Ninth Grade: Author’s Craft: Characters, Diction, and Structure Unit At-A-Glance Calendar

Essential Question: How do authors exhibit style and craft?

Week One
Introducing the Unit
Text: On Writing by Stephen King
Chapter 5, p. 163 on author’s craft. Selected excerpts from Aspects of the Novel by E.M. Forrester
Standards: .RI.9-10.1
Details: Students will need an overview of author techniques for style and craft. Literary Analysis: Read the excerpt and cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Routine Writing:
Compose a paragraph to compare and contrast the author’s approach to writing. / UDL for ELL
Text: “All the Years of Her Life” by Morley Callaghan
Standards: RL.9-10.3
Details: Literary Analysis: Theme, character, language, structure. Collaborative Review
Introduce/ review the three types of irony: verbal, situational, and dramatic. Routine Writing:
Using evidence from the text, write a paragraph illustrated the type of irony evidenced in this short story. / Lesson Seed 1
Text :
“Lamb to the Slaughter” -Roald Dahl
Standards: RL.9-10.3, SL.9-10.1
Details: Review: the definitions of character types: static, dynamic, flat, and round. Literary Analysis: Identify and analyze how the author develops the characterization of Mary Maloney over the course of a text. Review the static character of her husband and his actions. Analyze how the interactions of the characters advance the plot and develop the theme. Collaborative discussion
What news did her husband share with her? Why?
(Students should propel the conversation by adding related questions to connect to broader themes.)
Lesson Seed 1 / Text:
“A Piece of String” –de Maupassant
Standards: RL.9-10.3
Details: Literary Analysis:
Analyze how the author uses the complexity of a lie perceived as truth, conflicting characters, and provincial setting to advance the plot and develop the theme. / Lesson Plan 1
Text: “The Interlopers” - Saki
Standards: RL.9-10.3, SL.9-10.1, W.9-10.1
Details: Literary Analysis:
Analyze how the author’s descriptions of the generational feud, conflicting characters, and plot twists develop the theme and enhance the irony. Collaborative discussion. Using evidence from all three texts, compare each author’s use of irony in the short stories. Routine Writing: Argument Essay: Compare the three short stories for author’s craft. Citing specific evidence of tone, setting, characterization, theme, and irony, write an argument to defend which plot is the most character driven.
Lesson Plan 1
Task 1 Task 2 Task 3
Resource 1 Resource 2
Resource 3
Week Two
Lesson Plan 2
Text : ““The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe
Standard: RL.9-10.4, SL.9-10.1, L.9-10.4
Literary Analysis: Close reading using text dependent questions; determine the meaning of combined words and phrases that evoke a sense of time and place. Identify theme, character, unreliable narrator, setting and tone, language, structure, and irony of the name Fortunato.
Lesson Plan 2
Task 1
Task 1 Resource 1 / Lesson Plan 2
Text: ““The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe
Standard RL.9-10.4, W.9-10.3, L.9-10.1, L.9-10.2
Details: Literary Analysis: Review Close reading notes. Routine Writing: 1 Page Narrative Essay: From the perspective of Fortunato, students will write if they were surprised at the end of the night based on the actions of Montresor in the story.
Rubric: http://www.parcconline.org/sites/parcc/files/Grade%206-11%20ELA%20Expanded%20%20Rubric%20FOR%20ANALYTIC%20AND%20NARRATIVE%20WRITING_0.pdf
Lesson Plan 2
Task 1
Task 1 Resource 1 / Lesson Seed 2
Text:
“The Mask of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe
Standards: RL.9-10.4, W.9-10.2, SL.9-10.1
Details: Literary Analysis: Close reading to determine the meaning of words, and analyze how the diction impacts the meaning, tone, and evokes a sense of fatalism. Activity: Identify symbols, imagery, and color symbolism in the text.
Collaborative discussion
What is the fate of the courtiers and the prince? Do the they deserve this fate?
Routine Writing
Pre-Writing: Select one symbol from the discussion. Analyze the symbol, what it represents, and how Poe uses it to reinforce the overall theme of the story.
Lesson Seed 2 / Lesson Seed 2
Text:
“The Mask of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe
Standards:W.9-10.2.a-f, L.9-10.1, L.9-10.2
Details: Writing/ Drafting/ Editing:
Explanatory Essay: Select three symbols from the discussion. Analyze the symbols, what they represent, and how Poe uses them to reinforce the overall tone and create a theme. Draft the essay, peer edit, incorporate revisions, and publish a final draft.
Lesson Seed 2 / Text:
“Thus I refute Beelzy” – by John Collier
Standards: RL.9-10.4, SL.9-10.1, W.9-10.1, L.9-10.1, L.9-10.2
Details: UDL -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVfJsfnhyzk (audio reading)
Anticipatory Question: At what age should kids give up their imaginary friends? Why?
Literary Analysis/ Collaborative Discussion: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text to convey biblical allusions. Analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices that create a conflict of fantasy vs. reality, tone, foreshadowing, and irony.
Routine Writing:
Argument Essay: Compare Poe’s language and use of literary elements in the two previously read short stories. Compose an argument essay as to which author’s diction is more effective to craft his theme.
Week Three
Lesson Plan 3
Text :
“The Open Window” by Hector Hugh Munro (Saki)
Standards: RL.9-10.5, SL.9-10.1, W.9-10.2, L.9-10.1, L.9-10.2
Details: Literary Analysis:
Analyze how the author’s conception of how the girl reveals the “tragic event” to Mr. Framton creates tension and surprise.
Collaborative discussion:
Which details from the setting and story are used by the author to reveal the time period?
Routine Writing:
Explanatory Response:
Identify and explain three or more factors that contribute to Frampton Nuttle’s belief in Vera’s story?
Lesson Plan 3 / Text:
“The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst
Standards: RL.9-10.5, SL.9-10.1
Details: Close Read: Analyze how an author’s tone, choice of setting, and purposeful placement of elements of foreshadowing and symbolism create tension, surprise, and catharsis.
Collaborative discussion:
1)  Why does Doodle bury the Ibis?
2)  Why does his brother run from the storm? / Text : “The Flowers” by Alice Walker
Standards: RL.9-10.5
Details: Literary Analysis:
Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure text and order events create mystery, tension, and surprise. / Lesson Seed 3
Text:
“Here There be Tygers”
By Ray Bradbury
Standards: RL.9-10.5, SL.9-10.1
Details: UDL: Listen to “Here there be Tigers” through the famous audio recordings called Bradbury 13 produced by Mike McDonough.
http://home.wlv.ac.uk/~in5379/audio/bradbury13/bradbury13.htm
OR at youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI0JaXoskbU
Literary Analysis:
Analyze the implications of the author’s choice of a sentient setting as a tool to craft tension, mystery, and surprise.
Collaborative discussion Question:
How does the author’s characterization of the different astronauts advance the plot and theme?
Lesson Seed 3 / Text: Non-fiction/ Non-Print Media*: Review excerpts from a 2001 lecture by Ray Bradbury on 12 tips for writing short stories posted on the Open Culture Website: (First 10 minutes)
http://www.openculture.com/2012/04/ray_bradbury_gives_12_pieces_of_writing_advice_to_young_authors_2001.html
(Disclaimer: first two words of the aforementioned paragraph contain a word which may be offensive to some students. Teachers must review the audio prior to sharing it with students.)
Standards: W.9-10.8, W.9-10.3.b-e, L.9-10.1, L.9-10.2
Details: Narrative Essay: Select a setting, conflict, rising action, falling action, resolution, main characters, and theme. Write a narrative using dialogue and multiple plot lines to develop characters and events that culminate in a central theme.
See Previous Rubric with Lesson Plan 2
Standards Overview

Standard RL.9-10.3 – Analyze how complex characters (e.g. those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

·  “Lamb to the Slaughter” -Roald Dahl

·  “A Piece of String” –de Maupassant

·  “The Interlopers” - Saki

Standard RL.9-10.4 – Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text including figurative and connotative meaning; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g. how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).

·  “The Cask of Amontillado” –Edgar Allan Poe

·  “The Mask of the Red Death” – Edgar Allan Poe

·  “Thus I Refute Beelzy” – John Collier UDL - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVfJsfnhyzk (audio reading)

Standard RL.9-10.5 – Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure at text, order events within it (e.g. pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, and surprise.

·  “The Open Window” – Saki

·  “The Scarlet Ibis” –Hurst

·  “The Flowers” - Alice Walker

·  “Here There Be Tygers” – Ray Bradbury

ELL Differentiation - “All the Years of Her Life” by Morley Callaghan

Assessment:

Culminating assessment of a comprehensive story that students have to use EBSR’s to support argument.

R/ELA.MSDE.4/26/2013 4