The Things They Carried—unit calendar
Monday
31
7
No school
14
DUE: annotated bibliography
Class: theme; media center for
presentation planning
Tuesday
HW: work on essay
Thursday
Friday
2
3
4
Class: group assignments; 305 for
research
Class: chart and discussion; 314 for
research
Class: group discussion and
perspective writing; media center for
research
Class: Harkness discussion; 314 for
research
HW: Read “The Things They Carried”
(1-18), paying attention to who the
characters physically carry and what
they carry mentally or emotionally.
HW: Read “Love,” “Spin,” and “On the
Rainy River” (pages 18-40). Write at
least a paragraph (5-8 sentences) in
response: How do point of view (1st,
2nd, or 3rd person) and narrative
perspective (changes within a
particular point of view) change from
the first chapter to this section and
within this section? What effects does
this have on the reader?
9
Class: symbols; media center for
research
8
Class: figurative language in groups;
media center for research
HW: Read “Enemies,” “Friends,” “How
to Tell a True War Story,” and “The
Dentist” (pages 40-58). Write a
paragraph that answers: How does
O’Brien follow his own advice (or not)
about writing a true war story? Give
specifics in support.
HW: Read “Sweetheart of the Song
Tra Bong” (58-77). Write a paragraph
that discusses how O’Brien writes
about gender and gender norms in
this chapter. Use specifics. How does
the title of the chapter factor into
this?
10
Class: passage analysis; media center
for research
11
Class: group discussion; media center
for research
HW: Read “Stockings,” “Church,” “The
Man I Killed,” “Ambush,” and “Style”
(77-89). Choose one character:
Dobbins or Kiowa. Write a paragraph
explaining how O’Brien characterizes
this character in these chapters? Use
specific examples and analyze them
(point-evidence-analysis/what?-how?effect?).
15
HW: Read “Speaking of Courage” and
“Notes” (89-106). In at least a
paragraph: how does “Notes” expand
the way we read “Speaking of
Courage”?
HW: Read “In the Field,” “Good
Form,” and “Field Trip” (106-124).
Write at least a paragraph analyzing
how O’Brien details Kiowa’s death.
Consider also the previous chapters.
Use specifics. Why might he have
adopted this arrangement of
information?
HW: Read “The Ghost Soldiers” (124145). List three topics that O’Brien
discusses in his novel. Then, list the
themes O’Brien develops from those
topics (three total, one for each topic).
16—early release
18
Presentations day 2
Class: (if needed) media center for
presentation planning; presentation
practice
Class: presentation practice
17
Presentations day 1: everyone needs
to be prepared to present today (no
excuses). If you need to bring things,
you may leave them here if you don’t
present. If a member of your group is
absent, you will present anyway and
that person will have to present
another day.
22
Class: finish theme essay
23
24
25
HW: Read “Night life” and “The Lives
of the Dead” (145-end). Respond in a
paragraph or two: Why does O’Brien
include the story of Linda at the end of
this novel? How does it influence the
way we respond to the remainder of
the novel?
21
Class: theme essay
Wednesday
1 Sept.
HW: final preparation for your
presentation