The Good Earth Unit Plan
Intention and Objective
This unit plan demonstrates how an educator would teach the book “The Good Earth”
by Pearl S. Buck in a secondary setting. This unit would be best employed in an 11-12th grade
English classroom. The class would most likely be geared toward world cultures, as well as
distribution of wealth and women’s issues. It would educate students about Chinese culture as
well as an appreciation for nature. This novel would be a part of a larger unit dealing with
obstruction of wealth.
This unit plan would be taught through “lit circles”, where the students would read the
novel and subsequently discuss what they have learned. This unit will not only familiarize
students with Chinese culture and literature, but also help students to connect themes in the novel
with issues in their own lives in order to broaden their perspectives. Along with group readings,
poetry, related texts, and picture books that thoroughly convey issues that are addressed in the
book would be used.
Students write a short paper on themes in the novel and how they connect or parallel
American society. This would be done through individual writing and peer review. This will
allow students to not only learn about Chinese culture and other ethnicities, but also to reflect on
their own cultures and familiarize themselves with international issues.
This lesson would best be employed in a rural or suburban middle class setting. In a
high school that will most likely have a majority of Caucasian students, it is important to
introduce students to world cultures. I would utilize this novel to inform students of other
cultures. This unit would also fulfill state standards, specifically 3.3.2-3.3.5, dealing with classic
and contemporary literature, as well as a familiarity with world literature, including authors
beyond American and British literary traditions.
Overall Unit Standards
CE 3.3.2- Read and analyze classic and contemporary works of literature (American, British, world)
representing a variety of genres and traditions and consider their significance in their own time period
as well as how they may be relevant to contemporary society.
CE 3.3.3- Draw on a variety of critical perspectives to respond to and analyze works of literature (e.g.,
religious, biographical, feminist, multicultural, political).
CE 3.3.4- Demonstrate knowledge of American minority literature and the contributions of minority
writers.
CE 3.3.5- Demonstrate familiarity with world literature, including authors beyond American and British
literary traditions.
Resources/Books
Book Title
The Good Earth
Aching for Beauty:
Footbinding in China
Opium Culture: The Art and
Ritual of the Chinese Tradition
Author
Pearl S. Buck
Ping Wang
Used For
The entire unit plan.
Found poems-Day 4.
Type of Book
Novel-fiction
Non-fiction
Peter Lee
Found poems-Day 4.
Non-fiction
Street Criers: A Cultural
History of Chinese Beggars
Education and Society in Late
Imperial China, 1600-1900
Hanchao Lu
Found poems-Day 4.
Non-fiction
Bejamin A. Elman &
Alexander Woodside
Found poems-Day4.
Non-fiction
Calendar Overview
1
2
3
4
5
Introduce The Good In class reading,
Chinese
Create found
Discussion of
Earth-author,
small group
wealth/success
poems from nonchapters read, and
context, and
discussion, journal
story and class
fiction Chinese
character trait
culture.
entries
discussion, five
books.
collages
Assign chapter due
main points activity Present to class,
dates.
journal entries
6
7
8
9
10
Choral reading,
Group discussion of Discussion of
Quiz through
Read assorted
discussion, journal
chapters, introduce chapters, peerchapter 20, finish
Chinese poems,
short paper
review of short
short papers. Short
create a poem as a entries
assignment,
give
papers
papers due at the
class, journal
time in class
end of class
entries
Day 1
Activities: Introduce The Good Earth: give the bio. on the author and give handouts with context and Chinese
culture. Discuss. Create a timeline of the time period, including author’s life events and important historical Chinese
events. Assign 2 chapters a night for reading.
Objectives: Be able to identify the author and main events in author’s life, be able to summarize the time period’s
important historical events and its context, and describe the culture(s) that influenced the novel.
Standards: CE 2.2.3- Interpret the meaning of written, spoken, and visual texts by drawing on different cultural,
theoretical, and critical perspectives. CE 3.1.4- Analyze characteristics of specific works and authors and identify
basic beliefs, perspectives, and philosophical assumptions underlying an author’s work.
Assessment: The timeline, and the class discussion to give opinions, ask questions, and clarify any confusion.
pick out the important details easier.
Day 2
Activities: In-class reading of chapters 4-6 (students take turns reading), small group discussion of chapters read the
night before, journal entries
Objectives: Be able to recognize similarities and differences in literature, explain key points, and analyze importance
of the novel.
Standards: CE 1.5.1- Use writing, speaking, and visual expression to develop powerful, creative and critical messages.
CE 2.1.5- Analyze and evaluate the components of multiple organizational patterns (e.g., compare/contrast, etc.)
Assessment: Journal entries and general participation
Day 3
Activities: Read a Chinese success story to class (Two of Everything) and have a class discussion on the theme and
how it relates to the novel. Small group discussions and five main points activity.
Objectives: Be able to recognize the influence of wealth/success in Chinese culture and in Chinese literature.
Standards: CE 3.1.7- Analyze and evaluate the portrayal of various groups, societies, and cultures in literature and
other texts. CE 3.1.9- Analyze how the tensions among characters, communities, themes, and issues in literature and
other texts reflect human experience.
Assessment: Five points from each group, discussions
Day 4
Activities: Create found poems from non-fiction Chinese books and from The Good Earth, present to class if time
permits.
Objectives: Be able to discover inspiration for writing in non-traditional places. Be able to incorporate culture and
context within writing. To demonstrate creativity in poetry/writing.
Standards: CE 1.1.6- Reorganize sentence elements as needed and choose grammatical and stylistic options that
provide sentence variety, fluency, and flow. CE 1.3.1-Compose written, spoken, and/or multimedia compositions in
a range of genres, pieces that serve a variety of purposes, and that use a variety of organizational patterns. CE 1.5.1Use writing, speaking, and visual expression to develop powerful, creative and critical messages.
Assessment: The poems will be turned it and points will be given.
Day 5
Activities: journal entries, character trait collages, discussion of chapters read
fdf will be able to identify character traits and characteristics
Objectives: Students
Standards: 3.1.7- Participate collaboratively and productively in groups fulfilling roles and responsibilities, posing
relevant questions, giving and following instructions, acknowledging and building on ideas and contributions of
others to answer questions or to solve problems, and offering dissent courteously and 3.1.9- Analyze how the
tensions among characters, communities, themes, and issues in literature and other texts reflect human experience.
Assessment: Accuracy of collages, creativity, in-class discussions
Day 6
Activities: Read assorted Chinese poems aloud, students will read Footbinding in China and collaboratively write a
poem using one line contributed by each student.
Objectives: Standards: CE 1.3.7- Participate collaboratively and productively in groups fulfilling roles and
responsibilities, posing relevant questions, giving and following instructions, acknowledging and building on ideas
and contributions of others to answer questions or to solve problems, and offering dissent courteously. CE 3.2.4Respond by participating actively and appropriately in small and large group discussions about literature. CE 3.2.5Respond to literature in a variety of ways providing examples of how texts affect their lives, connect them with the
contemporary world, and communicate across time.
Assessment: The final product of the poem as well as participation and understanding
Day 7
Activities: Choral reading of important aspects of the previous chapters, discussion of the previous night’s assigned
chapters, journal entries
Objectives: Be able to identify the elements of a choral reading and be able to model a choral reading.
Standards: CE 1.5.3-Select format and tone based on the desired effect and audience, using effective written and
spoken language, sound, and/or visual representations.
Assessment: The final readings and participation in class discussion
Day 8
Activities: large group discussion on the chapters from the previous night, introduce short paper assignment and give
time in class
Objectives: Students will be able to identify key points from the chapters, explain the development of the characters,
and identify changes in plot and setting
Standards: CE 3.1.7- Participate collaboratively and productively in groups fulfilling roles and responsibilities, posing
relevant questions, giving and following instructions, acknowledging and building on ideas and contributions of
others to answer questions or to solve problems, and offering dissent courteously. CE 3.1.9- Analyze how the
tensions among characters, communities, themes, and issues in literature and other texts reflect human experience.
Assessment: use the discussion as an assessment, as well as the beginning of the short paper and participation
Day 9
Activities: Discussion of chapters, time to work on short paper assignment and peer review
Objectives: Students will be able to identify key points in the novel, as well as character, plot, and setting
development, and connect these themes with American Lifestyles
Standards: CE 1.1.8- proofread to check spelling , layout and font; and prepare selected pieces for a public audience . CE 1.5.5Respond to and use feedback to strengthen written and multimedia presentations (e.g., clarify and defend ideas, expand on a
topic, use logical arguments, modify organization, evaluate effectiveness of images, set goals for future presentations). CE 3.4.1Use methods of close and contextualized reading and viewing to examine, interpret, and evaluate print and visual media and
other works from popular culture.. CD 3.4.2- Understand that media and popular texts are produced within a social context
and have economic, political, social, and aesthetic purposes.
Assessment: use the discussion as an assessment tool, as well as the development of the paper and participation in
peer review
Day 10
Activities: Quiz through chapter 20. Finish short paper and revisions
Objectives: Be able to identify key points of the novel, explain the development of characters, plot, and setting on a
quiz, and connect these themes with American lifestyles
Standards: CE 1.2.4- Assess strengths, weaknesses, and development as a writer by examining a collection of own writing.
Assessment: Use the quiz and final draft of the short papers as an assessment