Palmyra Area School District
Professional Development 2012 – 2013
LDC TASK
Discipline: English
Course: American Literature
Grade(s)/Level: grade 11, College Preparatory
Duration (# of Days or Lessons): 15
Author(s): Amy Heaton
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
-read and interpret a play
-synthesize knowledge of the play into argumentation form
-prewrite, compose, revise and proofread argumentative essay
-read auxiliary materials and incorporate them into the essay
-set up the essay and document sources according to MLA style sheet
Background Statement:
A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams centers around three main
characters: Stanley Kowalski; his wife, Stella; and her sister, Blanche DuBois.
These three characters are thrown into a volatile situation where Williams sets up
the reader/audience to choose allegiance to Stanley or Blanche who are both
competing for Stella’s love and affection.
After reading the drama and watching the award winning movie adaptation,
most audience members have a definite reaction against either Stanley or
Blanche according to how they feel about telling the truth versus lying, domestic
violence, taking advantage of family, name-calling and the use of slurs, male
dominance and the role of women in society/the family unit and pretending to
be someone a person is not. As in real life, some characters elicit such strong
reactions, the audience is compelled to take sides.
Task:
Template Task (#, Type, Level)
Task 2 Template: [Insert question] After
reading ________ (literature or
informational texts), write a/an ________
(essay or substitute) that addresses
the question and support your position
Teaching Task
Essential question: Who is the most
culpable character in the
play?
After reading A Streetcar Named
with evidence from the text(s). L2 Be
Desire write an essay that addresses
sure to acknowledge competing views. the question and support your position
with evidence from the text. Be sure to
acknowledge competing views.
Texts / Articles / Media
Vocabulary
A Streetcar Named Desire: Blanche,
Stanley, and the Civil War
http://teenink.com/nonfiction/academic/article/258280/AStreetcar-Named-Desire-Blanche-Stanley-and-the-CivilWar/
Content Standards Addressed
Number
1.2.11 B-E
1.5.11 F
1.8.11 A-C
1.9.11 A and B
Content Standards
Reading, Analyzing, and Interpreting T
Quality of Writing
Research
Information, Communication and Technology Literacy
Common Core Standards Addressed – Reading & Writing
Number
CC 1.3.11-12.B
Common Core Standards
Cite strong and thorough textual
evidence to support analysis of
what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences and
conclusions based on and related
to an author’s implicit and explicit
assumptions and beliefs.
Analyze the impact of the author’s
CC 1.3.11-12C
choices regarding how to develop
and relate elements of a story or
drama.
Analyze multiple interpretations of
CC 1.3.11-12.G
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
Read and comprehend literary
CC1.3.11-12K
fiction on grade level, reading
independently and proficiently
Write arguments to support
CC 1.4.11-12G
claims in an analysis of
substantive topics.
Write with a sharp distinct focus
CC 1.4.11-12H
identifying topic, task, and
audience.
• Introduce the precise,
knowledgeable claim.
CC.1.4.11-12.I
Distinguish the claim(s) from
alternate or opposing claims;
develop claim(s) and counterclaims
fairly and thoroughly, supplying the
most relevant evidence for each
while pointing out the strengths
and limitations of both in a manner
that anticipates the audience’s
knowledge level, concerns, values,
READING STANDARDS FOR ARGUMENTATION
“Built-in” Reading Standards
1- Read closely to determine what the text
says explicitly and to make logical
inferences from it; cite specific textual
evidence when writing or speaking to
support conclusions drawn from the test.
“When Appropriate” Reading Standards
3- Analyze how and why individuals, events,
and ideas develop and interact over the
course of a text.
2- Determine central ideas or themes of a
text and analyze their development;
summarize the key supporting details and
5- Analyze the structure of texts, including
how specific sentences, paragraphs, and
larger portions of the text (e.g., section,
ideas.
chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other
and the whole.
4- Interpret words and phrases as they are
used in a text, including determining
technical, connotative, and figurative
meanings, and analyze how specific word
choices shape meaning or tone.
6- Assess how point of view or purpose
shapes the content and style of a text.
10- Read and comprehend complex
literary and informational texts
independently and proficiently.
7- Integrate and evaluate content presented
in diverse formats and media, including
visually and quantitatively, as well as in
words.
8- Delineate and evaluate the argument and
specific claims in a text, including the validity
of the reasoning as well as the relevance and
sufficiency of the evidence.
9- Analyze how two or more texts address
similar themes or topics in order to build
knowledge or to compare the approaches the
authors take.
WRITING STANDARDS FOR ARGUMENTATION
“Built-in” Writing Standards
1- Write arguments to support claims in
an analysis of substantive topics or texts,
using valid reasoning and relevant and
sufficient evidence.
“When Appropriate” Writing Standards
2- Write informative/explanatory texts to
examine and convey complex ideas and
information clearly and accurately through
the effective selection, organization, and
analysis of content.
4- Produce clear and coherent writing in
which the development, organization, and
style are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience.
3- Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, well-chosen details, and
well-structured event sequences.
5- Develop and strengthen writing as
needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach.
6- Use technology, including the Internet, to
produce and publish writing and to interact
and collaborate with others.
9- Draw evidence from literary or
informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
7- Conduct short as well as more sustained
research projects based on focused
questions, demonstrating understanding of
the subject under investigation.
10- Write routinely over extended time
frames (time for research, reflection, and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single
sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks,
purposes, and audience.
8- Gather relevant information from multiple
print and digital sources, assess the
credibility and accuracy of each source, and
integrate the information while avoiding
plagiarism.