StudySync Lesson Plan
Pride and Prejudice
Objectives
1.
Engage students in the plot, characters, themes, setting, and language of Jane Austen's
Pride and Prejudice so that they are prepared to discuss and write about the excerpt.
2. Practice and reinforce the following Grade 11-12 ELA Common Core Standards for reading
literature, writing, language, and speaking/listening:
READING: LITERATURE — RL.11-12.1-7, 9-10
WRITING — W.11-12.1-6
LANGUAGE — L.11-12.5
SPEAKING/LISTENING — SL.11-12.1-3
Time
160 minutes (with up to an additional 135 minutes of extension possibilities)
Materials
SyncTV Premium Lesson of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice
Overview
One of Jane Austen's most widely-read novels, Pride and Prejudice was first published in 1813,
two years after the onset of England's Regency Era, a time of notable wealth and excess. The
book is, among other things, a comedy of manners, a biting satire of the mores of the time, and
one of the most famous romances in English literature. In this excerpt, students will be introduced
to the world of Jane Austen. Close examination of this text will prepare students to develop
thoughtful responses to higher-level literary texts, and to write thoughtful, informed, and
textually-rooted responses, consistent with the ELA Common Core Standards for the high school
grades.
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Lesson Plan: Pride and Prejudice
Background (15 minutes)
1.
Watch the Preview (SL.11-12.1-2). As a group, watch the video preview of the premium
lesson. Use the following questions to spur discussion following the preview:
a. The preview mentions the three major themes of the story: money, marriage, and
true love. Think about the relationship between these three themes and how they
enter into lives both then and now. What do each of these three things mean to
you?
b. Based on the images in the preview, what can you infer this story will be about?
Where will it take place? In which time period? Be specific.
c. What if you were forced to choose between “money” and “true love” in a marriage
partner? Which is more important? Encourage both sides of the debate. Do you
think the general consensus (if any) about the importance of these factors has
changed over the past few centuries?
Extension (additional 15 minutes)
d. Discuss (SL.11-12.1-2). Marriage is a rite of passage in almost all societies, but
marriage practices vary wildly across cultures. As a class, have students discuss
marriage and courtship practices they have heard about, both past and present.
What kind of marriage custom sounds most ideal? Encourage different responses.
Engaging the Text (145 minutes)
2. Read the Text (40 minutes)
a. Read and Annotate (RL.11-12.1-4, 6, 10). On a basic level, Jane Austen writes of
men and women with inherited land and titles in early 19th-century England. But
before students can understand the deeper layers of meaning in Austen, they'll
need to familiarize themselves with the dense cast of rotating characters that
appear in the mansions and ballrooms and smoking patios where her stories take
place. As students annotate, have them keep track of the every single character
introduced in this excerpt. Though the majority of this excerpt is a simple
conversation between two people, what do we learn about the two people
speaking? How many people do they discuss, and what do we learn about the
people they discuss? Student responses are visible to the teacher after the
students submit their writing assignments or beforehand if using the “Mimic”
function to access the students’ accounts.
b. Discuss (SL.11-12.1-3; RL.11-12.1-4). Have students get into small groups or pairs and
briefly discuss the responses they had while reading. Have them share their
responses with each other. Ask the class to discuss the characters introduced in
this excerpt and their attributes. Austen is renowned for her subtlety; some
students will pick up on things others don't. Encourage a variety of observations
among the class.
Extension (additional 20 minutes)
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Lesson Plan: Pride and Prejudice
c. Listen and Discuss (SL.11-12.1–3). As a class, listen to the audio reading of the text.
What are some of the different effects of reading the text versus hearing it read
aloud? What words does the author use to develop the characters and setting?
d. Comprehend (RL.11-12.1-4). Have students complete the multiple-choice questions.
Collect papers or discuss answers as a class.
e. Review (ELL). Have students work in pairs or as a class to note the conventions of
dialogue in the text. Point out the opening and closing quotation marks and other
uses of punctuation as well as of line breaks to indicate changes in speakers.
Depending on your students’ linguistic background, these conventions may be
familiar to them. Then point out the variety of words used to indicate speaking
(said, replied, returned, cried, etc.). You may wish to ask students to write lines of
dialogue using the excerpt as a model.
3. Watch SyncTV (45 minutes)
a. Watch. Either watch the SyncTV discussion associated with Pride and Prejudice
as a class or ask students to watch it on their individual computers.
b. Focus (RL.11-12.1-4, 6) Using the portion of the episode from 2:00-2:45, focus on
the way the SyncTV students discuss how dialogue in the excerpt shapes our
understanding of the characters and the setting. Have students highlight any lines
of dialogue that stand out as particularly telling or revealing.
c. Focus (RL.11-12.1-4) In the portion of the episode from 4:00-4:50, the students
discuss the role of women and the importance of marriage during the time when
the story takes place. Think about how these ideas appear in the excerpt. What
does this excerpt tell us about England during the Regency Era? How have these
customs and practices evolved?
d. Focus (RL.11-12.1-4, 6; L.11-12.5) Watch the portion of the episode from 6:00-6:25 in
which students discuss Austen's role in narrating the story and depicting these
events. Is Austen merely telling a story? Is she commenting? Satirizing? Ask
students how they think Austen views these characters.
e. Discuss (SL.11-12.1-3; RL.11-12.1-6) After students watch the model discussion, have
a conversation about the ideas in the SyncTV episode that stood out the most.
What new thoughts do students have after hearing the SyncTV discussion? Divide
your students into small groups (3-4 students). Encourage students to use the
SyncTV episode as a model, and move around the room monitoring the groups as
they discuss some of the following questions:
i. Jane Austen is described as a satirist. What is satire? What do you think
Austen is satirizing here? What is her target?
ii. Ask students to consider the famous opening line of this novel: “It is a truth
universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good
fortune must be in want of a wife.” Using this line (and others in the
excerpt), discuss Austen's tone as a third-person narrator. What are some
different styles of third-person narration in literature? What is the thirdperson narrator's role in telling a story?
iii. Examine and compare/contrast Mr. Bennet and his wife. Use specific
passages from the text, including their dialogue as well as Austen's own
descriptions.
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Lesson Plan: Pride and Prejudice
iv. In discussing the craft of writing, fledgling authors are often encouraged to
“show, don't tell.” What do you think this means? Does Austen “show” or
“tell” in this excerpt, or both? If both, when does she do which?
v. Very little description is given in this excerpt from Pride and Prejudice;
Austen seems more concerned with manners than with describing the
physical attributes of the setting and characters. Why? Can you get a
sense of the characters' physical attributes regardless? Where do you
imagine this taking place? What are the characters wearing? What do the
characters look like?
vi. In Pride and Prejudice and other works, Austen gives a lot of attention to
the role of women in society. What was the role of women in this world?
Cite specific examples from the excerpt. How has this role changed or
evolved since?
Extension (additional 75 minutes)
f.
Write (W.11-12.3). Have students do a little outside research on the Regency Era
(1811-1830) and its social customs. Have them compare these social customs to
today's customs. Then, use the StudySync assignment creation tool to create a
"Writing" assignment that asks students to address the following prompt:
What are the predominant social customs and manners of our world and how
have they changed since the Regency Era? If Jane Austen were writing today,
what customs would she satirize? Can you think of a contemporary author or
filmmaker whose work is similar to Austen's? Explain why you chose this person.
Students can complete the assignment as a quick write activity or go through the
writing process of planning, revising, editing, and publishing. Be sure to give
students time to share their final writing pieces with the class.
4. Think (10 minutes)
a. Respond (W.11-12.4, 6). Ask students to read the “Think” questions, watch the
corresponding video clips, and respond to the questions, either in class or for
homework.
5. Write (50 minutes)
a. Discuss (SL.11-12.1, 3). Read students the prompt you want them to complete, and
then solicit questions regarding the prompt and the assignment expectations.
Whichever prompt you have chosen, make sure you are clear about the
assignment expectations and the rubric that will be used to evaluate them.
b. Organize (RL.11-12.1; W.11-12.1-2, 4-6). Ask students to go back and annotate the
text with the prompt in mind. They should be organizing their thoughts and the
points they’ll address in their writing as they make annotations. If you’ve worked
on outlining or other organizational tools for writing, this is a good place to apply
them.
c. Write (W.11-12.1-2, 4-6). Have students go through the writing process of planning,
revising, editing, and publishing their writing responses.
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Lesson Plan: Pride and Prejudice
d. Review (W.11-12.1-2, 4-6). Use the StudySync “Review” feature to have students
complete one to two evaluations of their peers’ work based on your chosen
review rubric. Have the students look at and reflect upon the peer evaluations of
their own writing. What might you do differently in a revision? How might you
strengthen the writing and the ideas?
Extension (additional 40 minutes)
e. Write (W.11-12.1-2, 4-6). Have students write an essay as homework, using one of
the prompts you did not do in class. Students should publish their responses
online.
f.
Write Creatively (RL.11-12.1, 3; W.11-12.3-6.) Have students write another scene for
Pride and Prejudice in which Sir William and Lady Lucas visit Mr. Bingley and tell
him about the Bennet family. What motives might they have that would affect how
they describe the Bennets? How would they describe Mr. and Mrs. Bennet? How
would they describe the daughters? Encourage creativity, but also make sure
students are continuing the narrative using the characters that have already been
introduced.
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Lesson Plan: Pride and Prejudice
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS
Key Vocabulary
1.
scrupulous (adj.) - Very attentive to details, thorough
2. let (v.) - To rent (U.K.)
3. chaise (n.) - A two- or four-wheeled traveling carriage
4. vex (v.) - To agitate, trouble or bother
5. caprice (n.) - Impulse, whimsy (also capriciousness)
6. solace (n.) - Comfort or relief in the midst of distress
7. discontented (adj.) - Dissatisfied with ones surroundings or circumstances
Reading Comprehension Questions
1.
In paragraphs 1 and 2, the narrator of the excerpt is subtly telling us that
_______________.
a. wealthy single men often have trouble finding suitable wives.
b. there is something wrong with wealthy unmarried men.
c. wealthy young men are expected to marry, regardless of their wishes.
d. being single is more ideal than being married.
2. We can infer that Mr. Bennet probably _________________.
a. gets his social news and gossip from his wife.
b. wants to divorce his wife.
c. grew up in a different background and culture.
d. is jealous of his new, wealthy young neighbor.
3. Which of the following words best describes Mr. Bennet?
a. obedient
b. unpredictable
c. sincere
d. depressed
4. Mrs. Bennet encourages her husband to visit their new neighbor because
_____________.
a. they share some mutual acquaintances.
b. she envisions him marrying one of their daughters.
c. he is lonely and living in an unfamiliar place.
d. none of the above.
5. Which of her daughters is Mrs. Bennet's favorite?
a. Lizzy
b. Jane
c. Lydia
d. The text does not give this information
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Lesson Plan: Pride and Prejudice
6. Why does Mr. Bennet want to “throw in a good word” for his daughter Lizzy?
a. Because he thinks she is the prettiest of his daughters.
b. Because he dislikes her and wants her to leave their home.
c. Because she is the oldest and is in a hurry to get married.
d. Because he believes she is more intelligent than the others.
7. Which of the following words best describes the tone of Austen's narration at the
beginning of the excerpt?
a. descriptive
b. tongue-in-cheek
c. compassionate
d. empathetic
8. Which of the following is probably NOT true about Mrs. Bennet?
a. She doesn't deal well with unhappiness.
b. Her primary goal in life is to find good husbands for her daughters.
c. She is temperamental and gets frustrated easily.
d. She has a good understanding of her husband.
9. Which of the following is probably true about the society in which Pride and Prejudice
takes place?
a. Wealth is an important determinant of marriage potential.
b. Daughters cannot be married without their fathers’ consent.
c. Women would not be allowed to marry outside of their social class.
d. All of the above
10. Sir William and Lady Lucas are _________________.
a. neighbors of the Bennets.
b. the new neighbors.
c. looking for a wealthy son-in-law.
d. the previous tenants of Netherfield Park.
Answer Key
1. C
2. A
3. B
4. B
5. D
6. D
7. B
8. D
9. D
10. A
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Lesson Plan: Pride and Prejudice
Further Assignments
1.
For a longer assignment, ask students to read the rest of Pride and Prejudice, making
annotations and keeping a journal as they read. Assign a paper on one or more of the
novel's themes once students are finished reading. (RL.11-12.1-6, 7, 9; W.11-12.1-2, 4-6)
2. Ask students to rewrite this excerpt in narrative rather than dialogue form. In other words,
ask them to include more description of what the characters say and how they say it,
rather than conveying the characters' conversation through dialogue. Give students about
20 minutes to do this as an in-class assignment, and then use this writing as a jumping-off
point for either a full-class or small group discussions about why an author might choose
narrative or dialogue for particular scenes and how this authorial choice impacts the
pacing of a novel. (RL.11-12.1-4, 6; W.11-12.1–2, 4–6)
3. Jane Austen is one of the most well-respected authors in English literature. Have students
choose a novel other than Pride and Prejudice to read and ask them to write an essay to
compare the themes of that novel to Pride and Prejudice. (RL.11-12.1–6, 7, 9; W.11-12.1-2, 46)
4. Pride and Prejudice is a novel about, among other things, the struggle to find happiness
in a society that enforces conformity. Ask student to complete an in-class writing
assignment to discuss this theme as it pertains to this excerpt as well as their own lives or
those of their peers. (RL.11-12.1-3; W.11-12.1-2, 4-6)
5. Ask students to speculate on the meaning of the title Pride and Prejudice and write an
essay about how these two concepts might be related. (RL.11-12.2, 4)
6. Ask students to go back through this excerpt from the novel and identify the different
target vocabulary words used throughout. Have them replace these words with synonyms
or synonym phrases that they are already familiar with. Ask them to underline or highlight
any other words they are unfamiliar with and work with a partner or in a small group to
define those words. (ELL)
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Lesson Plan: Pride and Prejudice