Glen Ridge Public Schools –Language Arts Literacy Curriculum
Course Title: English 12 CP
Subject: Language Arts Literacy
Grade Level: 12
Duration: 1 year
Prerequisite: English 11 CP or English 11 Honors
Elective or Required: Required
Language Arts Literacy Mission Statement:
The Glen Ridge Language Arts Program establishes a foundation for lifelong learning and
effective communication. Through a sequential and challenging curriculum, our students will
become proficient readers, effective writers, active listeners and articulate speakers. Students
learn to respect various points of view while displaying creative, collaborative, and critical
thinking skills. The Language Arts Program enables our students to participate effectively in a
technological, complex and ever-changing world.
Course Description:
English 12 College Preparatory is a survey course in World Literature. The study of World
Literature spans the globe and the centuries in it representative authors and poets. It is
organized thematically covering four major themes over the course of the year. During the first
semester students will explore the search for self, and the internal struggle. In the second
semester students will explore the nature of the individual and community and the human
condition and its impact on relationships. Through the analysis of the writings of various
cultures, students will understand connections among literary works. Expression of analysis will
be through expository and comparative writing, as well as scholarly creative projects.
Authors: Stephanie Pollak and Jody Hackmeyer
Date Submitted: Summer 2011
English 12 C.P.
Topic/Unit: Search for Self
Approximate # Of Weeks: 9
Essential Question
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How do I define myself and tell the story of me?
Objectives
Upon completion of this unit students will be able to:
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11-12.RL.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining
where the text leaves matters uncertain.
11-12.RL.3 Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and
relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered,
how the characters are introduced and developed).
11-12.RL.6 Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what
is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or
understatement).
11-12.SL.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
(one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics,
texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and
persuasively
11-12.W.8 Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital
sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of
each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the
text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and over-relliance on
any one source and following a standard format for citation.
11-12.L.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and
usage when writing or speaking.
11-12.L.3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in
different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend
more fully when reading or listening.
11-12.L.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on grades 11–12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of
strategies.
11-12.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas,
concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection,
organization, and analysis of content.
11-12.W.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
11-12.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
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11-12.W.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a
specific purpose and audience.
11-12.W.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update
individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new
arguments or information.
Interdisciplinary Standards (njcccs.org)
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6.2 World History, Global Studies All students will acquire the knowledge and skills to
think analytically and systematically about how past interactions of people, cultures, and
the environment affect issues across time and cultures. Such knowledge and skills
enable students to make informed decisions as socially and ethically responsible world
citizens in the 21st century.
6.3 Active Citizenship in the 21st Century All students will acquire the skills needed to be
active, informed citizens who value diversity and promote cultural understanding by
working collaboratively to address the challenges that are inherent in living in an
interconnected world.
Sample Activities
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Listen to audio clips (21 Century Tech)
Discuss The White Tiger and how the main character is both antagonist and protagonist.
Students will work in groups to defend a position on whether they felt sympathy for the
main character. (11-12.RL.3, 11-12.RL.6)
Seminar: Students will examine Sammy’s character in ―A & P‖ and answer the
questions: Is Sammy’s action heroic? Whether heroic or not, is his action offensive or
belittling to women? (11-12.RL.1)
Seminar: Agree or disagree: ―Moral choices are essentially choices between two sets of
values; one belonging to one culture or era, one to another.‖ Use textual evidence to
support your response. (11-12.RL.1)
Working with a partner, choose a work in this unit with a character facing a difficult
choice. Write and perform a dialogue with each character defending a particular option.
(11-12.SL.1)
Students will utilize laptops to access the College Board website to evaluate sample
college essays (11-12.W.8)
Read and analyze various narrative essays from the Norton Sampler
st
Writing Assignments
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Annotation of the text (11-12.L.3; 11-12.L.4)
Short essay: Compare and contrast the narrators of ―A & P‖ and ―Eleven‖, both young
people struggling to define themselves. (11-12.W.2; 11-12.W.4; 11-12.W.5; 11-12.W.6)
In preparation for writing their own college essay, students will respond to the following
writing prompts (11-12.W.3):
1. Write a personal narrative about your internal struggle to make some
important decision in your life. Lead up to and then focus sharply on the moment
of clarity when your mind was made up and you suddenly knew what your were
going to do or say or be.
2. Write a narrative about an infatuation you’ve had with a
particular person or lifestyle—or perhaps a person who represented
a lifestyle. Tell what you did to act on your infatuation—and/or how
you got over it.
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Students will write a personal essay useful for both the college application process and
as a reaction to the varied identity ideas explored in the readings (11-12.W.3; 11-12.L.1)
Enrichment Activities
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Show pyramid of caste system of India
Show clips from movie, Slumdog Millionaire
Show pictures of various Hindu gods
Methods of Assessments/Evaluation
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Essay Writing
Annotation
College Essay
Discussion Participation
Unit Test
Resources: Text, Literature (RL), Informational (RI)
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The White Tiger (RL)
Short stories, including, ―Eleven‖ and ―Barbie Q‖ by Sandra Cisneros; ―Araby‖ by James
Joyce; ―A & P‖ by John Updike; ―Who’s Irish?‖ by Gish Jen
The Norton Sampler – selections on writing Narrative (chapter 3) (RI)
―The Ashen Guy‖
―Turning Japanese‖
―None of This is Fair‖
―Orange Crush‖
―Ready, Willing, and Able‖
―The Back of the Bus‖
Samples of college essays (RI)
Selected Poetry from Di Yanni
-‖Duck/Rabbit‖ by Billy Collins
- ―Digging‖ by Seamus Heaney
- ―A Noiseless Patient Spider‖ by Walt Whitman
- ―Homage to My Hips‖ by Lucille Clifton
Online Resources
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Teacher webpage
English 12 C.P.
Topic/Unit: Internal Struggle
Approximate # Of Weeks: 9 weeks
Essential Questions:
How do individuals determine a course of action when faced with an internal conflict?
Upon completion of this unit students will be able to:
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11-12.RI.2 Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development
over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to
provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.
11-12.RI.3 Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how
specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.
11-12.RL.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining
where the text leaves matters uncertain.
11-12.RL.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text,
including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word
choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that
is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other
authors.)
11-12.RL.5 Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts
of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a
comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its
aesthetic impact.
11-12.RL.7 Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or
live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version
interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an
American dramatist.)
11-12.W.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or
texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
11-12.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas,
concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection,
organization, and analysis of content.
11-12.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations
for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
11-12.W.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a
specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command
of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grades 11–12 on page 54.)
11-12.W.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a
question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the
inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating
understanding of the subject under investigation.
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11-12.W.8 Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital
sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of
each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the
text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any
one source and following a standard format for citation.
11-12.W.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
11-12.L.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and
nuances in word meanings.
11-12.L.6 Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and
phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career
readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when
considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
11-12.SL.3 Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and
rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of
emphasis, and tone used.
11-12.SL.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear
and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative
or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance,
and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal
tasks.
11-12.SL.5 Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual,
and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings,
reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
11-12.SL.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command
of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grades 11–12 Language
standards 1 and 3 on page 54 for specific expectations.)
Interdisciplinary Standards (njcccs.org)
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8.1 Computer and Information Technology All students will use digital tools to access,
manage, evaluate, and synthesize information in order to solve problems individually
and collaboratively and to create and communicate knowledge.
9.1 21st Century Life and Career Skills All students will demonstrate the creative, critical
thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills needed to function successfully as
both global citizens and workers in diverse ethnic and organizational cultures.
Activities – include 21st Century Technologies:
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Listen to audio clips (11-12.SL.3)
View a film version of the play (11-12.RL.7)
Seminar: What makes Hamlet a tragic figure? To what extent is he responsible for the
tragic events of the play? (11-12.RI.2, 11-12.RI.3)
How is Gregor Samsa’s transformation in The Metamorphosis a metaphor for the
existential experience? Write an essay that uses specific textual evidence that supports
an original, concise thesis statement. (RL.11-12.4,SL.11-12.4 W.11-12.5, W.11-12.7,
W.11-12.8, L.11-12.6)
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Seminar: students will identify and analyze symbols in ―Metamorphosis‖ including the
different breakfast habits of Gregor and his father, the implication of Gregor’s view of a
hospital, and the apple lodged in his back. (11-12.L.5)
Seminar: students will compare and contrast the father and father/son relationships in
―The Metamorphosis‖ and ―Marriage is a Private Affair.‖ (11-12.RL.1)
Students will read a fairy tale as an example of Heroic Journey and identify each
element of the journey. Then students will apply these elements of the Journey to ―A
Worn Path‖. (11-12.RL.5)
Seminar: after reading ―Should Batman Kill the Joker?‖ students will evaluate whether or
not the Joker meets the definition of a psychopath. (11-12.RI.4, 11-12.RI.5)
Presentation: students will present their positions on an argument. (11-12.SL.6)
Writing Assignments:
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Relate the action or situation of Hamlet to your own experience. Explain how the play is
relevant to your situation, and comment on how reading and thinking about it may have
helped you see your own life and experience more clearly. (11-12.W.4, 11-12.W.5)
Read Hamlet. With special consideration to his soliloquies, is Prince Hamlet influenced
by his sense of logic or sense of emotion? Use specific textual evidence to support an
original, concise thesis statement and write a formal essay following formal MLA
guidelines. (W.11-12.5, W.11-12.7)
Working individually or in pairs, think of a symbol that represents a big idea. After you
think of a symbol, incorporate it into a piece of writing up to two pages long. The piece
could be an essay on what the symbol means, a piece of fiction, a poem describing the
symbol's meaning, or some other creative masterpiece. (11-12.W.2)
Write an argument condemning (or justifying) the use of torture when dealing with
terrorists. Consider applying one or more schools of philosophy outlined by White and
Arp (Norton) -- or any you choose -- to make your argument. (11-12.W.1)
Research a current social topic of interest and write an argumentative essay that clearly
portrays your view in a formal and persuasive manner. (11-12.W.1, 11-12.W.7, 1112.W.9)
Present a persuasive speech. (11-12.SL.4, 11-12.SL.5)
Enrichment Activities:
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Listening to ―Once in a Lifetime‖ by the Talking Heads and ―Ants Marching‖ by Dave
Matthews; discuss relevance to The Metamorphosis
Read ―Hamlet‖ by Sherman Alexie and ―Hamlet‖ by Boris Pasternak and ―Hamlet‖ by
Wole Soyinka
Visual representation of Kafka’s Metamorphosis
http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/metamorphosis/
View a local production of Hamlet
Methods of Assessments/Evaluation:
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Text annotation
Argumentative essay
Creative writing utilizing symbolism
Essay test on Metamorphosis
Take-home essay on Hamlet
Persuasive speech
Resources: Text, Literature (RL), Informational (RI)
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Hamlet (RL)
―Hamlet and Oedipus‖--critical theory--Di Yanni, p. 1498 (RI)
Argument lessons in Norton Sampler - selections (p.376) (RI)
-A Brief Guide to Writing an Argument (p.379) (RI)
-Barack Obama - Inaugural Address (RI)
-Johnson C. Montgomery - The Island of Plenty (RI)
-Mark D. White and Robert Arp - Should Batman Kill the Joker?(RI)
-What’s Wrong With Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports? (p.409) and three
samples (RI)
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―Metamorphosis‖ (RL)
―Marriage is a Private Affair‖ by Chinua Achebe (p.253) (RL)
―A Worn Path‖ by Eudora Welty (RL)
―The Yellow Wallpaper‖ by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (RL)
―The Story of an Hour‖ by Kate Chopin (RL)
Poetry Selections from DiYanni
- ―Indian Boarding School: The Runaways‖ by Louise Erdrich
- ―A Study of Reading Habits‖ by Philip Larkin
- ―Sign for My Father, Who Stressed the Bunt‖ by David Bottoms
- ―The Street‖ by Octavio Paz
Online Resources:
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Teacher webpage
Outline of Heroic Journey
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/smc/journey/ref/summary.html
60 Second Shakepeare
http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/shakespeare/60secondshakespeare/themes_hamlet.shtml
Shakespeare Resource Center http://www.bardweb.net/index.html
English 12 C.P.
Topic/Unit: Individual and Community
Approximate # Of Weeks: 9 weeks
Essential Questions:
How does one maintain or cultivate individuality within the confines of a restrictive society?
Upon completion of this unit students will be able to:
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11-12.RI.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric
is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power,
persuasiveness, or beauty of the text.
11-12.RI.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different
media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a
question or solve a problem.
11-12.RL.2 Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their
development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one
another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.
11-12.RL.3 Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and
relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered,
how the characters are introduced and developed).
11-12.RL.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text,
including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word
choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that
is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other
authors.)
11-12.RL.5 Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts
of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a
comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its
aesthetic impact.
11-12.L.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling when writing.
11-12.L.3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in
different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend
more fully when reading or listening.
11-12.L.6 Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and
phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career
readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when
considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
11-12.W.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or
texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
11-12.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas,
concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection,
organization, and analysis of content.
11-12.W.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
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11-12.W.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update
individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new
arguments or information.
11-12.SL.2 Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and
media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve
problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any
discrepancies among the data.
Interdisciplinary Standards (njcccs.org)
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6.1 U.S. History: America in the World All students will acquire the knowledge and skills
to think analytically about how past and present interactions of people, cultures, and the
environment shape the American heritage. Such knowledge and skills enable students
to make informed decisions that reflect fundamental rights and core democratic values
as productive citizens in local, national, and global communities.
8.2 Technology Education All students will develop an understanding of the nature and
impact of technology, engineering, technological design, and the designed world, as they
relate to the individual, global society, and the environment.
Activities – include 21st Century Technologies:
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Students will gather background information on Iran prior to reading Persepolis
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/middle-east/iraq/; Webquest on
Iran for background to Persepolis http://www.readwritethink.org/classroomresources/lesson-plans/gaining-background-graphic-novel-1063.html (11-12.RI.7)
Students will research and define the following terms as background to Persepolis:
Muslim, Fundamentalism, Shah, Ayatollah, Shador, Taliban (11-12.RL.4, 11-12.L.6)
Seminar: What was the greatest challenge Marjane’s parents encountered? What was
the greatest challenge Marjane encountered? (11-12.RL.3, 11-12.RL.5)
Seminar: Predict what will happen when Marjane is reunited with her parents.(1112.RI.6)
Preliminary Writing: Students will write out (separately) his or her recollection of the
same event. In a paragraph or two, students will make a point by point comparison of
the two versions. (11-12.W.10)
Seminar: Evaluate Nora’s behavior at the end of ―A Doll’s House.‖ Does she make the
right decision in leaving her family? Why or why not? (11-12.RL.5)
Seminar: Identify two or three visual details or objects that function as symbols in ―A
Doll’s House‖ and explain their significance, supporting all responses with textual
evidence. (11-12.RL.3)
Read and discuss various comparison/contrast essays and evaluate approach, style and
content. (11-12.RI.6)
View movie adaptation of ―Persepolis‖ and compare to the graphic novel. (11-12.SL.2)
Writing Assignments:
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Assume the role of either Nora or Torvald and write a letter detailing the character’s life
during the past ten years. Letters will be collected, assessed and randomly
redistributed. In character, students will then write a second letter in response to the
first. (11-12.W.3)
Create a graphic novel. (11-12.W.2, 11-12.W.6)
Write a formal essay comparing and contrasting The Kite Runner and Persepolis. (1112.RL.2, 11-12.L.2, 11-12.L.3)
Enrichment Activities:
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Generate a list of gender biased activities. Have students try an activity on the list not
for their sex and write about the experience.
Learn the tarantella and perform it. http://www.virtualitalia.com/articles/tarantella.shtml
http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3tartla.htm
Methods of Assessments/Evaluation:
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Graphic novel
Compare and contrast essay
Creative writing in the form of letters
Text annotation
Test for ―Doll’s House‖
Resources: Text, Literature (RL), Informational (RI)
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Persepolis (RI)
A Doll’s House (RL)
―Indian Education‖ by Sherman Alexie (p.482) (compare with Cisneros stories?) (RL)
Comparison and Contrast from Norton Sampler (RI)
-‖Watching Oprah From Behind the Veil‖by Jeff Jacoby
-‖Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts‖ by Bruce Catton
-‖Two Churches, Black and White‖ by Michael Powell
-‖Like Mexicans‖ by Gary Soto
-‖Gender in the Classroom‖ by Deborah Tannen
-‖Remembering My Childhood on the Continent of Africa‖ by David
Sedaris
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The Kite Runner (RL) - outside reading
Online Resources:
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Teacher webpage
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Tehran Information Center: http://tehran.stanford.edu/
Visual background to Persepolis: http://prezi.com/vfsuxdko-tii/marjis-world
English 12 C.P.
Topic/Unit: Human Condition and Relationships
Approximate # Of Weeks: 9 weeks
Essential Questions:
How does a sense of the unknown help us find our place in the world?
How does understanding others help us understand ourselves?
Upon completion of this unit students will be able to:
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11-12.RL.2 Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their
development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one
another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.
11-12.RL.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text,
including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word
choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that
is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other
authors.)
11-12.RL.6 Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what
is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or
understatement).
11-12.L.3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in
different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend
more fully when reading or listening.
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11-12.SL.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one
on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts,
and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
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11-12.RI.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the
text leaves matters uncertain.
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11-12.RI.5 Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his
or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear,
convincing, and engaging.
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11-12.RI.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric
is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power,
persuasiveness, or beauty of the text.
11-12.RI.10 By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the
grades 11–CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high
end of the range. By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the
high end of the grades 11–CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.
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Interdisciplinary Standards (njcccs.org)
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9.3 Career Awareness, Exploration, and Preparation All students will apply knowledge
about and engage in the process of career awareness, exploration, and preparation in
order to navigate the globally competitive work environment of the information age.
Activities:
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Students will examine details of ―A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings‖ in terms of
Magical Realism. Identify elements of Magical Realism and how they reflect the larger
themes of the story. (11-12.RL.2, 11-12.RL.4)
Seminar: compare and contrast the internal (household) and external (Mexican
government) revolutions portrayed in Like Water for Chocolate. Support this comparison
with both visuals (images to bring meaning and support to each point) and textual
evidence. (11-12.RL.6)
Students will examine significant passages from Like Water for Chocolate in terms of
Magical Realism. Interpret each passage in terms of use of language, elements of
magical realism and overall meaning. (11-12.L.3)
Seminar: students will compare portrayals of war in ―War‖ and ―The Things They
Carried.‖ (11-12.SL1)
Read and Discuss: Read process essay selections from the Norton Sampler. (1112.RI.5, 11-12.RI.6)
Writing Assignments:
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Create a class cookbook. Each student will include a personal narrative about a family
tradition revolving around food and a process analysis essay about how to complete the
recipe. (11-12.RI.1, 11-12.RI.10)
Complete a memory book (11-12.RI.10)
Enrichment Activities:
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View the film version of ―Like Water for Chocolate‖ and compare to the novel.
Students will use the Internet for preliminary research on the Mexican Revolution.
Methods of Assessments/Evaluation:
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Novel Test
Class cookbook
Personal memory book
Text annotation
Resources: Text, Literature (RL), Informational (RI)
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Like Water for Chocolate (RL)
―A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings‖ (RL)
―War‖ by Luigi Pirandello and ―The Things They Carried‖ by Tim O’Brien (RL);
Selections on Process Analysis
-‖How to Solve Sudoku‖ by Will Shortz
-‖How Boys Become Men‖ Jon Katz
-‖So, You Want to Be a Writer? Here’s How.‖ by Allegra Goodman
-‖The Spider and the Wasp‖ by Alexander Petrunkevitch
-‖How to Get Out of a Locked Trunk‖ by Philip Weiss
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Memoirs: Losing My Cool, Just Kids, Running with Scissors, etc. (RI)
―The Joy of Cooking‖ by Elaine Magarrel (RL)
―Food for Love‖ by Carolyn Kizer (RL)
Selections of Poetry from DiYanni
- ―Steady as Any Ship My Father‖ by Doretta Cornell
- ―Golden Retrievals‖ by Mark Doty
- ―Nikki Rosa‖ by Nikki Giovanni
Online Resources:
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Teacher webpage