English III
Mr. Scheef
March 8 - April 15
Instructor:
Email:
Phone:
Best Time:
Mr. Scheef
bscheefnu@hotmail.com
785-404-6831
(A) Days 10:00-10:30 (B) Days 11:30-12:00
Learning Goals and Objectives:
*
To explore the themes of “The American Dream” and “American Way of Life” in depth
from many different angles and points of view from various elements of literature.
*
To understand what implications for contemporary American society Death of a
Salesman, The Great Gatsby, and Of Mice and Men
*
To encourage students to analyze and interpret the development of the main characters.
*
To understand dramatic elements such as symbols, flashbacks, figurative language,
foreshadowing, and irony and to understand how they are used in the context of the lit.
*
To enrich students’, vocabulary such as: climax, exposition, melodrama, props,
dialogue, fantasy, setting, tragedy, stage directions, tempo, and theme. Students should
understand how the vocabulary is used in each of the various literary genres.
*
To improve “literary analysis skills” and comprehension by understanding cause and
effect, the differences between fantasy and reality and past and present.
*
To provide students with a springboard to choose a concept of the American dream for
themselves.
“A” DAY
Tuesday
Discussion
What is the American Dream? What is your American Dream?
How can the American Dream be achieved?
a.
Hard work
b.
Patience
c.
Sacrifice
d.
Saving money or having a great job and making lots of money
e.
Living small - Saving Large
f.
Paying your dues…waiting your turn.
g.
A handout…mom and dad will give it to me…a relative will die and I’ll inherit it.
h.
Well-fare - public assistance - food stamps - get sick (the system will pay for it…not me)
i.
Some poor sucker will just give it to me.
j.
Family, little two bedroom home with a white picket fence, 2 children a dog or cat and a job.
k.
Taking what anybody will give me…because I ain’t working for it.
Due EOC
In a page discuss your dreams for the rest of this year and next. Also discuss what you plan to do to
achieve those dreams.
For Thursday:
Bring to class expert opinions that answer the following questions:
Remember: Sources like Wikipedia and Internet Blogs are NOT considered credible sources for this
class at any time.
a.
What is the American Dream?
b.
How has the American Dream changed over the past decade?
c.
Can the American Dream still be achieved?
March (8)
English III
“A” DAY
Thursday
March (10)
English III
Student Responses:
Bring to class expert opinions that answer the following questions:
Provide the expert opionion (bookmark it) and a hard copy “Works Cited Page” (MLA)
Remember: Sources like Wikipedia and Internet Blogs are NOT considered credible
sources for this class at any time.
a.
What is the American Dream?
b.
How has the American Dream changed over the past decade?
c.
Can the American Dream still be achieved?
Persuasive Essay:
Select one (1) of the following topics for your final argumentative essay.
What is your definition of the “American Dream?”
Do you believe that the American Dream still exists in our country?
Project Requirements: Write to the one (1) inch margin for ALL pages. Less than that
and the page will not be counted as a FULL page.
a.
For an (A) minimum of three (3) typed pages (Garcia)
For a (C) minimum of two (2) typed pages (Garcia)
For a (D) minimum of one (1) typed page
b.
Minimum of two (2) sources to defend your premise (opinion).
c.
Minimum of two (2) for each card type
1.
Summation Cards
2.
Informative Cards (specific information stated in text)
3.
Direct Quotation Cards
4.
MLA Title Page (Not Garcia) and Works Cited Page (MLA)
Due Dates:
a.
Sources
Thursday March 10 - EOC
1.
Hard Copy
2.
Highlight
a.
Billboard Elements
b.
Outline Elements
c.
Highlight Colors
(1) Green Billboard 1. and II.
(2) Yellow or Gold Billboard 2.and III.
(3) Orange Billboard 3.and IV.
b.
Final Topic Outline
Monday March 14 - EOC
1.
Note Cards
2.
Works Cited Page (MLA) and Citation Machine
Final Draft Text
Wed.
March 16 - EOC
1.
Title Page (MLA)
2.
Final Outline
3.
Final Draft Text
4.
Works Cited Page
c.
SPRING BREAK
“A” DAY
Introduce:
Monday
March 28
The Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
English III
“The American Dream”
With the use of Sparknotes research each assigned area and present to the class
a DETAILED summation of that assigned area. DO NOT leave any significant element
or piece of information out. Your evaluation will be based on the “completeness” of your
summation. This is a GROUP grade…work cooperatively as a team
All elements due Friday April 1st (BOC)
We will present in this order.
Arthur Miller - Include a picture
a.
Biographical Review
b.
Life and Times
c.
Novels/plays written
d.
Awards received
e.
Significance of “Death of a Salesman”
GROUP: Jesse - Jacob
Plot Overview
GROUP: Gabby - Dan
Character’s List - Detailed Description
a.
Willy Loman
b.
Biff Loman
c.
Happy
d.
Linda
e.
Charley
f.
Bernard
g.
Ben
h.
The Woman
i.
Howard
GROUP: Reuben - Chelcie
Themes (Define theme first)
GROUP: Amber - Casey
a.
The American Dream and American Values
How does The Death of a Salesman deal with both of these elements?
b.
Betrayal
Motifs (Define motif first)
GROUP: Eric - Donovan
a.
Mythic Figures (Define mythic first)
b.
The American West, Alaska and African Jungle
Symbols (Define symbolism first)
GROUP: Ethan - Dixie
a.
Seeds
b.
Diamonds
c.
Linda and “the woman’s stockings,” the rubber hose
“A” DAY
Wednesday
Student Responses:
“Death of a Salesman” Group research lab day
“A” DAY
Friday
Student Responses:
“Death of a Salesman” Group presentations - Due BOC
March 30
April 1
English III
English III
For Tuesday read:
“The Death of a Salesman” Act One (1) pages 11 - 69
“A” DAY
Friday
Student Responses:
“Death of a Salesman” Act One (1) reading quiz
In Class Complete:
A detailed summation of the following…be specific…report back to the class.
Use of power point etc. - Due EOC
Note:
April 1
English III
The last two sets of students will earn extra credit for having to do extra.
Act 1
(Dixie and Casey)
Analysis
Gabby and Dan)
Act 1 continued (Reuben and Jesse)
Analysis
(Ethan and Chelcie)
Act 1 continued (Amber and Dan)
Analysis
(Eric and Jacob)
Act 1 continued (Gabby and Dan)
Analysis
(Amber and Ethan)
For Tuesday
Groups will present their “Death of a Salesman” Act One (1) Summations
“A” DAY
Tuesday
Student Responses:
“Death of a Salesman” Act One (1) Summations
For Thursday read:
“Death of a Salesman” Act Two (2) and the Requiem
“A” DAY
Thursday
Student Responses:
“Death of a Salesman” Act Two (2) - Requiem reading quiz
In Class Complete:
A detailed summation of the following…be specific…report back to the class.
Use of power point etc. - Due EOC
For Monday
April 5
English III
April 7
English III
Act II and Analysis
Ethan and Reuben
Act II continued and Analysis
Amber and Casey
Act II continued and Analysis
Jesse and Eric
Act II continued and Analysis
Donovan and Chelcie
Act II continued and Analysis
Dixie and Dan
Requiem
Jacob and Gabby
Groups will present their “Death of a Salesman” Act Two (2) - Requiem Summations
“A” DAY
Monday
Student Responses:
Groups present “Death of a Salesman” Act Two (2) - Requiem Summations
April 11
English III
“Death of a Salesman” Final Exam - Due Friday April 15th
Premise: To What Extent was Willy Loman a Victim of the American Dream?
a.
For an “A” Three (3) Typed Pages (double spaced)
b.
For a “C” Two (2) Typed Pages (double spaced)
c.
For a “D” One (1) Typed Page (double spaced)
For Wednesday:
“The Death of a Salesman” Video
To what extent was Willy Loman a victim of the American Dream? Read the following excerpts…
EXCERPT ONE:
To answer this question it is necessary to look at the background of the author-Arthur Miller,
both the American dream and capitalism, and how incidents in the play link Willy to the American
dream.
Arthur Miller was the son of an Austrian who had immigrated to America. Arthur was born in
1915, in New York where his father was earning a living as a clothes manufacturer. The family
business was ruined in 1929 when the stock market crashed. Arthur paid for his own university
education, and studied Economics, History, Journalism and Play writing. Arthur Millers father had
moved to America to follow the great American Dream, believing America to be the land of
opportunity.
The American Dream meant the idea that any one could become a success no matter what
they started with.
EXCERPT TWO:
In “Death of A Salesman” Arthur Miller is critical of the capitalist system which is encouraging
people to want more of the better goods on offer. Capitalism depends on the continual
encouragement of wants. People must buy more in order to enable people to work producing
these goods. The play describes the increase in desire for material goods (consumerism) which
followed the war.
To conclude, Willy is not simply a victim of the American Dream, and, contrary to what was believed
at the time, his failure to achieve such a dream was not his own fault, but the fault of the society in which he
lived and its changing values.
“A” DAY
Friday
Student Responses:
“Death of a Salesman” Video Day Two (2)
For Friday:
“Death of a Salesman” Final Exam Due - BOC
April 15
English III
Premise: To What Extent was Willy Loman a Victim of the American Dream?
a.
For an “A” Three (3) Typed Pages (double spaced)
b.
For a “C” Two (2) Typed Pages (double spaced)
c.
For a “D” One (1) Typed Page (double spaced)