Content Area EnglishTarget Course/Grade level 12 Unit Title - European Literature: Twentieth Century Essential Questions: Why might the twentieth century be regarded as the Age of Anxiety? How do “dystopian” works demonstrate the inherent problems of attempting to create a perfect society or perfect individual? How do authors of the 20th century affirm the possibility of beauty and meaning? How is the philosophy of existentialism explored in literary works? What conclusions can be drawn from analyzing concepts evaluated via the literature studied throughout the course of the year? Unit Overview Through the close reading of “dystopian” works such as Pygmalion and 1984, students consider the problems inherent in fashioning a perfect society or perfect individual. At the same time, they also consider how authors of the twentieth century affirm the possibility of beauty and meaning—for instance, Federico García Lorca’s The Guitar, or Thomas Hardy’s “The Darkling Thrush.” Students also examine the philosophy of existentialism and the absurd of reality through works of Albert Camus and other authors. Students ponder how historical context affects an enduring story or theme. Students complete research papers in which they consult literary criticism and historical materials. They engage in discussions resembling college seminars, where they pursue focused questions in depth over the course of one or two class sessions. At the close of the unit, students have the opportunity to research the literature they have read over the course of the year and the concepts they have studied. Standards/ CPI’s RL.11-12.3 Unit Learning Targets As a result of this segment of learning, students will… Read works of the twentieth century, focusing on the earlier decades. Consider aspects of modernism (such as anxiety) in their historical context. Explain both the breakdown and affirmation of form and meaning in modernist literature. Memorize and recite a one- to twominute passage from one of the texts. Include an introduction that discusses one of the following issues: Analyze dystopian and existential literature, considering the problems inherent in fashioning a perfect person or society. -How the passage deals with the question of meaning and meaninglessness RL.11-12.6 RL.11-12.10 RI.11-12.5 W.11-12.7 W.11-12.8 SL.11-12.1(ad Lessons and Activities The learning experiences that will facilitate engagement and achievement L.11-12.6 Consider how poems in this unit reflect on poetry itself and its possibilities. Write research papers in which they consult literary criticism and historical materials. Suggested Activities: Evidence of Learning Formative and Summative measures Graded class participation Reading poetry, Oral Presentation: -How the passage comments, directly or indirectly, on historical events (SL.1112.4) Art, Music and Media Resources Books, articles, text, etc. Glencoe Textbook Suggested literary selections Graded class discussion Peer and Teacher critique of argumentative, informational/exp ository and narrative writing assignments Novels Brave New World by Huxley 1984 by Orwell The Stranger by Camus The Plague by Camus All Quiet on the Western Front by Remarque Novellas The Metamorphosis by Kafka Peer editing Cooperative and individual research projects and oral Plays Pygmalion by Shaw Waiting for Godot by Beckett Rhinoceros by Ionesco Consider the implications of modern versions of classical works. Examine the musical allusions and their meanings in twentieth-century poetical works in seminars. Pursue focused questions in depth over the course of one or two class sessions. Understand absurdist and existential philosophy as it applies to literature and theatre. Research the literature they have read over the course of the year and the concepts they have studied. Examine all of the images depicted in the works of art evaluated in this unit. Do these works of art have anything in common? Do they depict anything you recognize? Do you think they were made for a particular buyer, a patron, or just because the painters wanted to make them? How might you categorize each work, besides “abstract”? How has the artist evolved by the twentieth century to be an unrestricted individual? Can you see how these artists might be driven by their own artistic tendencies or desires? What are these paintings “about”? (SL.11-12.1, SL.11-12.2, SL.11-12.3, SL.11-12.4, SL.11-12.5) Reading Literature, Argumentative Writing How do both Lorca and Hardy affirm the possibility of beauty and meaning in their works as authors of the twentieth century? Use specific textual evidence to support all of your claims and counterclaims. (RL.11-12.4, SL.11-12.4, W.11-12.5, W.11-12.7, W.11-12.8, L.11-12.6) Paying close attention to The Stranger’s plot, how can Meursault be regarded as a protagonist who portrays the philosophy of existentialism? How does it apply to Auden’s concept of anxiety? Write an essay that uses specific textual evidence to support your position. (RL.11-12.4, SL.11-12.4, W.11-12.5, W.11-12.7, W.11-12.8, L.11-12.6) presentations Benchmarks Tests Announced and unannounced quizzes Three formal analyses Two narrative writing assignments Two informational/exp ository writing assignments Four perspectives in response to art and literature Nonfiction Night by Wiesel The Myth of Sisyphus by Camus From The Voyage of Christopher Columbus Poems “The Guitar” by Lorca “Encounter” by Mitosz “Gather Not Gold and Precious Stones” by Sodergran “Lot’s Wife” by Szymborska “Lot’s Wife” by Akhmatova “The Darkling Thrush” by Hardy “Four Quartets” by Eliot “The Wasteland” by Eliot “The World, My Friends, My Enemies, You, and the Earth” by Hikmet “Freedom to Breathe” by Solzhenitsyn Informational Texts Recitation of poetry Speeches “Their Finest Hour” (House of Commons, June 18, 1940) (Winston Churchill) Essays “Crisis of the Mind” (Paul Valéry) “The Fallacy of Success” (G.K. Chesterton) Media Film adaptations of suggested works Berlin Wall Crumbles by Joe Garner Art North Arlington Public Schools La Madonne Ronde by Lempicka (1935) Evaluate the setting and historical context of Night. How is the plot of this memoir affected by its time and place? Use specific textual evidence to support all of your claims and counterclaims. (RL.11-12.4, SL.11-12.4, W.11-12.5, W.11-12.7, W.11-12.8, L.11-12.6) El Corredor by Villasenor (1976) Dance on the Beach by Munch (1900) Parana by Kelly (1995) Don’t Forget by Goldberg (1964) Sisyphus by Stuck (1920) L’Envol by Chagall (1968) Reading Literature, Informative Writing How do All Quiet on the Western Front and The Stranger influence and contribute to the existential movement? Write an essay that uses specific textual evidence to support an original, concise thesis statement. (RL.11-12.4, SL.1112.4, W.11-12.5, W.11-12.7, W.11-12.8, L.11-12.6) What social values are discarded in the dystopian works 1984 and/or Brave New World? Write an essay that uses specific textual evidence to support 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) Research Paper: Using texts from this unit or additional outside sources, write a research paper that answers the essential question: Why (in literature) might the twentieth century be regarded as the Age of Anxiety? Use textual evidence to support an original thesis statement designed to answer this question. The North Arlington Public Schools paper should reflect your reasoned judgment about the quality and reliability of sources consulted (i.e., why you emphasize some and not others), a balance of paraphrasing and quoting from sources, original thinking, the anticipation and addressing of questions or counterclaims, and the proper citation of sources. (RL.11-12.1, RL.11-12.2, RI.11-12.1, RI.11-12.2, RI.11-12.7, W.11-12.7, W.11-12.8) North Arlington Public Schools