read and comprehended proficiently in the Lexile range appropriate to the students’ age and skills

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS

  • Teacher instruction/Note taking
  • Computer
  • Group work
  • Classwork exercises and handouts
  • In-Class reading
  • Discussion

BIBLICAL INTEGRATION:

Conflict drives the plot of any story, and conflict is a direct byproduct of sin. In exploring the conflict in these short stories, students can see that a character’s reaction to this conflict is vital to the growth of his character and the resolution of the plot – whether positively or negatively. It is often easy to excuse poor choices based on a perceived lack of control over the conflict in life, but God expects His people to adhere to certain standards of behavior and exhibit Christ-likeness in all aspects of life.

  • Psalm 143:10
  • I Samuel 2:3
  • John 3:20-21
  • Colossians 3:17
  • Philippians 4:8

EVALUATION TECHNIQUES:

  • Student participation in class
  • Homework/Classwork from handouts and questions on the works
  • Quizzes
  • Writing assignments – journals, narrative essay
  • The Short Story Test

RESOURCES:

  • Implications of Literature, Pioneer Level, TextWord Press, Inc.
  • Teacher handouts
  • Various internet resources
  • Holy Bible

Lesson 1

Prior Knowledge

Reading a Rubric

Native American Period

? - 1600s

Text:

  • Marie McLaughlin, “Legends of the Sioux,” page 445
  • Zitkala-Sa, “Iktomi and the Coyote,” page 450
  • Create a project from Native American Folktales using project worksheet
  • Design criteria for identifying the elements in a Native American Folktale

Lesson 2

Romanticism

•1800s-1860s

Text:

  • Edgar Allan Poe, “The Pit and the Pendulum,” page 21
  • Writing Workshop, page 37, #2
  • Literary Critique Questions, page 36, #s 1-5

Lesson 3

Text:

  • Nathaniel Hawthorne, “The Ambitious Guest,” page 143
  • Writing Workshop, page 151, # 2 – Irony
  • Literary Critique questions, page 151, #s 1-7

Lesson 4

Prior Knowledge

MLA Formatting

Citing Charts/graphs

Texts:

  • Mark Twain, “The Danger of Lying in Bed,” page 507
  • “A Night of Terror,” page 512
  • Writing Workshop, Page 511, #2, modified
  • Instead of creating an entire essay, use the statistics you uncover to create a minimum of 3 charts to be used in MLA format. It should include proper citations and be emailed to Mrs. Golden.
  • Literary Critique, page 511, #s 1-5
  • Literary Critique, pages 516 – 517, #s 1-6

Lesson 5

Realism

•1855-1900s

Text:

  • Steven Crane, “The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky,” page 3
  • Language Arts, pages 13-14, #s 1 and 2
  • Literary Critique, page 13, #s 1-5

Lesson 6

Text:

  • Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, “The Revolt of ‘Mother’,” page 109
  • Literary Critique, pages 123-124

Lesson 7

Prior Knowledge

Basic Essay Writing

Naturalism

•Overlaps Realism

Text:

  • Hamlin Garland, “Under the Lion’s Paw,” page 93
  • In a short response (3-5 paragraphs) compare your life with that of the characters in the story. How is your life better, worse, and the same? What do you consider to be their greatest struggle? What is your greatest struggle? Please respond in complete paragraphs.

Lesson 8

Prior Knowledge:

Class Discussion (seminar)

Text:

  • Kate Chopin, “Regret,” page 135

Lesson 9

Prior knowledge:

MLA formatting

Summary/Paraphrasing

Internal citations

Text:

  • Ambrose Bierce, “Chickamauga,” page 161
  • Literary Critique, page 167, #s 1-4

Lesson 10

Modernism

•1900s-1950s

Text:

  • William Carlos Williams, “The Use of Force,” page 16 (Imagism)
  • Language Arts Workshop, page 19-20, #s 1 and 2
  • Literary Critique, page 19, #s 1-4

Lesson 11

Text:

  • Max Brand, “Wine on the Desert,” page 53
  • Literary Critique, page 60, #s 106

Lesson 12

Text:

  • Shirley Jackson, “Seven Types of Ambiguity,” page 83
  • Complete Literary Critique, page 90, #s 1-12

Lesson 13

Text:

O. Henry, “The Roads We Take,” page 153

Writing Workshop, pages 158-159, # 1

Literary Critique, page 158, #s 1-6

Lesson 14

Text:

William Saroyan, “The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse,” page 127

Journal Workshop, page 134, # 1

Literary Critique, page 133, #s 1-7

Lesson 15

Post-Modernism

•1950s-...

Text:

Isaac Asimov, “Franchise,” page 181

Writing Workshop, page 195, #2

Literary Critique, pages 194 – 195, #s 1-6

Lesson 16

Prior Knowledge:

How to complete a close reading

  • Give out power verbs list
  • Give instructions for completing a close reading of the text
  • Distribute text after reading from book

Text:

Ray Bradbury, “There Will Come Soft Rains,” page 197

Writing Workshop, page 203

Literary Critique, pages 202 – 203, #s 1-3 and 5-8

Lesson 17

Text:

Leo Rosten, “The Rather Difficult Case of Mr. K*A*P*L*A*N,” page 519

Literary Critique, page 524, #s 1-8

Focus on Writing: Writing a Narrative, page 204

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